The Five Most Memorable Moments from the 'Modern Warfare' Franchise

When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare first came on the scene, it was a breath of fresh air for first person shooters. Shedding the (at the time) cliche World War 2 era for a fictional modern setting, Modern Warfare ended up becoming one the most highly regarded shooters of all time.

But it wasn't just the robust multiplayer that wooed people over, the well crafted single player campaign was also a huge factor. While the sequel Modern Warfare 2 did have a convoluted, and at times nonsensical, story attached to it, the narrative was still filled with high octane moments that have been ingrained in the minds' of gamers since its release in 2009.

Here, in anticipation of the forthcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, we count down the top five most memorable moments throughout the Modern Warfare franchise. It goes without saying that some of these story beats will constitute as SPOILERS for anyone who has yet to fight their way through the two Modern Warfare stories. As a result, it you want to remain unspoiled - advert your eyes! You have been warned, there are SPOILERS ahead.

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5. Betrayed By An Ally

The Call of Duty games have never been big on character development, but after witnessing the deaths of playable character Roach and Ghost, it was hard not to feel overcome with anger with the events that followed. After the adrenaline pumping event of defending a DMS module from what seemed like endless waves of antagonist Makarov's soldiers, TF141 (the player's multinational task force) was betrayed by the American General Shepherd.

The scene created an overwhelming sense of tension, as players watched in first person as a recently shot Roach and Ghost were lifted up by American forces and thrown into a ditch, before being covered in gasoline and lit ablaze by Shepherd. Players could do nothing but tilt Roach's head from left to right as they heard Captain Price's futile pleas - warning them not to trust Shepherd.

Zakhev!...

4. Taking Down Zakhev

The ending moments of Modern Warfare were perhaps some of the most polarizing in the game. After thwarting a Russian Ultra Nationalist's plan and a high speed chase, Soap and company found themselves helpless, watching as antagonist Imran Zakhev killed each member of your SAS team one by one.

Seeing Gaz get put down like a dog was infuriating to players, and coupled with the iconic scene where an injured Captain Price slides an M1911 Pistol over to the player, made the satisfaction of taking down Zakhev all the more satisfying. It's hard to forget pulling off the three shots that took down Zakhev and his two henchmen, but the moment that truly clung in the player's mind was seeing Price carried away by allied forces, causing many to question whether or not he had survived the mission.

One Shot, One kill...

3. One Shot, One Kill

The levels "One Shot, One Kill" and "All Ghillied Up" are two of the most iconic from Call of Duty 4. At the time nothing compared to the opening scene in "All Ghillied Up": watching Captain Macmillan materialize out of the grass, camouflaged near-perfectly with the environment. Both levels proved to be some of the most tense of the time, as players sneaked around Russian forces, vastly out gunned and out numbered, stealthy slinking by a platoon of soldiers with nothing but a few blades of grass separating the player from certain death.

Of course, this wouldn't be complete without the grand finale in "One Shot One Kill," a section that permeates in just about every discussion regarding Call of Duty 4. Maybe it was the fact that players had to take the wind into consideration as they lined up the perfect shot that made this level so memorable or maybe it was the chase that ensued after the trigger was pulled that made it all the more harrowing - as players had no choice but to carry a badly injured Captain Macmillan to an extraction zone as a timer counted down the minutes until they would be left behind. Either way, one thing is for sure, this is one moment that won't be forgotten - and if anyone has played Call of Duty 4 on Veteran mode, it is unlikely they will be able to forget the resulting firefight at the carnival.

Speak No Russian...

2. No Russian

It's difficult not to talk about Modern Warfare 2 without bringing up "No Russian." The level made waves across the media when it was leaked - and is still a source of controversy to this day. "No Russian" had players take the role of Private Joseph Allen, an American soldier  deep undercover as a Russian Ultra Nationalist. Tasked with finding out information on the terrorist Makarov, players were forced to enter an airport with a team of Ultra Nationalists and unleash fire on civilians.

The actual task was made all the more difficult when players saw how the civilians reacted. Some tried to flee, other hid wherever they could, some sat praying for their lives, but in the end nothing could save them. By the time players exit the terminal the whole airport has become a bloodbath, with no one making it out alive except for the player and Makarov's team (even if the player chose not to fire a single shot). "No Russian" drummed up so much controversy that, upon start-up, the game asks players if they would like to skip the scene. Whether or not you agree with Infinity Ward's decision to put "No Russian" in the game, it will still be known as one of the most memorable moments from Modern Warfare 2 on sheer shock value alone.

Radioactive Boom...

1. The Nuke In Call of Duty 4

The nuke scene from Call of Duty 4 will definitely not be a surprise for most readers. Before "No Russian" the ending scene of the level "Shock and Awe" was the most talked about moment from the Call of Duty franchise. After all, who could argue against its importance in the franchise? The level starts off with a sense of optimism, that the Americans will be able to beat back the forces of main villain, Al-Asad, and end the war once and for all.

But when information arises that there is a nuclear bomb in the area, the Americans have no choice but to pull out; scrambling to get out before the blast engulfs them all. Before the player can leave however, they must make an attempt to rescue a downed pilot from certain annihilation. As the Americans are about to clear the blast radius the nuke goes off, enveloping the surrounding area in a brown-red haze of dust and smoke. After the debris clears the player finds him/herself in a downed helicopter badly injured and barely able to move. All the  player can do is slowly crawl out of the chopper and walk around the city, before eventually collapsing and meeting a grim fate. Yes, more dire and dramatic situations may have arisen in Modern Warfare 2, but it's "Shock and Awe's" profound effect on both Call of Duty games, and all shooters, that cements it in the number one spot - as it showed that first person shooters can be immersive and emotional experiences and not just Nazi-themed shooting galleries.

There are multiple blockbuster moments in the Modern Warfare titles - and we're sure more will come up in Modern Warfare 3. Did we miss any that you think were important? Let us know in the comments below!

Modern Warfare 3 will release November 8th, 2011 for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii and Nintendo DS.