Okay. I have a history with CoD games. I have, since the very first once, been incapable of playing them. Not because I sucked horribly, infact, it was nothing really to do with the games design, the control sets, the weapons. Nothing like that.

It was the fact that every bloody one of them was set in World War times. I'm a big fan of history. I love reading about it, I love all these documentaries on the second world war, and the first, even the Cold War stuff.

However, I am entirely bored with WW shooters. There are so many that I can't even count them. They're forever replaying the same thing, albeit with different takes on the locations and mission structure, but they're still all the same damned game. Gaming, for me, is about the next new experience. Key word, 'new'. Replaying the same bloody scene from a World War is just flat, uninteresting, and in some instances, depressing.

Someone at Infinity Ward seems to think along the same lines, at least for this installment of the CoD line. I know this game has been out for months. I even had a copy of it near launch day, for the PS3. It looked great, sure. The single player was about as tacked on and pathetic as most multiplayer-centric games these days, although one character (Whos' name escapes me) had some brilliant facial hair. I enjoyed the scene in the chopper as the US Marines, until some cloth-eared gimp crashed it. The visuals were fantastic in that scene.

However, my initial enjoyment of the game was crippled, heavily, online. The controls were stodgy. They were like stirring mashed potato with a plastic spoon. There didn't seem to be anything to compensate for the scarily low sensitivity analogue sticks, and that made aiming a nightmare. I put it down, and never picked it up again.

Until this Saturday just gone. I grabbed it for the PC. Got home, expecting it to be as mediocre as the first time I played it. After the install and setup, I went and joined a server, checked I was running a good DPI on the speed side of my mat.

I was amazed at the difference between the console version and the PC version. It was so much more responsive, so much smoother, and I certainly welcomed the anti-aliasing with open arms. The visuals were, if anything, better. The weapons made me happy in the pants (partly because the M4 Carbine in Woodland camo looks a hell of a lot like my airsoft M4..), the unlocking system doesn't seem to be as ridiculous as I expected it to be, and the best part?

I've played for about 3 hours, now, and I have yet to encounter someone online that's been even remotely stupid. Everyone that has spoken has been civil, even when I shoot them in the face, welcoming, and happy to advise on what's where. I know most of what they say is in the manual, but who cares. The player base has so far been one of the better ones I've encountered online, and it has been a positive experience.

I see myself replaying this for some months yet, I want the Barrett M107 (M82A1/Barrett Light 50, depending on which game you're familiar with).

My only major issue is the story, and as I already said, there's no way this wasn't designed as primarily a multiplayer game. To think otherwise would be sheer stupidity.

You should, if your machine can run it, go and buy it right now.