Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

The campaign has you moving through tight firefights and big action set pieces, so it gives your brain plenty to do while your legs keep going. I’d play it on a computer away from the treadmill, though, because the PC version is built around a mouse and keyboard.

Gameplay

Call of Duty 4’s campaign is a great action game, and it gets moving quickly enough that I think it can hold your attention through a workout. You’re pushing into rooms, reacting to enemies and trying to keep up with what your squad is doing, so there isn’t much time to wonder how long you’ve been walking. It’s the sort of game where a quiet stretch can turn into a firefight before you’ve finished taking a sip of water.

The missions have different rhythms, which helps. The stealth work in “All Ghillied Up” asks you to move carefully and wait for openings, and that’s a nice change from constantly firing at people, though I’d probably find the patience part harder while jogging. I’m not sure I’d want every mission to be that slow, but one stretch of sneaking around is a good breather.

Then you get the AC 130 mission, where you’re watching the fight from above and picking targets, and it’s a very different kind of action from aiming down a street with a rifle. I like how the campaign changes the pace without asking you to learn a whole new game. It does still ask you to pay attention, so I wouldn’t choose it for the run where I’m trying to zone out and let my mind wander.

There are cutscenes and briefings, but the stretches where you’re just watching are short enough that they don’t take over the campaign. I’d play on an easier difficulty if I wanted the story and action without having to repeat a firefight because I missed somebody behind a piece of scenery. I don’t know that every dramatic moment needs to be quite so dramatic, but most of the time I’m happy to let the game get on with it.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The PC controls are the awkward part here. The original PC version doesn’t offer native controller support, and aiming with a mouse while your body is bouncing along on a treadmill sounds like a plan I’d regret before the first crowded room. Keyboard movement is possible, but it still leaves you trying to manage the mouse and your balance at the same time.

A stationary bike gives you a little more room to deal with the mouse and keyboard, but the aiming still wants small, quick movements while enemies can appear from different directions. I’d keep the pace easy if you’re determined to try it, and I’d lower the difficulty so a missed shot doesn’t turn into a long stretch of replaying the same room. The game gives you checkpoints, which helps, but I wouldn’t count on every encounter being calm enough to pedal through without thinking.

I’d skip multiplayer while exercising. Other players move quickly, you can’t pause a match when you need a moment, and I think trying to aim accurately while keeping up with that would turn the workout into a lot of standing still and staring at the screen. That probably isn’t what you had in mind when you got on the treadmill.

If you can make a controller mapping work through another setup, the campaign’s easier sections could be more manageable, but I wouldn’t buy the PC version expecting to plug in a controller and be ready. For the treadmill, I’d save this one for play when you’re not moving. That’s less fun to hear, but it’s the practical answer.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum graphics requirement is an old card, so a recent computer with integrated graphics may be enough, though I’d check that it meets the listed requirements before buying. The game doesn’t ask for a powerful modern system, and the 8 GB of storage is probably more noticeable than the graphics demand.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Call of Duty 4 is an easy campaign to recommend when you want a focused action game, but I wouldn’t choose its PC version for exercising because the mouse and keyboard controls make moving and aiming a bad mix. Play it off the treadmill, or look for a version with controller support if working out is the point.

Overall Score: 2.33 out of 3