There’s no escaping that Call of Duty is at the moment in a little bit of a rut. Although there are brilliant spots in Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer and Zombies mode, it finally feels all too acquainted. And the marketing campaign? Our reviewer Simon Cardy stated it was “maybe the worst Call of Duty single-player marketing campaign I’ve performed.” It at the moment has a disappointing Metacritic ranking of 56 and, unsurprisingly, Modern Warfare 3 didn’t make into IGN’s prime 10 Call of Duty video games (spoilers: it got here backside of the pile).
Thankfully, Call of Duty has been distinctive at instances and, years on, lots of its biggest moments nonetheless stand the take a look at of time. So we’re wanting again to resolve which Call of Duty video games are our absolute favorites, and we’re speaking in regards to the full package deal – marketing campaign, multiplayer, zombies, the whole lot. IGN employees voted on all of the video games, and you may learn all about why we picked what we picked beneath. After, remember to tell us how we did and share your favorites within the feedback beneath!
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War units itself aside from different entries within the legendary franchise by how a lot it excels when your gun is definitely holstered. While Call of Duty is clearly identified for its world-class shootouts with explosions round each nook and edge-of-your-seat moments, Black Ops Cold War added one other wrinkle to that method.
The marketing campaign takes place throughout essentially the most crucial moments of the Cold War and we get time to be taught extra about our covert ops crew at our safehouses and sneak round KGB headquarters as a Russian double agent. These moments are quiet in the most effective methods, and so they make the louder ones much more impactful.
Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer fell a little bit quick however its Zombies mode was a spotlight. Sure, we might have beloved some extra content material, nevertheless it offered extremely polished and tense gameplay classes we nonetheless take into consideration as we speak.
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
There had been some large points with 2023’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, however 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 did an important job of iterating and bettering on what got here earlier than. Its multiplayer added new components resembling weapon development, proficiencies, and extra, however what it did finest was create one of the crucial compelling and addicting Call of Duty multiplayer experiences ever made as much as that time.
The marketing campaign was enjoyable sufficient and though it isn’t one in all our favorites, it had the wonderful setpieces and “wow” moments that made this franchise so well-liked. It was additionally the conclusion of one of the crucial beloved Call of Duty trilogies ever and that in itself was one more reason it was definitely worth the admission worth.
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was notable for a lot of causes, together with that it featured the sequence’ first branching narrative and arsenal of futuristic weaponry. While it continued the Cold War-era story from the unique Black Ops, it additionally took us to 2025 to expertise a complete new Cold War that centered on Alex Mason’s son, David. Oh, and don’t overlook that Raul Menendez is likely one of the finest villains in all the franchise.
Black Ops 2’s multiplayer additionally had a number of firsts just like the Pick 10 system and Scorestreaks, including a welcome stage of depth and customization to the expertise. Throw in its Zombies mode, which was the right, laugh-filled various to the marketing campaign and multiplayer, and Black Ops 2 remains to be a standout Call of Duty sport over a decade later.
7. Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Duty: World at War introduced us again to World War 2 after the roaring success that was Modern Warfare’s modern setting, nevertheless it did so another way. Instead of merely going again to Normandy and D-Day for the umpteenth time, the story centered on the Pacific theater and the Red Army’s reversals of the tide at Stalingrad to the Fall of Berlin. The marketing campaign was full of a ton of close-quarters fight moments, lots of which had been in tight, packed trenches, and for the primary time allow you to play with as much as three different buddies.
What World at War could without end be remembered for, nonetheless, was its introduction of what we now know because the Zombies mode, or Nach der Untoten because it was referred to as. Its multiplayer was additionally successful because it introduced in a lot of what made Modern Warfare nice and tailored it for the period the sport was set in.
6. Call of Duty
Call of Duty first appeared on the scene in 2003, at a time when Medal of Honor and Battlefield 1942 had been on the prime of their sport and proving what might be executed within the WWII style. But Call of Duty did numerous issues that may instantly set it aside, together with chosing to inform its story from the attitude of not solely the United States, but in addition Britain and the Soviet Union.
It additionally had you going into battle with different troopers by your aspect as an alternative of getting you face the horrors of warfare alone, and that led to a extra lifelike and compelling expertise. And don’t overlook the “shellshock” function, which visually and audibly confirmed the hazards and penalties of enormous explosions and introduced us nearer to warfare than ever earlier than.
While it’s clearly a little bit outdated 20 years on, the marketing campaign remains to be enjoyable to play and it’s unattainable to understate the muse it constructed for the way forward for not simply the Call of Duty sequence however first-person shooters as a complete.
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops took us to the Sixties to be taught the story of CIA operative Alex Mason. From the primary moments in that chair within the interrogation room to the most effective twists in all the franchise, we couldn’t get sufficient of the story that additionally had the star energy of Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, and Gary Oldman. We beforehand ranked Black Ops’ marketing campaign as Call of Duty’s finest, and we stand by it as we speak.
Black Ops’ multiplayer is simply as iconic and a number of the maps, together with Firing Range and Nuketown, are nonetheless favorites in 2023 as they’ve been introduced ahead a number of instances. The multiplayer suite additionally launched CoD Points, which modified how issues had been unlocked and made development really feel recent once more.
Nazi Zombies returned too, besides this time as a full-fledged mode, and it even allow you to play as JFK, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, or Robert McNamara. There was additionally an unlockable mode that performed like a retro arcade model. It was all great.
4. Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2 was an unimaginable achievement by itself, however its timing was simply as vital. The follow-up to the unique Call of Duty arrived as a launch title for Xbox 360 and demonstrated what “next-gen” truly meant again then.
While the unique Call of Duty was spectacular, the facility of Xbox 360 – alongside developments in PC tech – led to a WWII expertise like by no means earlier than. One of essentially the most notable examples was the smoke grenades, as they had been an important showcase for what the devs may do to make a extra lifelike expertise. Not solely had been they a sight to behold because the smoke billowed up and smothered the display, however they is also used tactically to get out of a tricky state of affairs.
With Call of Duty 2, the longer term was right here, even when the multiplayer nonetheless solely allowed for eight gamers in a match on Xbox Live.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Spoilers: we LOVE Modern Warfare and that adoration extends to 2019’s Modern Warfare, the sport that rebooted a basic. That in itself was a tricky process, however Infinity Ward handed with flying colours and created the most effective marketing campaign for the reason that authentic Black Ops.
Indeed, the single-player was filled with stand-out moments, from Going Dark’s nonlinear stealth infiltration to Clean House, wherein a group of SAS troops clear a pitch-black terrorist hideout utilizing night-goggles, making split-second selections to verify its a menace within the crosshairs and never an unarmed civilian.
Modern Warfare’s multiplayer was first rate too, and tried to evolve one of the crucial beloved multiplayer video games of all time to the trendy day with some good additions, however its implementation wasn’t excellent. That stated, its new modes like Realism and the 2v2 Gunfight had been nice.
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and its sequel Modern Warfare 2 aren’t solely a number of the finest Call of Duty video games ever, but in addition a number of the finest and most vital video games of all time. While Modern Warfare set the gold normal for what these first-person shooters might be, Modern Warfare pushed it to a fair larger peak.
We may discuss No Russian and the surprising, revenge-filled marketing campaign ending all day, however multiplayer is the place this sport actually shines. From its customizable Killstreaks and development challenges, to the concentrate on larger maps with a ton of gamers, to the introduction of the cooperative Spec Ops maps, there was SO a lot to like about its multiplayer mode. And the most effective half? It simply improved on the whole lot else we beloved from Modern Warfare, which we are able to’t wait to let you know about subsequent…
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 could have perfected the method that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare constructed, however new and glossy issues can’t all the time stack as much as what it’s prefer to expertise one thing for the primary time. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the right instance of that, and was a revolution that modified video video games without end.
This was the 12 months that Call of Duty grew to become the Call of Duty we all know as we speak, and it was due to a tag-team assault of a improbable marketing campaign and a legendary multiplayer expertise. We will always remember being launched to Soap and Captain Price for the primary time, or once we received to leap into an AC-130 gunship, escape a cargo ship in the midst of a stormy sea, play by means of All Ghillied Up – probably the best Call of Duty mission ever – and a lot extra.
We’ll additionally always remember the numerous hours we fortunately sunk into multiplayer, incomes killstreak after killstreak, unlocking each gun and problem we may, discovering the right perks, and profitable or dropping alongside our greatest buddies. Those had been the times we’ll always remember. That is Call of Duty.
