Top 10 Call of Duty Titles
Black Ops 4 marks the 10th Call of Duty since the revolutionary pinnacle of the franchise, COD: Modern Warfare. Ten new Call of Duties means 10 more years since then, and I think most of us have forgotten just how amazing, average, and downright horrible the franchise has been during these years. So here I’ll be looking at every Call of Duty released since 2007 and using student viewpoint in order to determine what the best Call of Duties have been over the past 10 years.
#10- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
On release, this game was so poorly received it started the Call of Duty hate wave we still see remnants of today. A lack-luster campaign and a strange game mode that didn’t generate any noise don’t justify just how miserable of a multiplayer it had. The maps are some of the worst we’ve ever seen, the colors were miserable, and the blotchiness of the game upon release made it that much worse. However, Moeller Rugby player Davis Bianchini had a differing opinion, “Ghosts is the game that brought me to love Call of Duty. I think over time Ghosts is going to leave an impact on many people as it was the last Call of Duty without a jetpack involved”. Davis is right, after Ghosts every Call of Duty had advanced movement which is despised by many in the community, however this game simply didn’t have the same energy as previous titles.
#9- Call of Duty: WW2 (2017)
This game defines mediocrity. The boots on the ground gameplay was a refresher for a couple months, but over time it’s obvious this game is leans towards being forgettable. When WW2 was announced, many people expected intense, dark gameplay similar to Call of Duty: World At War. However we got the opposite. Maps were bright, violence was light, and there was nothing that was able to stand out. The zombies game mode was better than whatever Infinite Warfare’s was. It’s a better game than the previous 2 only because there weren’t any stand out flaws. The guns were relatively balanced, the maps weren’t too miserable, it was just such a mediocre game. Moeller baseball player, Michael Tennie, had some choice words for this game just to emphasize just how forgettable this game is, “I played Call of Duty WW2 for about one weekend and I already got bored of it, there’s simply just no incentive to play the game especially when the gameplay is so basic”.
#8- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
This is possibly the most controversial video game of this generation. Nobody knew what to think of this one. Loud, obnoxious jetpacks, weapon variants, pay-to-win system. Everything that everybody hates in a Call of Duty game was packed into this game. So why is it not worse than the others? Well for one, the campaign was very good. The Kevin Spacey feature was a great touch, and the story resonated with me for a while. Even the zombies game mode was amazing. It obviously had flaws, however when you look at everything but the multiplayer, it’s a great game. But when it comes to COD, multiplayer is everything. Obsidian Steed, Speakeasy. I could go on and on about these weapon variants that completely broke the game. For many people including Moeller Junior Patrick Suter, this was their breaking point. “The best variants were the rarest, and people who paid money to get these weapons would have an exponential advantage over the people that didn’t want to pay”. The jetpacks aren’t even worth talking about anymore. I think we all know how miserable those were.
#7- Call of Duty: World at War
Without zombies and a top 3 campaign, this Call of Duty would easily be one of the worst. The multiplayer was quite forgettable and felt like a step-back from the foundations that Modern Warfare left. However NOBODY will forget just how scary and menacing of an experience the first zombies mode was. Moeller lacrosse star Braedon Titus has many memories of Nacht Der Untoten, the first zombies map made, “I couldn’t play it by myself” explains Braedon, “It was like a horror movie, entertaining with friends but too scary by yourself”. Even though World At War has a relatively average multiplayer, the raw horror of the zombies and campaign put it above other titles.
#6- Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018)
The game has only been out for 3-4 months yet it is easily one of the worst releases in gaming history. Game crashes, extremely severe lag issues, and a complicated user interface fueled the hatred of many. And the grossly unbalanced gameplay only added insult to injury. Assault rifles were exponentially better than SMG’s and the Titan LMG might be the most overpowered gun in the gaming industry. Specialists are even worse. They break the game entirely and insult the people who are truly good at the game. However there are a few decisions made by treyarch that make the game playable. The maps, they brought back 4 maps from previous titles that were fan favorites, Blackout, a battle royale game mode that will certainly last longer than any other campaign, and zombies. Zombies has truly taken off to an outstanding degree and makes us excited for future DLC. All these prime decisions have made the difference between an average Call of Duty, and an enjoyable, relaxing title.
#5- Call of Duty Black Ops 3 (2015)
On release, Black Ops 3 is easily a top 3 Call of Duty of all time. Maps matched perfectly with the smooth movement system, the guns were fairly balanced, and even the zombies was praised for it’s incredible innovation. However over time the decisions made by Treyarch and Activision became very questionable, and the state of the game gradually decayed. They started adding in weapons into supply drops, and making these weapons super powerful, and as of today there are more supply drop weapons than there are regular weapons that were available on release. They also nerfed the SMG’s into oblivion. The vesper, Kuda, and VMP were all considered above average weapons on release, so in return they made all of those guns unusable. However, as multiplayer grew worse, zombies got better. TheSmithPlays, a famous zombies youtuber said it best, “The final release of zombies chronicles (re-mastering of 12+ previous maps) saved the game for me. It was a perfect send-off for the next zombies title and should be a platinum example of every Call of Duty from now on”.
#4- Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
You can’t go wrong with Modern Warfare 3. A satisfying campaign, an innovative spec ops game mode, and a fun multiplayer, why is it only #4? Well unfortunately for Modern Warfare 3, it doesn’t do anything different from previous Modern Warfare games. Modern Warfare 2 has arguably better graphics than MW3 despite a 2 year difference. Almost all the guns from old titles are in MW3 as well which didn’t help the longevity. There just isn’t much to say about it which is why it doesn’t crack deep in the list.
#3- Call of Duty Black Ops 1 (2010)
Perfection is the only word that comes to mind with Black Ops 1. Maps so good they are re-made in different video games like Nuketown, Summit, and Firing Range, guns that are still re-made in the present day such as the Galil and Famas. It’s just obvious that Treyarch were set out to make a great video games and they executed it very well. Not to mention the gritty, genuine, emotional campaign that many still remember today. And for many people, Black Ops 1 had the best zombies mode out of the Black Ops series. Kino Der Toten, Moon, Call of the Dead, are all fairly received maps that are still played today. The only reason why it isn’t the best is because of a lack of content, the other titles were either more innovative and memorable, or simply had more enjoyable content, but that still doesn’t distract from the fact that everyone respect the quality of this video game.
#2- Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (2012)
When it comes to the perfect Call of Duty, Black Ops 2 is by far the #1 Call of Duty of all time. There isn’t a bad map in the game, every gun is usable, and BO2 was the first game to add a competitive mode, which basically sparked the introduction of Call of Duty ESports. Moeller Junior Tucker Hughes had this to say, “Black Ops 2 had a competitive game mode which gave me a reason to play every day. In other Call of Duties it got boring because I felt like it wasn’t a competition but the competitive mode gave me a reason to try and have fun”. Not only was the multiplayer and absolute masterpiece, the campaign was ahead of it’s time. It was the first Call of Duty with alternate endings, a customizable loadout, and the campaign was a great add-on story from what Black Ops 1 left off. However the zombies game mode in Black Ops 2 is what has the most praise. Origins, Town, Mob of the Dead, Buried, all great classics that people still talk about and play to this date. The combination of all these 3 make for the most complete, satisfactory Call of Duty of all time.
#1- Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2007) and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Black Ops 2 might be the best created Call of Duty ever, but these 2 games are what truly made Black Ops 2 what it is. These 2 games set the standards of what a shooting game should be like in the modern era. Even a decade later Modern Warfare 2 is the most highly demanded re-make of any Call of Duty title ever. One might argue Modern Warfare 2 is ahead of MW1 because of the better maps and classic guns, but one could make the argument that Modern Warfare 1 was better because of the amazing campaign and what it did for the gaming industry. However, most people I’ve talked to about which one is better said they’re both on equal ground, it’s impossible to contrast two different perfections from one another which makes them the best Call of Duties of all time.