We’ve taken on the difficult task of sifting through every CoD game ever, and not only do we compile a full list of every game, but we also rank our top five.
It’s been nearly 20 years since Call of Duty came out in 2003 and what a journey it has been. The franchise has explored many different eras in history and has undergone numerous changes. However, when you release so many games, some will definitely be lost and others will become legendary.
So it’s time to dig through a history of Call of Duty games to give them our verdict, then select the absolute cream of the crop – and rank them.
Also check out our 10 best weapons in Black Ops Cold War: Weapon Tier List
Call of Duty: Best Games List
There are so many factors involved in the decision-making process here, such as the game’s respective campaigns, multiplayer, side modes, themes, weapons, and much more. With all this in mind, we were able to rate each game.
Here’s our official list of all Black Ops Cold War weapons:
- S layer: CoD 4: Modern Warfare, CoD: World at War, CoD: Modern Warfare 2, CoD: Black Ops, CoD: Modern Warfare (2019)
- A level: CoD: Classic, CoD: Modern Warfare 3, CoD: Black Ops 2
- B level: CoD 2, CoD 3, CoD: Advanced Warfare, CoD: Black Ops 3, CoD: Black Ops 4, CoD: Black Ops Cold War
- C layer: CoD: Ghosts, CoD: Infinite Warfare, CoD: WW2
To explain the system, our S-tier games are the must-have, must-have played CoD titles, the A level are excellent CoD games that just missed something, B level games are decent CoD games with some redeeming qualities, and C layer Call of Duty games just didn’t cut it for us.
Ranking of the best Call of Duty games of all time
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019
Modern Warfare has once again redefined the Call of Duty franchise, giving players one of the most polished and detailed Call of Duty titles ever created. It covered everything that had made the series great so far and made it feel as fresh as ever.
The campaign once again introduced classic characters, interspersed with memorable new ones, and a new storyline. The fresh yet familiar feel was sprinkled with a disturbing terrorist attack in Picadilly Circus, fights through a burning mine and other gruesome scenes.
For multiplayer, animations were refined and weapons overhauled to feel powerful in every player’s hands. We got exciting new modes like Cyber Attack and even got the return of the beloved Spec Ops mode.
In March 2020, Activision released Modern Warfare’s Warzone mode, a 150-player battle royale – which was an instant hit. It has since become one of the best experiences for Battle Royale with Warzone, now well into its second season.
4. Call of Duty: World At War
With the evolution of the Call of Duty engine during the development of CoD 4: Modern Warfare, Treyarch had the chance to create the most detailed World War 2 shooter experience ever. The first three Call of Duty games are rather unannounced compared to everything after CoD 4, but World at War has restored and improved that feel.
World At War provided a hair-raising ride across the Pacific Theater and the Russian front. Gore mechanics made the game feel visceral and real, making the experience much more intense and realistic. The game’s fantastic campaign reaches an incredible final stretch, taking the Reichstag by storm.
The multiplayer was a great extension of the new formula that the series had discovered and transferred all that properties to World at War. However, the most incredible aspect of World at War has to be its sleeper-induced, now indispensable feature, Nazi Zombies.
The addition of Night of the living dead, a post-campaign mini-game revolutionized the multiplayer experience even more. The mode received three more maps via DLC and has continued in every Treyarch Call of Duty game ever since.
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Needless to say, the anticipation and excitement of a Modern Warfare sequel reached unprecedented heights. The follow-up far exceeded expectations by delivering another breathtaking campaign featuring iconic characters such as Captain Price, Commander Shepard, Ghost and a playable Soap. The game is becoming notorious for its “No Russian” mission and other controversial moments.
The multiplayer formula was now in full swing, and Modern Warfare 2 introduced a brand new set of 15 selectable killstreak rewards, including the groundbreaking nuke. Maps like Terminal and Rust were to be celebrated in CoD folklore, and the era of the 360 no-scope was born.
As if all this wasn’t enough, we also got “Special Ops”, a 1-2 player mode that recreated and expanded many scenarios from the first two Modern Warfare games, challenging the players to get maximum stars.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Rather than making a direct sequel to World at War like Infinity Ward did with Modern Warfare, Treyarch picked up a new title: “Black Ops”.
To provide a unique experience, they played their first Black Ops game during the Vietnam era. In the campaign, players would be part of an elite team that would work with the CIA in covert operations around the world. We have the historical “What do the numbers mean?” and the return of fan favorite Viktor Reznov – played by Gary Oldman.
Zombies delivered another round, or 100, of intense undead killing action and introduced another new concept to the series in the form of Dead Ops. A top-down arcade twin-stick shooter with power-ups, up to 4 players and hours of fun.
The multiplayer front continued to deliver months of unforgettable action with a litany of unmistakable maps, including one of the most divisive maps in Call of Duty: Nuketown history.
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
The game that started it all and revolutionized the first person shooter industry. After years of companies generally producing different variations of World War II games, Infinity Ward ripped up the playbook and started all over with a hot new take on the modern conflict.
The campaign was one enchanting encounter after another, taking the player on a violent journey of death, destruction and even nuclear devastation. The one-two salvo from All Ghillied Up and One Shot, One Kill is as good as two missions in an FPS game, and it all culminates in a breathtaking way.
Even more remarkable than Soap’s fruit-killing abilities is the way Infinity Ward single-handedly reshaped online multiplayer as we know it. Seamlessly merge class systems, satisfying weapons, great all-time maps, and more.
The game would cement Call of Duty as one of the most successful video game franchises in history and is still hotter than ever thanks to Black Ops Cold War and Warzone.
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