Trace the evolution of war in the 7 Call of Duty games released in the last 5 years!
Few video game franchises can match the success of Call of Duty’s. What started out as an ambitiously realistic depiction of World War II’s most harrowing events has transformed into a multimillion-dollar juggernaut loved and played by millions.
Call of Duty churns out titles at a frequency that has become a constant target of ridicule by haters, who claim that an annual release has caused the series’ quality to drop. But while it’s true that some Call of Duty titles are inferior to others, the general concensus is that the series – pardon the pun – is at the top of its game. The graphics and the A.I. have gotten better, the action more explosive. The multiplayer is as solid as ever, and now they’re even recruiting Hollywood’s biggest stars to lend their voices to the games. So whether you like it or not, Call of Duty games are here to stay.
The last five years have seen seven different Call of Duty releases – some of the best in the series. Here they are in the order of their launch, from latest to oldest.
1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
And we once thought the Call of Duty franchise would stick to making World War II games forever.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is representative of the bold new direction the series is taking. Looking beyond contemporary conflicts around the globe, developer Sledgehammer Games takes us into the future of combat in the latest Call of Duty title.
Advanced Warfare is set in the 2050s, when a global terrorist attack causes the world to spiral into chaos. With the governments and military paralyzed, the only thing that can bring order back into the world is an international private military organization called Atlas.
Atlas succeeds in crushing the enemy and restoring peace. But with their protection comes responsibility, and with responsibility comes power.
And power changes everything.
This new Call of Duty title stars the esteemed Kevin Spacey as Atlas CEO Jonathan Irons, a man convinced that with power comes supreme authority. Irons also happens to be one of the most photorealistic CG models ever realized, further shrinking the gap between video game and cinema.
But the greatest thing about the game is its depiction of futuristic warfare. Based on extensive research on upcoming military technology, the in-game weapons and gadgets provide a dramatic shift in the series, gameplay-wise.
Want to impress the ladies? Wear an Exo suit. This augments natural abilities, which means faster sprints, higher jumps, the ability to punch holes through doors, and even scale walls. Sounds like the perfect thing to wear on a first date!
Firearms include directed energy weapons, plasma rifles, and railguns. There’s a grenade that lets you see in infrared, exposing obscured enemies. Then you’ve got cloaking, hoverbikes, drone swarms, tanks with legs…
Think it’s all science fiction? It’s not – it’s Advanced Warfare.
The enhanced mobility the futuristic gadgetry provides is felt even more keenly when playing with others. Combine this with excellent maps featuring environmental hazards such as tsunamis and avalanches, and you’ve got one of the best multiplayer experiences in the series.
Our rating – 4/5
2. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
Ghosts will be forever remembered as that Call of Duty game starring a cute German Shepherd dog.
Yes, in Ghosts, a military-trained pooch named Riley is part of your squad. You can order him around and at one point even control him. There’s nothing more adorable than a huge, vicious dog going straight for some poor sod’s throat, then shaking the victim’s exposed vocal chords around like a squeaky rubber chicken.
Ghosts is set in an alternate timeline where the United States of America has fallen from its status as global superpower. When the technologically superior Federation threatens the USA, a special forces unit called Ghosts go to battle to ensure the survival of their beloved nation.
While both campaign and gameplay have been denounced for their lack of innovation, Ghosts’ multiplayer bedazzled and won over critics. That, and Riley, of course.
Our rating – 4/5
3. Call of Duty: Strike Team (2013)
iOS gamers, rejoice! Call of Duty brings the series’ military action to mobile devices with Strike Team.
Set in 2020, Strike Team’s story takes place in the Black Ops arc, and involves the strike teams that are sent on various missions, such as target elimination and intelligence gathering. It’s both a first-person and third-person shooter, with the latter mode’s visuals coming from a drone’s aerial perspective. The overhead view enables players to give commands to their squad, from finding cover to firing at the enemy – thus introducing strategy and tactics to the gameplay.
Though Strike Team isn’t the best of the new Call of Duty games, it isn’t the worst. The tactical view has reaped praise from critics, while its awkward first-person controls and disjointed story have earned general disapproval.
Our rating – 3/5
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
Black Ops II is the first game in the Call of Duty series to explore futuristic warfare technology. It’s also the first of the Call of Duty games to allow player choice to drastically control how the storyline branches – shaping everything from permanent character deaths to how the game ends.
Set in the first and second Cold Wars, Black Ops II chronicles the ascension to power of Nicaraguan terrorist, Raul Menendez. The first storyline follows Alex Mason – protagonist of the original Black Ops – and his struggles against said terrorist. The second, which is set in 2025, focuses on Mason’s son, David, who continues the fight his father couldn’t finish. Menendez has become the leader of an enormous populist movement called Cordis Die; driven by a thirst for revenge, his new plot concerns locking the United States and China in a new Cold War.
2025 isn’t too far off, and in the game, it’s an era when cyberwarfare takes center stage in war. Which means one thing: a heck of a lot of power-tripping fun. Why go to battle with just your boring human allies when you can also bring along your cuddly killer robot?
Critics have showered the game with accolades for its exciting yet dangerous vision of the future, and for creating a memorable villain in Menendez. Because Menendez may be a ginormous douche - but he’s a douche you can empathize with!
Our rating – 4/5
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified (2012)
(Images from Sony)
The bad egg of the new Call of Duty games is undeniably Black Ops: Declassified for the PlayStation Vita.
Set between the events of Black Ops and Black Ops II, Declassified jumps between several covert operations involving series mainstays Alex Mason, Frank Wood, and Jason Hudson. Unfortunately, the story is rendered an incoherent mess due to uneven progression and lack of character development. The campaign’s really short too – like an hour short.
The Vita’s touch-based controls make playing the game a headache. Add subpar enemy A.I., technical glitches, and multiplayer maps so tiny you could respawn with your face directly in front of your enemy’s submachine gun, and Declassified earns itself the monicker “one of the most embarrassing Call of Duty games ever made.”
Our rating – 1/5
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
Modern Warfare revitalized the franchise; Modern Warfare 3 reminds us why said franchise has made enough money to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The story has the player hopping from one country to another in pursuit of Vladimir Makarov, a delightful chap who just wants Russia to conquer all of Europe. For the majority of the game, you’ll be controlling Yuri, who used to be buddies with Makarov, until the latter detonated a nuclear weapon in the Middle East.
Modern Warfare 3 is yet another one of the new Call of Duty games whose multiplayer thrilled more than its story mode did. Sure, the single player campaign contains all the polished, cinematic bravado the series is applauded for, but at the end of the day, it’s more of the same with just a different coat of (very attractive) paint.
Our rating – 5/5
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
(Images from The Guardian)
Black Ops is the first in the series to explore the Cold War.
Players fill the shoes of CIA operative Alex Mason and other characters, who participate in covert operations behind enemy lines. Serving as the main antagonist is Major General Dragovich, whose plan involves invading the USA after slaughtering millions using the Nova-6 chemical weapon.
We’re going to sound like a broken record here, but audiences once again extolled the game’s spectacular multiplayer. Additionally, Black Ops’ furious action, stellar sound design, and responsive controls were hits among players.
Our rating – 5/5
(Images from The Guardian)
So those are all the Call of Duty games released in the last five years, and our opinions of each. Time to turn the tables! What are your impressions of the Call of Duty games on this list? Which of them do you think is the best, and which is the worst? Tell us in the comments section below!
