Since its debut in 2003, Call of Duty has become the best-selling first-person shooter series ever. Not a bad effort for a WWII FPS that first emerged as Activision’s ambitious answer to Medal of Honor, a franchise which has since faded from relevance but was a genre juggernaut for EA at that time.
Of course, there are two pillars of Call of Duty: there’s the multiplayer, and there are the single-player campaigns. And, hey, for those of us a little unwilling to huck ourselves into the online hellhole and compete in the Call of Duty combat cauldron, the quality of those campaigns is very important!
So which Call of Duty games have the greatest campaigns? IGN’s keenest and crustiest Call of Duty fans combined to carve out a list of our favourite single-player stories, plucked from all throughout the series’ two-decade history.
Here are our top 10 Call of Duty campaigns.
10. Call of Duty: WWII
After nearly a decade break from the setting that launched the series, Call of Duty’s return to form in 2017 was such a coming home party for the franchise, they straight up named the game WWII. But this return to roots, led by Sledgehammer Games, isn’t exactly the Greatest Hits of World War II experience you would imagine. Instead, you’re met with a much more intimate story about Private “Red” Daniels and his squad living through some of the most pivotal moments of the US 1st Infantry Division’s fight from the Normandy invasion to the Rhine. But while it strives to be a personal story, it never lets you forget it’s supposed to be a loud, bombastic Call of Duty game.
To this day, WWII features some of the most over-the-top sequences ever seen in the series, from the bell tower collapse, to the train crash – if you’re looking for thrills, they’re sure to be found. And while those insane moments often make you forget about the war going on around you, WWII still has plenty of well-worn heart to give, especially when it ends with one of the most gut-wrenching walks you’ll ever make in a video game.
Read our review of Call of Duty WWII.
9. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was a bold new direction for a series that needed to get out of its comfort zone. Gone were the slow-paced tactical missions, callbacks to historical battles, and realistic guns in favor of Exo suits, lasers, and a plethora of futuristic weaponry. Advanced Warfare’s campaign was much more than a Call of Duty with lasers, thanks partly to its multi-dimensional villain Jonathan Irons and its exploration into the world of private military contractors, American interventionism, and, as the name implies, Advanced Warfare.
Underneath its flashy, over-the-top summer blockbuster action, there's a terrifying story about the dangers of private militarization that makes this a must-play for fans of the series or someone looking for something a little different in their action shooters.
Read our review of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
The Black Ops series has separated itself from Call of Duty by always trying something different with its campaigns. While Black Ops Cold War resurrects some familiar faces with Mason and Woods, the story’s primary focus is on series newcomers Bell and Russell Adler and their time in the CIA during one of the most critical moments of the Cold War.
The story explores some of the darkest times in US intelligence history and mixes up the standard series formula by offering puzzles, branching pathways, and even a mission where you trade your guns in favor of some good old-fashioned retro spycraft. It's a short romp through the tail end of the Cold War, but this entry into the Black Ops series offers plenty of memorable moments that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.
Read our review of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
7. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare came at the tail-end of gamers no longer wanting Call of Duty to be an epic, wall-running space adventure – which is unfortunate because under its by-the-numbers hood is a well-written shooter campaign with some of the best acting seen in the series. The plot itself is somewhat thin: you play as the newly promoted Reyes (played by Brian Bloom of Wolfenstein fame), who has to command the American marines against the painfully, obviously evil SDF, led by Game of Thrones’ Kit Harrington. But beyond that overarching narrative lives a personal story of friends who truly care for each other.
We’ve always said that Infinite Warfare is the Halo Reach of Call of Duty campaigns (if you know, you know), and it’s apparent this is a character's first story above all else. But beyond that, the space-spanning adventure’s gameplay is still incredibly fun. From hacking robots, to piloting Jackals in dog-fighting space combat, Infinite Warfare is definitely one of the campaigns you should give a second look to if the almost too-familiar setting turned you off the first time around.
Read our review of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
It's a risky move to reboot one of the most beloved and essential games in a mega-popular franchise like Call of Duty, but 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare pulls this off in a way that few reboots have before. The gameplay feels fresh and, while its time-worn setting during a middle eastern conflict wasn't groundbreaking, the game features exceptional attention to detail with its presentation and one of the most memorable and realistic depictions of a slow-paced infiltration on an enemy base we’ve seen in the series thus far.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 is not only one of the best examples of how to reboot a series correctly, but also an excellent entry in a series full of memorable campaigns.
Read our review of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
At the time, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 was a much-needed breath of fresh air to the series as a whole and changed Call of Duty fundamentally. Black Ops 2 gives the player a bit more control over how they want to see the story play out in the form of branching pathways, optional objectives, and multiple endings. These elements combined to make this one of the most replayable and intriguing entries in the series.
Partly set in the late ’80s as the Cold War draws to a close, and partly in 2025 during a Second Cold War, Black Ops 2 sees the return of Alex Mason and the introduction of his son, who features in the 2025 segments. However, Black Ops 2 particularly shines thanks to its main antagonist Raul Menendez. He’s much more than another Call of Duty villain, but instead the tragic product of the Cold War. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a must-play for long-time fans or anyone looking for a shooter that relies a little more on creative storytelling than shooting galleries and over-the-top action.
Read our review of Call of Duty: Black Ops II.