Best Of
10 Best Call of Duty Games to Play
Compare ten Call of Duty games for memorable campaigns, Zombies and different eras, with clear edition guidance and official trailers.
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Call of Duty can mean a tightly paced campaign, an evening of competitive matches, or another attempt at surviving Zombies. Those are different reasons to buy a game, so this ranking explains what each entry does well rather than treating the newest release as the automatic winner. The selection favors memorable released games and identifies older titles whose online communities and PC setup need extra care. Modern Warfare names repeat across two timelines: the original numbered games and the later reboot are identified separately here.
For a wider selection outside this franchise, compare our PC first-person shooters selection.
10. Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII follows Ronald Daniels and his squad through the Allied campaign in Western Europe. Its appeal is the pressure of moving as part of a unit, with difficult advances and brief quieter moments keeping the soldiers in view between the larger battles. Pick it if you want a more recent presentation of the series’ World War II setting rather than another modern special-forces thriller. The campaign is the main recommendation here, while Nazi Zombies offers a separate cooperative horror mode. This is the 2017 game, not World at War or the much older Call of Duty 2.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Official Reveal Trailer | Call of Duty: WWII.
9. Call of Duty: World at War
World at War follows American and Soviet perspectives during World War II, with a notably harsher atmosphere than the series’ earlier campaigns. Jungle fighting, ruined cities, and desperate defensive encounters give the missions a strong sense of place. It also introduced the series’ original Nazi Zombies mode, making it an important choice for players curious about that branch of Call of Duty. The campaign’s violence is unusually graphic, so its historical setting should not be confused with a restrained presentation. Campaign co-op and online features differ by edition and platform; the solo campaign remains the clearest reason to revisit it.
Official trailer — Treyarch. Call of Duty: World at War Launch Trailer (Official HD).
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
The original Modern Warfare 3 continues the conflict established by the 2007 and 2009 games, sending familiar military teams into another globe-spanning crisis. It moves quickly between large set pieces and shorter tactical encounters, with little interest in slowing the momentum. Returning players get the most from its campaign after the previous two entries, while Spec Ops provides a separate reason to keep playing. This is the 2011 game, not Modern Warfare III from 2023. Look closely at storefront titles and dates, since buying the wrong Modern Warfare is easier than it should be.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Official Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Launch Trailer.
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Modern Warfare from 2019 restarts the modern-day storyline with a different continuity, bringing Captain Price into a conflict involving terrorism, covert operations, and a fictional regional war. Its campaign alternates noisy battles with slower missions built around identifying threats under pressure. That contrast gives it a different rhythm from the older trilogy, even when familiar names return. Choose it for a grounded visual style and a more deliberate take on some encounters. Its installation, account requirements, and available multiplayer packages have changed over time, so confirm what the version you are buying currently includes.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Official Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® – Launch Gameplay Trailer.
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Black Ops Cold War places a covert team inside an early-1980s intelligence operation centered on the mysterious Perseus. Briefings, dialogue choices, optional evidence, and spy-thriller tension give its campaign more room for investigation than a straightforward sequence of firefights. You do not need to know every Black Ops detail to understand the setup, although returning characters add context. It is a good fit if you enjoy uncertainty and a campaign that occasionally asks you to examine information. Zombies and competitive multiplayer offer different experiences alongside it, with current access depending on your edition and platform.
Official trailer — XBOX. Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War – Official Launch Trailer.
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Black Ops 6 sends a team of operatives into a 1990s conspiracy as loyalties become difficult to read. Its campaign mixes conventional combat with infiltration and more unusual mission structures, giving you several different ways to inhabit the espionage premise. Multiplayer’s omnidirectional movement changes the feel of running, sliding, and diving, while round-based Zombies offers a separate cooperative loop. Pick this one when you want a newer control scheme rather than a museum tour of the series. An internet connection is required, including for campaign access, so it is not a reliable offline travel choice.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Global Launch Gameplay Trailer.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Black Ops puts Alex Mason at the center of an interrogation-driven Cold War mystery. Missions move through military operations and covert assignments as the story pieces together why his memories matter. The framing makes ordinary mission objectives feel connected to a larger question, without requiring you to memorize a fictional world beforehand. It is one of the better starting points if atmosphere and a distinct campaign identity matter more than the latest weapon progression. The campaign is the main recommendation here; multiplayer activity, security, and supported connection methods on older releases deserve a separate check before purchase.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Black Ops – Launch Trailer.
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4 moves the series into a contemporary conflict through the perspectives of British special forces and US Marines. Its strength is how confidently it changes scale: one mission asks you to move carefully with a small team, while another makes you feel caught inside a much larger operation. It remains a useful starting point for the original Modern Warfare timeline. The 2007 release and Modern Warfare Remastered are separate products with different technical presentations. Choose the original for historical context, or compare the remaster if updated visuals are more important than preserving the older look.
Official Modern Warfare Remastered trailer for the same campaign; the entry distinguishes the original release from the remaster. Official Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® Remastered – Launch Trailer.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Black Ops II splits its campaign between Cold War history and a near-future conflict involving David Mason and Raul Menendez. Decisions and optional objectives can affect parts of the campaign, giving it more branching structure than many other entries. That makes it particularly rewarding if you want a reason to revisit missions beyond collecting every last challenge. The futuristic equipment also provides a different flavor from the original Black Ops. You do not need to chase every possible outcome on a first run; following the central story is enough. Its older online modes should be assessed separately from the campaign recommendation.
Official trailer — Call of Duty. Launch Trailer – Official Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Video.
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 follows Task Force 141 and US forces through an escalating international crisis. The appeal is its relentless campaign pacing: missions establish a clear objective, complicate it, and move on before the action settles into a routine. It is the second game in the original trilogy, so playing Call of Duty 4 first gives the returning relationships more weight. The Campaign Remastered release contains the campaign rather than the full original multiplayer and Spec Ops package. Choose the product around the modes you want, and remember that both versions include disturbing material alongside the military spectacle.
Official trailer — InfinityWard. Modern Warfare 2 Worldwide Reveal Trailer (Official HD).
Which Should You Play First?
Start with Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 for a compact blockbuster campaign, or Black Ops for a Cold War thriller. Black Ops 6 is a more recent option if movement and Zombies matter to you. For older games, choose the campaign first and treat functioning online modes as something to verify for your specific platform, not a guarantee.
For teamwork against computer-controlled enemies, our PvE co-op games on PC guide offers another starting point.
