Highlights

• Call of Duty campaigns are often overlooked by players in favor of multiplayer modes, but they provide valuable insight into beloved franchise characters like Ghost and Captain John Price.
• The Modern Warfare series reboot shifted focus to team leader John Price, allowing players to better understand his character before diving into the more well-known regions of the franchise.
• Some Call of Duty campaigns, like those in Modern Warfare 3 and World at War, were overshadowed by multiplayer and zombie modes, but they offered unique features and gritty storytelling that deserved more attention.

The Call of Duty franchise is one of the few FPS in the gaming community that consistently draws in millions of players worldwide. Even the less popular Call of Duty games like Cold War still managed to make a bundle of money. And even though most people see Call of Duty as a Multiplayer or Zombie game, that doesn't mean the COD lacks a proper Campaign mode. The main reason why COD became famous in the gaming community was its gritty and unique Campaign first seen in the original Call of Duty.

And while most newer Call of Duty players ignore playing the Campaign mode, other hardcore fans first play the Campaign before hopping into Multiplayer mode. And that's because most of the Campaigns give insight into beloved characters of the franchise like Ghost or Captain John Price. But, due to the popularity of Multiplayer, some Call Of Duty Campaigns were long forgotten even though they deserved more attention.

Updated February 20, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Call of Duty campaigns often exist in a strange spot, as most players will be purchasing the latest COD game for the repeatable multiplayer experience, or the zombie content. Yet, these campaigns deserve love, as some of the best stories in gaming are told from within the narrative of these Call of Duty campaigns. Many of these single-player mission lists should be witnessed and experienced, as thrilling twists, exhilarating action, and a great set of acting can be found from within. The best COD campaigns are undervalued, and fans might not even notice them when simply heading into their next multiplayer match. With the recent disappointment of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)'s short campaign, and rumors circulating for the anticipated next Treyarch COD game, fans can look back to these classic and underappreciated campaigns to see how they used to be done.

14 Call of Duty: Black Ops

Metascore: 87

One of the classics, Call of Duty may have outlived the original Black Ops, but fans should not forget the series. Despite the characters going through some weird iterations with Black Ops 4's meta storytelling through a battle royale, Black Ops is a classic for its simpler times and themes, where stories could be just that. Black Ops features a great campaign that excels as a riveting narrative on espionage and trust, meddling under the veil of the Cold War.

Many players might not have experienced the original Black Ops, but they definitely should. Black Ops follows Alex Mason, a U.S. operative who falls victim to a global plot to assassinate the President of the United States and engulf the world in global warfare through Russian meddling. The game ties back beautifully to World at War and features stellar acting and cinematic storytelling that should not be buried under the confusion of multiple indirect sequels and spin-offs.

13 Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Metascore: 81

The Black Ops campaigns are often creative, and Black Ops 3 continues that trend, even if it lends itself to more confusing aspects of the narrative. Many might remember Black Ops 3 for having the best Zombies content, or one of the most fast-paced and fun multiplayer modes, which left the campaign swiftly forgotten underneath the stellar lifespan of its online additions. Yet, to those with Black Ops 3, it's definitely worth heading back into the futuristic warfare and checking it out, especially when armed with a few cybernetic abilities and great acting from the cast of characters.

Some might consider Black Ops 3 to be rather convoluted, or unrewarding, but those plot twists are better left for the experience. The campaign itself is set late in the 21st century, with advancements in technology and warfare, so much so that players can reach into memories to play different missions and try and weave the campaign together on their own accord.

12 Call of Duty: Vanguard

Metascore: 73

Call of Duty has become smaller with its campaigns over the years, and Vanguard is one such victim of this shortened length. There are some key moments in the Vanguard campaign worth noting, and many players might have forgotten or even disregarded this title in favor of Modern Warfare games, or just a dwindling lack of interest in the Call of Duty brand thanks to the unfavorable reviews from fans and critics regarding the multiplayer and the zombies content.

Yet, when looking just at the campaign for Vanguard, players can find a fun and intense experience that follows a small group of soldiers tasked with stopping the Third Reich. Hateful Nazis and a cunning group of allied misfits from different backgrounds make a compelling story, but the rushed pacing leaves some desire for more emotion and missions.

11 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

Metascore: 80

Rebooting the famous Modern Warfare series was a bold move, but one that Infinity Ward managed to pull off. The reboot changed things about the iconic characters that fans knew and loved, including a lack of said characters entirely. Whilst fans may not have been introduced to Soap or Ghost in Modern Warfare (2019), the fact that the game instead centered around the team leader, John Price, meant that players could better understand his character before they head off into the more well-known regions of the series with nuclear war, intense global transgressions, and government traitors.

The story itself followed Captain John Price and his team, assisted by Commander Farah Karim, the leader of a group of freedom fighters dedicated to defending their homeland from terrorists and occupiers. Players could have easily ignored the reboot of Modern Warfare because this would be the first time where players could enjoy Call of Duty on next-gen consoles. Modern Warfare was also overseen by the fact that Call of Duty introduced Warzone, the franchise version of a Battle Royale, which also continued the story of Modern Warfare.

10 Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Metascore: 76

There’s no denying that the original Black Ops has one of the best stories in not only Call of Duty history but in all of gaming. The story of Alex Mason and the ties to secret government plots, implanted memories, and nuclear tension made for an intense game, and players have the acclaimed writer David S. Goyer to thank for that. With Black Ops Cold War, Goyer was somewhat involved in the story, which is why it seems like a return to form for Call of Duty titles and their campaign.

Black Ops Cold War followed a relatively new and unknown operative, Bell, who worked alongside iconic COD characters like Woods and Mason in an off-the-books, under-the-radar chase to stop nuclear war. The story is great, highly intense, and features choices and their direct impact on the story that is otherwise unseen in Call of Duty games. Despite the thriller aspects of the single-player campaign, the return to form for Call of Duty Zombies and Multiplayer left this campaign relatively unplayed, especially after the confusion surrounding the Black Ops timeline thanks to the bizarre storytelling in Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode, and futuristic warfare in Black Ops 3.

9 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

Metascore: 75

The original Modern Warfare 2 is perhaps the most well-known and beloved Call of Duty title to date. The game was famed for its Multiplayer, and equally championed for its epic campaign. However, Modern Warfare 2 had its controversies, such as the infamous “No Russian” mission. When Activision and Infinity Ward decided it was time to continue their Modern Warfare reboot with a rebooted Modern Warfare 2, the story was vastly different, with only vague similarities and story beats, such as the traitorous General Shepherd, and the return of Ghost.

There’s never a true risk of nuclear war in Modern Warfare 2. The game mainly consists of global agencies locked into battle due to their governments. The story is great, and intense, and teases the future of the Modern Warfare franchise with perhaps its most famous villain at the forefront. However, Modern Warfare 2 was mainly sold as a return to form in Multiplayer, and players were turned away that it was not a complete replica of the original Modern Warfare 2 from its story.

8 Call Of Duty 3

Metascore: 82

The third installment of the COD franchise was Call of Duty 3, launching at the same time as the PlayStation 3 and Wii. While most of the gameplay elements remained the same as the previous two titles, Call of Duty 3 introduced a unique feature: open-ended main objectives. That meant players could complete the main level using multiple paths, allowing players to play the way they liked without being limited to a certain playstyle. On top of that, the single-player campaign featured Canadian and Polish missions, aside from American and British which are the staple of any WW2-themed video game.

Unfortunately, what should have been one of the best Call of Duty campaigns was quickly overshadowed by the multiplayer game mode. And that's because the multiplayer side of Call of Duty 3 introduced "Player and Ranked" matches. Player-type matches were casual matches that didn't affect a gamer's K/D while Ranked-type matches allowed players to earn Player Points and unlock Achievements. Furthermore, all multiplayer matches allowed up to 24 players on each team, something new to the franchise.

7 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Metascore: 88

Undoubtedly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most controversial COD titles in recent years, but not because of its single-player campaign or multiplayer. The controversy stems from the fact that someone had stolen a copy of COD: MW3 and uploaded it onto the internet, forcing Activision to crack down on everyone who downloaded it. Moreover, there was an incident in France where two masked men used tear gas to neutralize a truck driver to steal a copy of MW3.

Nonetheless, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was among the best PS3-era games to be released but not because of the single-player campaign. And that's because the single-player story campaign repeated the same tropes of past titles without introducing anything new to the franchise. On top of that, MW3 had several questionable moments that could upset people due to its graphic nature but with the option to skip these scenes entirely. Sadly, all of these factors prevented MW3 from becoming one of the best Call of Duty campaigns.

6 Call Of Duty: World At War

Metascore: 84

Unfortunately, Call of Duty: World at War's single-player mode was yet another campaign overshadowed by other game modes, Multiplayer and Zombie mode. And while the Multiplayer mode didn't add anything groundbreaking in terms of gameplay, it did add cooperative gameplay. This new type of gameplay allowed players to team up with up to two players via split-screen on consoles or four in online mode.

This new split-screen cooperative mode quickly took over the limelight, becoming one of the best split-screen games on Xbox 360 and PS3. But, this Call of Duty single-player campaign deserved a lot more attention since it featured more dark and gritty elements, making it a more realistic WW2-era video game.

5 Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Metascore: 81

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brought back a lot of similarities from previous games like the Pick 13 system, which allowed players to pick weapons, attachments, perks, and score streaks within 13 points first seen in Black Ops 3. Aside from that, players had access to an Exosuit which allowed them to perform boost, dash, and sky jump reminiscent of the Halo franchise. And with all of those features, players often disregarded the Campaign since all they wanted was to get straight into the action.

But, this Campaign had many unique features that would later be used in other COD games. For example, as players progress through the Campaign, players can upgrade their Exosuit or weapons by allocating upgrade points earned by completing certain in-game challenges. This game also featured a stellar lineup of actors, including Kevin Spacey (as the antagonist) and Troy Baker (as the protagonist). But, most importantly, this Campaign provided gamers with the famous "Press F to Pay Respects" meme, which continues to be used today.

4 Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2

Metascore: 83

Another Call of Duty Campaign that suffered being shoved aside due to Multiplayer was that of Black Ops 2. And that's because Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 introduced several groundbreaking changes (sadly not Photo Mode) that would shape the future of COD's competitive scene. Black Ops 2 was the first game to introduce the "Pick 10" system, which gave players complete freedom to create their unique class. On top of that, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 included a competitive mode (now known as League Play) which allowed "casual" players to compete in a Ranked League.

The Campaign of Black Ops was the first of its kind since it featured branching storylines, allowing players to shape the story to their liking. But, what was truly remarkable about Black Ops 2 was the Strike Force missions that allowed players to control several different war assets, like unmanned aerial vehicles, jet fighters, and robots. This underappreciated Campaign also lets players customize their loadout before beginning a mission, which was never seen before in the franchise.

3 Call Of Duty: WW2

Metascore: 79

World War 2 is one of FPS's most overused war themes, making it almost impossible for one to succeed. Games like Battlefield 5 and Call of Duty: Vanguard have been met with harsh criticism and are often the least popular games within their communities. Call of Duty: WW2 was criticized even before its release, primarily due to its lack of the Swastika symbol and non-historically accurate playable characters. And because of that, players often regard Call of Duty: WW2 as the worst COD of all time.

Those minor issues made most players skip this game altogether, thus making them miss one of the best WW2 Campaigns in the COD franchise. Call of Duty: WW2 was unique from its predecessors since it introduced Squad mates, which would provide ammunition, grenades, call-in mortar strikes, or spot enemies. But, the best aspect of the Campaign would be the music, so much so that it would win six awards at the 16th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards.

2 Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Metascore: 77

Most players may recall the trailer of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare since it was the second-most disliked video on YouTube in 2016. And the main reason because of this harsh reception was that the fanbase was tired of the over-used "futuristic" combat that had become all too common in the Call of Duty franchise. And even though it would go on to be the top-selling game of 2016, it had the worst sales of any COD prior.

Nonetheless, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare had several Campaign features that would make it stand out from previous games. For example, it had the unique "boots-on-the-ground" gameplay, a seamless transition from intense space to ground combat. Moreover, players could customize their Jackals, allowing them to make the story their own. Aside from the Campaign, its Zombie Mode was also a decent entry into the franchise.

1 Call Of Duty: Ghosts

Metascore: 78

Ghosts is perhaps one of the most divisive Call of Duty games out there since some players praise it as one of a kind while others call it the worst FPS ever. Regarding Multiplayer, Call of Duty: Ghosts introduced a new gameplay mechanic, destructible buildings, a feature commonly used in the Battlefield franchise. This game also had a unique game mode called Extinction, a 4-player co-op mode that pitted players against Aliens (Cryptids). But, the most criticized (and underappreciated) feature in Ghosts would be the Campaign.

Some players and critics viewed its Campaign as a rehashing of previous Campaigns that brought no real innovation to the franchise. And while this Campaign is from being the best in the franchise, it still delivered a unique adventure that only a few sadly experienced. For starters, Call of Duty: Ghosts was the first (and only) COD game to let players play a non-human playable character, a German Shepard. While this non-human character was quite limited in what it could do, it still managed to capture the hearts of a few hardcore fans.