5 Iconic Call of Duty Games for PC and Consoles to Play Before Black Ops 6 (It’s Going to Be a Hit!)

Already in October, the new part of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will go on sale (and with an Xbox Game Pass subscription). The expectations of the fan bases (and me personally) are extremely high – a serious reworking of the multiplayer, a beautiful story war and an updated zombie mode are promised. But we will talk about this in the corresponding review.

And today I will tell you how to color your anticipation of the October hit and which 5 parts of the series are definitely worth playing in 2024.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

And I recommend starting with the most controversial on the one hand and breakthrough on the other part of the franchise. Remake of the cult Modern Warfare I was waiting impatiently, because the series was in deep stagnation in those years and experienced failure after failure. The release of the new game caused many scandals with a very bad shade, for which many did not notice one mistake from the best parts of the series.

When creating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, developers from Infinity Ward were inspired by the aesthetics of the film “Sicario” by Denis Villeneuve. They aimed to make the game as cinematic as possible, with an emphasis on the beauty of weapons and the spectacle of their use.

Modern Warfare 2019’s story campaign is more of a crime thriller than a pure action movie for entertainment. This is especially noticeable early in the game. The scenes of clearing terrorist cells and Captain Price’s story arc still look great today. It’s important not to look for political subtext where there is none.

The multiplayer doesn’t disappoint either. The game was created based on strange decisions, the main parts of the franchise became what people loved it for – the most exciting arcade shooter, in which first of all – a lot and fun shooting.

Even in 2024, there are enough people playing it that it’s not hard to find a match. And if you like it, I highly recommend playing both the sequel and the remake threequel.

🛒 CoD: Modern Warfare (2019) Steam page

2. Call of Duty: World at War (2008)

This entry feels like one of the most forgotten games of the PS3 era, and that’s a shame. Call of Duty: World at War is rightfully considered one of the darkest and most brutal entries in the franchise, and isn’t afraid to show World War II for what it is: a terrible nightmare.

Even in the main menu, instead of a cheerful battle theme, there is a tense and frightening ambient sound.

The developers are not shy about including footage from real war chronicles in the game without any censorship. Yes, you will see the horrors of war, and in this game you can hear speech FuhrerTrue, you won’t be able to play multiplayer now – there are almost no people there.

Gameplay is inseparable from the narrative. With first-person execution scenes and enemies that start out not as classic German Nazis, but as Japanese, Call of Duty: World at War immediately throws the player into a hell of kamikaze screams, gunfire, and the deaths of comrades.

🛒 CoD: World at War (2008) Steam page

3. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)

From the horrors of the world, I suggest moving on to a stylish spy action movie. The upcoming Black Ops 6 is a continuation of this game, among other things.

Black Ops Cold War is a soft reboot of the Black Ops sub-franchise and a direct sequel to the first game.

The plot revolves around a confrontation between an international team of operatives and a Soviet spy nicknamed Perseus. The latter plan was to carry out a major terrorist attack in Europe and blame it on the United States in order to make America an enemy all over the world and gain an advantage in the Cold War.

Black Ops Cold War features a narrative that diverges from genres, from classic 80s CIA thriller to conspiracy-theoretic horror. It features non-linearity and side missions that are not easy to unlock. During the campaign, you will have to make decisions that affect the story and the ending.

Multiplayer is still popular in this part. If you want to understand what to expect from Black Ops 6, it is worth trying the local online mode.

🛒 CoD: Black Ops Cold War (2020) Steam page

4. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)

Advanced Warfare is an interesting precedent in the franchise’s history. It was released after the disastrous Call of Duty Ghosts and was conceived by the creator of Dead Space.

It was with this part that the series began to feature luxurious cinematic cut scenes with direction and even famous actors in the lead roles. One of the characters was played by Kevin Spacey.

The first thing that surprised me about the game in those years was the presentation of the plot. Now we see the story not only from the point of view of the main character, but also from the third person. All this was supplemented by skillful camera work and the appearance of scenes.

Call of Duty, starting with this part, became a real interactive movie. And by 2024, this game has not lost its charm of a futuristic military action movie about soldiers in exoskeletons and private military campaigns.

The exoskeleton has become the center of the gameplay. Many game situations are related to the use of future technologies. Now, when the series returns to the mundane militarism of modern times, the local gameplay with jumping from asphalt to rooftops and shooting in space looks very fresh.

The multiplayer was also innovative at the time, especially compared to the then popular parts of the Battlefield series. Unfortunately, there is no way to check how well it works now, there are almost no people left there. But for the sake of a beautiful movie with great cutscenes, it is worth trying this game.

🛒 CoD: Advanced Warfare (2014) Steam page

5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (2016)

And of course, I can’t help but mention a true shooter classic from the first person in specific and gaming industries in general.

And while I personally think that the original Modern Warfare trilogy is pretty tired in many ways (mostly in terms of multiplayer), many still love it dearly and consider it the peak of the franchise.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at one time turned the shooter genre upside down. Based on the plot, setting and its presentation, ending with the network mode. For many modern features in almost all network shooters, it is worth thanking the 4th part of Call of Duty. However, this also applies to the plot. After all, it was Modern Warfare that cemented the trend for short, linear, but at the same time spectacular war games.

I don’t recommend touching the original 4, it has an excellent remaster, in which the graphics were greatly improved and the multiplayer was slightly enlivened. The remaster of the sequel is also available, but only, unfortunately, in the story campaign. But the final part of the trilogy update never got. But I tell you as a person who recently went through the entire trilogy in one go on Xbox Series X – even parts of the basic version, and especially the remasters of the first and second, now play great. My wife and I went through it and in the end we caught ourselves thinking that we watched a long and very adrenaline-filled interactive action movie. A real timeless classic.

🛒 CoD: Modern Warfare Remastered (2016) Steam page

The series maintains its quality mark

You know what the Nintendo console and the Call of Duty franchise have in common? Both are fond of loudly criticizing people who have never properly touched them. I urge you to ignore the Internet howling (in both cases) and ignore the rash of arcade shooters on the market.

Especially now that it’s more accessible than ever thanks to Xbox Game Pass. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Black Ops 6 multiplayer when it comes out in October. Have a great day!