Even if someone hasn't played with the series, Call of Duty has become an epoch-making first-person shooter game that defined the video game culture of this decade. Officially, there are sixteen Call of Duty games featured on IMDB, and after a decade of gaming, the ranking shown in this list is rock solid.
Each game in the franchise has its own beauty, some are masterpieces, while others missed the mark. But all of them are generally enjoyable to play, especially for those die-hard fans of the CoD franchise.
Updated on September 27, 2021, by Scott Vengel: Even to this day, Call of Duty remains one of the top-selling franchises in the FPS genre. Featuring several games, from beloved classics like Call of Duty: Black Ops to new releases like Black Ops 4, the series continues to expand with new features and storylines. Just this year, Call of Duty: Vanguard was released, offering a new take on the old-age WW2 theatres. While ratings on this new addition to the franchise are still developing, IMDB has recently updated their ratings with the two games added in 2020: Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. As such, this article will be updated to include these new additions to the franchise.
18 Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 - 5.5
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
There are some elements that hold back the game, making it far from a masterpiece, but overall, even those who hate it didn't mind playing it through.
The gunplay was one of the best in the franchise, but there are some elements that are hard to look past and really let the game flop. Otherwise, it was a financial success for the developers. This shows, that even the worse rated CoD game is worth a try.
17 Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare - 6.2
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox One
Infinite Warfare was a mediocre review on IMDB. But on other platforms, feedbacks are much more positive. This is one of the few Call of Duty games where the campaign is way better than the multiplayer gameplay.
Almost all good review is about the story and the beauty of the game. So for those who like to focus on the campaign and story of CoD games, this is the one to beat. Otherwise, it's not one player revisit often after playing it through.
16 Call Of Duty: Ghosts - 6.6
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Ghosts is a game that follows all aspects of the original Call of Duty games. Although the developers didn't stray far from their existing formula, Ghosts is still very exciting and a great game to play that fans love to revisit. The reason for its mediocre rating is that the story seems forced at times, the multiplayer is downright confusing because of the unnecessarily big maps, and it all seems a little too familiar.
15 Call of Duty: Warzone - 6.7
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Free-to-play games have become incredibly commonplace all over the FPS genre. No model in these types of games is more commonly seen than the battle royale, with classics like PUBG and Fortnite paving the way for the genre. In 2020, Call of Duty also introduced their own addition to the genre: Call of Duty: Warzone.
Available on a variety of Xbox and PlayStation systems, as well as on Windows for PC gamers, the game offered a new take on the multiplayer side of the franchise. Up to 150 players can play in a match, and the game being free makes for very little reason to not give it a try.
14 Call Of Duty: Black Ops III - 6.9
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The twin pillars of this game are the multiplayer modes and the zombies. It demonstrates a lot of interesting ideas, has a beautiful score, and is genuinely a fun game to play with.
Some of the negatives include the boring story campaign and its lack of connection to previous games. The story is repetitive, and the pacing is off. But those who stuck with it say that the multiplayer gameplay is one of the best in the series.
13 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - 7.0
- Available On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Compared to World War 2, the Cold War isn't a common time period for a Call of Duty game to focus on. Granted, some classics like Call of Duty: Black Ops do take place during the Vietnam War. But, no game has done the Cold War quite like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
The campaign acts as a link between Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II, explaining in greater detail how the dynamics of the Cold War lead to the subseries' eventual conclusion. However, even greater than the narrative elements of the game's story, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War revitalized the multiplayer side of the series by offering new map dynamics and game modes.
12 Call Of Duty 3 - 7.2
- Available On: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360
The main defect in this game is the length of the story which is almost non-existent. It has only 13 chapters, and those too are very short, some taking only 10 minutes. But despite this critique, most agree on the fact that the story itself was great.
Most of the bad reviews are based on the fact that fans kept comparing it to the fan-favorite second game. But it's understandable, that whatever follows one of the best in the franchise will get some subpar ratings.
11 Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare - 7.2
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Advanced Warfare is a classic Call of Duty game. It has a gripping and addictive story and is fun enough to make players' hands sore. It also presents a lot of new and fun ideas to the gameplay. The villain had a great storyline, and overall, the entire game is beautiful.
The multiplayer gameplay is also one of the greatest in the series, most players still revisit Advanced Warfare when craving for some action. The negative reviews mostly focus on the repetitive story and the fact that most players didn't care for the main character.
10 Call Of Duty: WWII - 7.8
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Call of Duty: WWII is a beloved classic in the series. For those who've lost their faith in the series, this is the game that rekindled their original love and appreciation for Call of Duty. This game has one of the best and most emotional stories of all the others.
The multiplayer mode is not at all bad, but most people love it for the beauty of the story. The only truly bad reviews are judging the zombie gameplay and some lags throughout it.
9 Call Of Duty: Black Ops II - 8.0
- Available On: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U
Call of duty: Black Ops II was a big leap in the series, but fans loved the outcome. The story of both old and new characters was much more gripping and much stronger than players were expecting, making people really feel for them.
Some say it's the last classically great CoD game, but reviews say otherwise, as according to the IMDB ratings, it's still far from the best game in the franchise.