Call of Duty remains one of the most successful gaming franchises ever to hit gaming stores. With several installments to this series, it’s certain gamers can’t have enough of COD.
Call of Duty (COD) is a successful action game franchise published by Activision. This game has received public attention since the early 2000s and has been spread across more than a dozen releases.
Among the most recent releases, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ranks as a top addition to an ever-increasing collection. With more than 200 million Call of Duty copies sold in less than two decades, the game ranks as a massive success
Plotlines
Call of Duty games began with its first installment set in the mid-20th century. With its 2003 World War II themed release, other plotlines have been developed in quick succession to excite gamers.
The game’s plot is divided into five (5) sub-plots and several spin-offs with varying storylines;
Main Series Plot
British and American paratroopers in a World War II environment make up the bulk of the franchise’s first releases. Soldiers have to navigate through several missions to complete the game.
Also, later releases in the main series will feature plot stories centered on Canadian, French Resistance, Polish, and Red Army forces at the latter stages of World War II.
The main series plot comprises of Call of Duty 1, Call of Duty 2 (2005), and Call of Duty 3 (2006).
Advanced/Infinite Warfare Plot
This series features several storylines spread across modern settings. The series kicked off with the Advanced Warfare release in 2014 before the Infinite Warfare release in late 2016.
Black Ops Series Plot
The Black Ops series features four (4) releases set in multiple environments spanning the Vietnam War and futuristic settings. Several missions feature US soldiers against enemy forces across different releases.
This series also has the first installments to feature multiple branching stories that lead to different endings.
Ghost Installment
A single installment, Call of Duty: Ghosts features several interesting storylines in a modern war-torn environment.
This game was the first COD installment to get released on Windows, PS4 and Xbox One at the same time.
Warfare Series Plot
The Modern Warfare sub-plot ranks among the most popular and well-received installments to COD.
It is set over modern environments abandoning earlier World War themes. Most installments in this series are set in a Cold War style environment with a fictional US and NATO vs. Russia battle.
Many popular characters in the gaming franchise such as “Soap” and Captain Price featured first in the Modern Warfare series.
This series is made up of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (re-mastered version also available), Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019.
Installments
As of March 2020, there have been sixteen (16) installments to the Call of Duty franchise. Also, there have been thirteen (13) special titles for consoles and handheld devices. Here’s a list of the game’s console and handheld game device releases;
Console releases
⦁ Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
⦁ Call of Duty: Finest Hour
⦁ Call of Duty: The War Collection
⦁ Call of Duty: World at War – Final Fronts
Handle releases
⦁ Call of Duty: Black Ops DS
⦁ Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified
⦁ Call of Duty: Heroes
⦁ Call of Duty: Mobile
⦁ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon
⦁ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
⦁ Call of Duty: Roads to Victory
⦁ Call of Duty: Strike Team
⦁ Call of Duty: Zombies and Zombies 2
Canceled Titles
Four (4) titles have been canceled during stages of production since the game launched in 2003.
Call of Duty: Mobile
Call of Duty Mobile is another successful title released for Android and iOS devices. This title got its release on Oct 1. 2019 and surpassed 30 million downloads in 3 days.
Call of Duty for mobile follows several missions across the original franchise for consoles and PC with new twists included.
Graphics
Call of Duty’s earlier releases was based on ID Tech 3 Engine, earning the game a solid foundation for better quality.
Further developments by Infinity Ward to this game’s engine revealed the IW Engine. This engine has been the core of numerous COD releases and supports crispier graphics.
COD Modern Warfare also functions with the IW Engine at its core.
Platforms
Call of Duty has been published across nineteen (19) platforms since it hit stores in 2003. Here’s a list of every platform that’s ever featured a COD installment;
⦁ Android
⦁ BlackBerry
⦁ GameCube
⦁ iOS
⦁ J2ME
⦁ Microsoft Windows
⦁ Nintendo DS
⦁ Nokia N-Gage
⦁ OS X
⦁ PlayStation 2
⦁ PlayStation 3
⦁ PlayStation 4
⦁ PlayStation Portable
⦁ PlayStation Vita
⦁ Wii
⦁ Wii U
⦁ Xbox
⦁ Xbox 360
⦁ Xbox One
Most of these platforms have been discontinued when it comes to featuring later COD releases. The latest release of COD: Modern Warfare only got releases on Windows, Xbox One and PS4 platforms.
Gameplay Controls
Call of Duty operates with a first-person control setting with players having full operation of characters in several environments.
Most COD releases are set in war-torn environments with several releases featuring standard movements. A few releases, most notably the Advanced and Infinite Warfare series support extra movement controls such as boost slide and double jump controls.
When it comes to general acceptance, few titles match up to Call of Duty. This game has sold of hundreds of millions of copies across titles, amassing over USD $15 billion.
When it comes to Metacritic ratings, Call of Duty has ranked between 57% – 94% across several platforms.
Also, numerous game review sites rate installments favorably due to the franchise’s adherence to fast-paced action sequences and captivating storylines.
Call of Duty is one of the most sought-after action games on the planet. With so many successful releases across more than a dozen platforms to satisfy gamers, this franchise has its niche carved out.
And with more releases in queue, there’s sure to be non-stop action whenever a COD installment comes through
