The Best Call of Duty Games of All Time [Top 7 Ranking]

Call of Duty World at War (2008)

Following one of the franchise’s cornerstone works in Modern Warfare, World at War takes the player back to COD’s roots in WW2, exploring multiple fronts including Americans in the Pacific to the Eastern Front in Europe.

With some excellent multiplayer maps, it is the overall game design that really puts this title on the list. With amazing sound design and tactful graphics, players get a real visceral sense of war throughout the campaign, with severed limbs and brutal violence immersing you into the bloodiest conflict in human history.

Also boosting COD World at War into our first spot is its inclusion of the now infamous zombies game mode, being the first Call of Duty title to bring horrifying Nazi zombies to our screens. Being the original title to feature Zombies, some of the best Zombies maps can be found in World at War as found in our article on the best COD Z0mbies maps ever.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (2012)

One of the franchise’s more experimental titles, Black Ops 2 from Treyarch brought fresh multiplayer features, campaign features, and solid gameplay across the board to COD Black Ops 2.

This was the first Call of Duty title to have multiple endings to the campaign, spicing up your journey around the world uncovering Cold War plots. Having additional side quests with the Strike Force missions that actually affected the campaign outcome worked astoundingly well, adding much depth to the campaign.

Along with an enjoyable new twist on the campaign, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 also brought in the Pick 10 system in multiplayer, increasing loadout customizability. All this combined with some excellent multiplayer maps takes COD Black Ops 2 into the top 6, as well as placing it in our list of the best Multiplayer in Call of Duty games.

Call of Duty 2 (2005)

An undeniable classic, and arguably the game that cemented the Call of Duty franchise as one for the long-haul in gaming is Call of Duty 2. Very much expanding on the mechanics and atmosphere of the original Call of Duty, the franchise’s second entry brought better graphics, level design, and that glorious 64-player multiplayer.

Both the campaign and multiplayer have a unique sense of grit and openness to them, with the campaign having exciting non-linear levels for you to explore, and the multiplayer hosting a wide array of distinctive weaponry, each of which required mastery to use effectively.

Although later overtaken by newer, fresher titles, Call of Duty 2 brought that exquisite ecstasy of running and gunning around WW2 battlefields to life in a way no game quite had before.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

Arguably one of the most iconic games of all time, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2’s campaign made headline after headline - a testament to its bombastic and outlandish story.

Whether it’s assassinating enemies in a snowstorm, defending civilians from Russian invaders, or the infamous “No Russian” mission, the original Modern Warfare 2 undoubtedly has one of the most enjoyable campaign missions in COD history.

Along with this, the multiplayer is fast-paced and impactful, with a host of great maps, including the birth of the gaming classic Rust. Although riddled with a few broken killstreaks, the gameplay is almost always fun. There is only one word to describe Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: iconic.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019)

After a few mediocre titles, the revival of Modern Warfare in 2019 brought one of the most polished, authentic Call of Duty games to date. Launched alongside the new Warzone game, the new COD Modern Warfare has some of the best graphics, gunplay, and campaign of any Call of Duty.

With some amazing campaign missions and a likeable cast, the single-player is thrilling from start to finish. But the true star of the show is the multiplayer, bringing back that classic COD feel from the original Modern Warfare trilogy with impactful and fresh gunplay, exciting maps, excellent lighting and sound design, and great graphics.

Call of Duty Black Ops (2010)

As of 2023 the best-selling Call of Duty title ever (check out our article on the best-selling COD titles of all time for a full list), the brilliance of Call of Duty Black Ops is undeniable. Gun game, a mode which now feels fundamentally a part of COD, was introduced with Black Ops, along with a host of other fun and unique multiplayer gamemodes, and of course the brilliant Nuketown map.

The beauty of Call of Duty Black Ops is really its balance, combining an awesome soundtrack, an interesting and gritty campaign, and super fun gunplay to create the perfect blend of a successful Call of Duty game.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

Coming in at our number one spot, the original Modern Warfare is by far the best title in Call of Duty history. Basically every campaign mission is perfection, from All Ghillied Up to Death From Above, and the campaign is rightly seen as the gold standard for FPS campaigns by many gamers.

The multiplayer experience was also one of a kind, and an entire generation of gamers grew up hooked on late-night COD lobbies on this game. With advanced weapon customization, brilliant map design and addictive gunplay, this title was so good it was remastered in 2016 to bring the experience to a whole new generation of gamers.