There’s no escaping that Name of Responsibility is at present in a little bit of a rut. Though there are shiny spots in Trendy Warfare 3’s multiplayer and Zombies mode, it in the end feels all too acquainted. And the marketing campaign? Our reviewer Simon Cardy mentioned it was “maybe the worst Name of Responsibility single-player marketing campaign I’ve performed.” It at present has a disappointing Metacritic score of 56 and, unsurprisingly, Trendy Warfare 3 didn’t make into IGN’s prime 10 Name of Responsibility video games (spoilers: it got here backside of the pile).
Fortunately, Name of Responsibility has been distinctive at occasions and, years on, lots of its best moments nonetheless stand the check of time. So we’re trying again to determine which Name of Responsibility video games are our absolute favorites, and we’re speaking concerning the full bundle – marketing campaign, multiplayer, zombies, every thing. IGN workers voted on all of the video games, and you may learn all about why we picked what we picked under. After, make sure you tell us how we did and share your favorites within the feedback under!
10. Name of Responsibility: Black Ops Chilly Warfare
Name of Responsibility: Black Ops Chilly Warfare units itself aside from different entries within the legendary franchise by how a lot it excels when your gun is definitely holstered. Whereas Name of Responsibility is clearly identified for its world-class shootouts with explosions round each nook and edge-of-your-seat moments, Black Ops Chilly Warfare added one other wrinkle to that method.
The marketing campaign takes place throughout probably the most essential moments of the Chilly Warfare and we get time to be taught extra about our covert ops crew at our safehouses and sneak round KGB headquarters as a Russian double agent. These moments are quiet in one of the best methods, and so they make the louder ones much more impactful.
Black Ops Chilly Warfare’s multiplayer fell somewhat brief however its Zombies mode was a spotlight. Certain, we might have liked some extra content material, nevertheless it offered extremely polished and tense gameplay classes we nonetheless take into consideration at the moment.
9. Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 3 (2011)
There have been some massive points with 2023’s Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 3, however 2011’s Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 3 did an incredible job of iterating and bettering on what got here earlier than. Its multiplayer added new components equivalent to weapon development, proficiencies, and extra, however what it did greatest was create one of the crucial compelling and addicting Name of Responsibility multiplayer experiences ever made as much as that time.
The marketing campaign was enjoyable sufficient and despite the fact that it isn’t certainly one of our favorites, it had the superb setpieces and “wow” moments that made this franchise so standard. It was additionally the conclusion of one of the crucial beloved Name of Responsibility trilogies ever and that in itself was another excuse it was well worth the admission value.
8. Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 2
Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 2 was notable for a lot of causes, together with that it featured the collection’ first branching narrative and arsenal of futuristic weaponry. Whereas it continued the Chilly Warfare-era story from the unique Black Ops, it additionally took us to 2025 to expertise a complete new Chilly Warfare that centered on Alex Mason’s son, David. Oh, and don’t overlook that Raul Menendez is among the greatest villains in your complete franchise.
Black Ops 2’s multiplayer additionally had a number of firsts just like the Decide 10 system and Scorestreaks, including a welcome degree of depth and customization to the expertise. Throw in its Zombies mode, which was the proper, laugh-filled various to the marketing campaign and multiplayer, and Black Ops 2 continues to be a standout Name of Responsibility sport over a decade later.
7. Name of Responsibility: World at Warfare
Name of Responsibility: World at Warfare introduced us again to World Warfare 2 after the roaring success that was Trendy Warfare’s modern setting, nevertheless it did so otherwise. As an alternative of merely going again to Normandy and D-Day for the umpteenth time, the story centered on the Pacific theater and the Pink Military’s reversals of the tide at Stalingrad to the Fall of Berlin. The marketing campaign was stuffed with a ton of close-quarters fight moments, lots of which had been in tight, packed trenches, and for the primary time allow you to play with as much as three different mates.
What World at Warfare might without end be remembered for, nevertheless, was its introduction of what we now know because the Zombies mode, or Nach der Untoten because it was known as. Its multiplayer was additionally successful because it introduced in a lot of what made Trendy Warfare nice and tailored it for the period the sport was set in.
6. Name of Responsibility
Name of Responsibility first appeared on the scene in 2003, at a time when Medal of Honor and Battlefield 1942 had been on the prime of their sport and proving what might be accomplished within the WWII style. However Name of Responsibility did quite a lot of issues that might instantly set it aside, together with chosing to inform its story from the attitude of not solely the US, but additionally Britain and the Soviet Union.
It additionally had you going into battle with different troopers by your facet as an alternative of getting you face the horrors of conflict alone, and that led to a extra reasonable and compelling expertise. And don’t overlook the “shellshock” characteristic, which visually and audibly confirmed the hazards and penalties of huge explosions and introduced us nearer to conflict than ever earlier than.
Whereas it’s clearly somewhat old-fashioned 20 years on, the marketing campaign continues to be enjoyable to play and it’s unimaginable to understate the muse it constructed for the way forward for not simply the Name of Responsibility collection however first-person shooters as a complete.
5. Name of Responsibility: Black Ops
Name of Responsibility: Black Ops took us to the Nineteen Sixties to be taught the story of CIA operative Alex Mason. From the primary moments in that chair within the interrogation room to probably the greatest twists in your complete franchise, we couldn’t get sufficient of the story that additionally had the star energy of Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, and Gary Oldman. We beforehand ranked Black Ops’ marketing campaign as Name of Responsibility’s greatest, and we stand by it at the moment.
Black Ops’ multiplayer is simply as iconic and a number of the maps, together with Firing Vary and Nuketown, are nonetheless favorites in 2023 as they’ve been introduced ahead a number of occasions. The multiplayer suite additionally launched CoD Factors, which modified how issues had been unlocked and made development really feel contemporary once more.
Nazi Zombies returned too, besides this time as a full-fledged mode, and it even allow you to play as JFK, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, or Robert McNamara. There was additionally an unlockable mode that performed like a retro arcade model. It was all fantastic.
4. Name of Responsibility 2
Name of Responsibility 2 was an unimaginable achievement by itself, however its timing was simply as vital. The follow-up to the unique Name of Responsibility arrived as a launch title for Xbox 360 and demonstrated what “next-gen” really meant again then.
Whereas the unique Name of Responsibility was spectacular, the facility of Xbox 360 – alongside developments in PC tech – led to a WWII expertise like by no means earlier than. One of the vital notable examples was the smoke grenades, as they had been an incredible showcase for what the devs may do to make a extra reasonable expertise. Not solely had been they a sight to behold because the smoke billowed up and smothered the display screen, however they is also used tactically to get out of a troublesome state of affairs.
With Name of Responsibility 2, the long run was right here, even when the multiplayer nonetheless solely allowed for eight gamers in a match on Xbox Dwell.
3. Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare (2019)
Spoilers: we LOVE Trendy Warfare and that adoration extends to 2019’s Trendy Warfare, the sport that rebooted a traditional. That in itself was a troublesome job, however Infinity Ward handed with flying colours and created one of the best marketing campaign for the reason that unique Black Ops.
Certainly, the single-player was filled with stand-out moments, from Going Darkish’s nonlinear stealth infiltration to Clear Home, by which a workforce of SAS troops clear a pitch-black terrorist hideout utilizing night-goggles, making split-second choices to ensure its a menace within the crosshairs and never an unarmed civilian.
Trendy Warfare’s multiplayer was first rate too, and tried to evolve one of the crucial beloved multiplayer video games of all time to the trendy day with some good additions, however its implementation wasn’t excellent. That mentioned, its new modes like Realism and the 2v2 Gunfight had been nice.
2. Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 2 (2009)
Name of Responsibility 4: Trendy Warfare and its sequel Trendy Warfare 2 aren’t solely a number of the greatest Name of Responsibility video games ever, but additionally a number of the greatest and most vital video games of all time. Whereas Trendy Warfare set the gold normal for what these first-person shooters might be, Trendy Warfare pushed it to a good increased peak.
We may discuss No Russian and the stunning, revenge-filled marketing campaign ending all day, however multiplayer is the place this sport actually shines. From its customizable Killstreaks and development challenges, to the give attention to larger maps with a ton of gamers, to the introduction of the cooperative Spec Ops maps, there was SO a lot to like about its multiplayer mode. And one of the best half? It simply improved on every thing else we liked from Trendy Warfare, which we will’t wait to inform you about subsequent…
1. Name of Responsibility 4: Trendy Warfare (2007)
Name of Responsibility: Trendy Warfare 2 might have perfected the method that Name of Responsibility 4: Trendy Warfare constructed, however new and glossy issues can’t all the time stack as much as what it’s prefer to expertise one thing for the primary time. Name of Responsibility 4: Trendy Warfare is the proper instance of that, and was a revolution that modified video video games without end.
This was the 12 months that Name of Responsibility turned the Name of Responsibility we all know at the moment, and it was due to a tag-team assault of a improbable marketing campaign and a legendary multiplayer expertise. We’ll always remember being launched to Cleaning soap and Captain Worth for the primary time, or after we received to leap into an AC-130 gunship, escape a cargo ship in the midst of a stormy sea, play by way of All Ghillied Up – presumably the best Name of Responsibility mission ever – and a lot extra.
We’ll additionally always remember the numerous hours we fortunately sunk into multiplayer, incomes killstreak after killstreak, unlocking each gun and problem we may, discovering the proper perks, and successful or shedding alongside our greatest mates. These had been the times we’ll always remember. That is Name of Responsibility.
