All 22 Call of Duty Campaigns, Ranked From Worst to Best
Every campaign in the Call of Duty series ranked from worst to best, including Modern Warfare, Black Ops, and every other game.
22 Call of Duty campaigns ranked, from worst to best:
Concluding the list at the bottom is 2025's Black Ops 7, a campaign rife with questionable decisions. Much of its plot is marred by hallucinogenic substances, leading to bizarre boss fights against enemies akin to a Dungeons & Dragons setting. The narrative is nonsensical, and open-world missions in Avalon are dull and unengaging, further exacerbated by being marketed heavily as a cooperative campaign which diminishes its solo experience.
The rebooted Modern Warfare series kicked off with a bang in 2019, but by the time the third installment arrived four years later, it seemed they had forgotten what made the previous titles great. Modern Warfare 3's biggest misstep was the inclusion of open combat missions, which felt aimless and sandbox-like. While the series has traditionally thrived on squad-based gameplay, this departure left players feeling isolated as Captain Price for the first time.
Futuristic Call of Duty games have a history of inconsistency. Black Ops 3 falls into this category, being one of the worst examples of the genre. It veers away from grounded, believable gameplay, instead opting for a futuristic setting filled with robots and super-soldiers. Most of the campaign involves battling these advanced enemies and introduces abilities that serve no purpose beyond aligning the game with its multiplayer counterpart.
At the start of it all, Call of Duty 2003 held its own against Medal of Honor and Brothers in Arms. It was a strong World War 2 FPS that divided the world into American, British, and Soviet fronts. While its modern-day counterpart has aged poorly, the campaign remains a quintessential experience for FPS fans. However, it's a tough recommendation for 2026.
Ghosts, the first game to stray from the alternating Modern Warfare and Black Ops releases, lacked in differentiation, becoming the start of Call of Duty's downward spiral. Following six years of mediocre entries, it followed the story of the Ghosts, a team of US spec ops soldiers. While Riley the dog and the emotional journey of Logan and Hesh Walker are standout elements, the overall experience remains underwhelming.
Advanced Warfare marked the beginning of Call of Duty's jetpack era, dividing fans with its unconventional approach. It introduced skill points for various upgrades, and was the game that birthed the 'press F to pay respects' meme. Despite featuring Kevin Spacey as the antagonist, it was the series' best attempt at embracing a futuristic era of COD.
Call of Duty 3, developed by Treyarch, was the third consecutive game set during World War 2, introducing unique ways to complete objectives. It features the best tank gameplay in the series' history and allows players to throw grenades back at enemies, a staple mechanic that continues to this day.
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