With all indicators pointing to Sledgehammer Games growing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (III? A backwards E? Who know what loopy image variation of three they’ll use this time) for fall 2023, we thought it’d be pleasing to make a journey down reminiscence lane and revisit each CoD title they’ve made prior to now. Here’s each SHG Call of Duty, ranked.
It’s value noting that Sledgehammer Games have contributed to so much of Call of Duty titles over time, together with Modern Warfare 2019 and its sequel, Modern Warfare 2 (2022). For this checklist, although, we’re solely taking into consideration the video games wherein they had been the lead growth studio (or one of them). Games wherein they’ve been an aiding studio received’t function. That means there’s 4 titles to cope with. They’re all ranked beneath, from our least favourite to the very best they’ve made but.
4) Call of Duty: Vanguard
2021’s Call of Duty: Vanguard was the WWII sequel we’re unsure anybody requested for. Its marketing campaign was ample, taking gamers on a non-linear journey by means of some of probably the most fearsome battles of WWII. It got here to an emotionally satisfying conclusion however, exterior of the Campaign (which for many CoD followers isn’t the primary issue behind having fun with an installment), it was lackluster at finest.
Vanguard’s multiplayer suffered from a perpetual id disaster, not sure whether or not to commit itself to historic accuracy and bloody immersion or steer into the pop-culture eccentricity that Fortnite discovered a lot success with. In the top, it did neither, and goes down as a totally mediocre CoD title.
There was some enjoyable to be had with Zombies, particularly when the nice Shi no Numa returned. Regardless, it couldn’t hit the excessive bar on this round-based mode that Treyarch continues to set. Here’s hoping SHG’s most up-to-date CoD is a collection of classes learnt.
3) Call of Duty: WWII
When it was introduced throughout the life-cycle of Infinite Warfare, a return to WWII was heralded as precisely what Call of Duty wanted to inject new life into the collection and guarantee it returned to its blood-soaked historic roots.
What we obtained as an alternative was a bland and fairly boring CoD with some standout misfires. Who can neglect the dumpster fireplace that was Gustav Cannon, a multiplayer map so unhealthy it’s remembered as a meme. There was additionally the introduction of Headquarters, a pre-lobby social area that was, on paper, a stellar addition. In apply, it barely functioned and served to solely sluggish gamers down between matches. Rounding off the unusual inventive choices, SHG opted for ‘Divisions’ as an alternative of typical Create-a-Class, all of which simply pushed gamers into stronger ones like Airborne and Infantry.
That being mentioned, there have been positives scattered all through. The Campaign was robust and its opening mission, happening on D-Day, was an unbelievable spectacle and suitably grandiose. The multiplayer mode, War, was equally bold and, though there have been some teething issues, the incorporation of a narrative-driven multiplayer mode with a number of phases to ascend by means of ought to be praised. More of this ambition in MW3 please… and fewer Gustav Cannon.
2) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
2014’s Advanced Warfare – SHG’s first title as sole lead builders – was additionally CoD’s first foray into futuristic gameplay and superior motion. It was far from being as refined as Treyarch’s Black Ops 3 (which got here a yr later), however its use of vertical gameplay was spectacular contemplating it was the primary time Call of Duty tried such a mechanic.
The weapons had been suitably eccentric for the setting, even when the Bal-27 and ASM1 had been far too robust all through, and it was all the time enjoyable to ‘rabbit punch’ an enemy into oblivion. Exo-suits lended selection to the superior motion system and the ‘Pick 13’ Create-a-Class was stable, even when it was a barely watered down model of Treyarch’s ingenious ‘Pick 10.’ The marketing campaign was additionally pleasing, thrusting gamers into futuristic however plausible fight eventualities that included fictional tech in inventive and pleasing methods.
It did falter elsewhere although. Exo Zombies struggled to impress followers who nonetheless had Black Ops 2’s prime tier undead mode of their latest reminiscence. Multiplayer, though beforehand complimented, included a Weapon-Variant-Supply-Drop system so obnoxious it meant that discovering the very best weapons in your complete sport was totally random probability and people keen to buy Supply Drops had been inherently extra probably to succeed. The ASM1-Speakeasy anybody? Us neither.
1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
Co-developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, the unique Modern Warfare 3 was the CoD title that secured SHG their lead-developer future. It may be remembered as worse than the unique MW and MW2, however that’s solely as a result of they’re two of the very best Call of Duty video games ever made. MW3 was a powerful success from the collection’ unique heyday, selecting up the enthralling story of Soap and Captain Price.
Multiplayer tweaked facets of the CoD components, changing killstreaks with pointstreaks and leveling out some of MW2’s overpowered and imbalanced perks and mechanics. There had been standout maps like Dome and Resistance, whereas the third mode Survival was a welcome departure from Zombies and supplied some round-based carnage of a special sort.
It captured all of the fast-paced enjoyable of its predecessor and constructed on it in a method the fanbase lapped up with little encouragement. Here’s hoping its 2023 namesake might be reduce from the identical fabric. We can depart the insanely overpowered MP7 prior to now, although.
Those are all of the SHG CoDs, ranked. We’re hoping for a house run when Modern Warfare 3 (2023) drops. We’ll be overlaying all of it proper right here, so keep tuned.
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