The original members of Infinity Ward, the studio that invented Call of Duty, started out on this second world war shooter, before leaving the game’s developer, 2015 Inc, to set up on their own. Bearing many of the hallmarks of the CoD franchise, this is really where it all began…
Set around the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, the original Call of Duty introduced many of the brand’s hallmark features including cinematic set-pieces, multiple playable characters, a vast army of computer-controlled allies and those dizzying sensory distortion effects when you’re caught near an explosion. Originally released on PC, it was a modest success
The first console instalment of CoD was developed by Californian studio Spark Unlimited with a story that span-off from the original title. In 2005, Spark sued Activision for breach of contract – a move that foreshadowed the lawsuit instigated against the publisher by Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella in 2010 Photograph: PR
Another explosive campaign featuring well-known second world war battle zones such as Stalingrad and El Alamein, and closing with the Allied push into Germany. This was the first title in the series to abandon the use of ‘health packs’ to heal injured players in favour of Halo’s regenerating health system
Like Finest Hour, the first CoD title from LA-based studio Treyarch is another console spin-off of a previous PC title. It’s unique for the series in that it follows just one unit, the 1st Infantry Division, as it battles across Africa and then into the Mediterranean. Praised for its excellent visuals and moving story, which used several voice actors from the Band of Brothers TV series
Taking place after the Normandy landings, the second Treyarch-developed CoD instalment follows British, Canadian, Polish and US forces on their battle across France. This title vastly improved the console multiplayer component, allowing more soldiers per map and adding vehicles for the first time. It was an impressive release considering the development period was reportedly a mere eight months
Another blast through the latter stages of WWII, this time for the Sony PSP only. The basics of the series are here – including multiple missions featuring American, Canadian and British troops – but the controls are tricky, the visuals mediocre and the multiplayer lacks online functionality. Considered something of a low point for the series
Set in a fictitious near-future war, Modern Warfare took CoD out of the second world war and into the arena of Middle Eastern unrest and Russian ultranationalism. The game revolutionalised the multiplayer feature by adding experience points, allowing participants to unlock weapons and customise characters
Treyarch took the action back to WWII for this 2008 release, set around the Pacific theatre and the Eastern front, and ending with Russian soldiers marching toward the Reichstag. It’s grittier and more savage than the previous WWII titles, but is generally considered a solid if unremarkable addition
The globe-trotting modern-day battle continued with this bombastic sequel, in which evil Russian terror chief Makarov initiates a land invasion of the United States. The game drew controversy for its ‘No Russian’ mission in which the player participates in an airport slaughter. More than 20m copies have been sold worldwide
Cold war paranoia and covert operations formed the basis of Treyarch’s sixties shoot-out. The single-player campaign took in Vietnam, Cuba and Russia, while multiplayer added an in-game currency system for weapons purchases, and ‘wager’ matches, allowing players to gamble on their performance. Shifting 25m units, it’s one of the most successful video game releases of all time
Development hit a crisis last year when about 40 members of staff left Infinity Ward to set up a new studio. Developer Sledgehammer Games was brought in to help, and the result is another world-spanning punch-up, with gigantic set-pieces and hugely overhauled multiplayer. With the Modern Warfare story arc seemingly concluded, where does the series go next?
