The Best Games That Play Like The Call Of Duty Series

Summary

TheCall of Dutyfranchise has been around for over two decades. In that time, it has gone from being aMedal of Honorrival to standing tall as one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time and arguably the king of the FPS genre. Love it or hate it, there’s no denyingCall of Duty’simpact on the genre, or its massive success.

Some fans might feel that the franchise has stagnated over the years; not all its contributions to gaming are positive, but when it comes to slick FPS gameplay and competitive multiplayer shooting,CODis still hard to beat. It’s undeniably one ofthe best FPS franchisesaround, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other options. There are somegreat alternate video game options for those who enjoyCODbut are looking for something a little different. For this list, we’re only considering games that play like more traditionalCOD, and are ignoring Battle Royale options. Not because Battle Royale isn’t good, but because we’ve already talked aboutthe best Battle Royale games.

TheCall of Dutyfranchise started out grounded in reality before chasing more futuristic settings. A game about piloting giant mechs does not sound much likeCall of Duty, but much of the moment-to-moment gameplay feels similar (maybe because the founders of Respawn Entertainment were also the co-founders ofCOD’sInfinity Ward). When out of a mech,Titanfall 2’sgunplay is tight and rewarding and easily rivalsCOD’sbest efforts. Its campaign is also full of the kind of bombastic set pieces fans have come to associate withCOD.

Even the game’s enhanced movement system isn’t that alien toCOD.Advanced Warfare,Black Ops 3,andInfinite Warfareall experimented with enhanced movement mechanics like wall-running and power slides. SomeCODshave even featured robot enemies and small-scale mech suits.Titanfall 2might be almost ten years old at this point, but it still holds up well and is arguably more fun to play thanCODin a lot of ways. This is one ofRespawn Entertainment’s best games, and maybe one day we’ll actually get a sequel.

SayingRainbow Six Siegeis similar toCall of Dutyis sure to upset some die-hardRainbowfans, and the two franchises do have plenty of differences.Call of Dutytends to reward run-and-gun and lone-wolf tactics, whileRainbow Six Siegeis one ofthe best tactical shooters of all time.Rainbow Six’smaps also tend to be smaller and have maintained their emphasis on siege tactics, whileCOD’smaps are more traditional and designed for fast-paced competitive FPS games.

However, there are similarities. Over the years,Rainbow Six Siegehas become more fast-paced and has buffed the speed of clunkier operators like Sledge.Rainbow Six Siege’sgeneric military shooter aesthetic is also comparable to that of many ofCall of Duty’sgames. Competitively, both games also reward fast reflexes and feature quick TTK’s when compared to franchises likeBattlefield. While still distinct, many of the skills that make a goodCODplayer will transfer over toRainbow Six Siegewith practice.

A third-person cover-based shooter might seem like an odd choice for a list like this, but there’s a method behind the madness. Nearly every online thread where someone asks for a game likeCODhas at least one person shouting the virtues ofSpec Ops: The Line, and they’re not wrong. While the two have plenty of obvious differences, there are some similarities.

Both are fast-paced military shooters that rely on player skill when it comes to landing shots with a slight air of realism. More importantly,Spec Ops: The Linehas the kind of winding, twist-filled narrative that will appeal to fans of theBlack Opsseries ofCODgames. The game’s multiplayer servers are mostly abandoned but still up. If players are lucky enough to find a game,Spec Ops' online matches do feel pretty similar toCOD’s, just in third-person. Anyone who enjoyed the olderCODgames is sure to enjoySpec Opsdespite the differences.

5Medal Of Honor: Warfighter

The Original “We Have Call Of Duty At Home”

Despite its phenomenal success, it’s surprisingly hard to find games that play similarly toCall of Duty. FPS games are a dime a dozen, but these days most of them at least try to differentiate themselves from the king of the genre.Medal of Honor: Warfighterdidn’t. Upon release, it was widely criticized for being a mediocreCODclone that failed to set itself apart.

Time has been forgiving to the game, however, and these days it has a bit of a cult following. PlayingWarfighterfeels a lot like classicCOD, with an even greater emphasis on realism (the developers even filmed soldiers from different special forces groups to model the differences in their methods). For anyone looking to play a game like old-schoolModern Warfare,Warfighter’scampaign is a little dated but has its share ofCOD-like moments. Despite being a decent game, sadly, today it’s remembered for being the entry that pretty much killed theMedal of Honorfranchise and is far from beingthe best game in the series. That said, it’s better than its legacy would suggest.

Insurgency: Sandstormwas released back in 2018, but it has recently seen a resurgence in its popularity. As someCODfans have become increasingly disappointed with the direction the series has been taking, they’ve moved across toInsurgency. It’s easy to see why. The game plays like old-schoolCODbut with more of a focus on tactical gameplay and weapon realism.

Its fast time-to-kill, modern setting, and fast-paced firefights will feel instantly familiar toCODfans. The game lacks the distractions of the garish weapon and character skins of modernCOD(Insurgency’sbest outfitsactually look good), and there are no perks or OP special abilities. Then there’s the limited HUD, which offers a more immersive experience. Simply put,Insurgency: Sandstormis a boiled-down, competitive FPS experience that gets rid of some of modernCOD’smore distracting bells and whistles. DisillusionedCODfans would do well to give it a try.

When the originalKillzonewas released in 2004, Sony made no secret of the fact that it was meant to be theirHalokiller. Anyone who was around at the time will concede that they failed. TheKillzonegames were good, but they never reached the heights of theHaloseries in either their single-player or multiplayer modes.

Over time, Guerrilla Games and Sony changed tactics, and laterKillzonegames played increasingly likeCall of Duty. This is especially true forKillzone: Shadow Fall. It might be set in the future, but it’s full of the kind of bombastic set pieces fans have come to expect fromCODcampaigns. The moment-to-moment gunplay also feels a lot likeCODcampaigns. Likewise, the multiplayer and its various modes all felt remarkably similar toCOD. Unfortunately, these similarities ultimately worked against the game.Killzone: Shadow Fallwas an excellent FPS and launch title for the PS4, but it all felt a bit too familiar thanks to its similarities toCOD. Still, for anyone who enjoysCODand has access to a PS4, it’s certainly worth picking up and is one ofthe best games in theKillzoneseries.

TheBattlefieldfranchise has traditionally been one ofCOD’sbiggest rivals, setting itself apart with a slightly longer TTK and massive maps with higher player counts and a focus on vehicular combat and tactics. However, over time, the series has changed, adopting aspects ofCOD’sgameplay to try and steal away some players.

This evolution arguably began with theBad Companygames andBattlefield 3. These feature more infantry-focused gameplay and tighter maps like Operation Metro that felt more likeCOD.Battlefield 4then continued these changes, introducing even more maps and modes that felt likeCODand including the kind of in-depth weapon customization fans expect fromCOD. Its single-player campaign also plays a lot like aCall of Duty: Modern Warfarecampaign and has one ofthe best stories inBattlefieldhistory. Most recently,Battlefield 2042has continued this tradition, including the large-scale battles fans want from aBattlefieldgame, while also including smaller-scale team deathmatches and objective-based modes. ClassicBattlefieldfans might have been happier whenBattlefieldandCODwere more distinct, butBattlefieldtoday is more accessible toCODfans than ever before.

So far, this list has focused on games that play like traditionalCall of Dutycampaigns and multiplayer, but plenty of people buy modernCODgames purely for the incredibly addictive Zombies mode. Originally inspired by Valve’sLeft 4 Deadgames,Back 4 Bloodis an excellent option for fans ofCOD’s Zombies mode.

LikeCODZombies,Back 4 Bloodhas manic horde-style gameplay that requires the player to keep moving, shooting, and managing their resources. LikeCOD,Back 4 Bloodhas tons of weapons on offer, all of which feel distinct, and the shooting itself is smooth and snappy. Also, likeCODZombies, success on anything other than the lowest difficulty levels requires teamwork and good communication. However, there are differences.Back 4 Bloodisn’t quite so obsessed with Easter Eggs, and instead has a more narrative-driven approach, and its progression system uses a deck-building mechanic that is very different fromCOD’ssystems. Still, fans ofCODZombies are sure to enjoyBack 4 Blood.