With all indicators pointing to Sledgehammer Video games creating Name of Obligation: Fashionable 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 pleasant to make a journey down reminiscence lane and revisit each CoD title they’ve made previously. Right here’s each SHG Name of Obligation, ranked.
It’s price noting that Sledgehammer Video games have contributed to lots of Name of Obligation titles over time, together with Fashionable Warfare 2019 and its sequel, Fashionable Warfare 2 (2022). For this listing, although, we’re solely considering the video games wherein they have been the lead improvement studio (or one in every of them). Video games wherein they’ve been an helping studio gained’t characteristic. Meaning there’s 4 titles to cope with. They’re all ranked beneath, from our least favourite to one of the best they’ve made but.
4) Name of Obligation: Vanguard
2021’s Name of Obligation: Vanguard was the WWII sequel we’re undecided anybody requested for. Its marketing campaign was sufficient, taking gamers on a non-linear journey by a few of the most fearsome battles of WWII. It got here to an emotionally satisfying conclusion however, outdoors of the Marketing 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, uncertain 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. Ultimately, it did neither, and goes down as a totally mediocre CoD title.
There was some enjoyable available with Zombies, particularly when the good Shi no Numa returned. Regardless, it couldn’t hit the excessive bar on this round-based mode that Treyarch continues to set. Right here’s hoping SHG’s most up-to-date CoD is a collection of classes learnt.
3) Name of Obligation: WWII
When it was introduced throughout the life-cycle of Infinite Warfare, a return to WWII was heralded as precisely what Name of Obligation wanted to inject new life into the collection and guarantee it returned to its blood-soaked historic roots.
What we bought as a substitute was a bland and fairly uninteresting CoD with some standout misfires. Who can overlook the dumpster hearth that was Gustav Cannon, a multiplayer map so dangerous it’s remembered as a meme. There was additionally the introduction of Headquarters, a pre-lobby social house that was, on paper, a stellar addition. In observe, it barely functioned and served to solely sluggish gamers down between matches. Rounding off the unusual artistic selections, SHG opted for ‘Divisions’ as a substitute of typical Create-a-Class, all of which simply pushed gamers into stronger ones like Airborne and Infantry.
That being stated, there have been positives scattered all through. The Marketing campaign was robust and its opening mission, happening on D-Day, was an unimaginable spectacle and suitably grandiose. The multiplayer mode, Struggle, was equally bold and, regardless that there have been some teething issues, the incorporation of a narrative-driven multiplayer mode with a number of levels to ascend by needs to be praised. Extra of this ambition in MW3 please… and fewer Gustav Cannon.
2) Name of Obligation: Superior Warfare
2014’s Superior Warfare – SHG’s first title as sole lead builders – was additionally CoD’s first foray into futuristic gameplay and superior motion. It was removed 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 Name of Obligation tried such a mechanic.
The weapons have been suitably eccentric for the setting, even when the Bal-27 and ASM1 have been far too robust all through, and it was at all times enjoyable to ‘rabbit punch’ an enemy into oblivion. Exo-suits lended selection to the superior motion system and the ‘Choose 13’ Create-a-Class was strong, even when it was a barely watered down model of Treyarch’s ingenious ‘Choose 10.’ The marketing campaign was additionally pleasant, thrusting gamers into futuristic however plausible fight eventualities that included fictional tech in artistic and pleasant 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 current reminiscence. Multiplayer, though beforehand complimented, included a Weapon-Variant-Provide-Drop system so obnoxious it meant that discovering one of the best weapons in the complete recreation was solely random probability and people keen to buy Provide Drops have been inherently extra prone to succeed. The ASM1-Speakeasy anybody? Us neither.
1) Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3 (2011)
Co-developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Video games, the unique Fashionable Warfare 3 was the CoD title that secured SHG their lead-developer future. It is perhaps remembered as worse than the unique MW and MW2, however that’s solely as a result of they’re two of one of the best Name of Obligation video games ever made. MW3 was a convincing success from the collection’ authentic heyday, selecting up the enthralling story of Cleaning soap and Captain Worth.
Multiplayer tweaked facets of the CoD formulation, changing killstreaks with pointstreaks and leveling out a few of MW2’s overpowered and imbalanced perks and mechanics. There have been standout maps like Dome and Resistance, whereas the third mode Survival was a welcome departure from Zombies and provided some round-based carnage of a unique form.
It captured all of the fast-paced enjoyable of its predecessor and constructed on it in a approach the fanbase lapped up with little encouragement. Right here’s hoping its 2023 namesake might be minimize from the identical material. We are able to go away the insanely overpowered MP7 previously, although.
These are all of the SHG CoDs, ranked. We’re hoping for a house run when Fashionable Warfare 3 (2023) drops. We’ll be masking all of it proper right here, so keep tuned.