Summary
Call of Dutyis a massive franchise with a huge player base, which can make getting into the series feel quite daunting. Due to the hardcore nature of the player base and several games being brutally challenging for newcomers, there are fewer good starter titles available than what you might find in other franchises.
However, the ones that are great for beginners all stand out in one way or another. They could be a great introduction to the series via the storyline, the specific multiplayer elements, or even a Zombies mode. If you are looking to get into Call of Duty and don’t know where to begin, consider giving one of these titles a try first.
With many great starter titles being on the older side, playing on the Xbox platform is recommended due to backward compatibility.
Like with sports games, a great title to start with would be the newest entry, which, in this case, is the 2023 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Yes, the campaign’s atrocious, but that’s not the strong suit here. What saves the entire experience is the refined multiplayer, because, well, it feels damn good.
Themovement and shooting feel so much betterand smooth when compared to earlier entries in the series, plus you get classic Modern Warfare 2 maps to play in, which is never a bad thing. If you want to experience what the popular COD multiplayer is all about, the new MW3 is a great choice, and you might like it so much you’ll go back through the rest of the series.
Platforms
2007
PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii
Call of Duty has been notable ever since the original, but Call of Duty 4 is when the franchise exploded in popularity and changed the landscape of FPS games going forward. Thecampaign’s still incredible to this day, being the perfect starting point in the Modern Warfare story. It really captures the feeling of being an actual marine, and there are so many highlight moments throughout the campaign.
COD4 also laid the groundwork in its leveling system for how future multiplayer FPS games would operate, and it is cool going back to this origin point. If you’re a dedicated person who wants to start from the roots, COD4 is a fantastic starting point in both story and multiplayer.
If you have a gaming buddy you can regularly play with, the original Modern Warfare 3 is a great starting Call of Duty game due to the Spec Ops mode. These are a series of cooperative missions, though some can be played solo, in which teamwork is key to completing the objectives.
It’s a lot of fun and can be rather tense at points, and there’s even DLC if you want more content. Survival mode, facing waves of enemies, is also a great time with a buddy. Thecooperative gameplay here is so goodin couch co-op you’ll likely want to try other COD titles.
2005
PC, Mac, Xbox 360
For most who want to start from the roots, COD4 will be the best game to play. But if you want to go even deeper, Call of Duty 2 is a great pick as well. You shouldn’t start from the original, as it’s way too difficult. COD2 is more approachable with its regenerating health and manageable Regular difficulty and remains a classic, timeless WW2 game.
The reason people were so excited about COD going back to WW2 in 2017 was because of games like COD2 that nail so many moments and battles from the war. It’s surprising just how good Call of Duty was, even from its second outing.
Despite Call of Duty: Black Ops being a sequel to World at War, you’re able to easily jump straight into it and not miss much. The story of Black Ops 1 is debatably the best in the series,with great charactersand an amazing hook. It’s engaging the whole way through, and Black Ops 1 remains a great starting point for Zombies if you have all the DLC.
LikeLeft 4 Dead 2, you get all the maps from World at War in Black Ops 1, and the new maps are stellar, like Call of the Dead and Moon. The multiplayer’s awesome, too, but the campaign and Zombies are what make Black Ops 1 a great starting COD game.
While Black Ops 1 is an excellent introduction to Zombies mode, Black Ops 3 contains the best Zombies experience in the franchise, making for an even better starting point. Be warned that the starting maps can be a little daunting for a newcomer, which is why you must have the Zombies Chronicles DLC.
This DLC contains eight classic Zombies maps, which are far simpler, and those will warn you up to the more complex ones in the core game. The Zombies package here is what makes Black Ops 3, as the campaign’s not that great, and the multiplayer isn’t the best either. If you just want to try out COD Zombies, the best starting point remains Black Ops 3.
Some folks don’t want to go back to these older entries and want to play the more modern ones. If you’re in that camp, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 is the best starting point. This title was the beginning of the Warzone era with all the new gameplay elements and an entirely rebuilt engine.
The shooting and movement still feel really good, even without the enhancements of the sequels, and when this game came out, no other COD had guns that felt this devastating before. The campaign’s incredible, and with it being a reboot, you can jump straight in with no problem.
Unlike Modern Warfare 2019, Black Ops Cold War takes place within the universe of the previous games. However, you can jump straight into Cold War and catch up to speed. It’s not Black Ops 2, which requires playing the first game to really get the most out of the story.
Many of the characters are brand new here and awesome to boot. The campaign is in the top three within the franchise with the levels, choices you’re able to make, and story, and it’s a perfect starting point before you jump into something like Black Ops 6.
