And while most newer Call of Dutyplayers ignore playing the Campaign mode, other hardcore fans first play the Campaign before hopping into Multiplayer mode. And that’s because most of the Campaigns give insight into beloved characters of the franchise like Ghost or Captain John Price. But, due to the popularity of Multiplayer, some Call Of Duty Campaigns were long forgotten even though they deserved more attention.

Updated January 17, 2023 by Daniel Dilena: The Call of Duty franchise continues to be the go-to multiplayer FPS title, even after 20 years of its initial release in 2003. And with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Activision has demonstrated that the franchise can continuously evolve, introducing new features and game modes that revolutionize the franchise.

The truth is that many of these new features have been introduced in past Call of Duty single-player campaigns. And that’s because most players only remember the best Call of Duty single-playercampaigns and not the underappreciated ones. That’s why we’re expanding this COD list by including other underappreciated single-player campaigns that merit a second playthrough.

8 Call Of Duty 3

The third installment of the COD franchise was Call of Duty 3, launching at the same time as the Playstation 3 and Wii. And while most of the gameplay elements remained the same as the previous two titles, Call of Duty 3 introduced a unique feature: open-ended main objectives. That meant players could complete the main level using multiple paths, allowing players to play the way they liked without being limited to a certain playstyle. On top of that, the single-player campaign featured Canadian and Polish missions, aside from American and British which are the staple of any WW2-themed video game.

Unfortunately, what should have been one of the best Call of Duty campaigns was quickly overshadowed by the multiplayer game mode. And that’s because the multiplayer side of Call of Duty 3 introduced “Player and Ranked” matches. Player-type matches were casual matches that didn’t affect a gamer’s K/D while Ranked-type matches allowed players to earn Player Points and unlock Achievements. Furthermore, all multiplayer matches allowed up to 24 players on each team, something new to the franchise.

7 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Undoubtedly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most controversial COD titles in recent years, but not because of its single-player campaign or multiplayer. The controversy stems from the fact that someone had stolen a copy of COD: MW3 and uploaded it onto the internet, forcing Activision to crack down on everyone that downloaded it. Moreover, there was an incident in France where two masked men used tear gas to neutralize a truck driver to steal a copy of MW3.

Nonetheless, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was among the best PS3-era games to be released but not because of the single-player campaign. And that’s because the single-player story campaign repeated the same tropes of past titles without introducing anything new to the franchise. On top of that, MW3 had several questionable moments that could upset people due to its graphic nature but with the option to skip these scenes entirely. Sadly, all of these factors prevented MW3 from becoming one of the best Call of Duty campaigns.

6 Call Of Duty: World At War

Unfortunately, Call of Duty: World at War’s single-player mode was yet another campaign overshadowed by other game modes, Multiplayer and Zombie mode. And while the Multiplayer mode didn’t add anything groundbreaking in terms of gameplay, it did add cooperative gameplay. This new type of gameplay allowed players to team up with up to two players via split-screen on consoles or four in online mode.

This new split-screen cooperative mode quickly took over the limelight, becoming one of the best split-screen games on Xbox 360 and PS3. But, thisCall of Duty single-player campaign deserved a lot more attention since it featured more dark and gritty elements, making it a more realistic WW2-era video game.

5 Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brought back a lot of similarities from previous games like the Pick 13 system, which allowed players to pick weapons, attachments, perks, and score streaks within 13 points first seen in Black Ops 3. Aside from that, players had access to an Exosuit which allowed them to perform boost, dash, and sky jump reminiscent of the Halo franchise. And with all of those features, players often disregarded the Campaign since all they wanted was to get straight into the action.

But, this Campaign had many unique features that would later be used in other COD games. For example, as players progress through the Campaign, players can upgrade their Exosuit or weapons by allocating upgrade points earned by completing certain in-game challenges. This game also featured a stellar lineup of actors, including Kevin Spacey (as the antagonist) and Troy Baker (as the protagonist). But, most importantly, this Campaign provided gamers with the famous “Press F to Pay Respects” meme, which continues to be used today.

4 Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2

Another Call of Duty Campaign that suffered being shoved aside due to Multiplayer was that of Black Ops 2. And that’s because Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 introduced several groundbreaking changes (sadly not Photo Mode) that would shape the future of COD’s competitive scene. Black Ops 2 was the first game to introduce the “Pick 10” system, which gave players complete freedom to create their own unique class. On top of that, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 included a competitive mode (now known as League Play) which allowed “casual” players to compete in a Ranked League.

The Campaign of Black Ops was the first of its kind since it featured branching storylines, allowing players to shape the story to their liking. But, what was truly remarkable about Black Ops 2 was the Strike Force missions that allowed players to control several different war assets, like unmanned aerial vehicles, jet fighters, and robots. This underappreciated Campaign also lets players customize their loadout before beginning a mission, which was never seen before in the franchise.

3 Call Of Duty: WW2

World War 2 is one of FPS’s most overused war themes, making it almost impossible for one to succeed. Games like Battlefield 5 and Call of Duty: Vanguard have been met with harsh criticism and are often the least popular games within their communities. Call of Duty: WW2 was criticized even before its release, primarily due to its lack of the Swastika symbol and non-historically accurate playable characters. And because of that, players often regard Call of Duty: WW2 as the worst COD of all time.

Those minor issues made most players skip this game altogether, thus making them miss one of the best WW2 Campaigns in the COD franchise. Call of Duty: WW2 was unique from its predecessors since it introduced Squad mates, which would provide ammunition, grenades, call-in mortar strikes, or spot enemies. But, the best aspect of the Campaign would be the music, so much so that it would win six awards at the 16th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards.

2 Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Most players may recall the trailer of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare since it was the second-most disliked video on YouTube in 2016. And the main reason because of this harsh reception was because the fanbase was tired of the over-used “futuristic” combat that had become all too common in the Call of Duty franchise. And even though it would go on to be the top-selling game of 2016, it had the worst sales of any COD prior.

Nonetheless, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare had several Campaign features that would make it stand out from previous games. For example, it had the unique “boots-on-the-ground” gameplay, a seamless transition from intense space to ground combat. Moreover, players could customize their Jackals, allowing them to make the story their own. Aside from the Campaign, its Zombie Mode was also a decent entry into the franchise.

1 Call Of Duty: Ghosts

Ghosts is perhaps one of the most divisive Call of Duty games out there since some players praise it as one of a kind while others call it the worse FPS ever. Regarding Multiplayer, Call of Duty: Ghosts introduced a new gameplay mechanic, destructible buildings, a feature commonly used in the Battlefield franchise. This game also had a unique game mode called Extinction, a 4-player co-op mode that pitted players against Aliens (Cryptids). But, the most criticized (and underappreciated) feature in Ghosts would be the Campaign.

Some players and critics viewed its Campaign as a rehashing of previous Campaigns that brought no real innovation to the franchise. And while this Campaign is from being the best in the franchise, it still delivered a unique adventure that only a few sadly experienced. For starters, Call of Duty: Ghosts was the first (and only) COD game to let players play a non-human playable character, a German Shepard. And while this non-human character was quite limited in what it could do, it still managed to capture the heart of a few hardcore fans.

More: Most Iconic Video Game Characters With British Accents