It’s safe to say that out of the two subseries in Call of Duty, Black Ops is the more well-regarded compared to Modern Warfare. MW has had some stinker releases that really upset the fanbase, but every Black Ops game is, at the very least, solid.
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The original trilogy still plays great to this day with game-changing elements from the campaign, multiplayer, and especially to Zombies. The entire Black Ops series is still active, meaning you can find matches in even the oldest one, which you can’t say about Modern Warfare, as several games are abandoned or outright broken.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
The Weakest Of The Bunch
When it comes to the multiplayer experience, Black Ops Cold War has to be the worst game in the Black Ops series. The innovations brought to the multiplayer in comparison to MW 2019 were incredibly light and actually downgraded in some elements, like the streak system. You simply got your streaks over time, which is absolutely ridiculous.
Zombies also wasn’t that great, but at least better than most of the other non-Treyarch Zombies modes in the series. The campaign saves Cold War because it’s one of the best in the franchise. Taking place between Black Ops 1 and the flashbacks in Black Ops 2, Frank Woods, Russell Adler, Alex Mason, and more go on an awesome adventure with great writing, multiple choices, and a sweet finale.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4
A Solid Game On Its Own, But Not Great When Ranked
When looking at what’s actually included in the Black Ops 4 package, it’s a great Call of Duty title. The multiplayer felt the best it had been in a long time, with snappy shooting and, of course, the amazing Blackout Battle Royal mode, paving the way for Warzone. Zombies was also really good, with some of the best maps in the series.
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There’s one problem, however. Where is the campaign? The legend goes that Treyarch was developing a campaign but had to scrap it to focus on the new Battle Royal mode. That sucks, and sadly the reason why Black Ops 4 is near the bottom of the series.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6
The Best COD In Years
Call of Duty really needed a W in 2024 with the past several lackluster entries. MW2 2022 was one of the worst games in the series, and MW3 2023 had a disastrous launch, although it significantly improved over time. Black Ops 6 was a great time at launch.
You have the campaign, one of the best in the franchise with so much variety, the Zombies having a perfect mix of old-school and new-school that’ll make everyone happy, and the multiplayer, which has the best movement of any COD. It’s so much fun playing the multiplayer, although the game needs more maps. It’ll be interesting to see what becomes of Black Ops 6 near the end of its life, as that’s often when the best content comes out, and at that point, it may jump into the top three.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1
The Classic
The first Black Ops game definitely isn’t the best in the series, but it remains the most iconic. The campaign is the most memorable in all of Call of Duty, with the most iconic lines of dialogue. “The numbers, Mason, what do they mean?”
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Black Ops 1 Zombies might be a top three, at least top five Zombies mode with the best new DLC packs in the franchise. The multiplayer was also great, with incredible maps, and it’s nice that Treyarch differentiated this game from the chaos that was the 2009 MW2. Despite being from 2010, the game still holds up today and remains a blast with friends.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2
The Best Campaign And Multiplayer In The Franchise
Every gaming series has a fan-favorite entry, whether it be Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4, or, in this case, Black Ops 2. No doubt about it, Black Ops 2 has the best campaign and core multiplayer in all of Call of Duty. The campaign has great moments, the best villain of the franchise, awesome characters, and the first and best usage of multiple-choice decisions.
The multiplayer had to be the most balanced and well-liked by the community in the classic era of Call of Duty, with no major problems infuriating the playerbase. Zombies had a rough start, but the DLC maps transformed this mode to make it superior to the first game. Black Ops 2 will be a lot of people’s favorite, but one other game just takes the slight edge.
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Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
The Best Total Package
If you look at the top 40 most played games on Xbox, the premier platform for the franchise, you’ll see only one older COD: Black Ops 3. Still, to this day, Black Ops 3 is so much fun to play, just as much as the newest instalment. The campaign is an underrated masterpiece that was frankly way too complex for the core game’s audience.
The multiplayer has the best use of futuristic movement in the series, and while many hated it at launch, it’s clearly grown on people with how many still play it. Black Ops 3 Zombies, however, made this title legendary with the best maps, gameplay, and story. When all three modes are put together, plus the vast modding community on PC, Black Ops 3 is the top Black Ops game.
