Call of Duty is known for its intensity and while campaign quality has differed from title to title, multiple missions are still lodged in my brain. This is a collection of the best CoD missions in history, and there will be no arguments otherwise.
Here are our best Call of Duty missions of all time.
Top 10 Call of Duty campaign missions
10) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Cliffhanger
This mission was one of the best introductory missions to the Modern Warfare franchise yet. Players in 2009 were treated to a thrilling but cold sniping experience as they scoured icy terrain and navigated frozen mountains. Players used their heartbeat sensor for the first time and took out the enemy in secret.
It was a game-changing mission and one that should be remembered.
9) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Mile High Club
Players were thrust onto a ticking time bomb as they navigated a plane covered with enemies. Each room had to be cleared as you pressed forward, with guns shooting from behind what felt like every seat. Then the time challenge which presented itself in the form of an achievement was added as the cherry on top of an excellent and memorable mission.
8) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – No Russian
Purely for shock value, No Russian makes its appearance. In my early teens, the thought of this being discussed on the news for its negative impact on my generation was more than enough to pique my interest. While undeniably graphic and intense, this mission pushed CoD further into the mainstream and got tons of people talking about it.
7) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – All Ghillied Up
One of the best sniping missions of all time obviously makes the list. Players were forced to locate hiding snipers in the tall grass, picking off enemies who were trying to do the same to them. Even playing as Lt. Price was a treat for CoD gamers at the time.
Players had to control their aim and make sure every shot landed. Otherwise, an army would be on its way.
6) Call of Duty: Black Ops – Rebirth
Players’ understanding of the campaign was flipped upside down as Resnov is revealed to be a figment of Mason’s imagination. This is the moment when all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit, and everything made sense. “My name is Victor Reznov, and I will have my revenge” is one of the best lines in CoD history, in my opinion. It doesn’t get much better than that.
5) Call of Duty: Black Ops – Vorkuta
This is the second mission of Black Ops and the first time we see Victor Reznov in the flesh. When I first played this mission years ago, seeing Reznov returning from World at War was enough to get me invested. As players trek through a labor camp, you’ll dodge bullets and grenades, all with Reznov’s iconic voice giving you instructions.
4) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Endgame
You’ll have to survive a fast-paced boat ride as you attempt to enact your revenge against Shepherd. Players got to experience Rust in all its glory as part of the campaign, all while finishing off the final mission of MW2. The brutal fight between Price, Soap, and Shepard is monumental and ends in the perfect way.
You’ll love this mission and remember it fondly.
3) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Loose Ends
Before you’re set up for the most brutal betrayal in all of gaming history, players take out enemies in a thick woodland area. After arriving at Makarov’s hideout and finding no one, you’ll download information from a laptop—thus sending an army in your direction.
Once this is completed, you’ll learn who a certain character really is before two of your favorites are wiped from existence.
2) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Blood Brothers
This masterpiece of a mission sends players through the streets as bombs and bullets fly by. It’s also one of the saddest parts of the Call of Duty storyline, where Soap dies at the hands of an explosion. Not only is the scene emotional, but as Price turns on Yuri, the intensity kicks up a notch.
1) Call of Duty: World at War – Vendetta
You start this mission in a pile of bodies, pretending to be dead to ensure your survival. This mission embodies the grittiness and brutality of World at War, and the final sniper shot toward the end of the level only sweetens the deal.
Players could also test their might by shooting the final target with a pistol instead of a sniper rifle to unlock an achievement. This is peak Call of Duty.
