Fight Alongside Your Brothers -in-Arms

Call of Duty is one of the most successful and influential game franchises of today. What had started out as an action game that featured a polished Word War II shooter has now morphed into one of the most played first-person shooter games of all time. It has even gone everywhere, from the Vietnam War to even the far reaches of space. But whatever the location or story is, Call of Duty games often delivered pounding solo campaigns and gritty competitive multiplayer.

World War II in the Eyes of a Soldier

The first Call of Duty game was published by Activision and was ported for Mac by Aspyr Media. The game was very much like the Medal of Honor series when it comes to the theme and gameplay. However, it showcases multiple viewpoints tagged in the American, British, and Soviet theaters of WWII. The players take control of an infantry soldier who will need to make use of the various authentic WWII firearms in combat to complete missions.

Focused on the events of World War II, Call of Duty enables you to experience the historical battles. It stages the moments of the war through the eyes of the soldiers and unsung heroes from the alliance of countries. The game captures the war from multiple perspectives, and its campaigns split across three different nations’ militaries—British, American, and Soviet. In story mode, you get to battle through 24 missions that revolve around four historical campaigns. Each mission will display different objectives, such as rescuing a prisoner, sabotaging enemies, and conducting assault and stealth attacks. The game will have you playing through the chaos of the battle as part of a well-trained squad. Call of Duty also boasts a multiplayer mode that planted the seeds for the other succeeding titles.

A Game Frontrunner

The first Call of Duty title focused on simulating the actual battlefield, introducing new gameplay that differs from many single-player shooters at the time of its release. It offered a new take on AI-controlled allies, who support the player during missions and react to situational changes during gameplay. Unlike the earliest first-person shooters, it put a great emphasis on the squad-based play rather than the lone player-approach. In the game, the players can move with their AI squad, which can help them in defeating the enemy.

The game is also is among the first games that featured iron sights in gameplay. This allows the players to press the corresponding key to aim down the actual sights on the gun for increased accuracy. The players also have two primary weapon slots, a handgun slot and a grenade slot, which can carry up to ten grenades. But once the game started, the players can exchange their primary weapons with those found on the battlefield. Aside from hand-carry weapons, fixed artillery, such as mounted machine guns, are also controllable by the player.

Call of Duty uses a standard health point system reflected by a health bar. To replenish depleting health, players can find MedKits throughout the levels.

The Start of an Era

Over the years, the franchise had made leaps and bounds and now has 16 games under its belt, excluding add-ons and DLCs. It even covers every gaming platform. All this is largely thanks to the very first Call of Duty title. Its advanced features, paired with the cinematic battle of WWII, have left the players wanting more. No wonder it won various Game of the Year awards.