Any player who is a fan of FPS (First Person Shooter, or FPS games with first person view) may surely have tried at least once a title linked to the most famous brands published by Activision Blizzard. This article will deepen the story that led to prevail Call of Duty as an icon of the games of its kind.
Birth of the brand and game mechanics
Call of Duty, better known among fans by the acronym COD, was founded back in 2003 as a war game set during the Second World War. It saw its gameplay divided into different campaigns: initially in the role of paratrooper soldier Martin who must undertake a series of missions that will provide a substantial contribution to the defeat of the German army. So much for the single-player mode: in the first chapters of the brand, it also adds the ability to undertake multi-player games, such as offering deathmach challenges (fighting to the death), search and destroy, material recovery and defense of headquarters. Present from the outset is a wide selection of maps, a game that is offered by custom.
Evolution at the height of success
Given the success of the first chapter, it was not long before Activision decided to publish a successor in 2005 out of Call of Duty 2, which brings some improvements and innovations such as the replacement of the bar that shows the residual energy of the player, favor of a system of damage that disrupts the gameplay (reduced visibility from the blood, slowed movements, impaired accuracy and so on).
The return of the multiplayer, much admired in the first chapter, is back stronger than a server capable to accommodate up to 8 players and new maps, items. Besides the consent of the fans, the game did get positive reviews from many trade publications. The history of COD is still going up to the height of success with the fourth chapter, Modern Warfare, and the next fifth chapter called World at War. With the success of the fourth, it created the successor, Modern Warfare 2 which resumes gameplay and features, and BlackOps which attained the record of best-selling game of all time in 2010.
Spin-offs and future projects
The positive reaction of the masses has led to the creation of numerous spin-off titles that do not closely link to the events narrated in the official titles of the series, but still making full use of the established system of play. It is also planned for November of 2011, the third output of Modern Warfare, which will add to the chapters already released, bringing the number of Call of Duty products to a total of twelve titles.
