15 best games like Call of Duty — shooters about the past, present and future

Call of Duty is one of the most popular shooter series at the moment. Perhaps in recent years you have become bored with it or you are tired of the lack of innovation. But if you have a desire to get acquainted with something else in a similar genre, pay attention to our selection. Here we've rounded up fifteen great games that are similar to Call of Duty but feel different.

The Call of Duty series has been around for almost two decades. We've seen shooters in a variety of settings, from World War II to battles on other planets. Therefore, when we talk about similarities with Call of Duty, we mean a specific part or subseries, for example, Modern Warfare.

This selection does not include third-person games, as well as shooters that were released only on consoles. For example, the first three parts of the Killzone series are really similar to Call of Duty, but you need a PlayStation 3 to run them. In this article, we have collected projects that are available on PC.

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is reminiscent of the first Call of Duty in terms of gameplay. This is not surprising, both games were developed by the same people. But today they are noticeably outdated. Therefore, we recommend paying attention to the 2010 shooter, which is simply called Medal of Honor, without additional subtitles. It very accurately depicts US military operations in Afghanistan.

Moreover, if today the war has already ended, then at the time of the game's release it was still ongoing. This shooter was not as spectacular as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but it relies on realism. Two years later, Medal of Honor (2010) received a direct sequel, but it turned out to be much worse.

This series made for an interesting story. Both parts of the duology were destroyed in the press, and the players didn't even notice them. But years later, the series began to be called underrated. Homefront is dedicated to a war that cannot happen in reality. According to the scriptwriters, the DPRK attacks the United States, and the American army has nothing to respond to the aggressive Koreans. All hope lies with the partisans, one of whom you play as. Homefront is unlikely to surprise you with its gameplay, but it has a gloomy atmosphere of an occupied country and creepy details in the spirit of the execution of parents in front of their children.

Hell Let Loose is a realistic multiplayer shooter dedicated to the Second World War. All players of one team are divided into small squads — infantry, tank and reconnaissance. Allies interacting with each other is the key to victory. And when playing as a commander, elements of strategy will appear — you can distribute resources and decide where to strike next.

The original Battlefield 1942 was released in 2002, that is, even before the release of the first Call of Duty. However, over time, developers from DICE borrowed many successful ideas from their closest competitors. The series has been going through some tough times lately, but you still have the opportunity to play through the early games.

If you are interested in modern warfare, pay attention to part three and Bad Company 2. And for lovers of unusual settings, we recommend Battlefield 1, which takes place on the fronts of the First World War.

The Brothers in Arms series is dedicated to the Second World War. The games focus on managing squads of fighters who must complete specific tasks. Hell's Highway is the last part of the series at the moment, so we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it.

In addition to good gameplay, the game was remembered for its plot, which played out the drama of ordinary soldiers, and for demonstrating the horrors of war, for example, the massacre of Jews.

Although this game was released 14 years ago, it depicts modern warfare in a very authentic way. For example, soldiers here actively use drones — combat and reconnaissance drones, self-propelled mines and machine gun mounts. In addition, the game has controlled vehicles — armored personnel carriers and helicopters.

The plot of Frontlines revolves around the confrontation between the Western Coalition (European Union and USA) and the Red Star Union (Russia and China). True, in the single-player campaign you will have to play as the Americans.

Battlefield 1 is not the only game dedicated to the First World War. In 2015, the shooter Verdun was released, in which the Verdun meat grinder was played out. The developers have relied on realism, so history buffs should be delighted.

The game contains almost the entire arsenal of weapons of war that were used at that time: from rifles and machine guns to artillery support and white phosphorus attacks. In 2019, a separate add-on Tannenberg was released, in which you can play as fighters of the Russian Empire.

The games in the series take place in modern times and the near future. Of the many parts, we want to recommend the Advanced Warfighter duology. It is the one that is closest to Modern Warfare. It can be praised for its large open spaces, variability in completing tasks and good artificial intelligence.

Another series of tactical shooters, some parts of which are reminiscent of Call of Duty. We are talking, first of all, about the Vegas duology. Note that it departed from the standards of the early games in the Rainbow Six series. For example, after minor injuries, health is restored automatically, and when using cover, the camera is moved behind the heroes' backs.

Vegas turned out to be the opposite of Advanced Warfighter, which we talked about above — the locations are corridors, and there are practically no open spaces.

Events take place during the Second World War. The first part is dedicated to the confrontation between the USSR and Germany, the second — specifically the Battle of Stalingrad, and the addition Rising Storm — to the battles on the Pacific islands .

These shooters should appeal to fans of realism. They are distinguished by sophisticated ballistics and a reliable response to bullet hits. And the fighter's morale also affects the gameplay. The downside is that there is no full-fledged single-player campaign.

The games in this series are reminiscent of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Titanfall 2 is inferior to it in terms of production, but offers more thoughtful gameplay, with high-quality shooting and exoskeletons. If you are interested in a single-player campaign, we recommend paying attention to the second part of the duology.

Day of Defeat is an excellent team shooter dedicated to the Second World War. All players are divided into classes, from shooters to snipers and machine gunners. Initially, Day of Defeat was a modification for the first Half-Life, but in 2005 it was re-released on the Source engine. Like other Valve projects, over time the game received a number of updates, including graphical ones.

In the Ghost Warrior trilogy, the mechanics of shooting from sniper rifles are well developed. You will have to take into account the terrain, adjust for the wind and the distance to the target. However, a number of levels can be completed with automatic weapons, just like in Call of Duty. These budget shooters can be a good evening's entertainment, especially for fans of the genre.

The opponents in Wolfenstein are Nazis, as in some parts of Call of Duty. True, there is little connection with real history here. According to the plot of the latest games, Germany defeated the Allies due to its superiority in technology. The Resistance, along with the main character BJ Blaskowitz, act as guerrillas who attack high-ranking officers and commit sabotage.

The New Order and The New Colossus are meaty shooters with cheerful gameplay, well-developed characters and a good plot, which is seasoned with strong humor.

This game is touted as a futuristic shooter with the ability to manipulate time. However, the basic mechanics of TimeShift are reminiscent of the Call of Duty series of the second half of the 2000s. Therefore, if you want a variation on the Modern Warfare theme, you can check it out.

But keep in mind that the gameplay of TimeShift is tailored to the constant use of slowing down and stopping time. Without this, it will be extremely difficult to complete the game.