
While Halo was the greatest shooting game to grace the previous generation of consoles, Call of Duty is the mark of the newest consoles on the market. The Call of Duty series has exploded in popularity, yet it doesn't seem to generate as much hate as the Halo series. I find that on almost any internet forum, there will be many, many people claiming that the series is 'overrated'. Yet there are so many claims of Halo being being overrated I'm forced to ask the question - who exactly is rating it highly? I certainly can't find them.

But this isn't about Halo. It's about Call of Duty, and why its multiplayer is so popular the world over. Even as an Australian I can find games of Call of Duty 4 with relative ease, despite the fact that World at War and Modern Warfare 2 have since been released - and let's face it, there's no lack of competition in online first-person shooters. So why is it so popular? Let us examine the reasons - in list form! No particular order here, folks.
1: Movement
The way the player moves and the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the controls for some totally elite quick-scoping action gives the series a more 'arcade' feel. Killzone 2 was a quality title, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that everyone enjoyed your character handling like a slightly buzzed new recruit.
2: The one man army
I'm not talking about the perk. I'm talking about the fact that if MAG showed us anything, it's that on the whole, people don't want to be a team player. Oh sure, they enjoy Team Deathmatch, but they're not in it for the joy of getting a satisfying assist kill. They want to rush the entire team on their own and rack up kills like Rambo. This is clear in, say... Search and Destroy - the quick-scoper's paradise for trying to show off how well he can utilize the auto-aim feature.
Team Deathmatches are among the most popular game types, as is Domination... but playing in one of these isn't exactly an exercise in altruistic gaming. The player's ability to dash around and do drop shots and quick scopes and win the game for the team on their own is part of why it's so loved. I remain convinced that part of why Search and Destroy is so popular is the feeling of joy and arrogance a player gets when he's the last man standing and saves the day. To be fair to these players though, that is indeed totally awesome.
3: Those numbers that pop up on screen
Maybe I'm just strange (oh, who am I kidding?), but I really dig it when I cap some guy in the face and those nice, big, yellow numbers pop up on screen. I kid you not. I remain convinced that not only do all players secretly dig it too, but that Call of Duty gets it just right. The numbers are in just the right style. Other games have this too, but it's just not the same. The games also have a faint little thud when you gain a kill. Listen carefully next time you're SPASing it up. Awwww yeah.
4: The level system
The satisfaction of seeing that you've gained yet another level, accompanied by some groovy music is addicting. The ability to prestige, though not an entirely new idea, provides a challenge and a reason to keep playing once you've reached the highest level and unlocked everything. The changing symbol next to your name based on your prestige level is popular among players, as is Modern Warfare 2's use of call signs. It really is fun to unlock rare titles and emblems and show them off to strangers. In my experience, if there's one thing players enjoy about online gaming (besides winning), it's the feeling that their character is unique - call signs contribute to this.
5: Presentation
Largely self-explanatory. The style of a game, in order for it to be popular, has to be just right - the Call of Duty series achieves this. Although it could be that we're just used to it... Oh, the graphics are awfully nice, too.
6: Balance
Let's face it; the Call of Duty games aren't known for their online balance, although many of the complaints gamers have are non-issues and are counter-able (except Commando - that shit is inexcusable). But balance is a moody temptress, and getting it just right is no easy task.
If Infinity Ward were actually committed to a good online experience as opposed to one that works at the bare minimum, the game would be the greatest ever for online shooting. What I mean by this is that while Infinity Ward fixed the game-breaking patches and glitches, they were never interested in making significant game changes that could fix the balance issues. This is either because they didn't want to admit they screwed up, were in denial about it, or were just plain lazy.
I do not like the big yellow numbers on the screen. I prefer how Battlefield did it with the points going on the bottom ish in smaller print. Gets less in the way and leads to less strokes...but I am biased again COD. I might actually even be more harsh on COD than I am on Halo.
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