This is not the first time I have dedicated an article to the campaigns of Call of DutyI’m aware that for many people they are secondary and that both multiplayer and zombie mode have been the flagships of the franchise for many years. However, for me it’s the opposite.
When I think of Call of Duty, the first thing that comes to mind is Captain Price, followed by the missions No Russian, Cleaning Up, All Camouflaged and One Shot, One Kill. Stories of secret operations, conspiracies, betrayals and obviously the eternal confrontation between the United States and Russia.
I’ve never been ashamed to admit that I’ve paid the price of almost every Call of Duty game just for its campaign, because multiplayer and zombies mode have always been secondary things that have allowed me to be with friends that I can’t sit on a terrace with every Friday because they live far away.
Call of Duty campaigns were a huge pleasure for me, but needless to say, for those responsible for them, they stopped being not only a priority, but a reason to care in the slightest about living up to the legacy they carry on their shoulders. Just take a look at the nonsense that was Modern Warfare III. Don’t confuse such nonsense with Modern Warfare 3.
Every Call of Duty should have one of these missions
I want to leave aside the legendary missions I mentioned before. Some have their own article in iGamesNews and all of them are present in the compilation of great moments I put together not long ago. This time I want to focus on some very specific missions.
“AC-130 missions,” as I like to call them, are a feature of many Call of Duty campaigns and are loved wholeheartedly by most veterans. They are very relatable and almost serve as a mini-game within the campaign, as they deviate from the FPS structure.
Looking back, I remembered some iconic ones like Air Death from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered and Iron Lady from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3although the latter alternates between the cockpit of the AC-130 and the infantry on the streets of Paris. It is the mission in which the Eiffel Tower collapses.
Other examples are Imminent Danger and Hot Spot. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Modern Warfare II respectively. It’s ironic that one of the franchise’s best campaigns, 2019’s Modern Warfare, doesn’t have a mission per se. It rather features a small moment during the Proxy War mission. And if I recall correctly, Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t have one, but there are other installments that do.
I couldn’t objectively justify the need for each installment to have an “AC-130 mission.” The 2019 campaign made it very clear that it’s not necessary to make one of the best experiences in the franchise, but at the same time I think it’s one of those things that always adds up… so much so that I always expect one in each new installment. Bursting enemies from a flying beast is always a pleasure, always.
Maybe nostalgia speaks for me when I say that I love this type of missions with all my heart. So much so that I was hooked on a mobile game inspired by these missions, but focused on the zombie apocalypse. It’s called Zombie Gunship Survival
I’ve exhausted all my hopes of seeing another Call of Duty campaign on par with the classics of Modern Warfare and Black Ops, especially since Warzone and the nonsense of the crossovers that have completely disconnected the franchise from its origins, at least in terms of good campaigns.
If I’m wrong and another good story turns out, I hope it’s a double surprise and they remember to include at least one “AC-130 mission” to continue the tradition. What do you think of these types of missions? Do you expect there to be one with each new installment? Why do you like them so much?
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