All About the Boom: ‘Call of Duty’ and Its Emphasis on Action

Call of Duty has always been an interesting franchise. Both in its execution and the response to it. I’ve been down on it on a few entries, but for the most part, the series holds a place in my heart similar to the Fast and Furious franchise. Call of Duty is a dumb action game. And there’s room for that. 

‘CALL OF DUTY’ AND HUMBLE-ISH BEGINNINGS

I was earlier on Call of Duty than I initially thought because of the massive leap forward the series took with the original Modern Warfare. But, going back over some older pictures of games, I found out I actually had Call of Duty 2: Big Red One on GameCube. And I do remember it being a pretty action-packed series early on, but something came with Modern Warfare that would shake the franchise up forever. 

“Shock and Awe” changed the way we all saw Call of Duty. The level was the first true epic set piece in the series and a harbinger of things to come. You couldn’t get away from that moment in year-end lists. Even less so most of the “iconic moment” lists you’d see over the next 10-15 years after. It was a landmark moment in gaming. You could speak of Call of Duty as a split timeline: before “Shock and Awe” and after “Shock and Awe.”

From there, it seemed like the focus became less about the story of a group of men in impossible situations and more about bad-ass super soldiers in impossible situations. So, that meant more explosions and more action.

THE ‘THRILLER’ EFFECT

It’s well known that Thriller is Michael Jackson’s biggest album. The problem with dropping a major hit like that so early? If you’re a perfectionist and competitor, you start chasing it. And he did just that. The rest of Michael Jackson’s career was spent chasing Thriller. You could say the same for Call of Duty. 

The impact of “Shock and Awe” can be felt immediately as Infinity Ward followed it up with the controversial “No Russian.” These big moments in the series became the foundation of the action found in the games. Some would say it’s even more impactful than “Shock and Awe” — albeit for different reasons.

Infinity Ward just had a great handle on scale and when to pull the trigger on a big moment. The Eiffel Tower takedown in the original Modern Warfare 3 being another great example. Seeing that tower drop right in front of you is jarring. If for no reason other than you know it actually exists in real life. 

‘CALL OF DUTY’ FOREVER 

I’m always going to have time for a Call of Duty campaign because it hits all the right notes for me. It has fast-paced action, explosive gunplay, and memorable in-game events. It is every bit as ridiculous and bombastic as the best ’80s action movies. There’s a place for that in gaming, and the series’ continued success and survival throughout the years proves as much.