4 – Call of Duty (2003)
The original Call of Duty didn’t just launch a franchise; it fundamentally changed the WWII shooter landscape. I would even dare say it changed the whole shooter one, too. Moving beyond the “lone wolf” approach of its contemporaries, the game put players in the boots of three different soldiers—an American, a British, and a Soviet—in separate campaigns. This innovative narrative structure emphasized that no single nation won the war alone, providing a more expansive and authentic sense of the global conflict. The missions themselves were a masterclass in cinematic, squad-based combat, from the intense Brecourt Manor assault to the harrowing river crossing in the Battle of Stalingrad.
What made the first Call of Duty so revolutionary was its focus on a more realistic and gritty atmosphere, with plenty of other soldiers fighting alongside the player, as the game often mentioned that no one won the war alone. It introduced features that have since become genre staples, such as “iron sights” aiming, which increased weapon accuracy and forced the player to drop the run-and-gun approach of firing exclusively from the hip, and the “suppression” effect that disoriented players near explosions. The game’s sound design, with its deafening gunfire and explosions, and its use of historical weapons and vehicles all contributed to an unmatched sense of immersion and chaos. While later games in the series would take greater creative liberties, the original Call of Duty remains a seminal title that brought a new level of realism and spectacle to the historical shooter, especially at the time it came out, in 2003. The game revolutionized not only the way we play World War 2, but first-person shooters (FPS) as a whole, and the series went on to revolutionize the whole of gaming.
3 – Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway
Any of the Brothers in Arms games could be here, really. Those games are so amazing, so incredibly well made and so historically well-researched that you cannot go wrong playing any of them, but since in my previous lists I have already given enough credit to the first two, now let’s give Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway its due. Following the same mantra of the previous titles, Hell’s Highway attempts to offer a unique and intimate look at World War II, focusing on the human side of combat rather than just the spectacle. As the third installment in the series, it places players in the role of Sergeant Matt Baker of the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden, one of the largest airborne operations of the war. What sets this game apart is its blend of first-person shooting with real-time tactical squad command. Players must tactically employ their fire and assault teams to flank enemies, suppress them, and ultimately succeed in their objectives, making it a cerebral and intense experience that feels far more true to the realities of small-unit warfare than any other game in this list.
The game’s developers, Gearbox Software, were deeply committed to historical accuracy and authenticity. They worked closely with military historians and veterans of the 101st Airborne to meticulously recreate the towns, battlefields, and key events of Operation Market Garden. The game’s narrative is a powerful and emotional journey that explores the psychological toll of war and the bonds of brotherhood. Will we ever get a new installment of this series? It has been too long!
2 – ARMA 3
Unlike the other titles on this list, ARMA 3 isn’t a historically accurate game. Instead, it’s an open-world military simulation that allows players and modders the freedom to create whatever conflict they see fit. ARMA 3‘s strength lies in its focus on realism and tactical gameplay, as well as its physics engine, simulating every aspect of the battlefield, with realistic ballistics.
Being a sandbox, more than just a closed-off experience like other titles on this list, ARMA 3 is all about you, the player, deciding what conflict you want to recreate in its 3D, real-time editor called Zeus, and play it out alone alongside AI squads or with other players. The game comes with a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, but the real meat of the game is found via mods, and there’s pretty much everything in there, from the lesser known conflicts to World War 2, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and even the Russo-Ukrainian war. a wide variety of vehicles (from tanks to helicopters and jets), and the ability to command AI squads. If you have played all other games in this list and would really like to try your hand at scenario creation or maybe just test your tactics, I don’t think you’ll find a more comprehensive, more expansive, and better supported title than ARMA 3.
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