Does Call of Duty Have Co-op Campaign? A Deep Dive into Cooperative Play
The short answer is yes, some Call of Duty games feature a co-op campaign, while many others do not. The availability of a cooperative campaign mode varies significantly across different titles in the long-running franchise. While the series is widely known for its competitive multiplayer, the inclusion of co-op campaign modes has been a beloved feature in certain installments, allowing players to experience the intense storylines with friends. This article explores the complexities of co-op campaign in the Call of Duty series, highlighting which titles offer this experience and which ones do not, providing players with a comprehensive overview of cooperative gameplay options within the franchise.
The Evolution of Co-op in Call of Duty
The concept of cooperative play in Call of Duty extends beyond just the campaign, with modes like Zombies and Spec Ops offering collaborative experiences. However, the specific focus here is on the campaign mode—the core narrative experience.
The first notable foray into campaign co-op was seen in Call of Duty: World at War, which offered a two-player campaign option. This was a significant step for the franchise, providing a new way for players to experience the intense WWII setting. The success of this feature led to its inclusion in several subsequent titles.
However, not all games followed suit, and over the years, there has been an inconsistent approach to including co-op campaign. Some mainline titles, like many of the Modern Warfare series, have excluded co-op campaigns altogether, focusing instead on the single-player experience, or offering alternatives like Spec Ops missions.
Games with Co-op Campaign
Here are the standout games in the series that provide the opportunity to play through the campaign cooperatively:
- Call of Duty: World at War: The pioneering title for co-op campaign in the series. It allows two players to play through the entire storyline.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III: Features a 4-player co-op campaign, offering a significantly more expansive cooperative experience with larger levels and more complex combat scenarios.
Games Without Co-op Campaign
Numerous titles in the franchise do not include a co-op campaign. Some of the notable ones include:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare 2 (2022), and Modern Warfare 3 (2023): These entries focused on single-player narratives and alternative cooperative modes like Spec Ops.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2: While beloved for other features, these did not provide cooperative campaign gameplay.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4: This title infamously lacked a traditional single-player campaign altogether, substituting it with other narrative experiences like the Zombies mode with an expanded story.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) & Modern Warfare 3 (2011): These classic Modern Warfare titles did not feature co-op campaigns.
Co-op vs. Split-Screen
It’s important to distinguish between co-op (which can be online or local) and split-screen. Split-screen is a type of local co-op, where multiple players share the same screen, often limited to two players. While split-screen can be used for campaign co-op in certain games, its presence is not a given. Many Call of Duty titles offer split-screen for multiplayer or Zombies modes, even if the campaign is not co-op enabled. The difference here is that co-op is the core feature being offered (where the campaign is made for more than one person playing together) while split-screen is a way to play local co-op.
Split-Screen Availability
Many Call of Duty games offer split-screen functionality, even if the core campaign isn’t cooperative. For example:
- Black Ops III supports split-screen across all modes including the Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies.
- Titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3 offered online multiplayer split-screen support on older consoles like the Xbox 360 and PS3.
- While WW2 offered split-screen for other modes it did not offer it for the campaign.
The Appeal of Co-op Campaigns
The appeal of a co-op campaign is significant. It allows players to share the experience of a narrative-driven story with friends or family, increasing the replay value and adding another layer of engagement. The ability to plan strategies, tackle challenging scenarios, and share the thrills of the narrative together is a huge draw for many players.
In cases like Black Ops III’s 4-player campaign, the experience is deliberately designed with this co-op in mind, allowing for more complex level designs, multiple approaches to objectives, and more varied gameplay scenarios.
Why Some Games Lack Co-op Campaigns
There are several reasons why some Call of Duty titles might omit the co-op campaign:
- Design Focus: Sometimes the developers choose to prioritize the single-player narrative, creating a focused and cinematic experience for one player.
- Development Complexity: Implementing a cooperative campaign requires significant resources and can impact development time.
- Alternative Co-op Modes: Instead of focusing on a co-op campaign, some titles like the Modern Warfare series emphasized Spec Ops or survival modes, offering alternative collaborative experiences.
Future of Co-op Campaigns
The inclusion or omission of a co-op campaign in future Call of Duty titles is hard to predict. It largely depends on the direction the developers want to take each title. It is important to follow official announcements and reviews for specific titles, as not all future titles might be including a co-op campaign as the focus seems to vary with each new release.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about Call of Duty co-op campaigns, providing further clarity on the topic.
1. Which Call of Duty games have a co-op campaign?
The main Call of Duty games with cooperative campaigns are Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
2. How many players can play co-op in Call of Duty: World at War?
World at War supports two-player co-op for its campaign.
3. How many players can play co-op in Call of Duty: Black Ops III?
Black Ops III supports up to four players in its co-op campaign.
4. Does the Modern Warfare series have co-op campaigns?
No, most Modern Warfare games, including the 2019 reboot and the 2022 and 2023 sequels, do not have co-op campaigns. They often feature other co-op modes like Spec Ops.
5. Does Black Ops 2 have a co-op campaign?
No, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 does not have a co-op campaign.
6. Does Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 have a co-op campaign?
No, Black Ops 4 does not have a traditional single-player campaign at all. Instead, it focuses on multiplayer and the expanded Zombies experience, which has narrative elements.
7. What is the difference between co-op and split-screen in Call of Duty?
Co-op refers to any mode where players work together, which can be online or local. Split-screen is a local co-op option where multiple players share the same screen, usually on the same console.
8. Can you play split-screen campaign on Call of Duty: Black Ops III?
Yes, Black Ops III allows for two-player split-screen in its campaign, both locally and online.
9. Does Call of Duty: WW2 have a split-screen campaign?
No, Call of Duty: WW2 does not have a split-screen option for its campaign, though other modes like multiplayer and zombies are split-screen compatible.
10. Is there co-op in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)?
While Modern Warfare 2 (2022) does not have a co-op campaign, it offers Spec Ops missions, and raids for up to two or three players respectively.
11. Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 a co-op campaign?
No, the 2023 Modern Warfare 3 does not have a co-op campaign.
12. Is there co-op in Call of Duty: Black Ops?
While Call of Duty: Black Ops does not have a co-op campaign, it does offer a two-player split-screen for zombies mode and an online multiplayer split screen option on the older gen consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360.
13. What does co-op mean in Call of Duty?
In the context of Call of Duty, co-op means that players work together as a team, often against non-player characters (PvE), in any mode of the game.
14. Is there co-op campaign in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 (2019)?
No, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) does not have a co-op campaign, however, it has a Spec Ops mode that can be played with 2 players.
15. Can you play the Call of Duty campaign with 2 players?
Yes, in the case of Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the entire campaign can be played with two players and four players respectively. Other titles don’t offer this feature for the campaign mode.
Conclusion
The presence of a co-op campaign in Call of Duty is not a consistent feature across the entire series. While some titles like World at War and Black Ops III offer engaging cooperative campaign modes, others do not, focusing instead on single-player experiences or alternative co-op modes like Spec Ops. Players should always verify the specific features of each title to see if co-op campaign is included, and if not, then consider alternative co-op modes to engage with friends and family in the games. As always, the best way to confirm these details is by referring to official sources prior to purchase.