The Elusive 4-Player Campaign: Unraveling Call of Duty’s Co-op History
The Call of Duty franchise is a behemoth, a juggernaut of first-person shooter action that has dominated the gaming landscape for nearly two decades. Known for its gripping single-player campaigns, addictive multiplayer modes, and the undead hordes of Zombies, the series has constantly evolved, experimenting with different features and mechanics. One feature, the elusive 4-player campaign co-op, has been a source of much debate and nostalgia for fans.
So, which Call of Duty title lets you and three friends blast through the campaign together on one screen? The answer is that while certain Call of Duty games allowed 4 player split screen, they were for multiplayer only. No Call of Duty game has a 4-player campaign co-op mode, but only local modes. This may come as a shock to some, considering the prevalence of split-screen multiplayer in older titles, and the persistent clamoring from the community.
While a true four-player story campaign remains a pipe dream for many COD fans, it is important to remember that, Call of Duty: Black Ops III allowed two-player campaign co-op and Call of Duty: World at War allowed two-player campaign co-op.
A Look Back at Call of Duty’s Co-op History
To understand why the 4-player campaign has remained an unfulfilled promise, it’s helpful to examine the series’ co-op history.
- Early Days: Limited Split-Screen: Games like Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare offered split-screen multiplayer, but not campaign co-op. These were primarily competitive experiences shared on a single screen.
- World at War: A Glimmer of Hope: Call of Duty: World at War (2008) was a milestone, introducing two-player co-op for the campaign. This was a groundbreaking feature at the time, allowing players to experience the gritty World War II story with a friend locally or online.
- Black Ops III: A Return to Co-op: After a hiatus, campaign co-op resurfaced in Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015). Again, it was limited to two players, but offered a more dynamic and customizable campaign experience compared to World at War.
- The Absence Since Black Ops III: Since Black Ops III, campaign co-op has been conspicuously absent from mainline Call of Duty titles. While some games, like Modern Warfare (2019), featured co-op Operations, these were separate from the main story and designed for four players.
The Technical and Design Challenges
Why has a true 4-player campaign co-op never materialized in Call of Duty? Several factors likely contribute to this:
- Performance Demands: Rendering the game world, enemy AI, and visual effects four times over, for four separate viewpoints, places a massive strain on console and PC hardware. Maintaining a consistent and playable frame rate would be a significant challenge, especially with the series’ focus on high-fidelity graphics.
- Screen Real Estate: Cramming four viewpoints onto a single screen can lead to a cluttered and disorienting experience, especially on smaller TVs. Players might struggle to track the action and coordinate effectively.
- Gameplay Balancing: Designing a campaign that is both challenging and fair for one to four players requires careful balancing of enemy numbers, AI behavior, and resource availability.
- Development Costs: Implementing and testing a 4-player campaign would require a significant investment of time and resources, potentially diverting attention from other areas of the game.
The Future of Co-op in Call of Duty
While a full 4-player campaign remains elusive, the desire for cooperative experiences in Call of Duty is undeniable. The success of Zombies mode, with its 4-player co-op gameplay, proves that players crave collaborative action. It’s possible that future Call of Duty titles might explore alternative co-op modes, such as larger-scale Operations or dedicated co-op campaigns separate from the main story, like those seen in Modern Warfare (2019).
The gaming landscape is constantly evolving, and technological advancements may eventually make a true 4-player campaign co-op feasible. Until then, players will have to content themselves with split-screen multiplayer, Zombies, and the occasional co-op mission. To explore more on the transformative potential of games, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about co-op and split-screen in Call of Duty, addressing common queries and misconceptions:
1. Is there any Call of Duty with a 4-player campaign?
No, no Call of Duty game has a 4-player campaign mode. Some titles have offered split-screen multiplayer for up to four players locally, but these were separate from the campaign.
2. Which Call of Duty games have campaign co-op?
Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III are the only main series Call of Duty games with campaign co-op. Both support two players locally or online.
3. Does Modern Warfare (2019) have campaign co-op?
No, the main campaign in Modern Warfare (2019) is single-player only. However, it features Spec Ops missions, which are co-op experiences separate from the main story and designed for up to four players.
4. Can you play split-screen in Call of Duty: Warzone?
No, Call of Duty: Warzone does not support split-screen. The technical demands of the game, particularly the need for high frame rates, make split-screen implementation impractical.
5. Which Call of Duty games have 4-player split-screen?
Several older Call of Duty games support 4-player split-screen, but only in local multiplayer modes. These include titles like Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II (in Zombies mode).
6. Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) have split-screen?
Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) supports two-player split-screen in multiplayer modes.
7. Does Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War have 4-player split-screen?
The information available suggests that Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War supports split-screen, but the specific number of players may vary depending on the platform and game mode. Generally, expect two-player split-screen for online multiplayer and possibly four-player split-screen for local multiplayer on some platforms.
8. Can you play the Zombies mode in split-screen?
Yes, the Zombies mode is a staple of split-screen co-op in many Call of Duty games. The number of players supported varies, but many titles allow for two-player split-screen and some even support four-player split-screen locally in Zombies mode.
9. Why is there no 4-player campaign in Call of Duty?
Technical limitations, performance demands, screen real estate constraints, gameplay balancing challenges, and development costs all contribute to the absence of a 4-player campaign in Call of Duty.
10. Will there ever be a Call of Duty with a 4-player campaign?
It’s impossible to say for sure, but advancements in technology could make a 4-player campaign feasible in the future. The demand for cooperative experiences in Call of Duty is undeniable, so it remains a possibility.
11. Does Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare have split-screen?
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare supports two-player split-screen in local multiplayer games. Two split-screen players can also join an online match on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
12. Is Black Ops 3 campaign split screen?
Yes, Black Ops 3 does have two-player split-screen for its campaign mode, both locally and online. It also offers split-screen in Multiplayer and Zombies modes.
13. Is Modern Warfare Remastered 4 player?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered supports two-player split-screen online play in Multiplayer game modes.
14. Does Call of Duty 4 have multiplayer?
Yes, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has a robust multiplayer mode with features like Create-A-Class, killstreaks, and new gametypes.
15. Can you play 4 players on Call of Duty Black Ops?
In Call of Duty: Black Ops, you can play 2 player split screen for the classic zombie modes. There is a glitch for 4 player offline split screen which can be searched online.