Even though the Call of Duty series thrives with its multiplayer modes, the games wouldn't be the same without its cinematic, rollercoaster-like single-player campaign modes. From its early days, when the games were set during the Second World War, showing off epic set pieces like the Storming of Stalingrad in the first Call of Duty or the now-iconic All Ghillied Up mission when the series shifted to the modern day with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
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Though shortlived and linear, the single-player campaigns offer memorable Summer blockbuster moments that few games can match. These are other games from various genres that feature epic set pieces and incredibly cinematic moments that fans of Call of Duty's campaign modes will appreciate.
Updated March 28, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Even if fans ignore the multiplayer, the Call of Duty series features terrific campaign modes for fans of cinematic action. The games often provide memorable moments that rival big-budget Hollywood blockbusters. The campaigns can be short-lived, but other great games offer similar thrill rides from start to finish. This list is updated with more games that have that blockbuster feel.
1 Killzone: Shadow Fall
Cinematic Science Fiction Action
Killzone: Shadow Fall
- Released
- November 15, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Their fantastic Horizon games showcase Guerilla Games' talent for cinematic action games. Killzone: Shadow Fall is no different. It's a sci-fi first-person shooter with visuals, set pieces, and animations that stand the test of time. Players take on the role of a Shadow Marshal named Lucas Kellan as he takes part in a war against the Helghast.
The level design is excellent as it drops the straightforward linearity of its predecessors, opting for more open missions with several ways the player can complete a mission, via stealth or brute force. Fans of Call of Duty's cinematic set pieces will appreciate the sky gliding into a warzone as an example of the many standout moments in Killzone: Shadow Fall.
2 Max Payne 3
Third-Person Combat In The Vein Of A John Woo Action Movie
Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3 is a gritty action shooter putting players in the shoes of the titular Max. The story is set in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with Max fighting through nightclubs, hotel lobbies, and the favelas. The combat is brutal, fast-paced, and stylish, as it implements slow-motion bullet time in the style of a John Woo film of The Matrix.
Every battle with Max's enemies feels like cinematic set pieces, as Max singlehandedly takes on gangsters and corrupt cops, and uncovers a black market organ theft ring. Max Payne 3 screams Summer blockbuster while providing a fitting finale for one of gaming's most iconic characters. Remedy, the developers of the first two Max Payne games are remaking them with the financial backing of Rockstar Games.
3 Titanfall 2
An Epic Sci-Fi Shooter From Veteran Developers Of The Call Of Duty Series
Titanfall 2
- Released
- October 28, 2016
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Even though its predecessor didn't feature a single-player campaign, Titanfall 2 was developed by former members of Infinity Ward who worked on the Call of Duty series. There is enough here to separate it from CoD, but it features comparable and fantastic set pieces but superior level design and missions.
Titanfall 2 is a buddy-cop story with mechs and some of the best shooting mechanics in the genre. However, the game's story will stay with players far longer than Activision's military shooter. There hasn't been a sequel, but its spirit continues with the online shooter Apex Legends.
4 Battlefield 1
A Stunning Shooter Set During The First World War
Battlefield 1
Like the Call of Duty series, Battlefield's bread and butter is the multiplayer. However, Battlefield 1's collection of six single-player War Story campaigns set during the First World War deserves mention as being some of the best in the series' history. It shines on the PC, but the game holds up beautifully on the last-generation systems.
Battlefield 1 features brilliant and cinematic set pieces that show off the power of the Frostbite Engine. The War Stories center on different characters and scenarios that offer varied gameplay, from stealth missions to operating tanks set on the frontlines of The Great War.
5 Spec Ops: The Line
A Narratively Driven Military Shooter With Epic Set Pieces
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line's single-player mode is a military shooter loosely based on the novella The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, which also inspired the movie Apocalypse Now, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando. Spec Ops is set in Dubai and sets the scene for some of the most cinematic moments in the genre.
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The ambitious title creates moments of morality and choice that few games match when it comes to the atrocities of war. There are four endings and a thought-provoking twist that questions the rationalization of one's actions in combat. Spec Ops: The Line wasn't a commercial success, but fans owe it to themselves to play this gem if they want a mature shooter with the cinematic flair to match its story.
6 Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
A Cinematic Stealth Game That Fans Of "All Ghillied Up" Will Appreciate
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist
- Released
- August 20, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Toronto
- Platform(s)
- PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, PC
- Genre(s)
- Stealth
A stealth game is the polar opposite of what the Call of Duty series usually offers. However, one of the most iconic set-piece missions in the franchise is All Ghillied Up, a tense stealth-based mission executed to perfection. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist features many scenes of a similar nature and plenty of cinematic action to make players feel like they are super soldiers.
Fans of Call of Duty's story will enjoy Sam Fisher's fight against an advanced terrorist organization called The Engineers. The voice work is terrific, with an exceptional performance from Eric Johnson (Smallville and Vikings) taking over the role of Sam Fisher, and Carlo Rota (24 and True Lies) is outstanding as the antagonist, Majid Sadiq.
7 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
A Balance Of Cinematic And Tactical Combat
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier
- Released
- May 22, 2012
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Paris, Red Storm Entertainment, Next Level Games, Virtuos
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS3, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, Shooter
The influence of the Call of Duty series was unavoidable after Modern Warfare became a huge success. This was evident with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier ramping up epic shootouts and cinematics. However, players who tried to use a run-and-gun strategy would pay the price with its challenging missions.
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Players must use strategy and elements of surprise tactics to take down enemies. Combined with story-based set pieces, Future Soldier was a balanced military shooter that offered the best of both worlds and is arguably more cinematic than the series' latest open-world offerings with Wildlands and Breakpoint.
8 The Gears Of War Series
A Brutal Sci-Fi Action Series With Epic Set Pieces
Gears of War
- Released
- November 7, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
The Gears of War series is a third-person shooter that defined the cover shooter mechanics that are so popular now. It merges high-octane action set pieces with science-fiction horror themes similar to the Alien and Predator films. Like Predator, it features 1980s-style muscle-bound action heroes outmatched and outsized by their enemies.
The series' single-player missions feature iconic cinematic scenes on par with the Call of Duty campaigns. The bloody underground sequences from Gears of War 2 with the team fighting their way out of a monster's stomach are epic and grotesque. Gears of War is a must-play for fans of cinematic action.
9 The Uncharted Series
The King Of Cinematic Set Pieces
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
- Released
- November 19, 2007
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The Uncharted series may be the king of cinematic action adventure. Taking inspiration from the Indiana Jones series, players take on the role of a globe-trotting adventurer and treasure hunter named Nathan Drake. The series features several iconic set pieces, like the cargo plane, the shootout on horseback from Uncharted 3, or the fight with Rafe in Uncharted 4.
Several set pieces throughout the series make players feel like they are playing the role of an action hero in a Summer blockbuster. The developers at Naughty Dog have mastered the balance of thrilling gameplay and cinematic action set pieces, with each title getting more grand with every sequel.
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