With the Xbox One soon to head off into the sunset thanks to the arrival of the Series X/S it’s worth stepping back to revisit some of the games that made an impact here during this generation. Not all of them are exclusive but each of them resulted in many hours spent glued to controllers and that’s all that really matters. 🙂

Even with the copious numbers of cheaters and the lack of balancing between console and PC players I’ve really enjoyed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare the latest entry in the long running franchise. Its strong multiplayer and the Warzone Battle Royale mode make it a game that’s easy to return to and I can safely say the last game in the series I played nearly as much was the original Modern Warfare. It’s also one of the most recent games I’ve played which perhaps places it in an unfair advantage compared to others in my Round-Up but I think it’s worth mentioning because of how it may be a major turning point for the franchise.

Initially Modern Warfare offered the classic campaign and multiplayer combination that was a staple for games in the series however when the free to play Warzone mode was introduced after launch its massive success solidified the game as a platform and has already changed how subsequent games are handled. For example Black Ops Cold War will also support Warzone with its characters and weapons carrying over – assuming it’ll be enough to tempt players into buying into the full package. That more games may in future centre around the same platform may change what players will expect from yearly releases in the franchise, for better or worse. But that’s for a future discussion.

During the recent pandemic lockdown Modern Warfare almost single handledly kept me occupied. From Warzone to multiplayer to unlocking gold skins for the weapons (around 50 for me so far) it’s been a reliable way to pass the time with friends. And at time like this that’s exactly the kind of game people have needed and with it being a while before a new normality arrives I’m sure there’ll be plenty more games left in it too.