The Worst Ports of Call of Duty Out There

The Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare trailer dropped a couple weeks ago, and ever since its announcement, the game has become the butt of many gamers' jokes. That's not to say the series hasn't had it's detractors in the past, but Activision's decision to, once again, make another futuristic shooter has prompted a larger than usual outcry from both fans and critics alike. Whether it's the addition of a campaign in space, or the fact that the Modern Warfare remaster is only available on the more expensive $80 "Legacy Edition" Bundle, Infinite Warfare appears to be the most controversial title in the Call of Duty franchise thus far...and it hasn't even released yet. 

However, let's not be so quick to call it the "Worst Call of Duty Ever." First of all, even if you think it looks terrible, you can't judge an end product until it's come to market. Secondly, it's feasibly impossible for it to be the worst entry in the franchise to begin with. To put things in perspective, and maybe help you end up appreciating Infinite Warfare a little more, let's look at some of the absolute worst ports in the franchise that qualify substantially more as "Worst Call of Duty Ever."

Call of Duty 

N-Gage

The original Call of Duty is considered one of the best FPS games all of time, receiving widespread critical acclaim at the time of its release and to this day. With such a successful title, it was bound to be ported to other systems, but did anyone in the world demand an N-Gage version of this? The N-Gage was Nokia's answer to combining a phone with a video game handheld years before the iPhone rolled around, and it was also one of the worst selling handhelds in gaming history. 

Criticized for its design and inability to compete with the graphical prowess of the GameBoy Advance, the N-Gage eventually faded away into obscurity after only a couple years on the market. However, before the system ceased production, a port of the original Call of Duty was released on to it, and it ended up matching the quality of the system it was released on.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory

PSP

While not the absolute worst port Call of Duty ever experienced, Roads to Victory was heavily criticized for its short campaign length, awkward controls, and lack of variety in its missions. Since the PSP only had one analog stick, the user was forced to use the PSP's face buttons (X,O, Square, Triangle) as the camera. Additionally, despite originally retailing at $39.99, the game could easily be beaten in only five hours. It could still be a fun experience for gamers to play, but it's quality can't compare to the likes of the main series of titles.

Call of Duty 2 

Windows Mobile

Another fantastic FPS game dead-on-arrival to the mobile market, Call of Duty 2's size and scale didn't translate well when ported to the Windows Mobile. If the game's poor graphics weren't enough to send you screaming for the hills, the abysmal touch screen controls certainly will. With the Windows Mobile's limited amount of buttons to work with, users were forced to use a stylus to command certain actions, interrupting the flow of the experience entirely. If you thought early iPhone games were atrocious, you haven't seen anything until you've seen this.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified

PSVita

Let's face it, you knew this game was going to be on here. Sony built up Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified extensively during its E3 conferences, expecting it to be a system seller for their new PS Vita handheld. Instead, users were met with a graphical and technical mess that ended up being an embarrassing low point, and doing nothing to prevent the PS Vita's eventual downfall. It remains the most critically panned entry in the entire Call of Duty franchise to date, averaging an abysmal 33 on Metacritic. 

Regardless of your current thoughts on Infinite Warfare, it shouldn't be far fetched for all of us to agree it won't be as bad as any of these titles in the franchise. Maybe you despise Ghosts with a passion, or perhaps Advanced Warfare bored you to tears, but as long as we don't get another Black Ops Declassified or Roads to Victory out of Infinite Warfare, I think the world will keep on turning just fine.