Hello everyone. First off today, I would like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone
May your celebrations be cheerful and your stomachsgorged :D
But now, into the real topic of today's blog. The world is going gaga for the latest addition to the Call of Duty franchise. Black Ops is already setting sales records and has quickly taken over both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. But of course, like every CoD game, Black Ops has an outstanding campaign. And besides all of blood spattered war violence, the thing that always draws me to the CoD campaigns are the characters. Call of Duty has always had amazing characters in their games whether your fighting with them or against them. And today I'm going to countdown who I think are the best characters that the CoD franchise has given us.
WARNING: SPOILERS
#10:
Khaled Al-Asad (CoD4: Modern Warfare)
For the first half of the first Call of Duty 4, the main objective is to capture and possibly kill the notorious terrorist Khaled Al-Asad. In the second mission of the game, you take control of the president of a certain victim nation to Al-Asad's terrorism (I forgot exactly what nation). Al-Asad approaches you and executes you with a Desert Eagle. Even though you know nothing about him, you instantly despise him. His appearence just gives off the scent of a scumbag and you can't wait to hunt him down. But eventually you find out that Al-Asad isn't the real major terrorist threat. He's realy just the fuel for the terrorist revolution lead by Imran Zakhaev, and Al-Asad is really just a coward who's good at rallying his countrymen. This creates a realistic sort of wartime character, the man whom everyone either looks up to or fears because ofhis speeches and the fact that he executed a world leader on national television. But he's really just hiding behind his voice, thus making a life-like character and a believable tyrant.
#9:
Frank Woods (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Woods is a great symbol of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. While he's opposed to it, he knows that it's his duty to fight for his country. Woods also cares a lot about his men, and is always concerned about his fellow troops, thus making him a great leader. He's probably one of the most likable characters in the franchise because he's a tough as nails soldier who also cares about his brothers in arms. This is shown tragically when he sacrifices himself to save the player character.Butdespite his realistic qualities, Woods hassome of the most unrealistic parts of the Black Ops campaign.He escapes an underground Vietnamese prison during a game of Russian Roulette, and a couple of levels before thathe jumps off of a dock onto a boat with a massive explosion going off about three feet behind him. But that's just part of the franchises's charm, and it's part ofwhat makes Woods one of the best things about Black Ops.
#8:
Sgt. Dixon (Call of Duty 3)
Dixon is a lot like Woods. He's a no nonsense soldier who wants nothing more than to end the Nazis' reign of terror, but he's still a compassionate person. He cares a lot about Sgt. McCullin who's killed about halfway through the game, thuspromoting Dixon to sergeant. Throughout the rest of the game, Dixon is clearly scarred by the loss of McCullin, but keepson fighting. Dixon brings two different sides of a soldier to the table, he's very much a stereotype of American soldiers during World War II,he throws out of the cliche quotesincluding one of my favorite video game quotes when he saysthat they're on a mission to get "coffee and doughnuts, but the Germans drank all the coffee and ate all the doughnuts". But at the same time, he's just wants the war to endand he wantsall of the pain and suffering that his unit endures to endas well. He's two sides of a coin, thus making him a great and interesting character.
#7:
Ghost (Modern Warfare 2)
Everybody loves Ghost. That should be a TV sitcom. Because it's completely true, if you've played Modern Warfare 2, then you love Ghost. and I'm a victim to his awesomeness too. He's like the Boba Fett of video games,he's just a cool mother****** with an awesome mask (and I have one just like his :D)who can fight like a hybrid of Rambo and Batman. And as you can imagine, one of the saddest moments in gaming history wasthe untimely death of Ghost and the playercharacter nicknamed Roach. Although there's no need to worry, an IGNexecutive stated thatGhost isn't exactly dead.This could mean that he'sactually alive, or that they'll make a prequel to MW2 with him as the central character. As long as Ghost comes back, I'm satisfied. Now, I've stated why I love Ghost so much, so why is he only number seven? The reason is because he'snot really a central character, and thus you really only see himin a couple of cutscenes and in combat, so we don't get a huge sense of character from Ghost. But either way, he's one of the most lovable characters of the past decade, and he's just the guy that every guy wants to be like.
#6:
General Sheppard (Modern Warfare 2)
Sheppard is probably the most hated character in the entirefranchise.Just add it allup,he betraysthe SAS, shoots Roach and Ghost, stabsSoap MacTavish, and then tries to kill Captain Price. Just try to find an easiertohatevideo game character. And that's what makes him such a greatcharacter.Early in the game he just seems like your typical U.S. general, he's bossy, devoted, andhe seems to be a pretty flat character. Butright at the moment that Roach is shot, he becomes a deep and despicable. He doesn't care one bit aboutTask Force 141 and the entire SAS for that matter. All that matters to him is finding the terrorist named Makarov.Fortunately though,Sheppard finally gets what he deserves at the very end of the game, and it's such a beautiful but brutal sight to see.
#5:
Alex Mason (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Alex Mason is a very different kind of CoD character. Most of the heroes on this list are great characters because they personify the war that they're fighting in and care about their brothers in arms. Mason is both exactly like that, and the complete opposite. He does perfonify the conflicts that the game is made up of, but not really in a good way. Mason is interrogared early in the game and finds out that he was brainwashed,and when everything is revealed, it'ssort of psychologically disturbing, much like theevents that you play through in Black Ops. Mason has seen everything and it's reflected inhis character. But despite this,Mason is still likable, and you really feel sorry for himwhen it's all revealed. And on top of that, the voice acting of Sam Worthington really helps add to the deep trauma of the character. So while his story may not be the most uplifting, thecharacter himself in great to watch unfold. And I share the same first namewith him,so that helps :P
#4:
Captain Price (CoD4: MW & MW2)
Captain Price is another example of a tough as nails soldier with a heart of gold. Although it takes a while for you to see that heart of gold. Price appears in both Modern Warfare games, thus giving you a lot more reason to like him. In the first game, Price seems bitter and unimpressed by pretty much everything, giving him a very realistic military tone. But as the game progresses, you see more of the human side of him as he begins to warm up to the player character (Soap MacTavish). In MW2, Price still has some of the same qualities, but seems more determined and scarred by the war. The contrast between theMW Price and the MW2 Price is interesting and shows how much Price changes but also how much he stays the same. And it;s his motivation that really drives the Modern Warfare games, and we can really thank him for that.
#3:
Sgt. Reznov (CoD World at War & CoD: Black Ops)
Reznov is probably the most determined chracter in the entire franchise. He first appears in World At War, in which you and him are the only survivors of a massacre in Moscow. From the very instant that he starts talking, you know that he wants revenge... badly, and Gary Oldman's terrific voice acting adds tohislust forit.Reznov's goal in World At War isn't just to win the war, but to slaughter the Germans in the name of Mother Russia. He's fighting more out of vengeance than anything, thus making him a great character. He's sort of a personification of Russia itself. He's patriotic, strong, determined, and will do anything to defend his countrymen. In Black Ops, Reznov is once again seeking revenge, but this time not for Russia necessarily, but more for himself, and it's an interesting contrast between his character in World At War and his character in Black Ops. But no matter what, Reznov will never be fully satisfied.
#2:
Jason Hudson (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
Hudson is probably the most logical and life-like character in the franchise. He's the voice of reason (literally) throughout Black Ops and makes him the most likable character in the game. He's a no-nonsense C.I.A. agent who's been asked to track down the creators of the chemical weapon known as Nova 6. And nothing can stand in his way. Unlike most of the other characters in Call of Duty, Hudson is likable because he feels like a real human being. While the other characters are realistic in their own ways, Hudson seems the most realistic. He feels like the ultimate C.I.A. agent while also having the combat skill of a member of the SOG. Hudson also has probably the best assortment of bada$$ moments. The mission in Hong Kong is probably the most exhilirating level to ever come out of a CoD game, and that's saying a lot. But despite all of his coolness, he still feels like the most human character in the franchise, wich makes him all the more likable. He also has the advantage of having Ed Harris provide the voice for him, adding even more to both his cool moments and his common agent moments. So if you're looking for both a bada$$ and a normal C.I.A., look no further.
#1:
Soap MacTavish (CoD4: MW & MW2)
Let's be honest... are you at all surprised? There's literally no other answer to the question "Who's the best Call of Duty character". MacTavish doesn't just represent the war that he's fighting in, he represents the entire Call of Duty franchise and every soldier who has ever seen action. He blends the aspects of all of the great characters the series has to offer, he has the determination of Sgt. Reznov, the toughness ofHudson and Mason, the leadership skills of Sgt. Dixon, andall of those aremixed together to create a character who in my mind is one of the greatest video gameheroes of all time.Every great thing that happens in theModern Warfare games comes from him,he stops two nuclear missiles, killstheleader of a Russian terrorist organization, and kills the man who betrayed theentire SAS. That's a lot for one man to accomplish. MacTavish is everything thats great about Call of Duty, and I think that that's more than enough to secure him the title of the greatest Call of Duty character of all time.
Song of the Day: Anyone's Ghost by The National
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45OKNWxvgXg)
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