Or, depending on the setting, the Saving Private Ryan of video games.

But it is barely Black Hawk Down.

Still, there is an anecdotal contingent of casual sofa sitters for whom Call Of Duty isthegame.

Marshall gives the player orders in a helicopter.

A balls-to-the-wall shooter to return to every winter and rinse through in a weekend.

But never mind that.

How does the single player story mode hold up?

Adler and Sims brief each other in a helicopter.

Some are calling it the best campaign in years.

And I guess that’s true, in the sense that it is the least worst.

A mission has gone wrong and the CIA has taken away your spy gun and your spy badge.

Adler ramps over police cars on a motorcycle.

You’re off the case, Case!

(Your name is “Case” by the way).

This is down to a noticeable increase in the undercover levels that have become a mainstay of the series.

The player equips a camera to examine distant enemies in the Iraqi desert.

Here you’ll be shmoozing at political fundraiser parties (look, Bill Clinton!)

or chatting to bad guys as they patrol a snowy compound.

One of these levels is a baroque casino, lavishly decorated and full of the ambient noise of gambling.

The player approaches a palace in Iraq during an assault.

The instafail stealth sequence that occurs later in this level somewhat cheapens the day out.

How, in 2024, is instafail stealth still happening?

This is the ongoing difficulty with Call-o-dutes.

The soldiers of Black Ops 6 look out a helicopter at a statue of Saddam Hussein exploding.

We’ve seen the Far Cry camera tagging in COD before, but some other inspirations feel newly acquired.

The RC car deploying enemies ofThe Divisiongames show up, for example.

These are games which actually invest in the systems and designs that create interesting moments of play.

A card dealer at a casino waits for the player to reveal their hand.

Call Of Duty has always been on-rails, yes.

But it also tries to pretend it is not.

And it is frustrating to see so many people praise it for offering a thin illusion of player freedom.

Felix calls himself a “necessary evil” as he cooks a stew.

As if it were Activision that is reviving theimmersive sim, and not thecountless indiesorshuttered studiosactually responsible.

Even the transparently gamey character upgrades are ineffectual.

Perks include being able to aim down sights 25% faster.

Or recharge health a little faster.

Or fractionally reduce flinching when you’re hit.

I can’t tell the difference in my shooting after buying many of these upgrades.

Some simply feel like “quality of life” features you’d otherwise expect by default.

The thing is, these are all expected complaints.

Ironically, this very review is saying nothing I haven’t already expressed in coverage ofCold WarorInfinite Warfare.

But if I can get away with cliche anywhere, it’s in a COD review.

The impeccably mocapped chitchat of the story includes all the usual Calling Cards Of Duty.

A villain kneels and monologues to you while you lie on the ground, vulnerable and dazed.

A weapons expert needs to be captured (alive, dammit!).

This doesn’t mean you won’t be killing plenty of Iraqis, of course.

The words “necessary evil” fall from the mouth of this former secret policeman like rotten fruit.

Call Of Duty is, yes, alittleless jingoistic this time around.

It remains an expensive and overcooked taster menu of other, more interesting games.