NextGameLike
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

10 Narrative games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 that you should try

Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 · Find similar →

We filtered the 50 games similar to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 down to the 10 that fit the “Narrative” category. Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

NextGameLike83/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS
Tags
CasualNarrativeSoloMultiplayer
Year 2011Dev Sledgehammer Games

Quick answer

Within the “Narrative” category, the closest game to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is Call of Duty: Black Ops II — scoring 92/100 on our similarity scale. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare follow close behind.

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

The best narrative games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

10 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Each one has been evaluated across 14 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

1

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

92
NGL84
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Closest overall match
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
MultiplayerSoloCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2012Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 worked for you because of strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting, the same is here. The common ground extends to co-op play and a first-person view. Where the two diverge is tone and setting: dark, oppressive atmosphere and a sci-fi setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals100Setting45Tone44
2

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands

87
NGL76
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands
Closest on setting
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineTacticalMeleeNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2017Dev Ubisoft Paris · Ubisoft EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

Its point of contact with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is strong narrative focus, tactical combat and historical setting. Both also lean on single-player focus and a first-person view. The distance is in tone — its own ground is third-person shooting and open world exploration.

Released 6 years after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Genre100Setting100Game mode79Combat75Visuals71Tone59
3

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

86
NGL69
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerOfflineCo-opMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2016Dev Infinity Ward · ActivisionOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 worked for you because of strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting, the same is here. To that it adds a first-person view and single-player focus. They part company on setting and tone: this one brings dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Released 5 years after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode93Tone25Setting19
4

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

84
NGL90
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2009Dev Infinity Ward · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

It shares the essentials of what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. Both also lean on a first-person view and single-player focus. The distance is in tone — its own ground is stealth mechanics and PvP competition.

Genre100Setting100Visuals100Game mode95Combat78Tone59
5

Call of Duty: Vanguard

81
NGL70
Call of Duty: Vanguard
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2021Dev Sledgehammer Games · ActivisionOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

Shelved next to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for good reason: strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. Both also lean on co-op play and a first-person view. The distance is in tone and setting — its own ground is dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Same studio: Sledgehammer Games.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode92Combat89Setting63Tone26
6

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

80
NGL78
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2020Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

Shelved next to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for good reason: strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. The common ground extends to single-player focus and a first-person view. Where the two diverge is tone and setting: dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Released 9 years after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode92Combat84Setting58Tone22
7

Call of Duty: WWII

77
NGL73
Call of Duty: WWII
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineTacticalMeleeNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2017Dev Sledgehammer Games · ActivisionOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 worked for you because of strong narrative focus, tactical combat and historical setting, the same is here. The common ground extends to multiplayer gameplay and a first-person view. Where the two diverge is tone and setting: dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Same studio: Sledgehammer Games.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode93Setting66Tone22
8

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

77
NGL92
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2007Dev Infinity Ward · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

Genre puts it alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and so does strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. To that it adds co-op play and a first-person view. They part company on tone and setting: this one brings a contemporary setting.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode89Combat78Setting69Tone60
9

Battlefield 3

70
NGL76
Battlefield 3
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2011Dev EA Digital Illusions CE · Electronic ArtsOn PlayStation 3 · PC

Shelved next to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for good reason: strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. Both also lean on multiplayer gameplay and a first-person view. The distance is in visuals and tone — its own ground is dark, oppressive atmosphere and PvP competition.

Genre100Setting100Combat79Game mode62Tone59Visuals55
10

Homefront

66
NGL65
Homefront
Closest on tone
ShooterFPSTactical FPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person
Year 2011Dev Digital Extremes · SpikeOn PlayStation 3 · PC

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 it shares strong narrative focus, melee combat and historical setting. Both also lean on single-player focus and a first-person view. The distance is in game mode — its own ground is fantasy world.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Tone72Setting72Game mode47

More similar-games lists to keep going

Found one on the list you already love? Open its own list: the games that play most like it, ranked, with the reason for each.

Explore games similar to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 by category

If Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 left you wanting more, this is where you narrow it down. Was it the adventure or the narrative that hooked you? There is a list of just that. And if you play on PC, PS5, PlayStation and Xbox, filter by platform and skip the games you could not play anyway.

Rankings in the same genre

Sometimes what you want is not a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 look-alike but simply the best Tactical FPS Games there are. That is what these rankings are for: no comparison to anything, just the highest-rated games. And if you feel like widening the net, the Shooter Games ranking is a good way to run into something you were not expecting.