Nostalgia for Call of Duty’s Past: Missing What We Once Criticized

Okay, here we go. Strap in.

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Alright, so listen. Call of Duty, right? It’s like that old pair of sneakers with too many memories tied up in the laces. I mean, as a somewhat chubby, nerdy kid—oh yeah, real charmer—switching schools was more like social dodgeball. But then, hey, CoD was my golden ticket. Somehow, I could outplay the cool kids online, make some friends, and voila, fit in. Weird, huh? Anyway, Zombies mode, seriously, it’s my jam. Like that Reznov twist from Black Ops 1? Epic. And my first Blackout win? Glorious. Some pals moved on, chasing other games, but I keep up with CoD. Sure, the spark’s dimming, but whatever.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love CoD, but gah, can it get annoying. Skill-based matchmaking? Ugh. Cross-gen stuff? Meh. Warzone-style everywhere? Yawn. Cheaters, crazy cosmetics… been there, grumbled about that. But let’s get real—those battle passes and in-game shops? Oh boy, they wear me out. Sometimes, I even—don’t freak out—miss loot boxes. Yeah, I went there. But, hear me out, okay?

Black Ops 6, for example, yeah, cool cosmetics, right? Once you hit Prestige Master, it’s like watching paint dry. Prestige Master? Those skins get old real quick. FOMO, man. Always having to grind every season? And honestly, I’m stingy with CoD Points unless it screams “Zombies.” Those shop skins are tempting, I confess.

Anyway, remember those loot boxes? Total mess, borderline gambling, I know. Like, I was sweating bullets grinding for the R.I.P. variant of the AK12. And, oh man, the BAL-27 Obsidian Steed—finally got it after who knows how many tries. Crazy times. But they weren’t all bad, were they? Black Ops 4 had a surprisingly decent fix—grindable reserves. You could trade in cases for something you actually wanted. Like, a light at the end of the RNG tunnel.

And side note—Overwatch 2 recently did loot boxes justice. Only earned through playing the game; no wallet damage. Fairish. Seriously though, Call of Duty should borrow a page from their book. So yeah, I’m not saying bring back the old loot boxes. Just something more… Overwatch 2-esque or BO4-like? With a side of today’s battle pass/shop thing. That way, well, we’d have choices. Buy it or grind it.

Imagine chowing down on some tasty rewards—Gobbledygook stuff, random cosmetics, past Battle Pass goodies. Maybe, just maybe, tossing in some exclusive knick-knacks or tier skips. Yep, that could keep me glued to the screen.

Oh, and just a random thought—remember when loot boxes were the villain of the gaming world? Now, of all things, they might just be the plot twist CoD needs. Go figure.