The 250+ Best Activision Games of All Time
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Activision has been at the forefront of delivering some epic gaming adventures, creating experiences that have left indelible marks on the hearts of gamers worldwide. From heart-pounding action to captivating storytelling, they've done it all. Among the numerous titles they've rolled out, some stand out as the best Activision games of all time.Â
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man are shining examples of what this powerhouse can do, combining thrilling gameplay with immersive narratives. This list has been carefully crafted by gaming aficionados and further refined by votes from players like you, ensuring only the top-tier games made the cut. So, if you're passionate about your favorites, don't hesitate to cast your vote and see how they stack up against the rest.
Most divisive: True Crime: New York City
Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 250+ Best Activision Games of All Time
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hit the scene in 2009, cranking up the intensity in first-person shooter games. It grabbed everyone's attention with its gripping campaign and addictively competitive multiplayer mode. Whether you were teaming up with friends or going solo, the experience was unforgettable. Available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, it became a must-play for gamers across platforms.
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- 2Sep 22 2005Ultimate Spider-Man is a video game based on the comic book of the same name by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley. The game was released on most sixth generation consoles, including Nintendo DS, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. Treyarch, who made the console games based on the Spider-Man movies, developed the console game, while Vicarious Visions developed the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions, and Beenox ported the Microsoft Windows version from the consoles. Stylistically, it differs from its predecessor, Spider-Man 2, in that it employs what has been dubbed, "Comic Inking Animation technology," a form of cel shading intended to simulate the appearance of a comic-book. While originally thought to be canonical to the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, it is unclear what parts of the game take place in the continuity of the comic. The story arc "War of the Symbiotes" loosely adapts the events of the game into Ultimate Universe continuity, while shortening and changing many of the story elements.
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a platform video game compilation developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. It is a collection of remasters of the first three titles in the Crash Bandicoot series: Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped, which were originally developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation in the 1990s. The game was first released for PlayStation 4 on June 30, 2017, receiving generally favorable reception from critics, who praised the game's faithfulness to the original trilogy, and selling over two million copies worldwide. Ports for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows will be released in July 2018.
- 4Nov 12 2012Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a 2012 first-person shooter video game, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released on November 13, 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 and on November 18, 2012 in North America, November 30, 2012 in Europe and Australia for the Wii U. Square Enix released the game for the Japanese market on November 22, 2012 as a subbed version. A Japanese voice-dubbed version was released separately on December 20, 2012. The script for this version was translated by Zenigame Nakamoto. The translated version was criticized for its translation errors. The Japanese release of the Wii U port is only the dubbed version since the console was not available in Japan in November. Black Ops II is the ninth game in the Call of Duty franchise of video games and a sequel to the 2010 game Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game was launched at 16,000 stores worldwide at midnight on November 13, 2012. Black Ops II is the first game in the Call of Duty franchise to feature future warfare technology and the first to present branching storylines driven by player choice as well as selecting weapons before starting story mode missions.
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- 5Nov 09 2010Call of Duty: Black Ops is a 2010 first-person shooter spy thriller video game. The game was developed by Treyarch, published by Activision, and released worldwide on November 9, 2010 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series. It is also the first to be set in the Cold War and the fifth to be set in World War II. It is the third in the series to be developed by Treyarch, and is connected to the developer's Call of Duty: World at War. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game had sold more than 5.6 million copies, 4.2 million in the U.S. and 1.4 million in the UK, breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 2.3 million copies. Capcom released a subtitled version in Japan on November 18, 2010 and later a Japanese-dubbed version on December 16, 2010. After six weeks on release, Activision reported that Black Ops had exceeded $1 billion in sales.More Call of Duty: Black Ops
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- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. A handheld game was made for the Nintendo DS. The game was released in North America, Australia, and Europe in November 2007 for video game consoles and Microsoft Windows. It was released for the Mac in September 2008, then released for the Wii in November 2009, given the subtitle Reflex Edition. It is the fourth installment in the Call of Duty video game series, excluding expansion packs, and is the first in the Modern Warfare line of the franchise, followed by a direct sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as well as the first game in the series to have a Mature rating. The game breaks away from the World War II setting of previous games in the series and is instead set in modern times. Developed for over two years, the game uses a proprietary game engine. On September 10, 2009, it was re-released in Japan by Square Enix.
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- 7Oct 18 2005Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games. In this case, id Software supervised the development of the game as well as providing the Doom 3 engine, now referred to as "id Tech 4" and released under the GNU General Public License on 22 November 2011, upon which it was built. Quake 4 went gold in early October 2005 and was released on 18 October 2005 for Microsoft Windows and later for Linux, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. A special DVD Collectors Edition also exists, including promotional material and the game Quake II with its expansions, The Reckoning and Ground Zero. The Xbox 360 version of Quake 4 is based on the Special Collectors Edition, and therefore also includes Quake II. On 4 August 2011 the game was made available through Steam. Plotwise, the game is a sequel to Quake II and takes place during the same war as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.
- 8Mar 01 2005Star Wars: Republic Commando is a tactical first-person shooter video game, set in the Star Wars universe, released in 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Xbox, Microsoft Windows, and Mobile phone platforms. An enhanced port of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2021.
- 9Sep 21 2004X-Men Legends is an action role-playing video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles in the fall of 2004. Barking Lizards Technologies developed the N-Gage port of the game, which was released in early 2005. Players can play as one of fifteen X-Men characters, with the ability to switch between four computer- or human-controlled characters at any time. X-Men Legends is not set in any particular Marvel Comics universe. It follows Alison Crestmere, a young mutant who has the ability to summon and control volcanic activity. As Alison is taught to control her powers at the X-Mansion, the X-Men are sent on several missions. Eventually the X-Men learn of Magneto's plan to cover the Earth in darkness from his base on Asteroid M. X-Men Legends received generally positive reviews from critics. The Xbox version was the best received, garnering aggregate scores of 83% and 82/100 on the review aggregating websites GameRankings and Metacritic respectively. Reviewers praised Raven's variation on cel-shaded graphics. Due to the success of the game a sequel was made, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.More X-Men Legends
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- 102004Doom 3 is a science fiction survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X. Developer Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox console, releasing it on April 3, 2005. British developers Splash Damage also assisted in design for the multiplayer elements of the game. The game is a reboot of the Doom franchise, disregarding storylines of the previous Doom video games. Doom 3 is set in 2145 on Mars, where a military-industrial conglomerate has set up a scientific research facility to research into fields such as teleportation, biological research and advanced weapons design. However, the teleportation experiments inadvertently open a gateway to Hell, resulting in a catastrophic invasion by demons. The player, an anonymous space marine, must fight through the base and find a way to stop the demons attacking Earth.More Doom 3
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- 11Oct 28 2007Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music rhythm game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall. The game was published by Activision and distributed by RedOctane. It is the first game in the series to be developed by Neversoft after Activision's acquisition of RedOctane and MTV Games' purchase of Harmonix, the previous development studio for the series. The game was released worldwide for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 in October 2007, with Budcat Creations assisting Neversoft on developing the PlayStation 2 port and Vicarious Visions solely developing on the Wii port respectively. Aspyr Media published the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X versions of the game, releasing them later in 2007. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock retains the basic gameplay from previous games in the Guitar Hero series, where the player uses a guitar-shaped controller to simulate the playing of lead, bass, and rhythm guitar parts in rock songs by playing in time to scrolling notes on-screen.
- 12Jan 01 2000Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is the second game in the Tony Hawk's series of sports games. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2000. It was first released for the Sony PlayStation, with subsequent ports to the Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox and iOS. The game received widespread critical acclaim and remains one of the highest rated video games of all time.More Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
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- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox. A significantly different Game Boy Advance version was also created, developed by Barking Lizards Technologies. The game was initially released on October 24, 2006 in North America for most platforms, with PlayStation 3 and Wii ports following shortly thereafter, as well as international releases. Japan was only able to see a Wii and PS3 release. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is set within the fictional Marvel Universe and features many of the superheroes, supervillains, and supporting characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Ultimate Alliance is the third Marvel title to be developed by Raven Software, and features similar gameplay to their previous Marvel titles, X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. A sequel, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, was developed for multiple platforms by Vicarious Visions, n-Space and Savage Entertainment and released in 2009.
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- 142009Prototype is a 2009 action-adventure open world video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision. The game was released in North America on June 9, 2009, and in southwestern parts of North America as well as Oceania on June 10, and was released in Europe on June 12. The game is set in New York City, where a virulent plague known as Blacklight is spreading through Manhattan. Those infected are mutated into hideous monsters of varying form, with an uncontrollable rage to kill all uninfected life-forms and a military black operations force called Blackwatch has been deployed to keep the infection from spreading. At the center of it is the protagonist, Alex Mercer, an incredibly powerful shapeshifter with no memory of his past. Parallel to the game's storyline is the ability to play the game as a sandbox-style video game giving the player freedom to roam Manhattan. Many reviewers compared and contrasted it with Infamous, another action-adventure open world game released one month prior to Prototype, by Sucker Punch Productions which features a superpowered protagonist with developing powers in an urban world.
- 15Jun 28 2004Spider-Man 2 is the name of various action games based loosely on the Spider-Man 2 film. They are follow-ups of the game Spider-Man: The Movie, and the series is followed by Spider-Man 3. These games were published by Activision for many different systems in 2004. The games are adaptations of the film Spider-Man 2. The GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game, developed by Activision's Treyarch studio, allow the player to freely roam around Manhattan, Roosevelt, Ellis, and Liberty Islands. The home console versions were also innovative in that physics-based algorithms simulated Spider-Man's web swinging in three dimensions, creating a new game mechanic unlike the traditional jumping or flying of previous Spider-Man games. Versions of the game on other platforms feature more linear side-scrolling and platform sections. The PSP version of Spider-Man 2 was compared to playing the Spider-Man plot. While street thugs only have handguns, machine guns, crowbars and their fists to protect them, the super-villains and their minions have their various unique powers and weapons that they use to either steal, cause terror or defeat Spider-Man.More Spider-Man 2
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- 16Sep 10 1998Spyro the Dragon is a 1998 platform video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It stars the title character, a young purple dragon named Spyro, and his dragonfly friend, Sparx, and is the first game in the Spyro the Dragon series. The game received highly positive reviews, praising its graphics and high replay value.More Spyro the Dragon
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- 17Oct 04 2004Tony Hawk's Underground 2 is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's series and is the sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance platforms. The game is partly based on season 2 of Viva La Bam, although there are many references to Jackass. Although not the first game in the franchise to be released in a seventh generation console, Underground 2 is also forwards compatible with the Xbox 360. On March 15, 2005, it was released for the PlayStation Portable and renamed Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix, to indicate the addition of several extra levels.
- 18Oct 29 2003Call of Duty is a 2003 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine. It was accompanied in September 2004 by an expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, which was produced by Activision, and developed by Gray Matter Interactive, with contributions from Pi Studios. Call of Duty is similar in theme and gameplay to Medal of Honor, as it is made out of single-player campaigns and missions. However, unlike Medal of Honor, the war is seen not just from the viewpoint of an American soldier but also from the viewpoint of British, Canadian, and Soviet soldiers. The game was somewhat unusual at the time in that throughout the single-player mode the player is joined by computer-controlled allies who range in quantity from two infantrymen to an entire regiment of tanks. The computer-controlled allies will support the actual player during the missions.More Call of Duty
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Series
1999Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is a series of skateboarding video games developed by Neversoft. Published by Activision in 1999, it is the first entry in the Tony Hawk's series of video games. Development began after Tony Hawk's debut stint at the 1998 X-Games. Pro Skater was originally released for the PlayStation on August 31, 1999, and was later ported to the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and N-Gage. It also received a Game Boy Color adaptation. All versions except for the Game Boy Color version met with critical acclaim from critics, who praised it for its innovative gameplay, level designs and control scheme. It was also commercially successful, selling rapidly upon its opening month. The game resulted in a successful franchise that continued to be active until the studio's closing in 2014. - X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is an action role-playing game developed primarily by Raven Software and published by Activision. It is the follow up to 2004's X-Men Legends. It was first released in September 2005 for the GameCube, Microsoft Windows, N-Gage, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Xbox video game platforms. It is set after the events of X-Men Legends and features the mutant supervillain Apocalypse as the primary antagonist. The developers intended the game to have a greater sense of scale than its predecessor, and writers created a story where the villains known as the Brotherhood of Mutants would need to ally themselves with the heroic X-Men to defeat a greater threat. High quality cinematics were created by Blur Studio. Online multiplayer was also added. The game was well received by gaming critics on all platforms. Critics felt that the inclusion of online play, additional mutant powers, and a larger cast made the game an improvement over its predecessor. Some reviewers were critical of the game's voice acting and felt that the gameplay was repetitive. It sold enough copies to be added to the budget line known as PlayStation 2's Greatest Hits.
- 21Aug 18 2009Wolfenstein is a first-person shooter video game co-developed by Raven Software and Endrant Studios and published by Activision. It is the sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and uses a heavily modified id Tech 4 engine. The game was released in 2009: in North America on August 18, in Australia on August 19, and in Europe on August 21.
- 22Nov 11 2008Call of Duty: World at War is a 2008 first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Blizzard for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It is generally considered to be the fifth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series and returns the setting to World War II. The game was released in North America on November 11, 2008, and in Europe on November 14, 2008. A Windows Mobile version was also made available by Glu Mobile and different storyline versions for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 were also produced, but remain in the World War II setting. The game is based on an enhanced version of the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine developed by Infinity Ward with increased development on audio and visual effects. The narrative for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions focuses on the Pacific Theater and Eastern Front theaters of World War II, involving the United States, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspectives of Marine Raider Private C.
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- 23
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Early 2019 - 24Apr 20 1982Pitfall! is a platform video game released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in 1982. It is the second best-selling game made for the Atari 2600, with over 4 million copies sold.More Pitfall!
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- 25
Prototype 2
2012 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter political war thriller video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with development assistance from Raven Software, and published by Activision. It is the third installment in the Modern Warfare saga, a direct sequel to 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the eighth Call of Duty installment. The game was released on November 8, 2011 in North America on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. In Australia, the Wii version was released on November 23, 2011. In Japan, Square Enix handled the installment with a separate subtitled and dubbed version, as they did for Call of Duty: Black Ops, released November 17, 2011 and December 22, 2011 respectively. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game sold 6.5 million copies in the U.S. and UK alone and grossed $400 million, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time, until it was surpassed by the next Call of Duty title, Call of Duty: Black Ops II in November 2012 with $500 million. As of November 5, 2013, Modern Warfare 3 has sold 26.5 million copies.
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Spyro Reignited Trilogy
September 21, 2018 - 28Oct 25 2005Call of Duty 2 is a 2005 first-person shooter video game and the second installment in the critically acclaimed Call of Duty series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Konami in Japan and Activision in the rest of the world. The game was released on October 25, 2005 for Microsoft Windows PCs and on November 22, 2005 as a launch game for the Xbox 360 in Europe, Australia and South America, and later in Japan. Other versions were released on other platforms, including mobile phones as well as Pocket PCs. The game is set during World War II and the campaign mode is experienced through the perspectives of four soldiers: one in the Red Army, one in the United States Army, and two in the British Army. It contains four individual campaigns, split into three stories, with a total of twenty-seven missions. Activision officially announced the game on April 7, 2005 in a press release. Many features were added and changed from the original Call of Duty. The most notable change is the regenerating health. Additions include an icon that indicates a nearby grenade about to explode. The game was met with positive reception.
- 29Nov 15 2005True Crime: New York City is an action-adventure video game set in an open world/sandbox environment. It was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and Microsoft Windows. The game was also released for mobile phones. It is the second game of the True Crime series, after its predecessor True Crime: Streets of LA.
- 30Nov 07 2006Guitar Hero II is a music rhythm game developed by Harmonix, published by Activision and distributed by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero. It was first released for the PlayStation 2 in November 2006 and then for the Xbox 360 in April 2007, with additional content not originally in the PlayStation 2 version. Like in the original Guitar Hero, the player uses a peripheral in the shape of a solid-body electric guitar to simulate playing rock music as notes scroll towards the player. Most of the gameplay from the original game remains intact., provides new modes and note combinations. The game features more than 40 popular licensed songs, many of them cover versions recorded for the game, spanning five decades. The PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II can be purchased individually or in a bundle that packages the game with a cherry red Gibson SG guitar controller. The Xbox 360 version of the game is offered in a bundle that packages the game with a white Gibson X-Plorer guitar controller. Both of these controllers are wired, but RedOctane also sells a wireless controller for the PlayStation 2.
