34 Games with a historical setting like Call of Duty: Vanguard that you should try

Games like Call of Duty: Vanguard · Find similar →

Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

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We filtered the 50 games similar to Call of Duty: Vanguard down to the 34 that fit the “Historical” category. Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: World at War top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Call of Duty: Vanguard.

iRank68/ 100

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

The best games with a historical setting like Call of Duty: Vanguard

34 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Call of Duty: Vanguard. Each one has been evaluated across 17 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.

#1Call of Duty: Black Ops IIClosest overall match

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeDarkHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 86%· 49KIGDB79· 17

Year 2012Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and setting scifi, while skipping ranged combat

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 9 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Tone100Visuals100Game mode92Combat88Setting78

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Steam

#2Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarClosest on combat

iRank78

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflinePvPOnlineMeleeTacticalRangedDarkNarrativeHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 80%· 22KIGDB77· 9OC75· 161

Year 2020Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Nearly identical: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

≠ Missing: horror tension.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Setting100Visuals100

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Steam Xbox PS

#3Call of Duty: World at War

iRank88

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineTacticalMeleeDarkHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 53KIGDB80· 7

Year 2008Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and stealth mechanics, while skipping strong narrative focus

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 13 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Setting100Visuals100Game mode92Tone92Combat70

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Steam

#4Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

iRank85

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlineMeleeRangedTacticalDarkNarrativeHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 91%· 42KRAWG👍 84%· 1.9KMC81OC79· 99

Year 2010Dev Raven Software · Square EnixPlaytime ~9hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Nearly identical: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

≠ Missing: horror tension.

Wall-running and thrust jumps make it the most mobile campaign in the series, and the four-player co-op campaign is a genuine structural change. Zombies is at its most elaborate here. The story is close to incomprehensible, the campaign is the weakest part of the package, and the PC version's supply-drop economy drew heavy criticism.

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Setting100Visuals100Game mode69

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineTacticalMeleeDarkNarrativeHistoricalHorrorFirst Person

Steam👍 70%· 46KIGDB75· 18OC78· 155

Year 2017Dev Sledgehammer Games · ActivisionOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Nearly identical: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere.

≠ Missing: horror tension.

Same studio: Sledgehammer Games.

Genre100Tone100Setting100Visuals100Combat89Game mode85

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerMeleeRangedTacticalDarkNarrativeHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 68%· 1.9KRAWG👍 44%· 89MC63IGDB60· 1

Year 2009Dev The Farm 51 · 1C-SoftClubPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: fantasy world and setting scifi, while skipping co op

War is Hell. NecroVision is a first-person shooter that takes gamers across the frantic battlegrounds of World War I and into a dark underworld of vampires, demons and dark magic. Seeking adventure, young American Simon Bukner joins the British army in war-torn Europe of 1916.

Where it drifts furthest from Call of Duty: Vanguard: game mode.

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Visuals100Setting70Game mode42

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Steam GOG

#7Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

iRank69

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerOfflineCo-opMeleeTacticalDarkNarrativeHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 61%· 30KIGDB77· 25OC75· 111

Year 2016Dev Infinity Ward · ActivisionOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, setting space and setting scifi, while skipping horror tension

Genre100Tone100Visuals100Combat88Game mode85Setting56

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Steam PS

#8Call of Duty: Black Ops

iRank69

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerOfflineSoloCo-opMeleeTacticalDarkHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 62%· 294IGDB81· 13

Year 2010Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, stealth mechanics and loot and gear systems, while skipping horror tension

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Setting100Visuals100Tone90Game mode85Combat70

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeDarkHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

IGDB95· 2

Year 2002Dev Free Radical Design · Eidos Interactive

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Where it differs: brings fantasy world, setting scifi and post-apocalyptic world, while skipping horror tension

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 19 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Visuals100Tone89Combat86Game mode85Setting62

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Xbox

#10Resistance: Fall of Man

iRank87

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalDarkHorrorHistoricalFirst Person

IGDB87· 3

Year 2006Dev Insomniac Games · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, fantasy world and setting scifi, while skipping horror tension

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Visuals100Tone89Game mode85Setting72Combat56

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#11Black Squad

iRank55

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerOnlineSoloPvPCo-opRangedMeleeTacticalDarkHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 76%· 81KRAWG👍 23%· 240

Year 2017Dev NS STUDIO · NEOWIZPlaytime ~1hOn PC

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Its own twist: free to play and early access, while skipping horror tension

A free-to-play tactical shooter with a large weapon roster and the standard competitive mode list, deliberately close to classic Counter-Strike pacing and free to try with no catch at the door. Its problem is not the design but the state it is in: long-term players describe a shrinking population and cheating that goes unaddressed, which is fatal for a game that is only multiplayer.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode84Tone84Setting62

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Steam

#12War Thunder

iRank67

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlinePvPTacticalMeleeRangedHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 72%· 747KRAWG👍 47%· 1.0KMC81IGDB65· 3OC75· 13

Year 2013Dev Gaijin EntertainmentPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings deep simulation, third-person shooting and setting modern, while skipping horror tension

The vehicle modelling is the draw: aircraft, tanks and ships with per-component damage, and simulator modes that go far beyond arcade handling. Free to start. The grind is the well-known cost — progression slows sharply at higher tiers, repair costs punish bad matches, and the pressure toward premium purchases becomes hard to ignore.

Where it drifts furthest from Call of Duty: Vanguard: setting.

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode86Visuals70Setting44

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Steam Xbox PS

#13Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

iRank90

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlinePvPMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 93%· 60KIGDB85· 10

Year 2009Dev Infinity Ward · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Both are tactical first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings stealth mechanics, while skipping horror tension

Where it drifts furthest from Call of Duty: Vanguard: tone.

It predates Call of Duty: Vanguard by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Combat70Setting64Tone32

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Steam Xbox

#14Hired Ops

iRank52

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerOnlineSoloCo-opPvPRangedTacticalMeleeNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 68%· 16KRAWG👍 28%· 32

Year 2016Dev Absolut SoftPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Both are tactical first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus

≠ Where it differs: brings deep RPG systems, setting modern and free to play, while skipping horror tension

Hired Ops is a session-based online shooter dedicated to fierce conflicts between rival mercenary groups battling on a global scale from Russian developer AbsolutSoft.

Where it drifts furthest from Call of Duty: Vanguard: tone and setting.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode83Setting39Tone31

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Steam

#15Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

iRank86

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineOnlineMeleeTacticalNarrativeHistoricalFirst Person

Steam👍 89%· 39KIGDB81· 9

Year 2011Dev Sledgehammer Games · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling and vibe casual, while skipping horror tension

Where it drifts furthest from Call of Duty: Vanguard: tone.

Same studio: Sledgehammer Games.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode92Combat89Setting63Tone26

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Steam Xbox

Complete list of games with a historical setting like Call of Duty: Vanguard

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Call of Duty: Vanguard, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.