The Call of Duty video game franchise features several titles that take place partially or entirely in Mexico. Determining which specific Call of Duty game has the most substantial Mexico setting requires looking closely at the campaigns, storylines, and multiplayer maps across the various titles.
Call of Duty Campaigns Set in Mexico
When it comes to campaign modes, two Call of Duty games stand out for having significant portions of their storyline set in Mexico:
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Let’s take a closer look at each of these games’ campaigns and their ties to Mexico.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: Ghosts was developed by Infinity Ward and released in 2013. The game is set in an alternate timeline where the Middle East has destroyed America’s status as a superpower. Playing as members of a special operations unit called the “Ghosts,” the campaign has you fighting against the Federation, a united alliance of South American countries.
In the 4th mission titled “Federation Day,” the Ghosts join US forces in trying to push the Federation back over the Mexico-US border near San Diego. The level involves urban combat in towns along the border. This makes Call of Duty: Ghosts one of the only games in the series where you actually get to fight in Mexican villages, illustrating how the country is caught in the crossfire of the new global conflict.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Black Ops II was developed by Treyarch and released in 2012. While the original Black Ops focused on Cold War-era conspiracies, the sequel is set primarily in the year 2025 and introduces more science fiction elements. The villain, Raul Menendez, is the leader of a massive global hacking network called Cordis Die.
In the first strike mission, you play as undercover CIA operative Alex Mason infiltrating a secret base in a remote region of Mexico. Your objectives include extracting a captured teammate and gathering intel on Menendez’s operations. This level provides views of rural Mexico and its role in the game’s near-future Cold War scenario.
Later in the game, Menendez’s cyberattack triggers the U.S. military’s automated defense systems, including armed drones, to turn on their own country. America is thrown into chaos, with fighting spreading across Los Angeles. Missions involve trying to get key officials evacuated to offshore aircraft carriers, with Mexico emerging as a safe haven from the drones.
So in summary, Call of Duty: Black Ops II contains perhaps the most significant references to Mexico as part of its imaginative political storyline.
Call of Duty Multiplayer Maps in Mexico
In addition to campaign modes with Mexican settings, various Call of Duty games over the years have included multiplayer maps located in Mexico:
Call of Duty: Ghosts – “Ignition” Map
One of the default maps in Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer is called “Ignition.” It takes place in a rocket launch site in southern Mexico that the Federation has commandeered from the Mexican government.
The launch pads, administrative facilities, and surrounding desert terrain provide tactical gameplay combining long sightlines and close-quarters firefights. Players fight to control the central rocket control room.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – “Villa” Map
Call of Duty: Black Ops featured a map called “Villa” set in an opulent Mexican villa. The mansion, gardens, gazebo, and multi-level architecture make for intense small team battles. There are also caves underneath that connect to a clearing with a crashed airplane.
“Villa” was popular amongst players for its beauty and feel of an action movie drug lord compound. It provided a unique setting compared to mostly urban-focused maps in other Call of Duty multiplayer.
Call of Duty: WWII – “V2” Map
2017’s Call of Duty: WWII went back to the World War II setting that launched the series. The “V2” map depicts a German V2 rocket site hidden in the mountains of northern Mexico. This is based on real Nazi plans to build launch facilities in Mexico to bombard the continental United States.
The multiplayer map has a launch control bunker, radio equipment huts, and foundations for rocket construction. Fighting takes place both above and below ground across the secretive base.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – “Cartel” Map
One of the most visually stunning Mexico maps is the “Cartel” map in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War released in 2020. It’s set on a large cannabis plantation in the heart of the Mexican jungle. The bright green fields and processing facilities offer a vibrant, colorful landscape for multiplayer.
There are long fields of vision across the drug crops, as well as close-quarters battles in the processing warehouses. With sniper positions, power positions, and flanking routes, Cartel creates dynamic combat encouraged by the terrain.
Other Notable References to Mexico in Call of Duty
Beyond direct campaign levels and multiplayer maps, there are other miscellaneous references to Mexico scattered across Call of Duty titles over the years:
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Drug cartels are mentioned as rising in power after the collapse of the Mexican government.
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – The invasion of America involves fighting in Texas border towns, suggesting Mexico as a entry point.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops – The CIA supports paramilitary operations against drug cartels and communism in Central America.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II – A mission takes place on the USS Barracuda ship off the coast of Mexico.
- Call of Duty: Ghosts – Item descriptions refer to the formation of the Federation in South America with Mexico’s ultimate defeat.
These references reinforce the geostrategic importance of Mexico and Central America in the fictional universes of Call of Duty. Drug cartels and political instability in these regions often play into the global conflicts at the heart of Modern Warfare and Black Ops storylines.
Conclusion
In summary, the two Call of Duty games with the most substantial Mexico settings in their campaigns are Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Both feature missions taking place across various parts of Mexican terrain. When it comes to multiplayer, maps like Ignition, Villa, V2, and Cartel stand out for their Mexican locales.
Mexico, its history, and its connections to the United States inform many of the fictional scenarios constructed in the Call of Duty franchise. The country plays an important role both directly in some titles and more subtly in the periphery of other games. For Call of Duty fans interested in games with a Mexican focus, be sure to check out the campaigns and maps discussed in this article.
