There probably isn't a gaming franchise as polarizing as Call of Duty. Obviously, there are more offensive series, such as Grand Theft Auto, but that is an issue of offensive content versus CoD, which divides the gaming community for multiple reasons aside from offending whiners. While games that try to push the envelope like GTA are just going for shock value, it is seldom this element that causes anger and fury with regard to CoD. Repetitive gameplay, minimal innovation, great competition among the other major players in the war/First-person-shooter realm of gaming, and a dedicated and abrasive fan base all combine to create the polarizing nature of these games.

While the single-player campaigns inevitably receive both love and hate with every new release, multiplayer mode gets a vicious amount of scrutiny as well. Players want something new every time, but while staying true to what made the earlier games amazing. Ultimately, while new game modes, and new customization options are important, it's all pointless without solid maps.

There are a few things that go into making a great map. Obviously, the layout is the most important. Most maps have a certain number of routes (three lanes for travel being the most common among great maps) to get from one side to the other, while others, often the small ones, feature a set amount of land with obstacles here and there, best suited to close quarters. Of course, if done right, a middle area of a map with a single looping lane around the outside of the map can even make for a good time.

20 Worst: Wasteland (Modern Warfare 2)

We'll come back to this idea a few times throughout the article: there is undeniable beauty in simplicity. With that said, a bit too much simplicity went into this map from Modern Warfare 2. It sounds like a cool idea: a nasty little chunk of real estate near irradiated Chernobyl, in which teams are put into a field, at the center of which there is a small tunnel area in which most of the fighting takes place. Unfortunately, the map is a sniper's paradise with only one place in which any decent combat takes place. It is beyond frustrating and while it isn't the worst map the franchise has ever seen, it is seldom a pleasure to play for anyone involved and usually just ends up padding the stats of anyone lucky enough to catch opponents off guard.

19 Best: Yemen (Black Ops 3)

This might earn us some hate but we don't care too much. There were definitely some stinker maps in BO2, but a few gems like Yemen almost made up for not only those garbage maps, but also the inclusion of the Strike Force missions in the single player campaign. Yemen is the kind of map in which any kind of player can have a great time. It isn't particularly large, but still has a reasonable size, offering plenty of opportunities for a decent sniper to enjoy. Along with that, there are tight corners and alleyways that make for some outstanding close quarter battles. It's tough, it's fast-paced, it can be incredibly dangerous just about anywhere on the map, but when all is said and done, this map is an absolute treasure, and creates an exciting atmosphere.

18 Worst: Metro (Black Ops 3)

While we had our minds blown by the single player and had a great time playing the multiplayer modes in Black Ops 3, there are a couple of maps that really could have been taken out of the game with no loss of experience. We'll give a dishonorable mention to Redwood and Stronghold here, but in our humble opinion (not humble at all), Metro is by far the worst map in this game. Like a few other terrible maps in this list, a train station in Zurich sounds like it could make for a very decent playing experience, but the execution was awful. The three lane (sort of four lanes?) design is absolutely butchered on this map, and the sloppy design ruins the map.

17 Best: Brecourt (COD 2 And United Offensive)

We haven't included much from the early games, as it is difficult to compare quality when you consider the advances in detail that separate Modern Warfare and all of the earlier titles. Nonetheless, there are a couple of maps from the early days of the series that are too timeless not to list here. Brecourt, which is based on a level that was inspired by the actual Assault on Brecourt Manor in the Second World War. The map is a scenic one with plenty of cover throughout in the form of vegetation and hilly terrain. Other than that there are a couple of trench networks that make this seem like an actual battlefield from World War Two. Is it as intricate as the maps to which we've become accustomed by now? Absolutely not, but it remains a cherished part of CoD's history.

16 Worst: Countdown (Modern Warfare)

We get why they included Countdown as a map in Modern Warfare, they wanted maps that emulated levels in the game, and the scenery of a launch pad worked. Unfortunately, the map was and still is terrible. There is next to no opportunity for anything other than long-range engagements, there are no different levels of sight worth mentioning, as the entire map is basically one big, flat nightmare. It is comprised of the launch pad itself, with missiles and other ordnance strewn about as if the site's commanding officer got tired and started telling his soldiers to rearrange the base. This map is the Call of Duty equivalent of a large dog turd with flags and sparklers sticking out of it.

15 Best: Toujane (COD 2)

Another gem from Call of Duty 2, Toujane is based on and named after a small village in Tunisia. We should take this opportunity to point out that while we're only mentioning two CoD 2 maps on here, there are quite a few other iconic ones that make us nostalgic for the simple but artistic map design that made CoD 2 the best of the early games. These other maps include Caen, Carentan, Stalingrad, and Moscow, but we could just ramble off all the map names from that game as there were none that were poor.

Toujane features plenty of potential for just about any player to execute a gameplan, including sniper opportunities, long-range rifle battles, and a decent layout for those who prefer to rush and engage in CQB.

14 Worst: Stonehaven (Ghosts)

Even the most loyal and forgiving fans of this franchise will admit that Ghosts was just plain bad. The campaign, which we already mentioned, was ambitious, but so is humping an alligator. In summation, just because something is ambitious, that doesn't automatically make it a good idea. With regard to this map, in particular, there was too much space and too much going on. This map was large enough that we could have probably had a better time with teams of ten, or the map could have been cut in half for the usual teams of six in TDM. While not unpleasant aesthetically, this map just wasn't fun to play.

13 Best: Overgrown (Modern Warfare)

Overgrown is an example of a large map done right. It is relatively flat and allows for a great amount of long-range engagement while still maintaining the possibility to have great success playing the stealth game or rushing. There are plenty of places for snipers to hunker down and plenty of concealment for those trying to get at the snipers. On top of that, it is a nice looking map overall. The buildings, while run down and dilapidated, all serve purposes, and the lush foliage all over the map gives the feeling of really being there in some kind of long-abandoned town fighting over some marginally useless real estate.

12 Worst: Free Fall (Ghosts)

If the two guys who actually enjoyed Ghosts ever read this they will surely be upset. But here is some relief, this is the last time we will mention that game in this article. Coming up with crappy map choices from that title is like shooting fish in a barrel with the ODIN space station. Free Fall takes place in a skyscraper that has seen better days. In fact, as you play through this map, parts of the building shift and collapse, changing the map. The part is kind of a cool gimmick, but given the fact that the design is poor, the lighting of this nighttime mission makes it look like you're fighting in an obnoxious dance club, and there is just no way for anyone to actually enjoy this obnoxious excuse for a map.

11 Best: Detroit (Advanced Warfare)

Advanced Warfare took some significant risks, and while some purist CoD fans hated the futuristic setting and of course, those exo-suits, the end result was a highly entertaining campaign with some innovations that went quite well. And of course Kevin Spacey, we can't forget him. Along with the solid single player experience, there were a few outstanding maps in this game (as well as a couple of dreadful ones, such as Greenband, seriously, what was that all about?). While Biolab and Riot were fan favorites, our choice from this game was Detroit. While many matches in Detroit do see above average camping activity, that doesn't take away from the varied playing options and excellent overall design that made this map a thrill to play.

10 Worst: Fuel (Modern Warfare 2)

We referred to Overgrown as a large map done well. Much earlier we spoke of Wasteland, a large map done poorly. Fuel is a large map that is so large and poorly designed, that it actually makes Wasteland look okay by comparison. Here's the saving grace for Wasteland if there is one: at least there is a central point in the middle at which there is almost always some action. The same cannot be said of Fuel. About two-thirds of the actual land on this map is wasted, and if you happen to spawn at the top of the map, you may want to eat a power bar, because it's an inexcusably long trip to get back to the buildings where all the fighting actually takes place. Derail is another large MW2 map that suffers from a similar problem, but even it was at least playable compared to Fuel.

9 Best: Rust (Modern Warfare 2)

There are a couple of reasons for Rust being ranked so high here. First off, the scene featured in Rust recalls one of the most heart-pumping endings to a game we have ever seen; a near-death Soap MacTavish tossing a knife into General Shepherd's eye, while the rogue officer grapples with Price. Our hearts were pumping, we were on the edge of our seats, and when all was said and done, few video games have ended with such an adrenaline rush of a finale.

But back to the map: there is no better example of a small, fast paced map with plenty of levels from which to battle, than this one. If you want to see who knows what they are doing and who doesn't get a group of CoD player friends together and select Rust. It is incredibly difficult to build up any momentum on this map, but if you manage to, it is a great feeling.

8 Worst: Downturn (Modern Warfare 3)

While we enjoyed the story and it finished up the trilogy with decently, Modern Warfare 3 is the weakest of the three in the series. The same can be said of the multiplayer experience, unfortunately, and while most of the maps fall somewhere between passable and pretty good, there is one that stands out from the rest as an absolute garbage heap. Carbon and Outpost are also pretty poor, but Downturn looks like it was designed by a child with no attention span. It's one of the few maps you can play over and over again and still have no idea where you are. While the idea of fighting in a destroyed Wall Street environment is awesome, the development of this map was brutal. It almost looks like someone on the development team got blind drunk one night and destroyed every piece of furniture in their home, took pictures and then said to their coworkers "okay guys, let's do this, but make it a map for Modern Warfare 3!"

7 Best: Cliffside (World At War)

If you're surprised that we haven't mentioned World at War yet, the reason is that most of the bad maps in that game have at least some saving grace, and the good maps are generally good, but not quite good enough to put them alongside icons like Rust and Nuketown. There is, however, one that stands out from the crowd, and that is Cliffside. This superbly designed map offers a variety of areas in which to do battle, including obviously the three main lanes of traffic, going up the middle or along either of the sides. There is plenty of cover, but anytime you're moving, you're in danger of sniper fire if you're in the open on this long and thin map. If you're into rushing and CQB, either of the side lanes is your best bet, and with some patience and luck, you may get the chance to get after some snipers on either side of the map. With a small valley in the middle and plenty in the way of cover and elevation on either side of the map, Cliffside's design brings an enjoyable challenge to most styles of play.

6 Worst: Genesis (Infinite Warfare)

We'll assume everyone is familiar with the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, there is an inverse idea, that "if it is broke, by all means, fix it." Infinity Ward has a third idea, and it goes something like this: "if it is slightly broken, throw a new can of paint and some sparkles on it and recycle it for the next game." What do we mean? Well, Genesis is a multiplayer map for Infinite Warfare that features the Greycube Dynamics location. It is relatively small and offers not much other than some potential for decent CQB. Here's our problem, it demonstrates some laziness on the part of the developer, because the design of the map is virtually identical to two others: Strikezone in Ghosts and Dome in Modern Warfare 3. Here's the problem: neither of those maps were good enough to warrant updated versions with some aesthetic changes.

5 Best: Nuketown (Black Ops)

It took a great deal of time to decide where to put Nuketown on this list. There was no option to leave it off altogether, but it may well be the most polarizing among all of the maps in this series. In short, you either love it, or you hate it, and we imagine we're losing friends for including it in a positive light in this list. Here's our rationale: the map is a favorite for many people, and offers a great deal of opportunity for multiple styles of play, in a very small area. Furthermore, as a game set with a Cold War theme, battling in a nuclear testing ground was undeniably cool. Of course, this map, which gained possibly more notoriety than any other in the series, spawned several other based on the original.

4 Worst: Carrier (Black Ops 2)

While we mentioned Yemen from Black Ops 2 earlier, and it is an example of a game that divided those who played it, Carrier is almost unanimously hated by fans, and there are plenty of reasons. Like so many other maps on this list, Carrier is a decent idea, and Treyarch tried to do something somewhat unconventional and should be applauded for taking the risk of having a map on an aircraft carrier, but the end result is an unpleasant map with a camper problem. Adding insult to injury, different levels on one side of the map that are atrociously designed. Furthermore, the obstacles all over the map seems to be based off a child's messy room. Take away about a third of those obstacles, and there would be some potential for something other than CQB, but alas, that's not an option and we're left with this joke of a map.

3 Best: Crossfire (Modern Warfare)

This map has somewhat of a unique design. The main road is a "Z" shape, and on either side of that road, there are numerous buildings through which to battle. Rather than the more traditional and usual three lanes, this map allows for only one, with routes around the main road, but little separation between the popular fighting areas. Snipers can create havens for themselves at either end of that main road, while players with virtually any other gameplan can either take to the buildings on either side of the road to meet head-on with the enemy, or try their luck at clearing out the snipers in either of those buildings by the ends of the road. Crossfire was always a challenge regardless of whether you chose to assault or snipe.

2 Worst: Crisis (Black Ops)

We already mentioned Nuketown as one of the greats, but as we all know, there were some pretty shoddy maps in Black Ops as well. Array was one of them, with many players arguing it was too big to be any good, and while we agree, Crisis was another kind of terrible. Despite being a massive map that took an absurd amount of time to cross, the half of the map that had buildings somehow managed to feel unpleasant and almost claustrophobic. In a case of much the opposite, the other half of the map was a mostly-empty beach that didn't support any kind of game plan aside from that one sniper who just hangs out for the whole match and gets three kills. We imagine this map was named as it was because every time players saw it was up next they faced a crisis of whether to back out and find another game, or bite the bullet and be angry for a round.

1 Best: Crash (Modern Warfare)

Yes, the two best maps on our list are from Modern Warfare. If you're surprised you really shouldn't be. The game was incredible and did for first person shooters (and multiplayer) what Grand Theft Auto III did for the open-world mayhem and destruction genre. This was a very difficult choice to make, and for those who are infuriated by this choice as, we aren't sorry, you should toughen up and try not being upset by things you read online. But we digress, cry and complain if you want. Crash is without any shadow of a doubt, the greatest Call of Duty map ever created. It has just about everything one can need to produce some major carnage, rack up tons of kills and have a ruthlessly good time. It is a perfect size, and has a near-flawless mix of buildings and open space, allowing CQB, sniper battles, and just about any game plan a player can bring. In our humble opinion, the only thing this map is missing is strippers, but as Mick Jagger said, "You can't always get what you want."