Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 review — A gorgeous, albeit disjointed campaign is paired with the best multiplayer and zombies modes the franchise has ever had to offer

As a seasoned Call of Duty player with over 15 years under my belt, I must say that Black Ops 6 has certainly piqued my interest in more ways than one. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been partial to the linear campaigns and the good old-fashioned realism of the Modern Warfare series. But when it comes to Black Ops, well, there’s just something about that unique blend of history and sci-fi that keeps pulling me back in.

By now, the Black Ops subseries has reached its sixth installment, leading one to assume it’s well-established in its gameplay. Given that it’s a key component of the yearly Call of Duty blockbuster series, it’s almost certain that each Black Ops title should offer significant and impactful campaign experiences.

A thrilling narrative that gets our blood pumping and makes us feel like a hero, but also presents us with gut-wrenching story beats that stay with us long after the credits roll. But Black Ops is a little different, we also expect an entire second story and game in the series’ massively popular Zombies mode, without even considering the effort put into multiplayer and Warzone integration.

Four years have passed since we last saw a Black Ops game, and the excitement for Black Ops 6 is palpable. A marketing strategy that matched big-budget Hollywood productions, featuring popular guest stars, and hints of a return to the original Black Ops formula had everyone on tenterhooks, eagerly waiting to exclaim “Black Ops is back!” With such high anticipation and hopes riding on its launch, will Black Ops 6 truly deliver everything gamers have been yearning for?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6—What is it?

In simpler terms, Black Ops 6 is the newest installment in a 20-year-old series of action games that are first-person shooters set in military environments, with this one being the sixth in the Black Ops series produced by Treyarch Studios and distributed by Activision. Now, it’s under the Xbox label following a significant merger. The Black Ops storylines typically revolve around covert operations, CIA activities, and secret U.S. government operations, with each mission having the potential to alter world events, usually involving elite agents.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can be described as a follow-up to Treyarch’s 2020 release, Black Ops Cold War, within the Black Ops series. However, it creatively bends the storyline by occurring before the events of Black Ops 3 and 4. The game is set in the 1990s, a time when the Cold War has concluded. Our previous hero, Frank Woods, is now confined to a wheelchair. Russell Adler, who was also seen in Black Ops Cold War, has turned against the establishment. In this game, players step into the shoes of a mysterious, nameless protagonist known as “Case”. The team of operators, led by Woods, includes the pacifistic Felix Neumann, the chameleon-like Sevati “Sev” Dumas, and the ethically grounded Troy Marshall.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6—Campaign review

In Black Ops 6, the game is based on an alternate historical timeline filled with conspiracy theories from the past, where players experience the U.S.-Iraq war indirectly. The Black Ops team, acting outside of official channels, are chasing after a secretive group known as the Pantheon, giving them a sense of freedom and danger as they go rogue.

The Call of Duty series has not been hesitant to address controversial historical events, however, it often does so subtly – for instance, Call of Duty: WWII allowed players to infiltrate and free a concentration camp, but the emotional impact was limited as the Jewish protagonist of your squad was the only one rescued. Similarly, Black Ops 6 presents history in the backdrop, yet it doesn’t significantly affect the gameplay or vice versa; these events are more like parallel narratives rather than immersive experiences you encounter through the campaign.

In another mission, a renegade Black Ops squad journeys to Kuwait. At one instance, we observe the falling of Saddam Hussein’s statue. Instead of participating in the action on the rooftop against Pantheon, we are transported by helicopter and watch the ending through an open hatch of a cargo plane. This experience echoes the way Call of Duty interacts with history.

As a diehard fan, I’ve got to say, Black Ops 6 might not be as historically deep as some, but boy does it deliver on raw energy and explosive action! The campaign takes you on a ride, jumping between semi-open world missions, a sprawling hideout brimming with secrets, and traditional linear ones. What sets Black Ops 6 apart from its predecessors is the substantial stealth gameplay it offers – more than any other Call of Duty title I’ve played so far.

To put it simply, the action scenes in this game are chock-full of thrill, blasts, and pandemonium, reminiscent of any blockbuster movie premiering during a Fourth of July weekend. Essentially, this is Black Ops at its best, and I can’t get enough! From soaring over a police barricade on a pilfered dirt bike to finding ourselves surrounded by enemy combatants in SUVs, the struggle for survival against escalating psychological warfare and conspiracy theories that become reality is exhilarating. There are these breathtaking instances that keep you gripped – they’re just too fleeting.

Regrettably, what’s most vexing about Black Ops 6 for me is its inconsistent campaign structure. Each mission seems distinctly unique compared to the one prior, which makes following the narrative and plot somewhat challenging. Although Treyarch is known for innovative gameplay, I find myself yearning for a more linear approach in Black Ops 6 as opposed to its partially open-world/partially linear storytelling attempt. To put it simply, I wish the campaign had chosen a single direction.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6—Multiplayer review

Three essential elements are crucial for Black Ops to truly embody the Black Ops experience: Campaign, Multiplayer battles, and Zombies. This year, Treyarch has bravely implemented significant modifications to the multiplayer mode, and surprisingly, most of these changes have been advantageous. To start, they’ve integrated a new system called Omnimovement, which fundamentally alters how players move and engage with their surroundings during Player-versus-Player (PvP) multiplayer battles. With Omnimovement, players can slide or dive in any direction at any moment. Additionally, features like Intelligent Movement and Supine Prone have been included to enhance this system.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but marvel at the extraordinary work done by Treyarch Studios in bringing Omnimovement animations to life. These animations have been meticulously motion-captured and refined to ensure they’re not just functional, but visually captivating too. In past games, I often found myself questioning the outcome of a gunfight due to the animations seeming incongruous with the other player’s actions. It was frustrating to have an enemy sprint by me and deliver a one-shot kill, only to see in replay that on my screen, it looked as if they hadn’t even aimed at me. However, with Treyarch’s new animations, such instances are minimized. Now, if a player is moving sideways, the old crab walk is a thing of the past, replaced by an animation that accurately portrays their movements.

Beyond introducing fresh animations and Omnimovement, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 also includes accessibility features such as Intelligent Movement, enhancing playability for those who prefer a less complex control setup. Rather than requiring 7-8 button presses to sprint and jump over obstacles, Black Ops 6 allows players to customize settings so they can perform the same actions with only two button presses.

Just like previous versions, Black Ops 6 delivers both standard and intense multiplayer experiences across multiple modes including Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and the newly introduced Kill Order. Across 16 new maps at launch, Treyarch has opted to categorize these maps as either ‘Core’ or ‘Strike’. The Core category represents traditional Call of Duty multiplayer action, while Strike provides a fast-paced, small map gaming experience without the use of score streaks.

People who enjoy the excitement of playing on compact maps might find a multitude of map designs reminiscent of Shipment particularly exciting at launch, that is until they realize their performance is essentially penalized by the scarcity of score streaks. Small-scale battles are entertaining, but score streaks are a significant part of the chaos’s appeal. The problem lies in the fact that most compact maps for Strike modes at launch are entirely enclosed, with minimal or no open areas for score streaks. This means there’s virtually no possibility for Treyarch to reintroduce them even if players request it.

In Black Ops 6, a fresh batch of a dozen unique weapons debuts for Multiplayer, replacing some problematic ones from the past such as the Riot Shield and RGL 80 grenade launcher. Treyarch has successfully maintained weapon balance at the start, making every weapon effective against whatever the current season’s dominant strategies might be. The XM4 appears to be ruling the battlefield upon release, but a Gentleman’s Agreement (GA) has been reached in the CDL league to exclude it from future ranked and competitive play. Despite the potential weapon imbalance, features like Omnimovement and Intelligent Movement make it simpler for players to challenge those who rely heavily on dominant strategies, often referred to as “movement kings.” With camo rewards to pursue, most players may not even notice the shift in weapon types.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6—Zombies review

In the annals of the Black Ops series, it’s nearly inconceivable to imagine a game without the Zombies mode. Over time, this mode has evolved and been presented in diverse ways, yet it consistently remains a staple for Black Ops gamers. During the Modern Warfare 3 epoch, we experienced our initial taste of Zombies in an open-world environment, but updates and support were sparse in the year following its debut compared to the multiplayer mode in MW3. Some anticipated that Modern Warfare Zombies might morph into a Warzone-style scenario, adapting with each new Call of Duty release while maintaining its status as the hub for Zombies for an extended period.

Instead of Black Ops 6 moving away from the open-world arena for Modern Warfare Zombies, it reverted back to a traditional round-based zombie style. While some might argue that Treyarch abandoned MWZ and its community, I personally prefer exploring Liberty Falls or Terminus. In the past, I’d spend countless hours with friends on Kino Der Toten, waiting for the last zombie to appear, allowing others to grab a snack or uncover Easter eggs. I usually don’t get sentimental about gaming history. But now, I find myself enthusiastically messaging my pals, asking if they’ll join me for some Zombies action, as if we were back in 2010 all over again.

It’s truly a spin on the Zombie genre that you can really only get from round-based zombies in a Black Ops game. Returning to round-based Zombies might have single-handedly been one of the best decisions made by the Call of Duty team. It feels good to be back in that gameplay loop. It doesn’t just feel good, it looks good, and it plays like a dream. I have yet to come across a weapon in zombies that just felt like it didn’t work, they’re all well-balanced.

Both Terminus and Liberty Falls have user-friendly designs, but they carry inherent risks that may leave you slightly uneasy during exploration. The Easter egg hunt is enjoyable, yet demanding; however, when it becomes too much, you can opt for solo play using the new guided mode, making gameplay less daunting. In the past, I’ve needed online resources to grasp Zombies lore from hidden Easter eggs I couldn’t unlock. Thus, the addition of accessibility features significantly enhances the game’s playability for individuals like me who often tire easily. Unfortunately, I would still appreciate if these features were incorporated into squad mode, even if only the host could temporarily pause the gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6—Final thoughts

For over fifteen years, I’ve been engrossed in Call of Duty games, particularly favoring linear campaigns and having little appetite for sci-fi elements. This preference usually steers me towards the Modern Warfare series over Black Ops. At first, I wasn’t convinced that Black Ops 6 would alter this pattern. Upon my first playthrough on expert mode, I found the gameplay to be fundamentally engaging. However, as I advanced through the missions, I felt a sense of disjointedness in the transition between levels and the overall storytelling experience. The gameplay oscillated between linear and semi-open world, which left me yearning for a more consistent approach from Treyarch and Raven Software. Despite this frustration, it didn’t significantly diminish my appreciation for the campaign’s narrative structure and the tale it was conveying.

In my experience with Call of Duty (COD) campaigns, I usually complete a single run, playing as a seasoned veteran, and then wrap things up. I don’t often find myself revisiting the campaign beyond the storyline itself. It’s the Multiplayer and Zombies modes that capture most of my time, especially in Black Ops 6 where it truly excels. My enjoyment during the game’s launch was so high that I could have been satisfied with just the multiplayer maps and Zombies gameplay, from launch until the announcement of Call of Duty 2025. Yet, here I am, aware that approximately six seasons of new content are on their way in the upcoming year. This includes fresh maps to discover, new weapons to test out—and this doesn’t even take into account the integration with Warzone, which is only a few weeks away. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for the future of Black Ops 6.

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2024-11-05 14:10