As a seasoned gamer with decades of Call of Duty under my belt, I must say that the news about Black Ops 6 has left me both excited and apprehensive. Coming off Modern Warfare 3’s five-hour campaign, I was hoping for a more substantial story this time around. Fingers crossed for some unexpected twists and turns!
On October 24th, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to debut, spanning from 4 AM to 11 PM Pacific Time on gaming consoles and the Microsoft Store for PC users. Those who prefer Steam or Battle.net will have to wait until 9 PM PT on the same day. With much anticipation as it marks the return of a mainline Black Ops game after several years, concerns linger due to the less-than-stellar reception of last year’s Modern Warfare 3. Let’s dive into nine exciting aspects of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, followed by six potential drawbacks.
The Promising
Multiple Ways to Complete Campaign Missions
The plot of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 remains uncertain at this point; however, it’s clear that characters Frank Woods and Troy Marshall have turned against their organization following a warning from Russel Adler about a new danger, Pantheon, which has infiltrated the CIA. Although there’s a possibility of the story veering into the ridiculous, the espionage style – featuring missions such as “Most Wanted” that offer various ways to accomplish objectives – is intriguing. Additionally, the allure of the Manor lies in its interactive characters and the return of the Evidence Board.
Brand New Core Multiplayer Maps
Instead of dampening our excitement, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 actually lowered it when we learned that the initial roster of launch maps would be remakes from the 2009 version of Modern Warfare 2. On the other hand, Black Ops 6 provides a fresh experience with 12 new 6v6 maps for its Core playlists, along with four new Strike maps. Game modes such as Search and Destroy, Domination, Team Deathmatch, and others remain unchanged (with Hardcore variations available as well), while popular favorites like Gunfight make a comeback.
Classic Prestige Returns
Regarding the reintroduction of a popular aspect, Classic Prestige makes its comeback in the game, enabling players to reach the highest player level and then restart it to access Prestige ranks. Various elements get reset along the way, but there’s an option for a Permanent Unlock to acquire a weapon that wouldn’t be accessible until much further ahead. But why should you consider Prestiging? It offers bragging rights and extra challenges, yet you can also unlock rewards based on previous Call of Duty games, such as Operator Skins, backgrounds for your loadouts, Gobblegum Packs, weapon designs, and much more.
The Firing Range
In the heat of last year’s Modern Warfare 3, I fondly remember spending hours at the Firing Range. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found in Black Ops Cold War. But here’s some good news for us gamers – Treyarch has heard our pleas and brought back this beloved range for Black Ops 6! It now sports practice dummies at different distances, complete with stats for accuracy and damage. Plus, you can add up to three armor plates to these dummies. But that’s not all, you can also set moving targets and test your bullet spread using a recoiling metal plate. It’s like having a personal shooting range right in the game!
Streamlined Gunsmith
In this year’s version, a gunsmith is back, allowing for personalized weapon adjustments. Treyarch, however, has opted for a more straightforward method this time around. All attachments will now offer benefits, with scopes being interchangeable among all guns within a class, and each attachment tailored specifically to the individual weapon. This streamlined approach eliminates the need to manage multiple attachments with identical functions, enabling players to customize based on their preferences. Early feedback from the beta has been positive, so let’s hope the final version meets expectations.
Round-Based Zombies Returns
2022’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” doesn’t feature Zombies, and “Modern Warfare 3” (2023) breaks away from the series norm with Operation Deadbolt. In contrast, “Black Ops 6” brings back the much-anticipated round-based gameplay. Familiar elements like Gobblegums, Mystery Boxes, Pack-a-Punches, and Perks are present, along with new Augments. The Augments enhance various aspects, such as the latest Perk, Melee Machiatto, which delivers a potent punch to eliminate Zombies. If you upgrade its primary Augment, all melee weapons get an attack boost. We’re excited to explore both major and minor Augments while uncovering each map’s hidden secrets.
Omnimovement
Initially, Omnimovement seemed rather novel or unnecessary. After all, it had worked so effectively for the franchise over such an extended period. However, following the latest beta testing, many players have discovered it as a delightful extra feature that doesn’t necessarily dictate success. Even if you’re executing endless slides and sprinting frantically, the freedom to maneuver in all directions for dramatic John Woo-inspired scenes is hard to resist.
Footstep Audio
For several years now, problematic footstep sounds have been a persistent issue for the gaming franchise, often leaving an unsettling feeling no matter who was behind the development. Fortunately, Treyarch seems to have nailed down an appropriate balance following two weeks of the Black Ops 6 beta and will carry this solution into the official launch. Considering the expansive nature of the maps (to be discussed further), there’s no need for players to adopt a stealthy character like Ninja in order to compete effectively.
Installation Size
In a shift from previous criticisms regarding the excessive size of Call of Duty games, Black Ops 6 will separate annual releases from Warzone, making it optional to install the battle royale mode. This change reduces the game’s installation space to just 102 GB (for PC users, at least). While the new UI has its share of problems, the smaller size seems more manageable. However, we’ll need to monitor future updates to see if they increase the installation size again.
The Worrying
Campaign Length
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 saw remarkable success financially and in sales, yet it was heavily criticized for its campaign quality, earning poor ratings across the board. On the other hand, Black Ops 6’s campaign seems to be garnering more positive responses so far. Interestingly, the most recent installment in the series, Black Ops Cold War, shares a similar playtime with Modern Warfare 3, running approximately five hours for those prioritizing the storyline. While length may not be the deciding factor, it’s important to note that those anticipating a significant change in gameplay duration might find themselves slightly let down.
Server Tick Rate
As a gamer diving into the Black Ops 6 beta, I found the servers running at a tick rate of 62, which theoretically should be great given most players, even console gamers, are playing at 60 frames per second. However, some fellow beta testers suspect there might be more lag compensation going on under the hood. To add to the concern, previous installments in this series have seen server tick rates drop from 60 to 20 upon release. While it’s not certain whether Black Ops 6 will suffer a similar fate, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially if you enjoyed your time during the beta.
Cheaters
Activision has expressed its intention to identify and ban cheaters within an hour’s time. However, despite their efforts and the use of advanced technology like Ricochet, cheating remains a persistent challenge. In the beta version of Black Ops 6, approximately 12,000 accounts were banned before they could even begin playing, but some players still managed to complete ten matches over the first weekend. The second weekend saw improvement, with cheaters being banned within five days, yet there were still instances of cheating. Although the team has several preventive measures in place, particularly for Warzone, the issue is likely to continue based on past games alone.
Weapon Balance
During the initial phase of the Black Ops 6 beta, there were some exciting moments, but the Jackal PDW SMG caused a significant imbalance in the first weekend’s gameplay. This weapon became an instant favorite due to its minimal recoil and swift kill time. However, it underwent several adjustments for the second weekend.
Multiplayer Map Design
The twelve freshly introduced 6v6 Core maps seem fantastic, but opinions from beta testers are split. There’s ongoing discussion about whether the maps are too small overall, with some players arguing they favor those who enjoyed the Shipment map from Season One of 2019’s Modern Warfare. Despite this divide, it remains to be seen what enhancements these maps will bring, and we can only speculate about the rest of the launch map collection at this point.
High Bar for Zombies
The news of Black Ops 6‘s revival of the classic round-based Zombie mode brought joy to many fans, yet some remained cautious about the maps. Terminus Island appeared promising, but Liberty Falls and its vibrant colors or innovative features like weapon customization have sparked less excitement. As we await the unfolding of these elements, particularly the new Augments, it remains to be seen if Treyarch can match the greatness of Zombies while progressing the narrative. It’s a challenging endeavor to surpass past achievements and continue the storyline effectively.
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2024-10-25 17:13