It’s true that I play a new Call of Duty every year. I prefer some releases over others, but I usually stick with the latest release and push it forward for an extra year. Reviews for Modern Warfare 3 were generally positive, with solid multiplayer and satisfying gunplay, but it ultimately disappointed in the campaign department.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can feel relatively safe at times, but it offers a very interesting campaign that isn’t afraid to shake things up. The remaining multiplayer and zombie modes also lean into safer territory, even if they hit all the right points in tweaking what we expect.
campaign
The experience is typically divided into three pillars each year, so let’s break it down, starting with the campaign. Set in 1991 and following the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Woods is on the trail of a new secret organization that appears to be attempting to infiltrate the CIA and release a deadly biochemical. and catch up with Adler. They dropped weapons on the United States and infected the nation.
I won’t give away any more spoilers, but it’s great to see the old gang reunited, along with new faces like Troy Marshall, Seb, and Helen Park. Each plays an important role at some point in the story. Players control William “Case” Calderon, who unfortunately feels like an afterthought. I understand that these characters are intentionally plain to make the player feel like they’re in control, but the story does set up some interesting beats for this particular character. But it never really pays off, making him feel pretty insignificant. He never even appears in cutscenes, which is just weird.
However, in this story, you’ll take part in some unique tasks, like infiltrating a U.S. senator’s rally party with only a camera and breaking into a luxurious casino for the ultimate Ocean’s Eleven-style heist. You will have to do so. There are also missions where you sneak into an Italian village and take out someone you’re interested in from afar, making you feel more like James Bond than Rambo. There were also some short horror-themed missions that gave me quite a bit of fright. Play around with these mannequins and you’ll see what I mean.
We were also impressed by how smooth the character models looked in both cutscenes and general gameplay, even when the game moved away from in-engine gameplay in favor of pre-rendered cutscenes. , it’s still very obvious. But at the same time, everything is well-acted, well-presented, and shot like any high-stakes political thriller, soundtrack, voice performances, etc.
The fact that the campaign isn’t afraid to spread its wings gives us confidence that this series isn’t done learning new tricks. It’s short at about 8 hours, but it’s nail-biting, to say the least.
multiplayer
The multiplayer mode may have the safest approach when it comes to the three pillars of the game, but I still think it works in some departments.
First, Black Ops 6 introduces a new omnidirectional movement system that allows players to jump in any direction instead of moving straight ahead. This seems very simple, but the operator’s body moves dynamically in that direction, making him feel the weight of the dive.
This means, for example, when you dive and turn backwards, the enemy will see your torso rotate independently. Your body does not simply dive or rotate as if it were on some kind of stationary horizontal plane. There’s definitely a difference when it comes to sliding and diving, and it looks and feels more natural when racing through chaotic landscapes.
Black Ops 6 also packs 17 maps, including the classic Nuketown, which was released a week after the game’s initial release. The maps are divided into core maps, which host classic 6v6 matches, and strike maps, which host smaller 2v2 matches. Both large and small maps are available here, providing considerable variety and allowing players to take advantage of depth and verticality. I’m sure fans will find their favorites, but if you have the chance to vote for one, I recommend either the Babylon map or the Red Card map.
Progression is also relatively easy, as reaching level 55 resets you to level 1 once you reach the prestige ranking. This is a more traditional approach, but I’m all for it. Weapons have 40-50 levels, unlocking different attachments and camouflages. This is another classic approach, and you can also use prestige rankings to permanently unlock your preferred gun, allowing you to keep all its attachments and camouflage. Everything else will be reset to level 1. Let’s not complain about this, because unlike previous Call of Duty titles, you don’t have to use other weapons to unlock attachments for other weapons, promoting replayability and experimentation. There is no.
My only real gripe with the progression here is that it hardly asks for more than the basics. Hit 10 headshots to unlock this skin. After hitting 20 headshots, the next headshot will be unlocked. I’m not going to argue against this traditional approach anytime soon, but I wish these tasks could be a little more diverse and take advantage of the new Omnimovement system, for example.
Nothing more to write home about, but still, as it does every year, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 offers an incredibly satisfying Time to Kill (TTK) experience across each of its nine modes. and finding footing in consistent chaos. Progression may feel stale to some and nostalgic to others, but no matter which way you look at it, there’s no denying that the new omni-movement system has vastly improved play satisfaction. you can’t.
zombie
Zombies are back again to give us two maps: Liberty Falls and Terminus. Liberty Falls seems like a quaint, open-minded Midwestern town, but it quickly turns into a world of madness as you run through various alleyways and staircases to survive. Terminus is a little more claustrophobic, but it also feels a little more tense because you always feel like you’re cornered.
This year’s gameplay is typically round-based, but there are plenty of Easter eggs to unlock that are unique to each of the two maps. For the most part, I feel that Black Ops 6 executes that line very well. It offers modes that are easy enough to jump in and play, or deep enough to explore while completing specific goals and discovering cool Easter eggs on the map. Certain objectives are obvious, like turning on a generator on the terminal map or reaching the church on the other side of Liberty Falls, but there’s a surprising amount of things to do and see if you put your mind to looking for them. There are many.
The omni-movement system also helps feel fresh from a gameplay perspective as you duck, dive, and weave your way through waves of zombies. Along the way, you’ll also be able to take advantage of new abilities in the form of Gobble Gum found in various gumball machines, as well as classic perks like Jaguar Nog and Quick Revive by drinking your trusty Perk Cola. You can also customize your classes and weapons as well.
The voice acting here is a little more annoying than I expected. The performances here are generally acceptable, as you’ll hear the same lines again a few times, especially as the rounds get longer, but it doesn’t really matter overall to the experience.
Overall, this new Zombies mode feels safe overall, but it’s also incredibly fun for short periods of time. Although various easter eggs are offered, you can appreciate the more linear, round-based gameplay that makes it easier to jump into things at certain times.
final thoughts
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 feels safe in certain locations, but never feels broken or frustrating. For me, this is a big win. Thanks to its varied campaign and smoother omni-travel system, it enhances and sometimes revitalizes its core gameplay without losing its identity.
While the overall experience may not do much to appeal to people who have shown little interest in the series in previous years, there’s a lot to love about this year’s action blockbuster in many ways.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Same solid gameplay. The new omni-movement system feels great. Attractive campaign mode
Weaknesses: Can feel a little safe at times. Certain audio performance can be a little annoying
Developers: Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, High Moon Studios, Beenox, Demonware, Raven, Activision Shanghai
Publisher: Activision
Platform: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
