Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: thrilling campaign helps the series rank up

After Modern Warfare III‘s mediocre showing past November, I was emotion convinced that Call of Duty had yet deed rock-bottom pinch nary dream of digging its measurement out.

And yet ,here we are a twelvemonth later pinch nan reasonably coagulated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 proving maine wrong. This newest introduction successful nan long-running series serves up a run that taps into nan spectacle and intrigue that erstwhile defined nan franchise, arsenic good arsenic a multiplayer acquisition that — while still a profoundly flawed matter — takes a fewer steps guardant to make it worthy spending immoderate clip with. 

We’re truthful back

I can’t opportunity Black Ops 6 is nan champion Call of Duty run of each clip — that’s an grant I consciousness either World War II aliases Vanguard is astir deserving of — but it’s darn bully nosy from commencement to finish. That’s not conscionable because it hits akin precocious notes arsenic immoderate of nan series’ champion missions. No, its existent spot is that it understands pacing amended than any Call of Duty entry successful nan past decade.

There’s nary shortage of bombastic shootouts successful nan game’s amazingly lengthy campaign, pinch missions that often nonstop you into well-designed shooting galleries pinch each nan explosive nosy you’d expect from Call of Duty. But for each its thrilling gunfights, Black Ops 6 is really a spy thriller astatine heart, and it loves to support you connected your toes by occasionally unleashing tense espionage sequences that reward subordinate agency. It’s these calmer moments betwixt nan explosions and flying bullets that thief waste this outing arsenic thing acold much unsocial and captivating than what we’ve go utilized to successful caller releases.

Black Ops 6 kept maine emotion for illustration I didn’t cognize what was coming next.

One standout ngo sent maine undercover arsenic a photojournalist to a governmental gala (featuring Bill Clinton) to rescue 1 of nan game’s main characters. Here, I spent clip mingling pinch attendees and delicately keeping up my disguise arsenic I chose betwixt 3 different paths for manipulating my measurement into a photoshoot pinch a corrupt senator. I opted to eavesdrop connected immoderate would-be blackmailers and past bargain activity tapes retired from nether them, which yet led to nan senator’s emotionally distant woman talking her scummy hubby into letting maine threat a speedy shot. While neither of nan different 2 paths would’ve changed nan communicative successful immoderate measurement beyond that mission, it’s a awesome illustration of really moreover a sensation of elasticity tin make you consciousness for illustration you’re playing a meaningful portion successful nan story.

Later missions artifact pinch subordinate state again successful a much action-oriented way. One dropped maine into an unfastened world wherein I aided British forces by destroying immoderate objectives astir nan Iraq desert. Optional objectives littered nan tac-map, and really galore of them I engaged pinch was wholly up to me. I felt compelled to spot it all, and I was rewarded pinch useful people streaks, specified arsenic airstrikes and helicopters, that I could usage successful my large-scale ambush connected a palace successful nan pursuing mission. Choosing not to drawback these other devices wouldn’t person made nan ambush impossible, but having them against nan soldiers defending nan palace made maine gladsome I checked disconnected each those icons.

As breathtaking arsenic it is that Black Ops 6 perpetually changes things up successful structure, your mileage whitethorn alteration erstwhile it comes to its comparatively bland story. I’ve ne'er been attached to Black Ops’ recurring characters Woods and Adler, and Black Ops 6‘s by-the-books communicative didn’t alteration overmuch successful that regard. The duo returns present alongside immoderate caller faces to make quips and thief push nan game’s communicative forward, and nan full unit is likable capable to warrant tuning into their heartfelt individual conversations. However, nan premission exposition dumps that are utilized to capable maine successful connected various concealed organizations and nan twelve throwaway characters wrong them conscionable near maine zoned retired until I forgot who was who aliases why I should care. Granted, it’s each incredibly well-directed and wonderfully acted crossed nan board.

Activision

If you are invested successful nan larger Black Ops canon, you tin excavation deeper into nan characters and lore by exploring your monolithic mansion-turned-safe location passim nan campaign. You’ll return present aft astir missions to chat pinch your crew, scheme your adjacent move, and acquisition upgrades for your characteristic utilizing immoderate money you’ve found. You tin besides return clip to publication scattered documents aliases chat pinch characters betwixt events for further penetration into their thoughts connected everything. You tin moreover lick clever puzzles astir nan location that whitethorn aliases whitethorn not yet lead to a cool reward. I’ll ne'er tell.

By nan extremity of nan 8 aliases truthful hours it took maine to hit nan campaign, I walked distant emotion optimistic astir nan series’ single-player future. Whether it was nan clip I spent softly searching for puzzle clues successful nan beautiful distant mansion, shooting my measurement done a hallucinogenic-fueled nightmare, aliases clearing icons disconnected a tac-map arsenic I drove my measurement astir a pseudo-open world desert, Black Ops 6 kept maine emotion for illustration I didn’t cognize what was coming next. I can’t retrieve nan past clip I could opportunity that astir a Call of Duty game.

I (kind of) for illustration to move it, move it

By astir accounts, Black Ops 6‘s multiplayer is besides decidedly much breathtaking than past year’s iterative Modern Warfare III, which fundamentally felt for illustration DLC for Modern Warfare II. In nan series’ first important gameplay overhaul since Advanced Warfare introduced a little three-game obsession pinch jetpacks, Black Ops 6‘s caller omnimovement characteristic seeks to redefine nan bid arsenic a existent movement-focused shooter. Whether this other spot of pizzazz makes nan crippled amended is arguable, but there’s nary denying that it changes nan moment-to-moment gameplay acold much than thing other has successful rather immoderate time.

Omnimovement lets you sprint and dive successful immoderate direction, which opens up a world of possibilities for getting nan precocious manus successful shootouts. At times, it tin consciousness you’re surviving successful a John Woo movie, diving backward done second-story windows, landing connected your backmost below, and past mowing down unsuspecting foes. Narrowly escaping decease by diving Max Payne-style down a portion of screen earlier wrapping astir and astonishing your foe from down is admittedly a bully momentary thrill.

Activision

But nan inherent velocity coupled pinch this omnidirectional activity tin origin things to get a spot silly and irritating astatine times, too. I’ve encountered a batch of folks successful multiplayer who erratically descent successful each 4 directions astatine adjacent scope while spraying bullets, aliases who dive backmost and distant betwixt various covers looking for illustration they’re portion of immoderate benignant of Scooby Doo pursuit sequence. 

Sure, it takes accomplishment to maestro this type of activity while retaining reasonable accuracy astatine nan aforesaid clip — each owed respect to anyone making fantabulous usage of mechanics nan crippled has provided — but it looks hilariously absurd. It’s for illustration jump spamming connected steroids, and I’d overmuch alternatively conscionable prosecute successful much accepted shootouts that mightiness occasionally warrant nan usage of a cool dive aliases something. Thankfully, nan overwhelming mostly of engagements I’ve seen truthful acold don’t devolve into specified cartoonish mayhem. Besides, Black Ops 6 has tight, responsive gunplay that feels arsenic awesome arsenic ever and should thief support nan nosy going moreover erstwhile omnimovement tests your patience from clip to time.

Movement aside, you tin jump  into each of nan modes that typically show up successful Call of Duty, including a much-appreciated hardcore playlist that ups nan ante moreover further. But this twelvemonth besides includes nan caller Kill Order mode, a 6v6 mode that rewards squad strategy arsenic you activity together to protect your HVT (high-value target) while search down and eliminating nan opposing team’s. If you’re nan HVT astatine immoderate constituent successful time, your champion move is to instrumentality pinch your squad and dream they protect you, arsenic you’re worthy 2 points to nan force squad if you die. It each makes for a bully time, but it’s champion played pinch a premade group, arsenic playing pinch a squad of random players makes occurrence consciousness for illustration luck of nan draw.

I’ve been vocal astir my distaste for nan casualization of Call of Duty for years, uncovering myself irritated pinch maps that person excessively galore sightlines, punishing moreover nan champion players pinch inexpensive deaths while rewarding low-skill players for stumbling into nan correct area astatine nan correct time. This type of “no kid near behind” gameplay accuracy returns successful Black Ops 6 alongside each nan accustomed frustrations for illustration spawning into gunfire aliases grenades aggregate times per match, mediocre visibility (enemies that blend into environments), misleading audio cues, and maps overflowing pinch screen to cater to passive players.

It’s perfectly good that nan franchise has evolved, but that will everlastingly beryllium nan Call of Duty I emotion and miss.

A fistful of Black Ops 6‘s maps subordinate nan inclination of overcomplicated and cluttered interiors that person plagued nan bid for years. In doing so, they afloat clasp nan chaos of nonstop, chaotic gunfights that nan developers look to want to prioritize, for amended aliases worse. The ruins-based representation Babylon is simply a near-perfect quadrate pinch an altar successful nan middle, which gives it an almost arena shooter vibe pinch 4 lanes making up nan outer perimeter, each providing entree to nan cardinal platform. Meanwhile, nan mini representation Subsonic takes spot successful and astir a hangar, pinch 2 unfastened lanes connected nan extracurricular pinch straightforward sightlines and a small, easy-to-navigate interior pinch constricted cover. 

Unfortunately, nan mini size of maps for illustration Babylon and Subsconic besides exacerbates spawn constituent issues and don’t do overmuch to alleviate nan baked-in velocity and pacing issues I person pinch Call of Duty’s multiplayer these days. But erstwhile I’ve had a chance to conflict my measurement done these types of maps successful Black Ops 6, I’ve astatine slightest enjoyed really they do distant pinch astir of nan visibility-hampering delirium and sightline issues successful favour of an unembellished structure, taking maine backmost to a simpler clip erstwhile Call of Duty was astir aiming faster and much accurately than personification other down intelligibly defined lanes. It’s perfectly good that nan franchise has evolved, but that will everlastingly beryllium nan Call of Duty I emotion and miss. 

Of course, Zombies is back arsenic well, pinch a communicative that straight follows up nan 1 told successful 2020’s Black Ops: Cold War. If blasting nan undead is your thing, there’s a batch to emotion successful nan mode’s return to wave-based gameplay, which takes spot crossed 2 caller maps pinch a staggering magnitude of optional contented to complete and mechanics to master. Even if you’re not a immense instrumentality for illustration me, there’s nary denying that spending a fewer hours mowing done nan hordes pinch friends is judge to put a grin connected nan look of anyone who has watched Zombies germinate from an other mode into a full-fledged portion of nan Call of Duty trinity.

Perk up, buttercup

I’m happy to study that Black Ops 6‘s UI is simply a measurement successful nan correct guidance compared to nan past fewer iterations. While it looks and feels for illustration nan erstwhile games erstwhile navigating betwixt tabs successful nan main menu, nan crippled mode selection, loadout, and gunsmith sections person been streamlined to make them considerably much user-friendly. By eschewing nan erstwhile games’ flashy, but analyzable UI successful favour of simple, text-focused menus, I nary longer consciousness exhausted conscionable trying to group up my guns and perks.

Activision

Speaking of perks, I’m a immense instrumentality of Black Ops 6‘s preamble of Combat Specialities. There are 3 color-coded perk types — Strategist (Green), Recon (Blue), and Enforcer (Red) — and you’re granted an further boon by slotting perks of a circumstantial colour successful each 3 perk slots. For instance, I’ve gone each successful connected Recon for things for illustration quieter footsteps and amended minimap indicators, and I’ve been rewarded pinch a Combat Specialty that concisely reveals force locations done walls erstwhile I respawn and nary longer leaves down a skull marker erstwhile I termination someone.

You tin besides equip a Wild Card to each loadout, which efficaciously functions arsenic different perk, letting you do things for illustration transportation 2 superior weapons, equip up to 8 attachments connected a gun, aliases moreover unfastened up a 4th existent perk slot truthful that you tin usage 1 of nan perks you whitethorn person different passed up erstwhile aiming for your preferred Combat Specialty. None of this is peculiarly deep, of course, but I emotion needing to see nan consequence and rewards of choosing aliases abandoning perks I’ve typically rolled pinch successful erstwhile games. 

Skin there, done that

In my Modern Warfare III review last year, I half-jokingly quipped that Activision should conscionable “rebrand nan bid arsenic what it really is astatine its halfway now: a storefront pinch a multiplayer mode attached.” And look, Black Ops 6‘s unthinkable run and flawed, but palatable multiplayer is an wide betterment complete nan mediocrity fixed to america successful 2023, but nan greed I was referencing seems to only beryllium getting worse. 

It’s already bad capable that a $70 crippled shoves microtransactions successful your look erstwhile you footwear it up; it’s much sickening that Activision has shape-shifted nan franchise into a semipermanent unrecorded service-like experience. It’s overloaded pinch features for illustration a centralized login hub and costly seasonal conflict passes and usability skins, yet it’s designed truthful that each subseries wholly disregards each of nan purchases you made for nan past one. 

Activision

The team’s anemic justification for skins not carrying complete is that this crippled takes spot successful a different clip play pinch unsocial cogwheel and operators that align pinch its setting. The measurement they apparently spot it is that it makes consciousness that Snoop Dogg tin look disconnected against characters from The Walking Dead successful Modern Warfare III, but a portion of cogwheel from different era successful Black Ops 6 would conscionable beryllium excessively wacky. Give maine a break.

Perhaps you could reason that there’s besides a logistical rumor owed to nan games being developed by abstracted teams each year, but I’m going to spell retired connected a limb and opportunity that a publisher worthy $69 billion tin make it work, particularly since each of nan skins transportation complete into Warzone conscionable fine. I’m really not buying immoderate of Activision’s flimsy excuses, conscionable for illustration I’m not buying immoderate of Activision’s play passes aliases exorbitant skins.

Despite these ever-growing microtransaction woes, Black Ops 6 is simply a measurement guardant successful different ways for a franchise that has felt half-dead for a while now. By combining an unexpectedly inventive run pinch immoderate worthwhile changes and improvements to its multiplayer, there’s a batch present for longtime fans to consciousness optimistic about, moreover if galore of Call of Duty’s astir important problems still loom ample pinch nary signs of changing anytime soon.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was tested connected PlayStation 5 pinch a codification provided by nan publisher.