The latest installment in the enduring Call of Duty franchise has arrived: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. As a long-time follower of the series since its inception in 2003, I’ve witnessed its evolution, marked by both successes and shortcomings. The marketing campaign surrounding Black Ops 6, emphasizing a thrilling narrative and engaging gameplay, generated considerable anticipation, particularly in light of the reception to Modern Warfare III.
Does COD: Black Ops 6 deliver on its promises? Let’s delve into an analysis of its key components.
Campaign
Following the disappointing release of MWIII, which felt more like an expensive DLC, expectations were high for this year’s installment. While Black Ops 6 avoids the pitfalls of its predecessor, it unfortunately doesn’t elevate the series significantly. The campaign narrative feels familiar: a group of disaffected soldiers taking action against corruption within the CIA and a clandestine military organization, Pantheon, linked to – unsurprisingly – Russia. The recurring theme of antagonistic Russian elements feels increasingly stale, and Activision should consider refreshing their approach to the single-player experience.
The campaign maintains a linear, corridor-style gameplay, requiring players to advance through checkpoints. Enemy AI remains simplistic, with opponents exhibiting limited movement and awareness. The addition of computer hacking, lock picking, and puzzle sequences aims to extend playtime; however, without these elements, the core campaign experience would likely be shorter. Despite these drawbacks, the campaign features commendable voice acting and visually impressive cinematic sequences. Nevertheless, the campaign is ultimately underwhelming, with graphics that are comparable to, or even inferior to, those of MWIII, and a narrative that echoes previous Call of Duty titles. Meaningful innovation is clearly needed in this area.
Zombies
While the Zombies mode in Cold War and MWIII offered engaging open-world experiences with mission-based weapon upgrades, the Zombies mode in Black Ops 6 represents a significant decline. The gameplay feels restrictive, featuring small, cramped maps and a traditional wave-based structure. While some players may appreciate this classic approach, it feels rudimentary and reminiscent of earlier iterations of the mode, lacking the depth and innovation of recent entries.
Multiplayer
Historically, Treyarch’s multiplayer modes have been met with mixed reception. However, in Black Ops 6, the multiplayer component proves to be engaging and enjoyable. The new Omni-Movement system enhances the fluidity of gameplay, enabling more realistic maneuvers such as sliding and diving while shooting. This results in a smoother and more dynamic movement pattern compared to previous, more static iterations. The maps are generally well-designed and conducive to action. While some maps may feel chaotic, this contributes to the diversity of the experience, with players likely to find maps that suit their individual preferences.
A significant issue arises with the multiplayer sound settings. While the game offers various sound modes tailored to different audio setups (headphones, soundbars, speakers, etc.), their implementation is flawed. Footstep audio and directional sound cues are inaccurate, making it difficult to pinpoint enemy positions. The introduction of an “Enhanced Headphone Mode” that promises customizable audio adjustments is undermined by its paywalled access, requiring an additional 200 SEK to unlock. This practice is detrimental, creating an uneven playing field where players who pay extra gain a competitive advantage. This monetization strategy is difficult to justify.
Other
The redesign of the menu system is another questionable change, as the previous iterations were highly functional. The new menu feels cluttered and disorganized. Furthermore, the Gunsmith feature has been simplified, reducing the number of available attachments and limiting weapon customization options.
Summary
In conclusion, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 represents a marginal improvement over COD: MWIII, offering greater stability and notable strengths in its voice acting and cinematic presentation. The refined movement mechanics contribute to a faster and more fluid gameplay experience. However, Activision needs to re-evaluate its approach to single-player content, addressing the repetitive and uninspired nature of the narrative. Overall, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 achieves, at best, a mediocre rating.
Activision provided a review code for this evaluation. The provision of review materials does not influence our editorial independence.
