Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review

While Call of Duty game is consistently among the best selling games year in and year out, new entries since 2019 Modern warfare reboot has been met with a mixed reaction from fans. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has long been posed as a return to form for Call of Dutywith Activision hosting the game's turn-based Zombies and varied single-player campaign. After completing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 single-player campaign and spending time with both multiplayer and Zombies, it's clear that the game delivers on its promise and brings the long-running franchise back to its glory days.

The Black Ops 6 campaign is a blast

There was once a time when I eagerly awaited the annual Call of Duty campaign, but that has changed in recent years. The campaign during the 2022 century Modern Warfare 2 was a big mistake, while in 2023 Modern Warfare 3 the game took Call of Duty campaigns to new lows, and offers the series' worst single-player experience. I went in Black Ops 6 nervous that it would continue the unfortunate trend of bad Call of Duty campaigns, but came away pleasantly surprised.

The Black Ops 6 The campaign is mostly a good time, with tight, action-packed, linear missions interspersed with open-ended missions. A couple of the missions in Black Ops 6 the campaign gives players a small taste of what open world Call of Duty games can be like, and they make sure there's plenty of variety from one mission to the next. One mission will have players infiltrate an enemy compound undercover to sabotage their equipment, while another is a guns blazing attack on an airport terminal.

Players can select missions from their safehouse headquarters. The Safe House can be upgraded with cash found in missions, which in turn opens the door to character upgrades that offer an extra edge when you're out in the field. This adds great replay value to the campaign, which, combined with special multiplayer unlocks that players can earn by completing challenges, makes Black Ops 6 campaign one of the most rewarding in series history.

There is never a dull moment in Black Ops 6 campaign from a gaming perspective. Unfortunately, it all goes by a little too quickly. The Black Ops 6 The campaign can be completed in around five hours or so, which means some ideas aren't given the time to breathe and come into their own as they might in other, longer games. I was also completely unimpressed by the story Black Ops 6 campaign. Like many modern ones Call of Duty campaigns, the plot feels contrived, the characters are bland and it lacks the emotional gut punches the series was once known for.

Black Ops 6 Multiplayer is ridiculously fun

While the story is lackluster, the Black Ops 6 The promotion is still very exciting and a huge step up from last year. The same can be said for multiplayer, with Black Ops 6 mostly knock it out of the park in that arena too. Black Ops 6 has the typical Call of Duty multiplayer experience, with the big addition this year being the introduction of omnimovement. Black Ops 6 omnimovement basically allows players to sprint and dive in any direction they want, allowing for even faster gameplay and new movement options that shake up any given encounter. Although it may take some getting used to, Black Ops 6 omnimovement is positive and makes playing from minute to minute in multiplayer even more fun.

Call of Duty multiplayer is only as good as its maps, and while not everything hits as it should, I've been largely impressed by Black Ops 6s offers. Black Ops 6s multiplayer spawns could be better and there are some maps, like Rewind, that seem to punish players if they don't stick to a specific playstyle, but at least all the maps look incredible and have personality to them. I've had fun at all of them Black Ops 6s core multiplayer maps, and expect to spend dozens of hours playing them.

So far I have spent most of my time with Black Ops 6s multiplayer in Gunfight, the returning 2v2 mode that first debuted in 2019 Modern warfare. Four Gunfight maps are available at launch, with the best one easily being Release. Set in an apartment building, Stakeout is one of the most dynamic Gunfight maps to date, giving players more options to engage their opponents than ever before. Players can sprint to the room where the flag spawns, or they can make some risky jumps on the outside of the building to flank their opponents. There are also plenty of places to hide, with a small air duct connecting a couple of the rooms and a dangerous area in the middle where players can run on rooftops. One of the most fun I've had Black Ops 6 multiplayer has been in Gunfight and specifically on the Stakeout map, so hopefully future 2v2 maps will take inspiration from that.

Regardless of game mode, Black Ops 6 multiplayer lends itself well to hilarious water cooler moments. The game's ragdoll physics when players die, the ridiculous dives made possible by omnimotion, the ability to take enemies hostage and talk to them via proximity chat, and post-match winner's circle emotes all help make every multiplayer match entertaining in its own way. More than anyone else Call of Duty has for several years, Black Ops 6 multiplayer is laser-focused on making sure players have fun.

The Call of Duty the multiplayer experience will evolve over the next year. New maps and game modes will no doubt be added, which will help fill in some gaps and fix oversights. For example, the lack of any Gunfight tournament mode at launch is disappointing, as is the fact that fan favorite modes like Gun Game are nowhere to be seen.

On November 1st, the Black Ops 6 map will add the wildly popular Nuketown map.

Black Ops 6 marks the triumphant return of round-based zombies

Despite some disappointing exclusions, Black Ops 6 multiplayer still gives players their money's worth and then some, which is also true of the Zombies mode. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 brings back turn-based zombies with two completely unique maps available at launch, both of which are fun to explore and really scratch that classic zombie itch.

The two of them Black Ops 6 Zombie maps available at launch are Terminus and Liberty Falls. Terminus is set on a prison island, while Liberty Falls is set in a small American town. They offer completely distinct flavors and have unique characteristics to really set them apart from each other. The Terminus map is dark and brooding, with stormy weather, while Liberty Falls is a bright, open area with quaint shops to explore. Both have players killing zombies for points that can be spent on opening doors to new areas, acquiring useful perks like the Juggernog, rolling the dice at the Mystery Box, and upgrading weapons at the Pack-A-Punch machine. Both are also filled with secrets and each has a “main quest” easter egg to tackle, guaranteeing hours of valuable gameplay from Zombies alone.

Black Ops 6 Zombies checks all the boxes players have come to expect from classic Zombies with new quality of life features like being able to save and quit mid-run when playing solo. Of course, Zombies is at its best when played with friends, and I can see Terminus and Liberty Falls taking up plenty of co-op play sessions in the coming months. Fans of classic zombies should love what's here, and hopefully the mode gets a lot of attention Black Ops 6s seasonal updates.

Black Ops 6 is Call of Duty at its best

Zombies, multiplayer and campaign are all presented with impressive graphics that guarantee Call of Duty is still one of the best looking games on the market. Breathtaking lighting, highly detailed maps, smooth frame rate and next-level sound design expertly combine and solidify Black Ops 6 as the best Call of Duty game this year. Black Ops 6s post-launch support should mean the game will only get better over time, but what's available at launch is already fantastic and will keep fans of the franchise entertained for months on end.