After the underwhelming Modern Warfare III last year, many, myself included, believed Call of Duty had reached its nadir. Yet, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 defies expectations, delivering a captivating campaign that recaptures the series’ signature spectacle and intrigue, along with a multiplayer experience that, while not perfect, takes positive strides forward.
A Campaign Worth Playing
While not the best Call of Duty campaign ever (that honor arguably belongs to World War II or Vanguard), Black Ops 6 provides a consistently engaging and diverse experience. Its strength lies in its masterful pacing, a quality often lacking in recent Call of Duty titles.
The campaign is packed with explosive shootouts and well-designed combat scenarios, offering the thrilling gunplay synonymous with the series. However, Black Ops 6 also embraces its spy thriller roots, incorporating tense espionage sequences that reward player agency and provide welcome breaks from the relentless action. These quieter moments contribute to a more unique and captivating narrative.
One memorable mission involves going undercover as a photojournalist at a political gala to rescue a key character. Navigating the event, maintaining a disguise, and choosing between different paths to manipulate a corrupt senator offered a refreshing level of player freedom. While the narrative outcome remained consistent, the illusion of choice enhanced the sense of involvement in the unfolding story.
Later missions further experiment with player agency, including an open-world section in the Iraqi desert where optional objectives provide valuable scorestreaks, enhancing the subsequent large-scale palace raid. While not essential, these extra tools added a welcome layer of tactical depth.
A soldier stands outside in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Despite the campaign’s structural ingenuity, the narrative itself feels somewhat generic. The returning characters of Woods and Adler, along with some new faces, deliver likable performances, but the exposition dumps regarding various secret organizations and forgettable side characters can become overwhelming. The polished direction and excellent voice acting, however, partially mitigate this weakness.
Fans invested in the Black Ops lore can explore a mansion-turned-safe house between missions. This hub allows for character interactions, story progression, character upgrades, and the discovery of documents and puzzles that provide deeper insights into the narrative.
Throughout the eight-hour campaign, Black Ops 6 consistently surprised me with its varied gameplay, from puzzle-solving in the mansion to intense firefights and open-world exploration. This unpredictable nature, a welcome departure from recent entries, instills optimism for the future of Call of Duty’s single-player campaigns.
Omnimovement Redefines Multiplayer (For Better or Worse)
Black Ops 6‘s multiplayer significantly improves upon the iterative Modern Warfare III. Omnimovement, the first major gameplay overhaul since Advanced Warfare‘s jetpacks, allows sprinting and diving in any direction, adding a new dimension to combat. This allows for dynamic maneuvers, reminiscent of John Woo action films, as players dive through windows and outflank opponents.
A soldier shooting on their back in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
However, this increased mobility can sometimes devolve into chaotic, almost comical, situations. Players erratically sliding and diving in close-quarters combat can disrupt the flow of traditional gunfights. While mastering omnimovement undoubtedly requires skill, its overuse can detract from the core gameplay experience.
Thankfully, most engagements don’t descend into such absurdity. Black Ops 6‘s tight gunplay remains a highlight, providing a satisfying foundation even when omnimovement becomes frustrating.
Alongside familiar Call of Duty modes, including hardcore playlists, Black Ops 6 introduces Kill Order. This 6v6 mode emphasizes teamwork as players protect their high-value target (HVT) while hunting down the enemy’s. While enjoyable, Kill Order is best experienced with a premade group for optimal coordination.
Unfortunately, Black Ops 6 retains some of the series’ persistent flaws, including cluttered map design, frequent spawn-killing, poor visibility, misleading audio cues, and an overabundance of cover that encourages passive playstyles.
A few maps, like Babylon and Subsonic, offer simpler layouts with clear sightlines, reminiscent of classic Call of Duty map design. However, their small size can exacerbate spawn issues and pacing problems. While these maps offer a refreshing change of pace, they also highlight the inherent limitations of Call of Duty’s current multiplayer formula.
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Zombies mode returns with a story continuation from Black Ops: Cold War, offering wave-based gameplay across two new maps with ample content and mechanics. Even for non-enthusiasts, Zombies provides a fun cooperative experience.
Streamlined UI and Enhanced Perks
Black Ops 6 features a significantly improved UI, particularly in the game mode selection, loadout, and gunsmith sections. The simplified, text-focused menus are a welcome departure from the overly complex UI of previous games.
The new Combat Specialties system adds a layer of strategic depth to perk selection. By equipping three perks of the same color (Strategist, Recon, or Enforcer), players unlock additional bonuses. Wild Cards further enhance customization, allowing for dual primary weapons, extra attachments, or a fourth perk slot.
A screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Microtransactions Still a Major Downside
Despite its improvements, Black Ops 6 suffers from the franchise’s increasing reliance on microtransactions. The $70 game is riddled with prompts for seasonal battle passes, operator skins, and other cosmetic items. Furthermore, the lack of cross-progression for purchased content between subseries continues to be a major frustration.
While Activision justifies this with lore and logistical reasons, the fact that skins carry over into Warzone undermines these arguments. The lack of cross-progression feels like a cynical attempt to maximize monetization.
A Step in the Right Direction
Despite its microtransaction issues, Black Ops 6 represents a significant improvement for the Call of Duty franchise. The innovative campaign, refined multiplayer, and improved UI offer a refreshing experience. While long-standing problems persist, Black Ops 6 provides reasons for optimism about the future of the series.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was tested on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
