Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Review (Xbox Series X|S)

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Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Review (Xbox Series X|S)

After the modest reception of the Modern Warfare 2 and 3 remakes, fans were left wondering whether the Call of Duty franchise had ran out of steam. Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 (BO6) dispels those worries. Developers Raven Software (campaign) and Treyarch (multiplayer and Zombies) have delivered a refined Call of Duty formula that impresses with an explosive campaign, fun and frantic multiplayer and Zombies mode, the most dynamic gunplay and movement yet, and an all-around outstanding presentation. However, BO6 is impeded by a campaign that has hit-and-miss elements like an afterthought of a protagonist, lack of multiplayer map variety, and some peculiar multiplayer glitches.

BO6 attempts some much needed risky diversification, but does not stray too far from what fans love about the franchise. What is here will surely satisfy newcomers and veterans alike. BO6 surpasses the Modern Warfare 2 and 3 remakes to deliver the most compelling and complete top-to-bottom Call of Duty package since the 2019 Modern Warfare. While BO6 may not match the heights of ****** Ops 1 and 2019 Modern Warfare in terms of campaign and multiplayer, I believe it deserves a spot among the best Call of Duty titles… and that’s not classified.

Campaign

The campaign can best be described as Bourne meets Mission Impossible, with a sprinkle of Ocean’s 11, and a dash of Michael Bay pyrotechnics. BO6 holds no prisoners in delivering one of the most fast-paced and thrilling campaigns in Call of Duty history. The story is set in 1991 and follows protagonist William “Case” Calderon as he unravels the involvement of the secretive paramilitary group Pantheon within the CIA. Is there a mole and who is it? You and your team will have to go rogue to find out. BO6 follows the events of Cold War and ****** Ops 2, although BO6 does a good job to fill in newcomers on previous plots. The story runs at a satisfying six to eight hours and has several twists and turns, drawing plenty of inspiration from the best action movies. In some cases, the story takes risks to include stealth approaches, an open level, and even some divisive elements plucked from other Call of Duty game modes.

That’s right, BO6 features new additions to the Call of Duty formula to refine it. For several campaign missions, players can choose a more stealthier approach to how they handle business due to the diverse level design. This is a much appreciated addition as it adds more gameplay variety. BO6 also features a safe house or hub in-between missions where the player can take a breather, explore the place for secrets, and interact with the hard-boiled cast of characters. This offers an opportunity to connect with the cast, learn about their motivations, and represents a much more engaging way to involve the player within the story compared to the more streamlined approaches of previous Call of Duty titles. The plot also has some interesting, if not predictable twists, although the action allows the narrative to proceed at a comfortable pace. Nonetheless, the story concludes with several unanswered questions, most likely as a means of setting up the next instalment in the series.

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The cast is generally what you’d expect — a hard-boiled rag-tag team of rogue ****** ops out to uncover why “The Truth *****.” Fan favorites Adler and Woods return and we get a few new members. The new members are engaging enough as side characters and their backstories are interesting in how they connect to the main cast. The issue here is actually Case, our silent protagonist. It often feels like there is a certain disconnect between Case and the rest of the team and story. That’s because Case does not take part in cutscenes, we don’t see his face, and we don’t find out about what makes him tick. While the game adds some backstory to him later on in the campaign, players are left wondering about how Case really feels about all of this? I would have appreciated if characters engaged more with Case, asked him (the player) questions as an opportunity to craft my own backstory or even include branching dialogue options.

While the actual plot may not surprise with deep storytelling, it is the journey rather than the destination when it comes to ****** Ops 6. Raven Software does a masterful job at directing and choreographing elaborate set-pieces, such as a nighttime shout-out in Kuwait among oil fires, an infiltration and ************** mission in France, a breakout from an underground CIA ****** site, a sneaky casino heist, and much more. The levels are mostly memorable due to their design and inventive set pieces. This brings variety to the missions. However, not all of this variety is a hit. Halfway through the campaign, BO6 features an open Iraq level that sticks out since the rest of the game is confined to streamlined missions. There is also a divisive mission that brings about certain supernatural elements from another game mode. For me, the latter mission works and is daring enough to send a jolt through the Call of Duty formula, although your milage will vary.

In terms of presentation, BO6 features all the bells and whistles of a well cared-for AAA title. Raven Software expertly puts the IW engine to use by crafting highly detailed environments, outstanding **** animations, high-fidelity cutscenes, and realistic lighting. BO6 runs well on the Xbox Series X, with a mostly stable framerate on a 120 Hz display and with VRR on to smooth out the experience. I have not encountered any major glitches during the campaign. Score composer Jack Wall also brings his A-game to become the driving heartbeat behind the action with his generous use of guitars and string arrangements. It’s a blockbuster campaign done absolutely right.

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Multiplayer

I previously covered the early access multiplayer Beta. While I was optimistic about the experience, I still hoped Treyarch would listen to the community to implement some changes. I am happy to reveal that Treyarch delivered the best and most seamless Call of Duty gunplay experience yet. The omnimovement feels dynamic and very responsive, allowing players to easily move, slide, and ***** in all directions. The aiming is equally responsive, with an auto-aim feature being implemented at close range as well to help console players aim more steadily as they make the transition from medium to close-range gunfights. Treyarch also listened to the community and worked on the weapons balance, which now allows players to worry less about following a specific overpowered meta and just enjoy leveling up their favorite ******* loadouts.

Speaking of leveling, Treyarch decreased the time it takes to level your weapons and your rank. This means players have the opportunity to level their weapons faster and unlock ******* attachments earlier than the Beta. BO6 multiplayer sees the return of Classic Prestige, where players can rise up the ranks to max level 55 and then begin their journey to earn top level Prestige rewards. This progression system is so far satisfying and feels decently paced.

The seamless movement and gunplay coupled with the current map roster encourages fun and frantic gunfights. The launch maps are smaller-sized compared to previous Call of Duty titles. This means an increase in the number of encounters and a faster gunplay pace. Those hoping for a more tactical approach to multiplayer should look elsewhere. Nonetheless, the small maps mean a certain lack of variety. For example, ******* rifle players may have a more challenging time getting their killstreaks.

Indeed, the multiplayer still has some challenges that need addressing. I hope to see more varied and larger maps over time that give players more options. At the moment, the majority of the launch maps follow a boxed-in and three-lane structure as a means of incentivizing fast gunfights. Servers seem to have been improved since the Beta in terms of stability and packet losses. Nonetheless, there are still losses happening here and there. This is most obvious when favorite ******* loadouts fail to properly load in the middle of the match. BO6 multiplayer also has several menu UI problems on the Xbox Series X|S. I encountered frequent text overflow issues while waiting in the lobby and during the ******* loadout screens. In other cases, there have been post-match glitches related to XP points showing negative values. This cheapens the polish that the multiplayer generally has, although won’t detract from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, Treyarch did an excellent job making the multiplayer play and feel great, even if map variety and technical glitches slightly affect the experience.

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Zombies

As the third main pillar of the ****** Ops 6 experience, Zombies mode also delivers great fun and is generally well implemented. Survive hordes of the undead as you make your way through two launch maps, Liberty Falls and Terminus. The former is an open level with shops, video stores, a *******, and more, reminiscent of an old West ********* town. The latter is a prison complex that feels more closed, dark, and gloomy. These can be played solo or cooperatively with three other players. The gunplay ******** largely the same, although the Zombies mode has special perks, abilities, and weapons. For example, GobbleGums return from ****** Ops 3 and offer players specific bonuses and abilities like teleportation and special ammo. Progression is tied to ******** undead and creatures to rack up essence points, which are basically the mode’s currency. Essence is used to unlock new areas and buy weapons/upgrades. It’s an easy enough system to understand and you won’t go missing for zombie hordes to farm.

BO6 has a plethora of zombies and monsters to ******, including fast, slow, and tank zombies, alongside spider-like and flying creatures. That’s just scratching the surface as more undead and maps will likely be added. The satisfaction of mowing down legions of undead never gets old. For the most part, the framerate stays stable throughout even when assaulted by a sizable undead horde. I also did not encounter any major glitches on either map. In this sense, the Zombies mode feels like a polished experience.

While the gameplay feels great, the story is unfortunately an afterthought. The BO6 Zombies story picks up five years after the conclusion of Call of Duty: Cold War. However, BO6 does not include a recap of these events. New players will be puzzled by the fast start of the story and exactly how they got here. The BO6 characters are unlikable, muttering platitudes, and trying to exude as much cool as possible. There is little substance to them. The omission of a compelling Zombies story makes me believe that Treyarch considers narrative as secondary to gameplay for this mode. This is unfortunate since there is a community out there very involved with Call of Duty Zombies lore. While the gameplay is compelling, I believe the Zombies mode still has a lot of potential that goes unfulfilled. I encourage Treyarch to give the Zombies mode a higher degree of attention, especially when it comes to crafting context and narrative.

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Summary

Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 is a return to form for the franchise and deserves a spot among the best Call of Duty titles. BO6 is a complete top-to-bottom Call of Duty package, featuring an explosive campaign, a fun and frantic multiplayer and Zombies mode, the most dynamic gunplay and movement yet, and an all-around outstanding presentation. However, BO6 is impeded by a campaign that has hit-and-miss elements like an afterthought of a protagonist, lack of multiplayer map variety, and some peculiar multiplayer glitches. Nonetheless, the experience is well worth it on the Xbox Series X|S, and I recommend BO6 to newcomers and veterans alike.

Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 mostly erases the aftertaste of the more lackluster Modern Warfare 2 and 3 remakes, while providing renewed hopes for the franchise. With BO6, Raven Software and Treyarch have just upped the ante for Infinity Ward and the Modern Warfare series. Let’s see how Infinity Ward responds.

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