Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review

If you’d asked me a couple of days ago what I was a expecting from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 I’d have probably said something smug and dismissive. We’ve been dancing to this tune for a long time now, with even the arguably fresher side of the franchise hitting its sixth iteration this year. Going in, I knew what to expect: soap-opera-level political intrigue, a lot of characters making threats and growling at one another, an explosion every eight seconds, and at least one high-speed vehicle section that utterly defies the rules of physics. And to be fair, we got all that – but we also got a few genuine surprises too.

See, Treyarch and Raven Software know that we know that they know we know what to expect from a Black Ops entry. But after last year’s mediocre Modern Warfare 3 campaign, the developer also know we’re getting tired of it. And while the argument stands that few people even care about the campaign in a Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 takes it seriously, and refuses to make the same mistakes. Well, most of them.

The result is a campaign that bounces from genre to genre like a flaming pinball. You’re rescuing a VIP from a desert convoy; you’re breaking into a political rally starring Bill Clinton by pretending to be a scummy paparazzi; you’re – yes – indulging in a physics-defying high-speed chase on the back of a motorbike. Hell, one of the campaign missions makes some serious use of the Zombies engine, marking the first of two instances where it’s almost a horror shooter.

As is customary, the cutscenes are outright wizardry, with some of the best lip-synching and face work in the business. It allows characters in the campaign to come to life, as newer characters mix it up with Black Ops stalwarts Woods and Adler. Between missions you’ll hideout in a colossal safehouse called The Rook, which houses areas to spend money on weapon and gear upgrades, or training, as well as treasure-hunt-style mini puzzles that feel almost out of place and then reward you with more money.

Pitching you against private military group, Pantheon, whose shadowy members have infiltrated even the upper echelons of power, Black Ops 6’s campaign circles the early months of the first Gulf War, but besides some scenery and early 90s tech, it’s becoming hard to tell the difference between a Black Ops and a Modern Warfare. In terms of narrative quality, pacing, and overall excitement, Black Ops 6 is several rungs above last year’s offering.

But as I said, most people don’t come to a new Call of Duty game for the campaign. Over the last near-decade, the Zombies mode has become more and more prevalent, moving away from what was a celeb-starring novelty mode to become a full-fledged game of its own. Featuring the Liberty Falls and Terminus maps at launch, this co-op mode is still arguably the best part of the CoD package.

After the last few Zombies modes went open world and felt a bit messy and unfocused, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 goes back to basics (sort of), with smaller maps and wave-based hordes. Once again, the focus is simpler: kill zombies, collect money, set traps, open doors, upgrade weapons, and survive. There’s less faffing about and more of an emphasis on tradition zombie re-murder, and having a better choice of weaponry instead of always being forced to start with a pistol and rely on luck to upgrade makes it feel much more enjoyable.

There is a story to it, but it’s the same sort of thing you’d normally get. That being said, though, this once-throwaway mode remains one of the best zombie-blasting experiences in gaming and the return to a simpler format has paid dividends this year.

And finally, of course, there’s the multiplayer. Various iterations of Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Raven, and more have been doing this for almost twenty years, so again, it’s easy to assume what they offering will be. In this instance, the big changes feel more mechanical than design-based. Not much has changed on the surface of it all, despite the addition of a few new modes, but something feels way smoother than it did last year. It could be the new “Omnimovement” which allows you to run, dive, or even slide in any direction, but whatever it is: it works.

I’m not the biggest multiplayer shooter fan, so some of it may be my imagination, but there’s a real sense of speed and power here, with tweaks to the TTK making you feel a little tougher without removing the threat. It makes games across any mode feel more tense and chaotic, with killstreaks and loadouts adding heaps of variety and replayability. If you find the TTK (time to kill) too long, there’s still Hardcore mode which, well, is exactly as it sounds.

My favourite new mode is Kill Order, which feels like something from original Halo games. It sees each team tasked with eliminating a VIP from the enemy side, putting heavy emphasis on teamwork to defend the asset or brutal efficiency to pick off the defenders and cap the target. With a dozen maps available at launch and an absolutely mad amount of weapons and gadgets at your disposal, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 didn’t need to work hard to build on what was already here, but Treyarch and Raven Software has nailed it nonetheless.

It’s a weird thing to even rate a Call of Duty game these days, so familiar have they become, but with a genuinely energetic and thrilling campaign, a return to round-based form for Zombies, and tighter, faster, more focused multiplayer, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the best entry we’ve had in a few years.