After a miserable streak of Call of Duty games ranging from Vanguard to Modern Warfare III, it’s refreshing to finally say that this year’s Call of Duty title is a hit. Black Ops 6 is finally here and millions of players worldwide are soaking up this triple-threat of a title that boasts a solid campaign, a round-based Zombies offering, and a stellar multiplayer platform.
As a Call of Duty fan of almost 20 years, I’m so pleased that I can finally recommend the latest release to anyone who asks, ‘Is Black Ops 6 good?’ It is beyond ‘good’, and I’ll outline why in this short, snappy Black Ops 6 review.
If you’d rather check out this review in a video format, check out the below:
The Diversity is Unreal
I always play the campaign portion of a Call of Duty game first. Last year’s paltry offering disappointed me, so I went into Black Ops 6 with guarded expectations. From end to end, it took me just south of seven hours to finish Black Ops 6, and that’s playing on the easiest difficulty setting.
I’d expect that from a top-tier Call of Duty campaign, so I’m satisfied with the length.
What’s better than how long the campaign is is just how diverse an offering Raven and Treyarch arranged for us this time around. Every mission feels like a portion taken from a unique game.
In one sequence, I was exploring a semi-open-world Iraqi environment, hunting down several objectives. In the next, I was decked out in disguise, sneaking around a gala hosted by Bill Clinton and trying to solve puzzles. I was thrust into the thick of intense combat sequences against advanced soldiers, and then shortly after, plunged into a fight for my life against the undead.
The pacing is nothing short of remarkable.
As you’d expect, Black Ops 6 is a globetrotting adventure, taking players from Russia to the United States to Iraq, and beyond. I can’t fault the world-building – everything looks flawless on screen and is a wonder to explore. The attention to detail is second to none, and the mysteries and collectables scattered throughout each mission give you a reason to look beyond the run-and-gun nature of the series.
I came away from the campaign hungry for an open-world RPG-style Call of Duty game. Everything from the ‘customisation’ of the base of operations you unlock to the new skills and abilities you gain with cash found in the world gave me a reason to be much more thorough.
I won’t spoil the story, but Black Ops fans will be left satisfied with what’s on offer. It’s a classic Black Ops setting, packed full of recognisable characters, a punchy soundtrack, and of course, references to Zombies.
Related: How to Complete Every Safehouse Puzzle in Black Ops 6
Magic Mechanics
We knew from the beta that Black Ops 6 is one of the most innovative games in the series when it comes to movement and mechanics. From the campaign to the multiplayer, those mechanics are explored in full. Pre-launch, Activision’s teams applied tweaks to the ‘Omnimovement’ system, and leaping through the air while firing akimbo, full-auto handguns feels smooooooth.
The fluid movement and intuitive controls lend themselves nicely to a pleasant seven or so hours of gameplay through the campaign, and they translate perfectly to Black Ops 6’s multiplayer ecosystem. While I’m not a fan of every map or mode, what I have played, I’ll rate quite high.
What I’ve found is that Black Ops 6 feels accommodating to both newcomers and veterans. It’s as typical a multiplayer offering as you can ask for, but you just get it so much faster than previous titles. Within a few matches, I had my custom classes levelling up, I was learning hills and spawn points, and I was getting to grips with the mechanics that weren’t present in the beta.
It’ll make for a fantastic competitive Call of Duty, let’s say that.
Related: Best Black Ops 6 Controller Settings
It’s hard to offer up a Black Ops 6 multiplayer review as it’s such a subjective topic. All I’ll say is that I’ve played the multiplayer on every game since Call of Duty 4 (2007) and this is the best multiplayer I’ve experienced in a long time. Previously, I enjoyed Cold War – but Vanguard, MWII, and MWIII left me feeling cheated and dismayed.
Summing up:
- SBMM – Not too rough
- Settings – Slimmed down in some areas, which is good
- Audio – Nice, especially with the new enhanced audio option
- Aim assist – Good enough that PC players will complain about it again
- Maps – Can take or leave some of them
- Stability – Packet burst is still a thing
- Progression – Love the new attachment and camo options, and gaining levels is easy enough
What else would you want listed?
The Other Stuff
What else can we say as part of this Black Ops 6 review?
I experienced one bug in the campaign that forced me to reload checkpoint, that’s about it. The AI is intelligent enough to be mostly believable, the story is somewhat unpredictable and intriguing, and the combat feels satisfying and engaging. For challenge hunters, it’s a superb game – there’s plenty of meat on the bones here.
I’ll admit that I haven’t probed too deeply into the Zombies mode yet, but from what I’ve heard, it’s one of the best COD Zombies games in years, and the round-based operating model slaps.
Related: How to Get Ray Gun in Black Ops 6 Zombies
Verdict: Buy
As this is the first Call of Duty game to land on Game Pass at launch, Xbox and PC subscribers can get their copy for no added charge, which is a huge bonus. If you’re not a subscriber, I wholeheartedly recommend investing the cash and securing your copy of Black Ops 6.
From a long and entertaining campaign to a stacked and solid multiplayer platform that feels refreshingly modern and well-built, to the round-based Zombies offering and the promise of a decent roadmap, there’s nothing about Black Ops 6 that turns me off. If I had to put a number against this Black Ops 6 review, it would be a 9 out of 10.
This honestly is the best we’ve had in years.
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