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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Review – A Wildly Entertaining Dive into a Dystopian Hallucination

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In today’s landscape of live service “Forever Games,” it seems almost outdated to view the annual release of a new Call of Duty title as a significant occasion. Yet, Black Ops 7 emerges as a fresh assault of stunning military shooting action, merely a year after its immediate predecessor. This latest installment takes place in the dystopian year of 2035, where a global arms manufacturing firm named Guild claims to be the sole solution to a looming apocalyptic terrorist threat. But are things really that straightforward?

The response is a resounding “No!” Black Ops serves as the paranoid, conspiracy-driven cousin to the Modern Warfare series, drawing inspiration from ’70s thrillers like The Parallax View and The China Syndrome, while incorporating concerns from the Vietnam era related to rogue CIA operatives and unusual psychological tactics. This campaign mode, which comprises just a quarter of this year’s storyline, presents a surreal exploration of sociopolitical themes such as psychotic companies, hybrid warfare, robotics, and high-tech oligarchy. The result is a deafening barrage of explosive gunfight set pieces in exotic locales, placing our four main characters—members of an ultra-elite special forces unit—under the influence of psychotropic substances as they navigate their darkest nightmares. Fortunately, they wield advanced weaponry, cutting-edge gadgets, and enough light-hearted banter to destabilize an entire nation. It’s chaotic, uncompromising, and incredibly entertaining, especially when experienced in co-op mode with three equally reckless friends.

In an intriguing twist, the campaign concludes with a new mode called Endgame. This cooperative PvE (player vs. environment) feature is inspired by the endgame content found in MMO (massively multiplayer online) games, such as World of Warcraft, and is intended to keep players engaged even after reaching maximum levels. In this Call of Duty iteration, players arrive in the fictional city of Avalon, undertaking missions to defeat high-value targets and safely escort valuable military technology across a vast open world. As you progress, you’ll upgrade your characters and weapons, with Activision promising new missions and objectives that will likely introduce public events where teams collaborate to take down megabosses. Only time will reveal the true potential, but for now, it’s an excellent way to extend the campaign and gear up for online action.




Future War … Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Photo: Activision

Make no mistake, the core of the game lies in traditional multiplayer, introducing fresh modes, firearms, and gadgets to the classic Call of Duty experience. Twelve players engage in frenetic skirmishes within confined spaces in a mechanized bloodbath. New maps, such as those set in a Tokyo-inspired shopping area or a deep-sea oil rig, are masterfully crafted death chambers, featuring alleyways, high windows, and plazas that strategically lead players toward confrontation. My favorite is the Alaska Basemap, where moving platforms turn capturing objectives in Domination and Hardpoint modes into a fascinating challenge. Additionally, a new wall-jumping feature enhances the verticality of maps, enabling players to discover new paths through intricate structures. If you’ve never appreciated the high-paced brutality of the Call of Duty online experience, this likely won’t change your opinion, but for veterans of the carnage, there’s plenty to relish.

Then there’s the Zombies mode—an additional online co-op feature set within a nightmarish landscape filled with abandoned frontier towns and irradiated wastelands. Players must endure endless waves of undead foes while upgrading their weaponry and abilities. This iteration returns to the round-based format of earlier Zombies entries, offering new weapons and features, including the ability to traverse different areas in a pickup truck while blasting away at rampaging zombies from the hood. It feels like an exhilarating amusement park ride, and it’s a thrill to join forces with friends who share the same passion.

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Additionally, there’s Dead Ops Arcade 4, a standalone top-down twin-stick shooter for up to four players. This extra mode began as a side project by original Black Ops team members and is cleverly hidden within the main game. It’s back and just as exciting as ever, evoking memories of classic multi-directional shooters like Smash TV and Geometry Wars. Between stages, players can also engage in mini-games that explore various genres, such as top-down racing and side-scrolling shooters, ensuring that even casual players can join in on the fun.

With all this, don’t forget the usual updates to the battle royale mode Warzone, creating a robust package for Call of Duty aficionados. Regardless of your views on the series and its complex role in the broader gaming industry, as well as its community, it delivers sophisticated and exhilarating entertainment. Where else can you find yourself exploding massive robots in a state-of-the-art science lab one moment and then enjoying a modern twist on Atari’s Super Sprint the next? In today’s gaming landscape, value reigns supreme, and like everything else, Call of Duty does not hold back in this department. It stands as a maximalist celebration of the chaotic truths of video game design. It’s a load of fun to shoot on-screen.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Now Part of the Franchise? | Games

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In early August, just before the Major Black Ops 7 Preview event in Los Angeles, Mike Ibara, the former Blizzard president and current Microsoft executive, described the Call of Duty franchise as “lazy”. In a post on X, the experienced executive asserted that EA’s upcoming Battlefield 6 will “bootstomp” this year, pushing the team to “better FPS games.” Furthermore, Ian Proulx of Splitgate 2 echoed similar sentiments during a Gamefest presentation two months ago, reinforcing the perception of the franchise as a target of industry criticism regarding its endless sequels.

This isn’t the only criticism faced by the brand over its 20-year history. Despite selling millions with each new release (Black Ops 6 was the top-selling game of 2024), many players are frustrated with predatory monetization, an abundance of in-game bugs, and recent issues with creating content within the game.

One thing is clear amidst these criticisms: there’s a lot happening with Call of Duty Black Ops 7. Releasing this November, Treyarch’s latest installment features heart-pounding campaigns starring Hollywood actors like Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us), Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Keenan Shapka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). Players can enjoy up to four co-op modes and the return of the beloved twin-stick mini-game, Dead Ops Arcade. The new 20-player mode called Skirmish also promises a large dedicated map, wingsuits, and vehicles—just scratching the surface of what’s included.




The story intertwines Secret Wars, Psyops, and Tech Industry Paranoia… Black Ops 7. Photo: Activision

Following the success of last year’s Black Ops 6, Number 7 is somewhat of a spiritual successor to the beloved 2012 title, Black Ops II, featuring Ventimiglia as David Mason, the game’s resolute protagonist. Set in 2035, the game is packed with high-tech warfare, including a futuristic UI resembling augmented reality and a Boston Dynamics-style attack dog named DAWG. For the first time since Black Ops II, players can engage in the campaign with up to three friends.

Alongside the Black Ops narrative, the game incorporates themes of Secret Wars, Psyops, and Tech Industry Paranoia. The returning series villain, Raul Menendez, has engineered a new drug that induces hallucinations in its users. During a demo playthrough, the 405 highway in Los Angeles is depicted bending skyward like something out of a hot wheels truck, reminiscent of a moment from Batman: Arkham Knight. While players often speed through the campaign to reach multiplayer, the team has added an enticing new “endgame” feature, inspired possibly by MMORPGs. Completing the linear storyline grants access to a vast open-world map situated in the fictional city of Avalon, where players can utilize individualized abilities to unlock new loadouts and regularly updated tasks. “We’re redefining the campaign with Call of Duty,” states design director Kevin Drew.




Commuting to battles on the Wings… Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Photo: Activision

The new connected progression system allows players to earn XP by participating in the campaign, leveling up weapons, and advancing through the Battle Pass for the first time. “There’s been a lot of talk about connection,” mentions the production director. “It’s easy to jump into the campaign with friends. Solo, people might ask, ‘Why haven’t you played the Call of Duty Campaign yet?’ but playing with friends offers a whole different experience.”

Of course, quests in Black Ops 7 are designed to be bigger and bolder than their predecessors, including a Zombies mode that offers the largest round-based map ever created by the team. Inspired by the Tranzit Map from Black Ops II, the latest iteration of the Undead Shooting Fest diverges from more recent zombie installments where players often went solo. Now, teamwork is crucial as players use vehicles to engage hordes and face alternate versions of classic characters like Richtofen, Belinski, Masaki, and Dempsey.

Moreover, the team is reviving the much-loved Dead Ops Arcade—a classic twin-stick arcade shooter embedded within the zombies mode. It’s a passion project for the studio. “Dave King, our CTO, is incredibly passionate about it for various reasons,” shares Miller. “We have many team members who have been here for over a decade, contributing to the evolution of Dead Ops.”

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As for the online experience, there are 16 multiplayer maps ready at launch, upgrading weaponry (including 16 all-new guns), and players can share their killer loadouts with friends—featuring the new Peacekeeper M1 Hybrid SMG/AR or a striking econ 12 shotgun. With the Omnimovement System from Black Ops 6, players can now wall jump and explore vertical battlescapes further. Among the new abilities, the Drone Chalmers option stands out, letting players deploy drones to track down enemies, harkening back to the attack dog in Call of Duty: World at War.

Is Black Ops 7 a response to those who’ve critiqued the series’ laziness? “I don’t consider it a double middle finger,” says Matt Sconce. “I come from the community. I’ve been part of it since previewing DLC for World at War back in 2007. Throughout my career, I’ve kept the players’ perspective in mind.”

While the annual Call of Duty release may not transform the industry or redefine the beloved genre, Black Ops 7’s inherent value cannot be overlooked. The evolving view on modern FPS will likely continue to resonate, irrespective of what Battlefield presents.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox on November 14th.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pro Players Share 7 Tips to Level Up in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 | Call of Duty

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LJust guessing, did you recently purchase Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, wander into the multiplayer mode, and find yourself being brutally beaten by hundreds of teenagers with suggestive usernames? Don’t worry. That’s completely normal. Call of Duty has always been an arcade twitchfest of the online shooting scene, but Black Ops 6 has a whole new feel thanks to its omni-movement system that lets you dive, roll, and sprint in all directions. And all weapons have been completely redesigned. As Olivia Rodrigo said, it’s cruel.

So I asked two talented professional players, Ethan “Fifakill” Pink and Liam “Jukeyz” James, for some tips. Instead of laughing and pointing at me, they agreed.

use the correct gun

If you’re new to CoD, stick with assault rifles or submachine guns [SMGs] – These are suitable for Black Ops 6’s small maps and intense engagement speed. “My favorite assault rifle” [AR] Probably Model L, but very good experts agreed not to use it, so we moved to AMES,” Jukeyz says. “The SMG is either the Jackal, which is fun to use, or the KSV, which is more difficult but way too powerful.”

Fifakill, on the other hand, recommends Kompakt 92. However, if you are a mid-range player, I think the Model L Assault Rifle is a very good option. It takes time to unlock, but it’s worth the effort – Super TTK [time to kill] and very low recoil.


Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Photo: Activision

Become a gunsmith

The Gunsmith is where you can make modifications to your weapons, which are essential to gaining an advantage in combat. “For the majority of players, it’s best to start by reducing recoil,” Fifakill says. “Focus on attachments that reduce load” horizontal Recoil – If your gun bounces up and down, it’s pretty easy to fix. But left and right makes it more difficult when you’re trying to track enemy players.”
Jukeyz prioritizes aim-down aiming speed (how quickly you can move the gun into the aiming position), but also suggests installing a vertical foregrip to counter recoil. “I also recommend Gunfighter Wildcard,” Fifakir added. “With eight attachments per gun, you get it all: better movement, bigger magazines, less recoil.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Black Ops 6: Omni Movement – Revolutionizing Gameplay

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HHere’s a fact I’m not entirely proud of: I’ve played every Call of Duty game since the series launched in 2003. I’ve experienced the very good (Call of Duty 4) and the very not so good (Call of Duty: Roads to Victory). There have been times when I was put off by narrative decisions, the mindless bigotry pervasive in online multiplayer servers, and the series-wide “America is the best!” mentality, but I’ve always come back to the games.

In that time, I’ve seen a lot of attempts to tweak the core feel of the game, from perks to jetpacks (thanks, Advanced Warfare!), but after spending a weekend testing the multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, I think developer Treyarch may have stumbled upon their best thing yet: something called Omni-Movement.

In essence, this seemingly minor addition allows players to sprint and dive in any direction, not just forward, and also allows for a degree of aftertouch, so you can glide around corners and change direction in the air. Being able to run sideways and jump backwards over couches isn’t all that important in a fast-paced game anyway, but this seems to have really changed the game. The beta test only features three of the full version’s 16 online multiplayer maps and a small selection of online game modes, but it’s already ridiculously fun.

There are always people flying around during the game. AnywhereIn the Skyline map, players dive through windows, run across hallways, and leap off the balconies of a ridiculously luxurious modern penthouse. In the Rewind map, they slide on their backs across the polished floors of a video rental store, pounce on each other from various heights, and dodge gunfire and remote-controlled bomb cars at the last moment. At critical moments, it feels like a giant John Woo shootout, with equal parts balletic choreography and bloodshed.

But rather than feeling chaotic and unbalanced like jetpack-era titles Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare, it actually seems to bring more depth and variety to the moment-to-moment experience. The ability to slip under gunfire gives you a way out of encounters that were previously deadly, and it also lets you move very quickly to different cover positions, which is extremely useful in modes like Domination and Hardpoint, where you have to capture and defend specific areas. I like the longer durations between spawns, which allows you to think in more spatially interesting ways.

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Why did it take so long? A recent interview with gaming site VGCTreyarch associate design director Matt Scronce and production director Yale Miller said the game’s unusual four-year development cycle (CoD games are typically two-years max) allowed the team to experiment with fundamental elements and refine new features. Omni Movement was born out of that process; the team even read a white paper from the Air Force Academy about how fast a human could run backwards.

Otherwise, the game feels more solid than innovative. Skyline is the most fun map, with sleek multi-storey interiors and hidden ventilation ducts, while Squad is a standard Middle Eastern CoD map with sandy trenches, caves and a destroyed radar station. Rewind is a deserted shopping mall with store interiors, fast food joints, parking lots and extremely long sightlines along storefronts that could be called Sniper’s Avenue. The new game mode, Kill Order, is a familiar old-school FPS staple. One player on each team is designated as a high-value target, and the opponent must eliminate that target to score. This leads to very dense skirmishes and a ton of chases around the map, with HVTs trying to hide in little nooks and crannies. It’s like a Benny Hill sketch, but with high-end military weaponry.

It’s like a Benny Hill sketch, but with high-end military weaponry… Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Photo: Activision

There are also some new weapons, such as the Ames 85, a fully automatic assault rifle similar to the M16, and the Crazy Jackal PDW, a small Scorpion-esque machine pistol like the ones Ernie used in 1980s action movies. The latter has an incredible rate of fire, but is also highly accurate at long range, making it a devastating force in beta matches. It will most likely be significantly nerfed before the game is released. Perhaps the most controversial addition is the body shield. This is a new ability that allows you to sneak up behind an enemy player and take them hostage by double tapping the melee attack button. The victim can then be used as a human shield for a few seconds, and Treyarch says you’ll be able to actually talk to the hostage via the headset’s microphone. This will inevitably lead to the most offensive homophobic trolling imaginable. It’s exactly what Call of Duty needs.

Black Ops 6 looks set to be a strong addition to the series, at least in terms of multiplayer. I’m not proud of the fact that I spent an entire weekend happily recreating my favorite scenes from Hard Boiled, darting sideways through modern interiors and firing shiny fetish rifles at strangers. But I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and for some reason, I have no plans to stop just yet.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on October 25th for PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: www.theguardian.com

First Glimpse of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – 300GB Packed with Espionage, Undead Threats, and Historical Figures

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MaMicrosoft didn’t skimp on its Xbox showcase this year. After a string of layoffs and studio closures, the company tried to give gamers what they wanted at its Summer Game Fest on Sunday night, culminating with a 40-minute preview of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a massive 300GB download. Continuous online access Even in single-player mode, the textures are streamed from a remote server due to the large amount of textures. As expected, the Xbox version will be available on GamePass from day one, but will not be platform exclusive. The PlayStation version will also be released on the same day, i.e. October 25th.

The game itself is set during the geopolitical turmoil of the early 1990s, including the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War, and the transition of the US presidency from George Bush to Bill Clinton. As always, the campaign story is an airport-fiction spy thriller, dealing with undeniable CIA operations, covert power struggles, and conspiracies that reach all the way to the very top. Series regular Frank Woods is severely injured and retired from active duty, and is replaced by Troy Marshall, a feckless special forces leader, and Jane Harrow, a shrewd CIA handler. When a mission goes wrong, they are forced to mutiny, recruiting a ragtag team of tech nerds and charming assassins. your Your ass is in danger, sir.

Like most recent Call of Duty titles, Black Ops 6 promises a bit of variety in the way you tackle its campaign missions. Most set pieces, whether they’re set in the glitzy casinos of southern Europe or the tundra of northern Russia, allow for guns blazing attacks or stealth approaches. There are also sequences where players can converse with NPCs to open up new possibilities, such as bribing a senator to grant access to forbidden areas. Familiar faces from the era will make an appearance, including Saddam Hussein, George Bush and Margaret Thatcher, and thankfully Activision has confirmed that at least the latter will be making an appearance. Not a playable option.

Call of Duty titles are typically developed in a quick two years, but with this game, co-developers Treyarch and Raven had double that time. “We had the opportunity to redefine what a Black Ops game is,” says associate design director Matt Scronce. “Every decision we made along the way allowed us to be very deliberate. Previously, each game built on the previous one, but with this game, we really built from the ground up and redefined Black Ops.”

One of the biggest changes to gamefeel is a new system called Omnidirection, which lets players sprint and slide in any direction. “Movement fluidity was a big thing we talked about a lot,” says Yale Miller, Senior Production Director at Treyarch. “That led to a desire to see what we could do.”

One story… Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Photo: Microsoft

Scrance further explains, “Initially, we tried a 'jug', a quick side step. But when we thought about movement in Black Ops 6, it was all about keeping the player in the flow. It's about fluidity and fidelity, and something like a jug just didn't cut it. So we went back to the drawing board. For over 20 years, Call of Duty has only allowed you to sprint forward. So we looked to the best athletes in the real world: NFL players, NBA players, tennis players — players who can move quickly in all directions.”

Players can now sprint, dive, and slide with 360-degree movement, enabling a wider variety of evasive maneuvers. They can even roll onto their back and under cover, or recreate a classic move from Hong Kong action movies of the time: sliding backwards while shooting forward. Naturally, this system required thousands of new animation frames and motion capture, which wouldn’t have been possible without additional development time.

According to the team, accessibility has also been a key factor. A new intelligent movement system has been introduced, adding crouch, sprint and mantle assist that can be toggled on/off. Players can choose to fully automate jumping over walls and sliding under low obstacles. This was inspired by a variety of games. “We looked at the Forza series with traction control, anti-lock and turn assist,” Scronce said. “Also, mobile games are a good example of this, where you don’t have physical buttons. So what do they do?” The HUD is now also customizable, allowing players to move around on-screen information such as the minimap. This is a feature created with Call of Duty streamers in mind. They often want to add their own camera view in the game and have a hard time deciding where to place it without obscuring important information.

Key multiplayer components have been heavily tweaked, undoing some recent changes. There are 16 new maps, most of which feature the traditional three-lane design, while the Prestige system, which allows seasoned veteran players to show off their prowess with exclusive outfits, accessories, and classified weapons, has returned to the style of previous Black Ops games. Treyarch is also promising a vast arsenal of firearms from the era, with dozens of attachments.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Capitol Station. Photo: Microsoft

Meanwhile, the regular Call of Duty zombies mode is returning to its roots, which Treyarch first introduced with World at War back in 2008. While the most recent Modern Warfare title introduced a new type of open-world zombie game, Black Ops 6 returns to the older round-based structure, where players work together to survive wave after wave of the undead while unlocking new weapons and exploring confined environments.

The Call of Duty monster truck continues to roll, accompanied by concerns about the appropriation of recent historical events, the glorification of U.S. foreign policy, and an enthusiasm for military-grade weaponry. But like the best blockbuster war movies, the game has its charms, and Black Ops 6 seems to bring some interesting additions to the series’ atmosphere. Which may point to the benefits of giving the studio a bit more time. Scrance said: “Overall, the extra time allowed us to pay more attention to detail and really push the character fidelity, movement, animations, audio, multiplayer maps, and so on, to a point where we can all say this is the best we’ve ever made.”

Source: www.theguardian.com