Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Review
Into the action
by JackCarter
reviewed on PC
In it for the campaign
I have a confession to make, I play Call of Duty for the campaign. Please, lower your pitchforks, I've played countless hours of the various Multiplayer modes and Zombies, I just really enjoy the campaigns. I love the bombastic set pieces, the overly gruff characters, and its ridiculous story lines. Every year a new Call of Duty comes out and the internet divides itself into two camps, either it's the saviour that COD needs and is hailed as the best game since Modern Warfare 2 (the original, not the remake), or it is the final death nail of the franchise. I've spent most of my time not buying into the hype (or anti-hype if you will) and just enjoyed the explosions and pseudo-military jargon. The series hasn't really moved me since the aforementioned Modern Warfare 2, but there have been some entries I've really liked, most of them coming from the Black Ops sub-series.
Before playing Black Ops 6 I'd been hearing tale of "that level" - the oh-so elusive level that stands out amongst it's brethren as the shining jewel affixed Call of Duty's crown nestled between "All Ghillied Up" and "Vorkuta." When starting up the game I immediately kept an eye out for it, and to my surprise there were a few stand out missions. Now, don't get me wrong, when you get to the mission everyone is talking about, it's obvious why it's the favourite, as it [SPOILERS] blends everyone's favorite mode "Zombies" effortlessly into the narrative without turning the game into a down right fantasy. But I was delighted to have a few memorable levels to experience. Let's get into it, shall we?
The game wastes no time getting into the action, with the first level seeing you trying to extract a high level target while a shady government organization, "Pantheon," tries it's best to thwart you. It's a nice setup to what seems to be a tried and true formula for the series, lulling you into a sense of familiarity before it rips it out from under you. Yes, Pantheon stays the enemy for the entire game, but Black Ops 6 is less about the story as a whole, and more about the pars that make it up. Each level feels designed with care, and if you were turned off by last years Modern Warfare 3's mini Warezone-like levels that felt half-baked at most, then I plead with you to come back to Black Ops 6. Most of the Levels give you decisions on how you want to tackle them, and each decision feels like it has purpose.
Now onto "that level." My initial thought was the level "Most Wanted" was surely the one that others had discussed. It must be, because it employs multiple gameplay styles into itself, set to the backdrop of the Clinton campaign of the early 90's. Heck, it even has your character riding past police on a dirt bike and even using one of their cop cars as a make shift ramp. Then I thought that the casino themed level "High Rollers" had to be "that level." It's an Ocean's Eleven style heist in a casino that sees you playing multiple roles that, in typical Call of Duty style, ends in a intense shootout. Either of these could have been the shining example of how Call of Duty was still a game to talk about, but to my surprise those were just the runner's up, I had yet to play "Emergence."
Emergence
"Emergence" is, in no hyperbole, the best Call of Duty level in a long time. It surprisingly blends one of its most popular modes, that of "Zombies" into its narrative. No, Black Ops 6 doesn't turn into a supernatural horror game, but instead it has treated as your character as fighting their metaphorical demons. It is made possible due to some experimental toxic fumes that cause you to hallucinate horrors such as mannequins that only move when you look away or shapeshifters that take on the look of inanimate objects. "Emergence" is a welcome change, although feeling somewhat alien to the Call of Duty franchise as a whole. It's much more akin to something found in Bioshock or Arkane's Prey, just add Call of Duty's 'shoot everything that moves.'
I'd be remiss to not mention some of it's flaws, however minor. I'm a fan of stealth games, raised in the school of Solid Snake, and if a game allows me to sneak my way through an entire mission, or at least most of a mission, then I'll jump at the chance. Some of the missions where stealth is highly recommended, like when trying to break into the casino from the canals underneath it, a la Metal Gear Solid, the enemy recognition is way too sensitive. I mean, I'm essentially 30 feet away crawling on my stomach, obscured by some barrels and a wire fence and I'm getting detected. I understand that it's a Call of Duty game where the main focus is seeing how many bullet holes you can put into all the bad guys, but for something that is seemingly recommended, this was very frustrating. My last main issue with the game is something story related. Don't worry, I won't put in any extra spoilers and I'll try to remain vague as possible, but as solid as the campaign was, the ending just petered out. It left a lot of unanswered questions (which I'm sure will be explained in the sequels) and felt unfinished. I'm sure this was down to the usual studio interference and having to get Black Ops 6 out by November, and in all actuality I'd rather have really solid gameplay and great level design over story, but it's just unfortunate that we couldn't have all three. It leaves a blemish, however small, on a pretty great game.
Familiar, but new and exciting
Somehow Treyarch surprised us, and when we all thought we had seen everything Call of Duty had to offer, they brought us something new and exciting, yet familiar. I hope the other studios in the franchise follow their lead and innovate as much as we've been shown here. Forgive me for being a cliché for a moment, but this is the best Call of Duty in a long time, and I'm excited for what Treyarch does next.
As always, follow us on Instagram for news updates, reviews, competitions and more.
9.5
fun score
Pros
Great level design, Optional ways to tackle missions
Cons
Stealth felt unfair, Story was short
