Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Full Review

Summary

• Name of the game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Launch date: October 25, 2024
• Developer: Treyarch
• Publisher: Activision
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox X|S Series, Xbox One and PC.
• Genre: First-person shooter (FPS), narrative campaign, competitive multiplayer, round-robin zombie modes.
• Context: Set primarily in the 1991 Gulf War, with elements of espionage, betrayal and CIA operatives investigating a paramilitary organization called “Pantheon” that threatens a secret weapon.

Campaign

This section is solely about the campaign, in which we follow agents Troy Marshall and William “Case” Calderon, along with Jane Harrow, on a mission to stop Pantheon. They are CIA agents trying to stop a group with plans to control or destroy the world... nothing we haven't seen before in other CODs. It's the classic good guys vs. bad guys game, with some interesting, albeit small, twists that give it a little more excitement.

The game brings back familiar characters from the saga such as Woods and Adler. Now Harrow joins in, and these three end up being the main characters along with the protagonist, which is us under the alias of Case. Case always gets the worst part in each mission and seems superhuman in many situations, but the game then gives you an explanation. Unfortunately, our protagonist has no dialogue. We are that character who does everything, to whom everything happens... and in the end, he doesn't feel so relevant. Although he has a striking past and some development, I didn't manage to empathize with him as with other protagonists in the saga.

The story is set in the 90's, although at times it seems that they use more advanced technology than expected for that era. A positive point is that at least it is not the typical campaign set in World War II. Exploring other historical moments gives variety to the saga. The campaign has a more cinematic approach than in other CODs and recovers that espionage style with more coherence, something one expects from Black Ops. I would like to talk briefly about each mission. If you want to avoid spoilers, you can skip to the conclusion of this section.

1. Bishop Takes Rook (Bishop Takes Rook): Introductory mission. It fulfills its function, but it doesn't have much excitement. Even on veteran difficulty it's pretty easy.
2. Blood between hostages (Blood Feud): One of the best in the game. Lots of stealth, straight to the point, clear and well balanced between action and tension. I liked it a lot.
3. Most Wanted: Another stealth game, but this one felt slow and a bit unrealistic. At times it was very easy to pass areas without anyone seeing you. It's not bad, but I did find it tedious.
4. Hunting Season (Hunting Season): The one I liked the least. They tried to make it more open and with more exploration, but it didn't grab me. In veteran it gets too heavy and you end up going straight for what you need to get out fast.
5. The Cradle: Entertaining and with good action, but with enemies appearing out of nowhere. I had to reset checkpoints several times because of that. On the roof, the aim of the enemies was absurd, totally unreal. Good mission, but with an AI that despairs.
6. Emergence: Controversial mission, and rightly so. You start in a weird place, inhale a strange gas, and then the mission basically becomes a zombie mode within the campaign. While the execution isn't bad, it doesn't fit with the rest of the story. It feels like you're switching games. It has interesting things like the scary mannequin zombies, but that part about looking for an invisible key feels forced. It's long and completely breaks with the style of the game. Many abandon the campaign here, and I get it.
7. High Rollers: Fun and visually very beautiful mission. You infiltrate a casino and then everything gets out of control. Mind you, the undercover part looks like something out of a Mission Impossible movie.
8. Ground Control: Complicated in veteran. Sometimes it feels overdone, but it is enjoyable. The part with the juggernauts is tough. Good mission, but stressful.
9. Under the Radar: Quite balanced between stealth and action. The first part is infiltration, and then everything explodes. I found it fun and well done.
10. Separation Anxiety (Separation Anxiety) and Checkmate (Checkmate): They are almost a single mission. I've never seen a point of no return with two missions left. The first one has strong revelations, but again it feels like you're in another game. The idea of unreal worlds, zombies and hallucinations returns. It was already a lot. Fortunately, Checkmate returns to the essence of COD: pure action and entertaining. A relief.

The campaign is entertaining, but sometimes it goes too far out of what you expect from a COD. We know Black Ops is different from Modern Warfare, but here they went a bit too far. Some missions feel like another game entirely. If they're going to go for more stealth, they should make it better. The ending also disappoints. They leave it open for resolution in Warzone and its seasons, which makes no sense. They leave a half-baked story to be continued in another game like Warzone. Very bad there.

Multiplayer

The highlight of all COD, and the one that clearly feeds the company. The mechanics are fast-paced combat, with omnidirectional movement. The controls in general flow well, are intuitive and respond as you would expect them to, somewhat
necessary for such a frenetic game.

Now, focusing on the multiplayer in this particular game, the truth is that I haven't had so much fun with a COD in a long time. The last one I really enjoyed was Cold War, but this one surpasses it in several ways. I've always been more of a fan of Treyarch because of their map design which for me is superior, their weapon balance, the point streaks and the menu design.

The multiplayer is good, but not perfect. We know that for years COD has been making the same mistakes, and many times they prioritize money more than fun. In this case, that changes a bit: there is a greater focus on the player's experience. However, Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) is still present. This internal system matches players according to their skills, based on fairly detailed statistics. The idea is to keep as many players active as possible, and many other multiplayer shooters have implemented the same.

In this COD, SBMM is more evident than ever. Sometimes you make a spectacular game, and in the next one you get annihilated. I've even noticed that when the game wants you to win, your weapons do more damage and you take less. And the other way around, when it wants you to lose, it feels unfair. This affects mostly intermediate players: pros players can overcome it, but it also works against them. The system favors the novice player as a strategy to attract new users. Veterans, no matter how much they complain, will keep playing; new players will not, and the idea is to hook them.

The bad thing? Everything becomes very competitive, even in games that shouldn't be. There is already a competitive mode, there is no need for every casual game to be competitive too. When there's more variety of players, it's more fun, because there's a better balance between challenge and relaxation. In my COD days, I sucked: I would get into 10-minute games and not kill anyone. But I pushed myself, I got better and I made it. I mention this because this system really affects the experience a lot.

At the gameplay level, the pace is fast, but without being overwhelming. It has its slower moments. Weapons are fine; although many say that some are better than others, I haven't noticed a huge difference probably because of SBMM itself. Even a guy with a knife or a bat can carry the whole game.

Now, a negative point for me: the snipers are way too hacked. In 15 years playing COD I've never seen so many people be so good with a sniper. They are faster and more lethal than a shotgun at close range. Seriously, it's crazy.

The community doesn't help either. I don't think it's the worst, but it has increased the toxicity. There are many bad losers and players who leave the game at the first bad moment. I would like to talk about the launch maps:

1. Red Card: The worst at a playable level. It's nice to see the stadium, but it's horrible to play. I avoid it whenever I can.
2. DerelictFun, if a bit confusing visually. Not as clear as others, but the 3-lane approach makes it dynamic.
3. LowtownVisually different, but playably it's terrible. Too big, with too many corners. Zero dynamic. They tried to innovate with the aquatic, but it didn't work.
4. RewindRed Card: It looks a lot like Red Card. It has too many places to hide. Passable, but not one of my favorites.
5. VorkutaI didn't like it at first, but I got the hang of it. Its problem is that it focuses too much on a specific area (where the gear is), which promotes championing.
6. Subsonic: Fast and fun. One of my favorites. Although if someone gets on the jet, it's almost impossible to eliminate them, especially in Dominion.
7. ProtocolVery good, ideal for Search and Destroy. It tends to champaign in the second floor buildings, but it is still enjoyable.
8. Babylon: Small and direct. As soon as the game starts, someone already threw a grenade. In my opinion, one of the best.
9. Scud: Horrible. Another one I avoid at all costs. It's designed for long distances, and I always see people leaving mid-game. A lot of player desertion.
10. Vault: Variable. Sometimes it works for me, sometimes not. But for playing Infected, it's the best.
11. Payback: Excellent and fun. It gets competitive when both teams are good.
12. SkylineMy favorite at playable level. Three lanes, direct to combat, dynamic and balanced. Very well done.

There are very positive details that help the experience. Classes are now more customizable and there is more variety. Field bonuses are added, the option to customize the interface to taste, and weapon accessories do make a difference, something that was not felt so much before.

The game revisits the prestige systems and adds classic emblems from old CODs. It's interesting to level up, but in the end only the emblem changes: a way to show how much you've played, rather than a real change.

The point streaks remain practically the same. And, it must be said: it is very hard to get the highest ones, largely because of the SBMM. It's not just me, it's hard to see anyone else achieve it. You'll rarely see anyone pull off the final streak in Team Duel or Domination. The Battle Pass rewards are merely aesthetic, and at launch were unremarkable. Perhaps they will improve in future seasons.

Zombies

As always, when it comes to Zombies mode, Black Ops knows how to do it. Although I haven't put in as many hours as I did in the multiplayer, the little I played I found it very fun and it keeps the classic essence of the mode well. The maps are well designed, with interesting challenges, easter eggs, and details that are appreciated, such as the possibility of putting the camera in third person. This helps a lot, since many times you get killed because a zombie cornered you from behind without you seeing it coming.

My favorite map was Liberty Falls, both for its design and gameplay. The extraction process at the end of the game is crazy: pure adrenaline, a final chance to get out alive that gives it an epic closure. One detail I loved is that if you play alone you can save your zombie game. This is incredible, because many of us have made it far in long games, but due to time issues or responsibilities, we have had to give up. Now, that is no longer a problem.

The puzzles are well done and challenging. What I didn't like was the design of the mini-bosses: they appear very often and are bullet sponges, even in low waves. I understand that they want to make it difficult, but when you've been playing for more than two hours and your upgraded weapons do almost no damage, it becomes more a matter of patience than skill.

Another negative point is that the interface gets too saturated when there are many zombies and loot on screen. Sometimes you don't even know what's going on. I found this mode to be more individual. In my experience, there is little incentive to work as a team, except when someone goes down. Beyond that, it's every man for himself, unlike other CODs where cooperation was more key.

In summary, the Zombies mode is good and entertaining, but it is for players with patience and free time. If you don't have several hours at a time available, it may not be as enjoyable.

Graphics and visual design

One of COD's strengths has always been its graphical quality, and this game is no exception. Detailed models, sharp textures, realistic animations. The level of detail in environments like the safehouse in Bulgaria or Washington D.C. is impressive.

It is far above many other games in this aspect, and competes quietly at a graphic level. The cinematics look spectacular, almost real. The art design also stands out, with a focus on modern espionage, good atmosphere and well-designed enemies.

As for the multiplayer, as in all COD, there are well-designed maps and others not so much. In this game I was struck by the fact that in general the maps look good, and that makes the multiplayer feel more attractive and fun than in other recent installments.

At a visual level (not playable), the maps I liked the most were Red Card and Lowtown. Aesthetically they are great, but not so great to play.

Sound and music

There is a considerable improvement in the soundtrack, with a composition more similar to the first Black Ops. For example, I found the multiplayer menu music to be very memorable, something that hasn't happened for years.

In the menus and in the tense moments of the campaign, the music complies very well. The sound effects of gunfire, explosions and ambience are well achieved. Personally I think Modern Warfare is better in sound, but this one is not far behind either.

A plus point is that you can hear the enemies clearly, even if you play with TV sound, without headphones. This allows you to be more alert.

The voice acting does what it needs to. It's not bad, but there is no character that particularly stands out in any way.

Difficulty and accessibility

In the campaign you have four difficulty levels, from Recruit to Veteran. I passed it on Veteran the first time, because I already know the saga well. Even so, I must say that this installment is the most difficult of the last five CODs. The missions are well adjusted so as not to frustrate the average player.

As for multiplayer and zombies, the difficulty depends more on practice. Thanks to SBMM, new players can adapt more easily, but this system ends up affecting veterans more. COD is not an easy game if you have never played a video game, but it is not impossible to learn either.

In terms of accessibility, the game delivers quite well: customizable subtitle size, guided mode in campaign and zombies, visual aids, and options adapted for different types of players.

Additional content

The campaign lasts about 8 hours, depending on the difficulty. In normal or recruit mode it can be even less.

Other than that, the game has the typical seasons where new content is uploaded, mostly for multiplayer, and a little for zombies. Some content is valuable, others not so much, but that depends on your style of play. The bad thing is that this game only lasts a year. COD releases a new game every year, and that makes the content limited for that period.

The campaign adds a couple of details such as RPG-like dialogues, an interactive safehouse and alternate endings, but they don't change the basic story too much. There are also the classic collectibles, as in previous installments.

Technical Aspects

Performance wise, the game runs very well on PS5, Xbox Series and PC, staying above 60 fps with fast load times. In my case, I played it on PS5 and it was a very solid and well optimized experience.

In more than 200 hours of gameplay, I only crashed once. Yes there are minor bugs, but nothing serious that prevents progress, and with the updates have been resolved.

In multiplayer I have had sound loss or unexpected disconnections, despite having good internet. Sometimes the loading screen does not advance or stays black. Similar things happened to me in zombies. They don't ruin the experience, but you will find one or another online bug.

Value for money

The launch price was $69.99 USD, and honestly it seems like a steal to me. It's a yearly game, which reuses many things from previous installments. The campaign is ok, but it's short and has several problems. Zombies and multiplayer are also fine, but the lack of real innovation and repetitiveness make it not worth that full price.

To me, this game feels more like a Modern Warfare expansion than a brand new title. Also, the online content is limited, and the next year there's already another COD, which makes your investment last very little. Sure, they improved some aspects, but they still have a lot to solve. It is too noticeable that the main focus is the multiplayer, with obvious strategies to keep the player addicted and encourage purchases with micropayments.

I, for one, did not buy it. It was shared to me by a friend from his account. But honestly, I wouldn't pay more than $40 for a game that lasts a year. Mind you, if you're a fan, you're going to enjoy it. It's not a bad experience. I just don't think it's worth what it costs.

Trophies / Achievements

• Platinum obtained: No, something unacceptable for a $70 game that seems that in this section they sell it to you as a Modern Warfare dlc and worse this in the PS5 version.
• Percentage of trophies obtained: 56%
• Estimated time: 60 to 80 hours. May be more depending on skill.
• Platinum difficulty: 6 out of 10. The campaign challenges are as we are used to. The multiplayer is more about time than anything else. Zombies mode is always the typical real trophy challenge, it takes skill and time.

Conclusion

In my experience Black Ops 6 brings many elements loved by fans, it is not the best, it has an entertaining campaign with some parts that from my point of view do not go with the game, it is short, but worth a try. The zombies mode is kept in the same line, being a fun mode, although it is not for all the public because of the long games and enemies more bullet sponge than ever. A multiplayer that comes with the problem of forced pairing that can tire many players. The game is worth playing, for the recommended price, it is the COD that I have spent more hours since Cold War, where I have certainly a preference more to the Black Ops saga in every way. It is a game that is fine, but it has many bugs and problems that could be fixed if they made a game at least every 2 years.

My final rating for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is:

3.4/5