Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Review – Black Silence

When Call of Duty: Black Ops debuted in 2010, it arrived at a time when the new formula began facing some criticism. Modern Warfare 1 and 2, alongside World at War, had all received acclaim from critics and fans on top of continually breaking records. And yet, Black Ops attempted some level of innovation with its story-telling, mission structure, characterization, and modes – many times to cheesy effect, but still effectively. Where is the line, though? How much can you innovate or change without severe blowback, which we’ve seen in subsequent entries post-Black Ops 2?

If you played Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, then “not much” is probably the best news you’ll hear about Black Ops 6. Its campaign emphasizes playing your way up to an exit; multiplayer introduces new Omnimovement without mandating its use; and Zombies is, well, Zombies in all its round-based glory, even with new Augments. For all its change, the feeling remains distinctly Call of Duty, which is good and bad. The overall result is leagues better – an entirely different dimension, in fact – from last year’s dismal Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

"For all its change, the feeling remains distinctly Call of Duty, which is good and bad. The overall result is leagues better – an entirely different dimension, in fact – from last year’s dismal Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3."

Before we get into that, about the Call of Duty UI: It’s more streamlined than HQ, and the option to only download what you want is great. I still shouldn’t have to click this much to get into a Black Ops 6 mode of my choosing, much less fear closing the game because of how much time it would take to bring it back up. Don’t even get me started on the updates that require restarts.

The story revolves around a new threat called Pantheon, which appeared out of nowhere during a CIA operation with Troy Marshall, handler Jane Harrow and William “Case” Calderon (whom you control). Russel Adler, who was touted (falsely) as a mole for Raul Menendez from Black Ops 2, also pops up, and after Marshall, Case, and Frank Woods are suspended, they investigate Pantheon on their own following a coded message. It leads them to an abandoned safe house called the Rook – remotely located and the site of Adler’s research into Pantheon. Thus begins the hunt for the group and the mysterious bio-weapon, The Cradle.

Missions are presented linearly through Black Ops, but they often provide multiple ways to approach your objective. “Most Wanted” highlights this best, as you’re tasked with obtaining a retinal scan for a US senator to infiltrate a CIA black site under Capitol Station where Adler is being held.

Three approaches are provided – I opted for blackmail since it seemed the most straightforward, which led to some eavesdropping, sneaking, and stealing said material before confronting the individuals in question. That was only one part of the mission, as the subsequent run through the facility, which had been infiltrated by Pantheon, offered multiple avenues for stealth and going loud.

"Yes, there is excessive signposting and guidance. Don’t expect an immersive sim experience with heaps of experimentation either, but it does make subsequent replays more enjoyable, even with the contrived sections."

Another mission which explores this on a wider scale is Hunting Season, as the squad drives around on an open map to take out three SCUD launchers. While these are three key objectives, you also have multiple points of interest to explore for supplies, clearing out SAM launchers for air support, etc – all of which can help take out the SCUDs and in the next mission’s push to unearth more about The Cradle. Of course, sometimes those optional objectives could be agents with intel about a location, highlighting targets and perhaps providing a sniper rifle and vantage point for initial entry.

You don’t have to pursue those optional objectives any more than you have to be stealthy during most (but not all) missions. Yes, there is excessive signposting and guidance. Don’t expect an immersive sim experience with heaps of experimentation either, but it does make subsequent replays more enjoyable, even with the contrived sections. Adding to that are the safe house upgrades you can unlock after amassing enough cash, upgrading stats like health, armor penetration, equippable armor plates, and even a health boost if you kill enemies fast enough.

Black Ops 6 offers a fair amount of pizazz and explosive set pieces baked into its missions, which feels like a greatest hits album. Slow-motion quick-time events, slow-motion cars that must be exploded, the stand-offs against hordes of enemies, vehicle sections, a turret section, the mandatory stealth, etc.

However, it also dabbles more than just a bit with surreality and mindscapes to interesting effect in Emergence. I won’t spoil too much about the mission (which seemingly takes cues from Control’s The Oldest House), but it’s fun. The problem arises when this same concept is leaned on much more heavily in the final mission. Not only does it evoke bad memories of Black Ops 3’s campaign, but it also features a section that’s more than inspired by F.E.A.R. 2. You’ll know it when you see it.

"After last year’s annoying portrayal of Task Force 141, the characterization in Black Ops 6 feels like a breath of fresh air."

Which brings us to one of the iffier elements of Black Ops 6’s campaign – the actual story. Sleeper agents, conspiracies, betrayals, certified “what the heck is happening moments” – it’s all here, seemingly mandated. The problem is that it’s telegraphed from a mile away – heck, you can probably guess the main antagonist within the first two missions. And my knowledge of Black Ops lore is hazy at best. Also, while the surreal themes don’t completely undermine the spy thriller atmosphere, they can bog things down and cross over way too easily into ridiculousness.

On the bright side, at least the characters are enjoyable. After last year’s annoying portrayal of Task Force 141, the characterization in Black Ops 6 feels like a breath of fresh air. Woods is still very much Woods, but each of your teammates feels like a well-rounded, organic personality. Guild assassin Sevati Dumas comes across as calculating and mysterious but can also be flippant and amusing. Tech wizard Felix Neumann goes beyond your average nerd with his mantra of non-violence, especially after he regrets working for the Stasi. Marshall is a confident leader who ultimately comes across as a big softie.

But more important than their characters, which are all backed with excellent performances by the cast and stellar facial animations, are their interactions. Each Rook “mission” has your standard debriefings with the group, but some may break away to have their own interactions to observe. Again, all optional, but more than just compelling scenes, they further explore characters’ responses to what just happened. One particular conversation provided more context to a brutal execution in a mission, which felt right. If only certain subplots were explored a bit deeper.

As enjoyable as the campaign felt, warts and all, Zombies was perhaps my favorite experience in Black Ops 6. Despite enjoying last year’s Operation Deadbolt, I welcomed the return of the round-based format. There are two maps at launch – Terminus Island and Liberty Falls – each with unique stories and objectives.

While the former is more centered on a prison break from the titular island by ex-Requiem task force members, the latter is set in a quaint town where players must locate the remnants of Project Janus. Both are intertwined with Edward Richtofen, but their overall flow is completely different.

"As enjoyable as the campaign felt, warts and all, Zombies was perhaps my favorite experience in Black Ops 6. Despite enjoying last year’s Operation Deadbolt, I welcomed the return of the round-based format."

Terminus Island is darker and more brooding while playing more with verticality and different floors. Each area is properly fleshed out though and the objectives feel more pronounced in keeping with its narrative meat. By comparison, Liberty Falls feels more freeform, with its small buildings meshing well with the wider streets and alleyways. I don’t know if it’s because the map flows more seamlessly, but I preferred the latter, whether it was holding out in the bowling alley or facing threats from all sides on the rooftops.

Augments also add a new flavor to the gameplay, as you can research them to unlock deeper benefits for your Perks, Field Upgrades, and Ammo Mods. I could opt for Dead Wire to deal more damage and its stun to spread to other enemies, or reduce its cooldown. Similarly, the Energy Mine can be converted into a stationary turret that fires at passing enemies instead of dispersing the area of effect waves. However, Augments can only be researched one at a time, and combined with taking time to unlock, they can make for a somewhat annoying grind.

Nevertheless, the chaos is just so undeniably fun, and I appreciated having to make hard choices. Should I opt to Pack-A-Punch my current weapon or wait for the rarities from Wall Weapons to increase before investing in them? Is it better to invest in Gobblegums to spawn power-ups like Double Points and Insta-Kill, the latter especially great for exfil, or bust out some higher rarities (like receiving all Perks) for some of the longer runs?

Is it more prudent to invest in Legendary armor for more survivability at the cost of stronger weapons? Combine this with Salvage for crafting scorestreaks like chopper support, Hellfire missile strikes, and sentry turrets – not to mention easily accessible Wonder Weapons – and you have many fun options for approaching runs. Even the optional challenges doled out by S.A.M. mix things up to a fun degree, though the Legendary rewards could use a bit of a buff.

However, there are some balancing issues to address. Higher rounds spawn way more Elite enemies than feels necessary (especially with how many bullets it takes to kill a single Mangler) and even with Wonder Weapons, it sometimes feels best to keep crafting chopper support and using its mini-gun to tear them down, especially since you’re invulnerable for its duration.

"There was excitement over having brand new Core maps in Black Ops 6. Their design leaves something to be desired, though, either feeling too small (like Payback) or iffy spawns (Vorkuta)."

The Amalgam also feels over-tuned with its health pool (even if you hit the weak spots) and utility. Exfil can be nigh impossible at times due to the sheer number of zombies that must be eliminated before extracting – leave only five, and it’s a failure. And while I appreciate having a solo mode with the option to save and quit, the limited pause time is baffling.

Regardless of these issues, Zombies is still a fun time and something I can see myself returning to way more times than is deemed healthy. This leaves us with the component I played and enjoyed the least: Multiplayer.

As Treyarch promised, Omnimovement isn’t a game-breaker – it exists to pull off some impressive moves like mid-air and backward dives (alongside 360-degree movement), but you don’t have to use it in matches. Everything else is as you’d expect with the movement and gunplay – the latter feels responsive and the balance seems right for now.

The streamlined Gunsmith feels more fun to play around and experiment with, though I’ll need a lot more time before judging how significant its changes feel. New modes like Kill Order give a different kind of objective-based pace to matches, even if your enjoyment lives and dies based on the competency of your team. It has potential, though, especially when trying to flank and counter-flank opponents.

The problem is the map design. After last year’s title launched with remastered versions of Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, there was excitement over having brand new Core maps in Black Ops 6. Their design leaves something to be desired, though, either feeling too small (like Payback) or iffy spawns (Vorkuta). I haven’t sampled the full slate simply because a significant portion hasn’t even popped up yet, but they’re not winning me over. Then there are all the old issues with Call of Duty, like multiple hit markers on enemies that you get the drop on while they seemingly evaporate you instantly, which may be due to latency issues.

"At the end of the day, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is another Call of Duty title, but more competently built, knowing its strengths and mostly playing to them."

It’s a shame because I don’t necessarily dislike the fast-paced nature, it’s time-to-kill or even the footstep. Getting a sick flank and killing three other players before they know what hit them feels great. And yet, Black Ops 6’s multiplayer doesn’t draw me in like the other modes. Perhaps with more time and better maps, it’ll have its time to shine. For now, however, it’s sitting on the back burner.

It feels superfluous talking about the presentation and visuals in a Call of Duty title, especially with how often they meet expectations, but it must be said once more. Everything about Black Ops 6, from its atmospherics, lighting, and effects to the facial animations, is pretty great. Unfortunately, even with four years of development, there are some polish issues.

A folder calmly opens on Neumann’s desk only for Sevati to suddenly teleport over, some janky animations when characters are sitting on vehicles, the Upscaling being constantly saying FidelityFX CAS despite changing to DLAA, and so on. I could live with these but one peculiar bug caused my balance to go into the negative billions, thus locking out all of the safe house upgrades.

At the end of the day, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is another Call of Duty title, but more competently built, knowing its strengths and mostly playing to them. It may not flawlessly execute all its new ideas and mechanics, let alone deliver one of the best stories of all time (much less better than Black Ops Cold War). If you know what you’re in for, though, it can provide extensive amounts of fun.

This game was reviewed on PC.