The Black Ops series has a different feel than the broader series Call of Duty franchise It’s billed as a bolder, perhaps more cerebral offshoot of the FPS phenomenon; but at a basic level it involves fixing your problems with holes until they disappear.

Call of Duty games can be thought of as a package deal rather than a single experience; most entries pack three games worth of your money. Whether you’re into round-bottomed Zombies, a prestige-hungry multiplayer fan, or just dipping your toe in for the single-player experience, I think this one has a lot going for it. Black Ops 6 Like it even if I don’t like it.

Last year’s campaign blew me away. Eschewing the abundance of set pieces that most gamers crave, MW3 was a tedious stroll through a borderline unbearable story. The scope was huge and playing it was a chore, especially in Open War missions. I felt tired.

By comparison, Black Ops 6 feels like the little shot in the arm that Call of Duty players deserve. The campaign barely kept me engaged despite showing no real innovation of its own, moving anywhere in multiplayer is an exciting development, and zombie mode’s return to round-based action rather than a reused Warzone map is worth celebrating.

There is a ‘good guys turned traitor’ trend in the campaign; With the entire world against them, our group of morally ambiguous heroes must use whatever resources they can find to save the world, rather than a government organization giving them thousands of grenades before a mission.

But it doesn’t quite work out that way, as the gang almost immediately find themselves in a wealthy mansion full of cash, able to book flights to any country, despite being in what appears to be a pretty busy situation, they can apparently book flights to any country they want. wanted list. The slum never enters the equation, and what could have been a major point of difference ceases to be an issue.

You can freely explore this manor house – The Rook – which doubles as a castle. safe house center between tasks. There are a few hidden areas to explore using black light and a little creativity, but once these are removed the area remains fairly static. You can collect coins on your travels and upgrade various benches in the house to unlock perks that I found unnecessary on the normal difficulty option.

Raising money has become a running joke in my head. You visit places with stacks of banknotes, golden toilets and priceless antiques, but the only currency of value are small bundles of American Dollars. I like to imagine the player character taking a breather during a firefight to shove singles into their pockets before bracing themselves for the next barrage.

The story apparently took note of last year’s most boring event and decided to throw it all at you instead. It doesn’t necessarily come up with anything original, instead borrowing elements from other, often more interesting games. There’s a Far Cry-style open-world mission (it’s miles better than last year’s Open Brawl), an almost Hitmanesque level where you cause stealth damage, and a very close-to-comfort Control-style mission set in a retro setting. office space.

All of these ideas are well implemented and provide a different experience, at least compared to other Call of Duty campaigns. Even though they didn’t show me anything I hadn’t seen before, I’m glad this was more than just a straight military shooter. My main concern is that despite many of the higher concept missions taking place outside of reality, they still follow typical Call of Duty conventions; Find these, shoot everything that comes your way. This is a missed creative opportunity.

Some story elements never come to fruition during the campaign, and some major, dangling threads are left hanging in the wind. I know exciting events and open-ended questions are par for the course here, but instead of the excitement of seeing more, I was left unsatisfied. I’m sure many will praise the campaign for making the kind of swing that other recent entries have shied away from, and there’s certainly some truth to that. It’s solid for a COD campaign, but we’re now into the sixth game of the Black Ops series and the characters and world still feel shallow.

With this burden on my shoulders, I switched to multiplayer to relieve some of the tension. This didn’t work. Matches went by at lightning speed and I always had to keep my wits about me. I wasn’t relieved, but I had fun.

Call of Duty is perhaps the gold standard of arcade multiplayer FPS gamesand this year is no different; The biggest innovation is new move everywhere System that allows you to run and dive in any direction. It may seem like a small change, and I guess it is in the grand scheme of things, but moving around makes every action feel a little smoother. You can be a fluent harbinger of death, and in a game that has struggled to implement real change for years, this is a good step forward.

The maps offered will be according to your personal taste. The premiere stands out for me; a three-lane arena with lots of visibility and opportunities to get behind the enemy. You also have Subsonic, which is the most destructive semicircle you’ve ever seen, with working hangar doors in the middle to prepare a surprise for anyone camping in this spot.

BO6 weapons Feel powerful as you land with a dull, satisfying thud, lap after lap. Gunplay basics are pretty much perfected here, which makes multiplayer interesting and offers good variety. mapsI can see this becoming a fan favorite. With the addition of the ability to move anywhere, gunfights feel fast and frantic; Just like a great Call of Duty should be.

The last mode I checked out, and frankly the one I have the least experience with, was Zombies. This year’s offering is a back-to-basics, wave-based survival affair that pits you against endless hordes of the undead. It seems quite simple and unpretentious, but the two maps presented are – Freedom Falls And Terminal – is highly interactive and full of secrets.

In terms of gameplay and progression, it’s pretty much the same as always. Zombies get stronger with each round, requiring you to unlock more sections of the map to access purchasable upgrades and weapons to enhance your arsenal in line with increasingly bigger and badder enemies. There’s a hidden vault, some kind of interdimensional rift, and I got eaten alive by a bald guy in a string vest. It was great fun.

The longevity of zombies is related to the depth of their secrets; Players hunt for days to find the next easter egg, and the maps here are dense and dangerous. While the two maps won’t keep you busy for long, Zombies is a great time for now and I’m looking forward to my next rounds and always trying to do better.

The highlights of this year’s COD are undoubtedly Zombies and the multiplayer offerings. Despite the mind-blowing narrative of escaped bandits, the campaign was let down by its recycled ideas and weak ending. The narrative questions, which I’m sure the developers hoped would persist after playing the game, slipped from my memory as soon as they were asked. I can’t see myself going back to this.

Where Black Ops 6 really shines is in its multiplayer modes. A delightful map pack, a new movement system, and satisfying gunplay are what make this year’s COD one of the strongest in recent memory. Its inclusion in Game Pass opens the door to those who might not have risked a full-price purchase in years past, and Black Ops 6 is ultimately well-equipped to win over veterans and newcomers alike.