I have been a fan of the Call of Duty franchise for a long time. Some people relax by coloring, reading, or meditating. I relax by playing Call of Duty multiplayer games. For as long as I’ve been playing you would think I was a pro, but that’s just not true. I still manage to have a lot of fun and enjoy my sessions. Call of Duty: WWII went away from the futuristic, almost Titanfall-esque style of vertical gameplay and gave us a more grounded experience. With Treyarch’s Black Ops 4, we are once again brought to a modern age. This time, however, we’re back to Call of Duty roots: boots on the ground, high impact action, and new features to make even the most hardcore Call of Duty fan feel like they have never stopped playing.
What makes the biggest change in this new iteration of Call of Duty is that there is no longer a single player campaign. While this might be a turn-off for some players, others who only care about the multiplayer aspect of Call of Duty will be right at home. For me, personally, the lack of single player doesn’t bother me at all. I have always been a MP player for Call of Duty. There are enough new features in Black Ops 4 to make up for not having a dedicated single player campaign.
There are three modes offered in Black Ops 4: Blackout, Zombies, and Multiplayer. Multiplayer is back with its “boots on the ground” action that you have come to love from Call of Duty games. Gone is the verticality but the game still feels modern with its impressive array of gadgets. Players can select from a different specialist to play as from the start, or; once the have enough levels; they can create a class that is tied to a specialist. This makes for some interesting choices when creating classes. Multiplayer also brings back 5 returning maps from older Black Ops games. These maps have been remastered and look stunning on an Xbox One (both first Gen and X). Not to worry though, there are also 4 brand new maps to the series each with their own unique look and feel.
The idea of specialists are a unique feature and while there is no single player mode, there is a Specialist HQ. This mode allows players to get some back story on each of the specialists. Fully rendered cutscenes shine as the gritty movies play on your screen. This mode allows for players to get familiar with the specialists without the pressure of having to do well in an MP match.
Zombies mode returns with two different modes to offer players: IX, and Voyage of Despair. I will admit that I have never been a fan of the zombies modes before but the these new changes are really well done. In IX, players travel back in time to slay zombies. Voyage of Despair pits players in the wreckage of the Titanic. The maps feel massive but not overwhelming. As in previous zombie modes players can accumulate points by staying alive while also using those points to purchase resources, barriers, and weapons. There are plenty of hidden treasures throughout each level to keep even the most veteran of zombie slayers busy.
New to the Call of Duty franchise is Blackout. An entry into the already growing battle royale genre we are seeing. This, to me, is where Black Ops 4 really shines. The utilization of air, land and sea vehicles add so much to the biggest map in Call of Duty history. Players can also pick up health kits, armor and even perk consumables to help achieve victory. Special items are hidden throughout the world, if you visit a location from the Zombies mode, you can actually fight some zombies who will drop special items. This isn’t just some rip-off or tacked on component to an already existing game. This is a fully thought out game mode that shows just exactly how a battle royale game can be done.
This is by far the best looking Call of Duty game yet. Water is clear and looks crisp and refreshing. Snow is bright and almost blinding. You can almost smell the dust as the winds of the marketplace kick up dirt. The rendered cut-scenes look amazing on both an Xbox One and an Xbox One X. The sounds of the gunfire sound incredibly authentic. Movement is fluid and responsive. If you’re a Call of Duty fan, Black Ops 4 is a MUST. It’s epic on a scale like unlike anything we’ve ever seen before and I haven’t been able to put it down.
Activision Provided Marooners’ Rock a Review code for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
