Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review – The best CoD in years despite lackluster maps
ActivisionEven before Black Ops 6 was released, it was being hailed as a possible turning point for the franchise. After jumping into the new multiplayer, Zombies, and campaign, Treyarch has delivered exactly that by embracing the new, while still celebrating the old.
Even as someone who’s always preferred the grittier realism of the Modern Warfare series, I’ve long appreciated the way that Black Ops lets you live out your action-hero fantasy. With Black Ops 6, this magic can be felt in multiplayer like never before.
This year’s multiplayer delivers everything that fans of the series are looking for – from best-in-class gunplay to a back-to-basics approach to progression. While the underwhelming maps hold it back from true FPS greatness, the addition of omnimovement forgives any transgressions.
Combine this with a stellar campaign and return to form Zombies mode, and Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is set to be a landmark release in the franchise.
Black Ops 6 screenshots & details
- Price: £69.99 / $69.99
- Developer: Treyarch
- Release date: October 25, 2024
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Reviewed on PS5
Multiplayer: Gameplay feels better than ever
Dexerto / ActivisionFor all of its changes and innovations, the moment-to-moment gameplay will be immediately familiar to series veterans — and it’s as snappy as it’s ever been. It almost feels redundant to say that Call of Duty has the best gunplay in the genre at this point, but still being able to say that confidently after the better part of two decades is some achievement.
Although the weapons feel lighter than MW3 overall, they pack a mean punch. Mowing down enemies with an SMG or landing a headshot with sniper feels just as good on the 1000th kill as it did on the first, with the help of all the immersive vibrations and sound effects we’ve come to expect.
Although every firearm feels great to use, guns within the same category often feel indistinct from one another. Whereas MW3 made every weapon feel unique, through a variety of different rates and ranges, the new roster blurs together, with only the absolute meta picks like the XM4 standing out from the crowd.
Fortunately, the time-to-kill is also in a great spot. Enemies die fast enough to keep the action moving, but you still have a window to react and turn things around if you’re hit first. It’s been sped up slightly compared to last year, and that does take a small adjustment period after thousands of matches of MW3, however, the faster TTK works beautifully with the faster movement in Black Ops 6.
Stellar gameplay doesn’t mean much if the progression doesn’t keep you hooked, but multiplayer also nails this thanks to the return of the classic Prestige system. The seasonal Prestiges of the last few entries have been scrapped, in place of the OG system that gives you the option to start unlocking your weapons, Perks, and Scorestreaks again, while earning exclusive skins and camos in the process.
This means that leveling up is meaningful every single time and I now care about my rank for the first time in years. Pair this with a streamlined Mastery Camo grind and I’ve got no doubt I’ll be revisiting Black Ops 6 for seasons to come.
Omnimovement is the star of the show
The hottest talking point ahead of Black Ops 6 was omnimovement. Competitive players hoped it would revolutionize the franchise and separate the strong from the weak, while casuals feared it could make this the least accessible multiplayer to date.
I was firmly in the latter camp going in, but after a few matches to adjust to the new 360-degree sprints, Max Payne-style dives, and possible combinations, it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t added years ago.
The act of simply moving around the map is more fluid than ever before and being able to sprint in any direction while looking in another gives you a greater sense of awareness. Plus diving backward out of a window while unloading an Assault Rifle feels like something that’s been plucked straight out of a Hollywood movie, but being able to pull it off naturally in the heat of battle is all the more satisfying.
There’s no doubt that omnimovement nudges the skill gap up slightly, as those who take the time to truly master the system will be chaining together slides and dives to dizzying effect. But in the games I’ve played so far, it’s just a tool in your arsenal rather than the be-all-and-end-all. Twitch reflexes and accuracy are still king, and you can top the leaderboards game after game while completely ignoring the system.
However, learning its nuances and knowing how and when to use it will give you the edge in close-fought matches. This rings especially true on the smallest maps such as Babylon and Payback, where the lightning-fast movement is most noticeable, especially when playing against top players.
Dexerto / ActivisionUnderwhelming maps will be quickly forgotten
Treyarch are known for delivering some of the most iconic maps in Call of Duty history, from fan-favorites like Firing Range and Raid, to modern classics like Hacienda. Unfortunately, the launch lineup in Black Ops 6 falls way short of those lofty standards, with a selection that is forgettable at best and awkward to play at worst.
While they’re all undoubtedly gorgeous to look at, these three-lane arenas lack the flow and cohesion of the series’ best. Many of them feel disjointed and force you into specific areas, with one of the worst offenders being Rewind, a retail park with a ton of shops on one side, one small building on the other, and a barren road going through the middle.
They’re also much smaller than we’ve seen in previous years. Even the biggest maps in BO6 feel more compact than your usual medium-sized maps, and the sheer amount of dead space only adds to the claustrophobia.
They’re not all duds though, there are still a handful of well-designed battlegrounds that are a welcome sight in the pre-game lobby. Payback, which takes place in the Safe House from the campaign, is a fast and frantic map that’s a blast to play, while the boat-hopping Lowtown has a nice mix of open courtyards and compact buildings to contest.
All that being said, there aren’t any maps here that I expect to reminisce about in years to come and even the best of the bunch will likely fade from memory once we move on in 2025.
Dexerto / ActivisionBlack Ops 6 Zombies: As alive as it gets
Call of Duty Zombies is finally back in Black Ops 6, proving Treyarch hasn’t lost the undead touch we’ve been calling for.
Zombies may not be as highly populated as the game’s multiplayer, but there’s just something about hitting headshots on hordes of zombies as they rush to take you down that no other game mode manages to capture.
It’s the chaos, the fear that the safe second could turn into death at any given moment, and the multiple hidden tasks, Easter eggs, and upgrades you can get your hands on. Those are what bring Black Ops 6 the ability to rival Zombies modes of old.
Now this is more like it
Ultimately, Treyarch has crafted a stellar adventure in its two new maps, Liberty Falls and Terminus. Naturally, both are extremely different in their design and layout and therefore how you approach them, so it’s important to judge them separately.
Liberty Falls is by far my favorite, it’s reminiscent of the smaller, more compact maps, like Town, Nuketown, or Nacht der Untoten. You’re placed into a destroyed apocalypse town filled with unique stores, plenty of open space, and a creepy church to boot, setting the scene wonderfully. Combine that with the natural training locations for higher levels, and the variety of Mystery box locations and wall guns and you’ve got everything you need to truly thrive.
Dexerto/ActivisionAnd thrive is ultimately what you end up doing. There’s an inherently new yet nostalgic feel about Liberty Falls that just feels right in every way. Its barriers are perfectly placed, there’s not too much to unlock, yet there are still fantastic easter eggs, rewards, and brand-new monsters to battle. Liberty Falls feels like the map we’ve been looking for since arguably Black Ops 3.
Then there’s Terminus. This map’s much more open, and almost feels like a slithering labyrinth, snaking along in a line rather than placing you in a traditional circle(ish) style. While there’s nothing wrong with having a more complicated map designed to be confusing to navigate, it doesn’t feel like it hits as well as Liberty Falls.
However, while the map itself feels overly complex, the design around it captures the Zombie game mode perfectly. Whether you’re fleeing a horde through the mines, struggling to navigate the Sea Caves, or shooting zombie bugs out of the sky in the labs, every new section feels scarier than the last. Where Liberty Falls brings light, great music, and a classic atmosphere, Terminus introduces a more horror aspect, pushing unsettling designs onto an already unsettling atmosphere.
More than just a multiplayer movement upgrade
While running through those Sea Caves, one element really stood out, the movement. While it’s certainly received a great upgrade in multiplayer, the same increase has been applied to the Zombies mode.
Dexerto/ActivisionEach jump, dive, weave, or slide feels smoother and allows for some new ways to take down the hordes. I found myself hopping over cars, sliding across the floor hitting headshots, and flicking zombies behind me with actions smoother than ever.
This perfectly complements the faster nature of the zombies, who feel like they’ve had a bit of Speed-Cola themselves on occasion. While, traditionally, their speed would be a point of complaint, the smooth and fast nature of the movement balances this out wonderfully.
A stellar headshot
Ultimately, through upgraded movement, some great maps, and the addition of new spider or bug-like zombies, Treyarch has once again proved why they’re fit to develop Call of Duty Zombies.
This adventure is a stellar example of how to start off a game mode and still cater to a variety of players. The maps are varied, the guns are powerful, and the enemies are far from stupid, making it an enjoyable adventure for trainers, headshotters, or plain old zombie hunters alike.
Words by Jessica Filby
Dexerto/ActivisionCampaign: Black Ops 6 returns to form
To many COD fans, playing the campaign is a distant memory. Depending on their age, it’s either something they no longer do or perhaps never did. However, for other fans, playing the campaign is an annual event and a reminder of what made them fall in love with first-person shooters to begin with.
Sure, it’s not going to be long, but it’ll be several hours of high-octane fun where we get to shoot some suckers and hone our skills. It also doesn’t hurt that COD often tells an epic story that serves as the foundation for this year’s round of multiplayer mayhem.
There was a time when nobody did single-player campaigns as well as Call of Duty, if you remember the hype around the original Modern Warfare sequels and the early Black Ops games, you’ll know what we mean. However, over time, the single-player aspects have been diluted and outshone by the multiplayer, especially since the advent of Warzone.
As such, while 2023’s Modern Warfare 3’s campaign represented an all-time low in terms of quality, we’re happy to say that Black Ops 6 does a complete reversal and delivers one of the best campaigns in living memory. To be fair, this should have been expected after the stellar, Black Ops: Cold War campaign.
The truth is, Black Ops games in general lend themselves well to single-player storytelling. Each game is essentially a spy thriller with some shocking twists and turns that keep players invested – and Black Ops 6 is no different. In fact, it takes the Black Ops formula to a whole new level.
Dexerto/ActivisionSpies like who?
The story picks up several years after Black Ops: Cold War and we’re reminded of the tragic fate of Alex Mason and Jason Hudson from Black Ops 2, making this harrowing scene canon. The survivor of the original crew, Frank Woods, is now bound to a wheelchair and puts a new team of agents together to track down his old ally Russell Adler.
After the fall of Perseus, Adler is now on the trail of Pantheon an American-led paramilitary organization who is causing trouble for the CIA and has framed Adler as a traitor. Woods, believing Adler to be innocent, works to undermine Pantheon and thwart their nefarious plans from the shadows.
The game does a great job of not just building on the intrigue and tense spy action from previous games but works hard to turn the Black Ops series into one consistent story that spans several decades. Cold War cleverly linked the Black Ops series to the rebooted Modern Warfare games by including a younger version of Imran Zakhaev in the campaign, but sadly, Black Ops 6 doesn’t continue this worldbuilding.
It also creates an odd timeline inconsistency by making Black Ops 2’s story relevant again, but we can suspend our disbelief for the sake of a good time. Black Ops 6 isn’t all creeping about in the shadows either, nearly all of its 11 missions do include some classic FPS action, so don’t think this is a game that insists on stealth. If you want to go loud, then light ‘em up.
Keeping the pace
Nothing the campaign ever does outstays its welcome and is a rollercoaster from start to finish, reminding us of when COD campaigns were essential and something you felt compelled to play before diving into the multiplayer. One mission did remind me of Modern Warfare 3’s more open-world style, but this mission was consistently fun and never a chore. It made me want to explore and visit every marker on the map.
However, another mission does take a few liberties and felt like an excuse to introduce new players to the Zombies mechanics. We won’t spoil what goes down, and we’re not saying that Zombies is now canon with the Black Ops campaign story, but it was a little jarring to see the undead (be they hallucinations or not) pop up in a story about espionage and shadow wars.
For the most part, though, this is the COD campaign you’ll remember, but back when you enjoyed playing them. The action is a little slower, but it feels like an age since we got a campaign in a first-person shooter that we enjoyed from start to finish as much as this one.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign likely isn’t going to change the views of those who’ve sworn off single-player first-person shooters, or who’ve never enjoyed one. But for those who grew up with COD campaigns being a massive part of our gaming diet, Black Ops 6 is a return to form – and we can’t wait to see where this universe goes next.
Words by Sam Smith
The Verdict: 4/5 – Very good
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great gunplay | Underwhelming maps |
| Omnimovement a revelation | Indistinct weapons |
| Classic Prestige sytem | |
| Zombies back on form |
Black Ops 6’s multiplayer is already the new gold standard for a modern Call of Duty. The signature gunplay we know and love feels better than ever, and omnimovement is a revelation that’s likely to have a drastic impact on the franchise going forward.
The return of the classic Prestige system also finally makes progression feel meaningful again, resulting in a multiplayer that combines the best of the old and the new.
The game’s held back by a poor selection of maps, which are some of the worst launch maps we’ve seen to date, but overall, this is a fantastic return to form, especially through the Zombies mode and campaign. Black Ops 6 gives players exactly what they want, while also laying the groundwork for the future.
For more information on how we score video games, check out our scoring guidelines here.