Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Review

While Call of Duty games are consistently among the top-selling games year-in and year-out, new entries since 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot have been met with a mixed reaction from fans. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has long been pitched as a return to form for Call of Duty, with Activision hyping up the game’s round-based Zombies and varied single-player campaign. After completing the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 single-player campaign and spending time with both multiplayer and Zombies, it’s clear that the game delivers on its promises and brings the long-running franchise back to its glory days.

The Black Ops 6 Campaign is a Blast

There once was a time when I eagerly awaited the annual Call of Duty campaign, but that has changed in recent years. The campaign in 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 was a huge misstep, while the 2023 Modern Warfare 3 game took Call of Duty campaigns to new lows, offering a series-worst single-player experience. I went into Black Ops 6 nervous that it would carry on the unfortunate trend of bad Call of Duty campaigns, but came away pleasantly surprised.

The Black Ops 6 campaign is a mostly good time, with tight, action-packed, linear missions mixed with open-ended ones. A couple of the missions in the Black Ops 6 campaign give players a small taste of what an open world Call of Duty game could be like, and they ensure that there’s plenty of variety from one mission to the next. One mission will have players infiltrating an enemy compound undercover to sabotage their equipment, while another is a guns-blazing assault on an airport terminal.

Players are able to select missions from their safehouse headquarters. The safehouse can be upgraded using cash found in missions, in turn opening the door to character upgrades that offer an extra advantage while out in the field. This adds a great deal of replay value to the campaign, which, combined with special unlocks for multiplayer that players can earn by completing challenges, makes the Black Ops 6 campaign one of the most rewarding in series history.

There’s never a dull moment in the Black Ops 6 campaign from a gameplay perspective. Unfortunately, it’s all over a little too quickly. The Black Ops 6 campaign can be completed in about five hours or so, which means some ideas don’t get time to breathe and come into their own like they may have in other, lengthier games. I was also completely unimpressed with the story in the Black Ops 6 campaign. Like many modern Call of Duty campaigns, the plot feels contrived, the characters are bland, and there’s a lack of emotional gut punches that the series was once known for.

Black Ops 6 Multiplayer is Ridiculously Fun

While the story is lackluster, the Black Ops 6 campaign is still plenty exciting and a massive step up from last year. The same can be said for multiplayer, with Black Ops 6 mostly hitting it out of the park in that arena as well. Black Ops 6 features the typical Call of Duty multiplayer experience, with the big addition this year being the introduction of omnimovement. Black Ops 6 omnimovement essentially allows players to sprint and dive in any direction they want, allowing for even faster-paced gameplay and new movement options that shake up any given encounter. While it may take a little getting used to, Black Ops 6 omnimovement is a net positive and makes the minute-to-minute gameplay in multiplayer even more fun.

Call of Duty multiplayer is only as good as its maps, and while not everything hits like it should, I have been largely impressed with Black Ops 6‘s offerings. Black Ops 6‘s multiplayer spawns could be better and there are certain maps, like Rewind, that seem to punish players if they don’t stick to a specific playstyle, but at least all the maps look incredible and have personality to them. I’ve had fun on all of Black Ops 6‘s core multiplayer maps, and expect to spend dozens more hours playing on them.

So far, I’ve spent most of my time with Black Ops 6‘s multiplayer in Gunfight, the returning 2v2 mode that first debuted in 2019’s Modern Warfare. Four Gunfight maps are available at launch, with the best one easily being Stakeout. Set in an apartment building, Stakeout is one of the most dynamic Gunfight maps yet, giving players more options to engage their opponents than ever before. Players can sprint to the room where the flag spawns, or they can make some risky jumps on the outside of the building to flank their opponents. There are also plenty of places to hide, with a small air duct connecting a couple of the rooms and a perilous area in the middle where players can run on the rooftops. Some of the most fun I’ve had with Black Ops 6 multiplayer has been in Gunfight and specifically on the Stakeout map, so hopefully, future 2v2 maps take inspiration from it.

Regardless of game mode, Black Ops 6 multiplayer lends itself well to hilarious water-cooler moments. The game’s ragdoll physics when players die, the ridiculous dives made possible by omnimovement, the ability to take enemies hostage and talk to them through proximity chat, and the post-match winner’s circle emotes all help make every multiplayer match entertaining in its own way. More than any other Call of Duty has in years, Black Ops 6 multiplayer is laser-focused on making sure players are having fun.

The Call of Duty multiplayer experience will evolve over the course of the next year. New maps and game modes will no doubt be added, which will help fill in some gaps and address oversights. For example, the lack of any Gunfight tournament mode at launch is disappointing, as is the fact that fan-favorite modes like Gun Game are nowhere to be seen.

Black Ops 6 Marks the Triumphant Return of Round-Based Zombies

Despite some disappointing exclusions, Black Ops 6 multiplayer still gives players their money’s worth and then some, which is also true of the Zombies mode. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 brings round-based Zombies back with two completely unique maps available at launch, both of which are fun to explore and certainly scratch that classic Zombies itch.

The two Black Ops 6 Zombies maps available at launch are Terminus and Liberty Falls. Terminus is set on a prison island, while Liberty Falls takes place in a small American town. They offer completely distinct flavors and have unique features to really stand apart from each other. The Terminus map is dark and brooding, with stormy weather, while Liberty Falls is a bright, open area with quaint shops to explore. Both have players killing zombies for points that can be spent on opening doors to new areas, acquiring helpful perks like Juggernog, rolling the dice at the Mystery Box, and upgrading guns at the Pack-A-Punch machine. Both are also filled with secrets and each one has a “main quest” Easter Egg to tackle, guaranteeing hours of worthwhile gameplay from Zombies alone.

Black Ops 6 Zombies checks all the boxes players expect from classic Zombies with new quality of life features like being able to save and quit in the middle of a run when playing solo. Of course, Zombies is best when played with friends, and I can see Terminus and Liberty Falls taking up plenty of co-op gaming sessions in the months ahead. Fans of classic Zombies should love what’s here, and hopefully the mode gets plenty of attention in Black Ops 6‘s seasonal updates.

Black Ops 6 is Call of Duty at Its Best

The Zombies, multiplayer, and campaign are all presented with impressive graphics that ensure Call of Duty remains one of the best-looking games on the market. Breathtaking lighting, highly-detailed maps, smooth as butter frame rate, and next-level audio design come together expertly, solidifying Black Ops 6 as the best Call of Duty game in years. Black Ops 6‘s post-launch support should mean that the game only gets better with time, but what’s available at launch is already fantastic and will keep franchise fans entertained for months on end.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant reviewed the game on Xbox Series X.