Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Xbox Series X|S) Review

After a down year, Activision‘s Call of Duty brand goes back to its other popular sub-series, and comes roaring back with Black Ops 6.

Going black again

Quick, what’s your favorite Call of Duty title? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you didn’t come up with something from the Modern Warfare line, you likely said one of the Black Ops games. It’s not just that the franchise itself basically bounces back and forth between the two (with notable exceptions), but also because most of the best CoD games have spun out of those two sub-series’.

Black Ops has been a consistently popular line, just like the highly-regarded original Modern Warfare series. For that matter though, aside from Modern Warfare III‘s stunted campaign, the remakes/reimaginings of the MW games have been fairly well received too. Since we just saw MW3 last year though, 2024 called for a return to Black Ops.

A line of period pieces, Black Ops has seen its cast run missions that raged from the 1960’s through the ’80s. For 2024’s Black Ops 6, it’s time to dive into a whole new era with the early days of the 90s. That means Saddam Hussein, the end of the Cold War, the first Gulf War, and weapons of… mass destruction.

Much with the way that real-world events played out, in the case of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, those WMD’s are taking center-stage. Though of course, not in the ways that you might suspect.

It’s Hammer time!

Starting in the 1960’s, Black Ops has followed its core group of CIA-related agents and operatives throughout the 20th century (and then some), though not all of them have been present for all of the various installments.

The series isn’t afraid of killing off protagonists either, or for that matter, gravely wounding them. That’s the case with Frank Woods, as an example, a man who was in the field for the early games, but now finds himself confined to a wheelchair. That doesn’t mean that he has no part to play in Black Ops 6 though, as the gruff and rough former-soldier is present throughout.

Also onboard is Russell Adler, a shadowy spook who may or may not be a friend at any given time. Players of Black Ops Cold War will know what I mean by that. Expanding the group is tech Felix Neumann, contract killer Sevati Dumas, and the new team lead Troy Marshall. There’s also a silent protagonist, with players mainly cast as William “Case” Calderon throughout.

Non-voiced player-characters are kind of a pet peeve of mine, so personally I’d have greatly preferred it if Case had a voice instead of just text-based conversation options. He’s an interesting character too, with connections to a secret program from decades past that I won’t get into here for spoilers sake. I will add though, that there are deeper plot points involving Case that are barely even touched on in the campaign. That’s a huge missed opportunity as far as I’m concerned.

The main plot though, follows the above team as they go rogue. Operating out of a former KGB base in Eastern Europe, the squad quickly figures out that a paramilitary group called the Pantheon has some nefarious plans for the US and its cloak and dagger wings. They’re also somehow working on the inside, and simultaneously behind a hallucinogenic bioweapon called Cradle, that may or may not have fallen into the hands of one Saddam Hussein.

Overall the narrative is one of the best in Call Of Duty‘s history, and yes I mean that even with the aforementioned miss-fires. The missions are as varied as any I’ve played in the franchise, with stealth, open-world, survival horror, and more all supplementing the main military/action themes. I’ve played most of the CoD’s, and I’d place Black Ops 6‘s campaign in the top five.

Naturally, that’s not all the title has to offer. Like with other modern Call of Duty titles, Black Ops 6 offers up plenty of multiplayer, with some great looking and all-new zombies action, plus a full collection of multiplayer modes and options. I’m not much of an online guy anymore, but if you’re into Call of Duty multiplayer, then I’d imagine Black Ops 6 will scratch the itch nicely.

There’s plenty to do, and that staple CoD gameplay is intact. In fact, it’s a little improved.

Wargames

Let’s get this out of the way first, I’m a big fan of the way that Call of Duty plays. I really have been since day one, and the original WWII mission that the series embarked upon. Over the years that’s of course changed to some degree, though CoD’s play had more or less settled into a comfortable position and stuck with that. That’s until this year. Sort of.

Call of Duty introduces omni-movement with Black Ops 6, and while it’s not a complete overhaul of the control system, it’does make some significant alterations. Using this new mechanic, players can effectively make ‘action movie’ moves in any direction, while still blasting away at foes. So you can, for example, dive to the left to get behind cover while still shooting at your target.

It’s a cool idea for sure, though I honestly didn’t really use it in my playthrough. And I mean that as in, maybe a handful of times. I have heard in the weeks since the game came out that the new system has a much greater effect if you’re playing on a PC, but I can’t vouch for that.

As for the rest of the control suite, it’s what you know and probably love. Black Ops 6‘s controls are just as snappy and well-crafted as ever, with the franchise’s excellent gunplay intact. Through I do have issue with one of its elements.

Stealth is a gimmick that I’ve never been particularly good at in games (in general), but when it comes to FPS’, I’m abysmal. Now, being that this is Call of Duty, that’s not the end of the world. It’s an action game at its core anyway. Sometimes though, it’s kind of necessary to keep a low-pro in the campaign, and I found that enemies noticed me way too fast and easily for my liking. Admittedly, that could be just me, but I thought I’d note it here anyway. If you’re as lousy at it as I am though, maybe be a little extra careful during those missions.

As great as ever

Activision‘s premier FPS franchise typically serves up a pretty good looking game. Black Ops 6 is no exception to this rule, and is a treat for the eyes in a few ways. But while there are a few of the title’s trademark set-pieces present, the campaign has an overall tighter feel than most other entries.

The reason for that is the story itself, since its tale is more of a spy epic than one that features open warfare. Not that there’s not a collection of huge action moments, because there are thanks to some missions set in the middle-east, but infiltrating a casino and breaking into a formerly secure facility that time’s forgot aren’t going to have the same level of punch that some other Call of Duty titles offer.

Still, the game’s settings are universally well-crafted and highly detailed, with a great series of callbacks to not just the 90s, but the 60s too. The bottom line is that the game is gorgeous. The desert sands look rough and brutal, the deserted interiors of that 60s setting I mentioned look creepy and unsettling, and the team’s base of operations feels warm and comfortable (for the most part).

Likewise, the characters are terrific looking, and filled with personality. Each member of the cast looks the part, but also has some great facial animation and sounds like a real person. That’s thanks both to the writing and the awesome vocal cast, which includes Damon Victor Allen as Woods and Bruce Thomas as the morally gray Adler. Add to them Karen David as Dumas, Seamus Dever as Neuman, and Dawn Olivieri as the team’s former CIA boss Jane Harrow and you have a terrific collection of talent. Heck, there’s even a well-done appearance by President Bill Clinton, played by Jim Meskimen.

Enemies look good too, though of course the bulk are generic fodder. There are some standouts though, since you’ll have to get up close and personal with a few bad guys, and that means more unique faces and voices. I will say however, that not everything is a great looking.

While most of the effects are awesome, there are a few that could have been better. One example that really stuck with me was a gas grenade burst that’s used several times. Not the most realistic looking of things. I also didn’t care for the visuals on the foes in that certain level that I keep hinting at. Players have seen them many times over in… other modes. It would have been great to see something altogether different for their campaign appearance (even though there is a slight bit of visual uniqueness at play).

Also, I think it’s time to leave last-gen behind. I have seen Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 playing on a PS4 and it’s just not… it’s not great. Let’s leave it at that.

Overall

It’s kind of funny how some genre fans (and game fans in general) love to hate on CoD. It’s far from a perfect franchise, but it’s packed with memorable moments and lately some surprisingly good stories and characters.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has all of the above, plus adds in the new omni-movement system, which again might be a hit or miss affair. I loved my time with the campaign however, and I’m pretty confident saying that CoD fans and action aficionados will eat this one up.

A copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was provided by Activision for this review

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Release Date: October 25th, 2024
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S (reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Publisher: Activision
Developers: Treyarch, Raven Software
MSRP: $69.99 USD