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After back-to-back Modern Warfare games, Black Ops has followed the new CoD trend by releasing the 6th and 7th entries back to back. Many would call it “CoD fatigue” and “repetitive,” but overall, every Call of Duty has the same love-hate reception. With Black Ops 7, though, reception is decidedly set to hate rather than love.
One Campaign To Ruin Them All
Call of Duty stories are defined by their bold characters, and the Black Ops series has delivered some of the most unforgettable—from Mason, Hudson, and Woods to more recent figures like Russell Adler. But here, the most bittersweet moment comes when Raul Menendez reappears in the trailers, only for the Campaign to follow with a portrayal that feels like a disservice to what made him iconic in Black Ops 2.
The intro cutscene does a good job of keeping players on high alert for an immersive story, but once you’re on the first mission, you know how it’s all going to end. Characters like Mason, Woods, and Mike Harper are dragged into a mind-bending narrative, and, to make things worse, there’s not much meat on the bones beyond the visual gimmicks.
Some of the character animations make me want to leave David Mason behind after playing this, and the story itself doesn’t work for him. Maybe there’s only one chapter where you get to see more references to David’s childhood, but it’s ruined by having to kill zombies instead of anything significant. Vanguard and MW3 set the bar so low that it’s safe to say this has buried itself beneath them.
Call of Duty Is Indeed Back With The Undead
I know another Call of Duty game that had one of the worst Campaigns of all time, and it’s still the best-selling in the whole franchise: Black Ops 3. The reason for that game’s success was Zombies, of course, and Multiplayer, which are the pillars as they always are.
Black Ops 7‘s launch Zombies map grabs the ball and scores a 3-pointer right from the start. The “aura” we were looking for in previous Zombies games is there, the main easter egg quest is such an incredible journey, and the boss fight is more complicated than any you’ve ever encountered in modern Zombies.
The cherry on top in Zombies is the introduction of Ol’ Tessie and T.E.D.D., the wonder vehicle that you travel the map and beat the boss with, and well, a returning weapon from Black Ops 2 that we know and love. Speaking of characters, Zombies is one giant step in the right direction by separating the story from the Campaign, freeing Treyarch up to go wild.
Also, in terms of content, this is probably the most packed version of the mode you’ve seen in years. After beating the main quest, you’re free to up the challenge by playing Cursed, a slice of the original Zombies gameplay where you start with a pistol and search for Relics. That itself keeps you busy for weeks, and then you can play Dead Ops Arcade 4, Survival maps, and the following DLC maps to track the good tale—massive improvement over just completing the main easter egg that we had in the past years.
Lots of People to Shoot and Things to See
Wall jump is the only new movement mechanic separating this from last year’s installment, along with a bunch of fixes and adjustments, like no default tactical running and a slower overall movement speed. But these only made the game more enjoyable, with maps designed to let you use the wall jump.
The maps are very reminiscent of those from earlier entries with colorful Treyarch signature design and an easy-to-learn 3-lane style. The gunplay feels good, and besides account prestige, you can now prestige your weapons as well, something that rewards you with a unique attachment, making the grind worth it.
The elephant in the room for all multiplayer enjoyers, however, is the addition of Open Matchmaking, where skill is minimally considered, and no disbanding of lobbies. This was such a great feature, especially the chance to play with the same teammates and opponents I enjoyed playing against over and over, and to make friends and rivals along the way.
Call of Duty Isn’t Back, It Never Left
If there’s one thing I’ve learned ever since playing, it’s that it’s very rare for every title to nail all three pillars. Some feature great stories and mid-tier Multiplayer or Co-Op, while others have less entertaining Campaigns and solid multiplayer or Zombies offerings. Black Ops 7 indeed falls into the latter, but the poor campaign leaves a lasting scar on the legacy of the Black Ops stories.
