Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is out in the wild and all indications are that people are loving their CoD. If there were to be an exception, it would be me, as I’ve largely abandoned the perennial first-person shooter over the past decade. Unfortunately for the grumpy gamer in me, this year’s offering from Treyarch is pretty good, even if I long for the days when campaigns didn’t remind me of the randomness of a kid’s birthday party 10 years old.

Come on, it’s Robert Redford

When it works, the Black Ops 6 campaign is hit or miss for me. On the one hand, it can feel like I’ve stepped into a 90s spy movie, with Adler reminding me a lot of Robert Redford’s character in Spy Game. You’ll assassinate high-value targets, attend a political event before infiltrating a CIA black site to rescue a potential ally, and drive a tank through an airport terminal. There are twists and turns and questions about who is good or bad and where everyone’s loyalties lie. There’s also a 100% chance that my game will crash every time I try to load the campaign or, you know, when I try to swap weapons or slide down a ladder.

Aside from the crashes, there are a few missions that, while cool, just don’t fit the mood and ruin the immersion. One of these missions turns the campaign into a miniature Far Cry game where you’re in an open environment checking waypoints on your map. Later, you’ll be thrust into what is essentially just an imitation of zombies under the guise of being under the influence of a hallucinogen. Both are pretty neat, and the latter gives some backstory to the character, but neither of them seem to fit. I still remember the original Modern Warfare campaign. Whatever his faults, he knew what they were and he never strayed from that path. Every moment of this campaign felt connected and the tone remained consistent. Black Ops 6 manages to recapture that feeling at times, but shoots itself in the foot or two along the way.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the campaign is that it ends with multiple cliffhangers. The fate of the main characters is left in limbo, a new character appears who is meant to be shocking but only creates more confusion, and it all feels like the end of a mid-season episode of 24, except that it It’s the end of a campaign. in a video game. Sure, we might get some clarification from Warzone over the next few weeks or months, but since I have no interest in that mode, it’s just a cliffhanger ending that I’ll never see tied up. Perhaps the most telling thing is that I don’t care. I withdrew my campaign investment as soon as I realized Treyarch had lost its focus on the murderous ’90s spy theme that kicked it off.

Get off my lawn

Fortunately, the Black Ops 6 campaign isn’t the reason the vast majority of people play CoD. No, people are here for the multiplayer, and damn, the multiplayer is good. Some of this good stuff I can’t stand, but that’s more because I’m an old man shouting at the clouds than there is an actual problem. I’m the guy who’s irritated not only because I got killed by a kid jumping and diving, but also because they’re decked out in zombie skin with a fancy blue design on their weapon. Hey, stop expressing yourself in this serious video game and play nice, thug!

Regardless, the multiplayer is a robust experience, as you would expect. You can play numerous modes across a whole bunch of maps, isolating your favorite game mode if you wish. You can create custom loadouts with custom score streaks and visit the gunsmith to fine-tune your favorite weapons. Do you like the benefits? Well, BO6 has perks divided into three categories to help you be boring in your own way.

At the center of this year’s Call of Duty is Omnimovement, which is really cool and also something that’s really bothering me, both in-game and realizing that I’m getting older. Omnimovement allows players to slide and dive in all directions, creating crazy attacks that usually present yours as the slain. You know that second story window on Nuketown? You can dive out of this window, turn your body as you fall, and kill the person who comes through the front door. It is the pinnacle of gliding and diving. I hate it, but I’m mature enough to admit that it’s because I’m 43 and can’t pull off the moves of these young whippersnappers playing CoD in 2024. It’s really cool and I I’m jealous of people who have mastered this. movement system.

Omnimovement aside, there are so many good things happening in BO6 multiplayer. Grenades, which are my favorite way to doom my enemies, are amazing. You know how in many games you throw a grenade, it lands in your enemy’s pocket and they lose about half their health? Yeah, grenades kill in BO6, and it’s so satisfying. You don’t get the six grenades that the SOCOM II US Navy SEALs gave you in 2003, but that was also a problem for its own reasons.

The gunplay in BO6 is on point, as it normally is in most CoD games. I haven’t found a gun that doesn’t feel good to shoot. And as you might expect, I’m addicted to the progression system. Just a few more games so you can unlock that new score streak, or a few more kills with that weapon so you can get that game-changing accessory. This will be what will help me follow these young people! This is never the case, but I love researching new gear and the gameplay is satisfying even if I only have a 1:1 kill-to-death ratio (KDR). By the way, if you’re in your 20s and can’t keep a 1:1 KDR… asshole! You lose to an old colorblind Protanopia with carpal tunnel syndrome. Which reminds me that the colorblind accessibility options are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Fully customizable, like all games should be. But wait, there’s more. There are even accessibility settings for people with tinnitus, which I also have.

If there’s a legitimate downside to multiplayer, it’s that there have been times where, even in my old age, I’m pretty sure I should have killed, or at least traded. Usually this involved jumping on my opponent, landing all my shots, and then wondering what else I could have done when the kill cam initiated. As my good friend and former SOCOM buddy, Viper, said, “I can only shoot them.” I can’t make them die.

Yeah, they’re zombies

I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know what’s going on with Zombies mode. Looks like it’s working, it’s right behind multiplayer and campaign on the list of things I find interesting in BO6. I jumped in and was perfectly matched with random players. I immediately turned off voice communications when reminded that the Call of Duty community was toxic beyond the save point. I’m not even going to accept comments that claim otherwise.

The gameplay itself was good. I was shooting zombies, buying guns, stocking up on ammo, shooting more zombies, running around, and that basically sums up what was happening. It was certainly fun as far as horde modes go. I made progress in my overall character progression, so that was good. But once I died around wave 18, I was good and chose to leave that mode behind. I’m sure if I had played with friends it would have been much more engaging, as all games and modes with your friends are, but nothing seemed more interesting to me than what I found in multiplayer. Did I mention how good grenades are in multiplayer?

Very good, I like it

I avoided the Call of Duty franchise for years. Long before gameplay outgrew me, I outgrew gameplay. I arrived at BO6 with low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. Despite some flaws, the campaign has more good things than bad. Zombies is a fun mode, even if there’s nothing for me personally. However, it’s in multiplayer that the magic happens. The fact that I enjoy playing against people half my age who can kill me before I can squint to see them is a testament to this. Well, I’m clearly exaggerating, but even when I let myself be lulled, I always have tools at my disposal to have fun. Granada away!

This review is based on a Steam key provided by the publisher. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is now available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Bill, also known as Rumpo, is a long-time player and fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He made his mark early in his career through guide writing and a deep understanding of editorial SEO. He enjoys working to create quality content, whether it’s a wild feature or write a detailed collection guide. Tweet it @RumpoPlays if you have a question or comment on one of his articles.