Modern Call Of Duty games have always wanted to strike a balance between fun and realism. Racking up precise headshots and achieving smirking killstreaks is supposed to feel triumphant without relying on the colourful, cartoon weaponry and celebrity skins that can be found in other shooters like Fortnite.
They haven’t always nailed it though.
Last year’s Modern Warfare 3 tried to be too clever. Every game mode had a touch of open-world about it – perhaps to prove the blockbuster franchise needed a yearly upgrade – but the sprawling levels often felt empty rather than epic. Black Ops 6 is a return to chaotic joy.
Sixteen new compact multiplayer maps ranging from ruined military bases to shiny football stadiums are designed to force confrontation, while the 14 different game modes require a mix of strategy, teamwork and bloodlust. It can be frustrating when spawns drop you in the middle of a brutal firefight but it all adds to the first-person shooter’s thrilling, fast-paced carnage.
There’s a chance to prove your skill by sneaking up behind an opponent and using them like a human shield while a range of vicious gadgets can turn the tide of an attack – but only after you’ve mastered throwing grenades without blowing yourself up.
Elsewhere the beloved Zombies game-within-a-game returns to round-based mayhem. There’s an arcade simplicity to slaughtering the first few undead attacks but the intensity is soon dialled up as you try and survive waves of radioactive spiders and hulking monsters. Luckily there’s a range of comic book power-ups to help you through this fantastical nightmare.
It's the single-player Campaign mode where Black Ops 6 really shines though. Set in the early ‘90s against the backdrop of the first Gulf War, we find our motley crew of CIA soldiers forced to go rogue after shady organisation The Pantheon infiltrates the US Government. It’s all very Mission: Impossible. Leaning into the cinematic world of the spy-thriller, there are plenty of levels for the trigger-happy but you’ll also need stealthy smarts to infiltrate a political rally in Washington DC or pull off a casino heist. The whole rejuvenated thing is underpinned by a winding narrative that adds to the lore of the series, but is free to take risks as well.
Adding to the ‘90s action movie feel is the new Omnimovement system, which is introduced across every game mode. Easy to pick up, slightly more challenging to master, the intuitive new control mechanism allows you to leap, dive and sprint in every direction while still firing your weapon. You’ll feel like Tom Cruise at his most kick-ass until you’re inevitably humbled by an enemy sniper. It’s all part of the fun though and the frantic Black Ops 6 is the perfect introduction for the curious and the returning, but there’s enough room for skill, strategy and story to keep the Call Of Duty Faithful entertained as well.
Black Ops 6 might be the 24th Call Of Duty game since the 2003 original, but there’s a lot riding on it. It’s the first new game since developers Activision Blizzard were bought by Microsoft for $57billion, and it’s also the first entry in the series to get a day one release on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. Behind the scenes, it’s easy to imagine the future of the franchise will be defined by the success of this game. A Call Of Duty game that champions entertaining gameplay over convoluted controls or needless graphic updates is fine by us though.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available now on Xbox, PlayStation and PC
