Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 starts like any other game in the 21-year-old series. You’re in the desert hiding behind cover and shooting at enemies alongside your teammates. While Black Ops 6’s opening level feels great to play, thanks to Call of Duty’s best-in-class controls, this was also an understated introduction to the full experience.
This opening hour gives the impression that this will be a by-the-numbers, globe-trotting campaign full of over-the-top action set pieces. In reality, this game is teeming with fresh ideas that all hit the mark regarding gameplay and pacing. And while Black Ops 6’s story quickly descends into a bunch of codename gobbledygook by the game’s halfway point, the sheer variety it provides feels like a curated playlist of cool scenarios crafted to maximize fun in a first-person shooter. For this reason, Black Ops 6 breaks the mold and creates the series’ most compelling campaign in years.
