“Duck and Cover!” This rallying cry, heard by children all throughout the cold war, is now something you may be saying to yourself while playing the action-packed Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. As a direct sequel to the main Black Ops game, this new installment, released last November, brings new mechanics and settings to an old, almost forgotten, story. Whether you prefer clearing the colorful streets of west Germany or crashing into the windows and taking down the KGB, this game has something for everyone. With 16 missions covering multiple historic and important locations in the real Cold War, the gameplay is both engaging and educational, while still giving the adrenaline packed FPS experience Activision and the Call of Duty franchise is known for. The controls are not “clunky” as some of the older installations have been, and 4k, a high frame rate, really brings out the best of your console, making spotting that one pesky sniper just that much easier. There is also, of course, a zombie mode. So. Many. Zombies!
One of the newest and revolutionary mechanics is the character design itself. Players, according to a Gamesradar article, are going to “be able to play as a completely customizable character in Black Ops Cold War, who you’ll be able to name, choose a gender for, pick a background, and even select a psychological profile that will give you in-game perks.” These choices made by the player will result in multiple perks for the player and multiple endings, meaning no two gamers will experience the same game. There is also new customization with the “create-a-class,” where players can pick a class but can use elements of other classes through the slot system. Another new feature for the franchise that debuted in the Cold War was cross-gen play. This is a smart move in terms of chip shortages and people having different generations of consoles but who still want to play together.
While some praise the lack of cluttered maps (aka less camping opportunities), resurgence of old characters we love (Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jason Hudson), as well as constant updates (as of writing a new multiplayer mode was introduced), some say it does not live up to its predecessor. Upon release in November, the reviews were highly mixed but seemed to stay in the range of 6/10. The biggest criticisms relate to the story, which seems to be dull in comparison to its predecessor. There also seems to be a smaller number of multiplayer maps than previously, but some do not see this as an issue. Overall, Call of Duty Cold War is a solid game that has something for everyone. Diehard fans of the series will enjoy the new features while new players will enjoy the storyline and introduction to the Call of Duty world.
Oh, and remember, DUCK AND COVER!
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