Tom Talks #9: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (a fun, but flawed experience)

 

Hello folks and welcome back to Tom Talks and today we will analyse: 'Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War!' The Call of Duty series is one of the biggest game franchises in the world and known to all by this point. 'Cold War' is the 5th title in the Black Ops series and 6th game in the main series to be developed by Treyarch. Raven Software are also on board, who originally were developing a game separate from the Black Ops series with Sledgehammer Games, until a disagreement saw a change in game and the arrival of the series' second biggest developer.

The last game in the Black Ops universe was number 4, which I didn't play due to it's lack of single-player, although I heard the multiplayer was decent. The first two in the series are probably in my top 3 Call of Duty games, for their intriguing and different campaigns, alongside fun Zombies and multiplayer modes. 'Black Ops 3' was certainly unique, but uniquely dull and messy in terms of it's campaign, while other modes were solid, yet forgettable. With last year's 'Modern Warfare' reboot giving the series a much needed reset and making Call of Duty great again, I was intrigued to see what Treyarch would do with the latest entry. (I will be reviewing the PS4 version, as I am yet to obtain a PS5.)

The campaign based on trailers, was intriguing as it was set between the first two games, moving away from the plot of the third game, that basically had jack shit to do with the other titles. You play as a custom character, which I believe is a first for the series, which kinda doesn't mean anything when you can't see their face. The options of which spy agency you are part of and character perks do add something a bit different, but this level of customisation has nothing on the likes of 'Skyrim' and does not add to the replay value.

I will not spoil the story itself, but while it was pretty standard, save the world stuff, it was intriguing to learn more about Perseus (William Slayers), by speaking to characters in between missions, allowing you to learn more about what's going on and giving the player a level of interaction, not previously seen in many Call of Duty games. These characters include many from the previous titles, such as series protagonist Alex Mason (now voiced by Chris Gilbert), while new characters such as MI6 officer Helen Park (Lily Cowles) are new and welcome faces to a mainly American, testosterone fest.

The missions are fun, but short; full of action, bombast and EXPLOSIONS! Taking you from East Berlin all the way to Turkey, the maps are pretty decent and as long as your on the right difficulty, you'll have a fun, but semi-challenging experience. The KGB mission in particular was exciting and different and the side objectives lead to intel, which can the be used to crack codes and unlock side missions. (finally a Black Ops game with some actual spy stuff!) 

The few choices you make, have little impact on the story bar the final mission, but it's a story full of twists and turns, taking inspiration from 'Black Ops 1 + 2,' but creating a unique story set during the height of the Cold War in the 1980s. It shows the developers have actually put time and effort into the campaign, as Infinity Ward did on 'Modern Warfare.'

The multiplayer is pretty bog standard stuff, from the adrenaline inducing Team Deathmatch, to new modes like Combined Arms: Assault, which is a average attempt at recreating Battlefield's Conquest mode. Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed (my personal favourites) are always great fun, weather the tighter 3v3 maps such as U-Bahn with it's enclosed corridors, making for tight firefights or the bigger 6v6 locations such as the sprawling deserts of Satellite or the returning fan favourite, Nuketown. (12v12 is also an option on bigger modes like Combined Arms)

The guns feel as fun to use, as they do on any COD, weather you be an Assault Rifle lover like myself or a shady Sniper, taking out other players from far away with a single shot. (god I hate Snipers!)  A wildcard choice and field upgrades as part of class loadouts are the two changes to the create-a-class system, giving you that advantage over those not in the know. And for those who haven't played in a while, the game is now Cross-platform, which means you can play the PC 'master race' and Xbox losers, as well as your mates with a PS4/PS5. All in all the experience is fun, but not much different to the last title and a bit of a shakeup to the multiplayer is needed to keep it fresh and exciting, like it was back in the day.

The fan-favourite Zombies mode also returns and it's the most polished it's felt in years. With 4 modes, this is the most undead killing you will ever do in Call of Duty, with Dead Ops Arcade now available in First-Person for those close encounter, wacky arcade vibes. Die Maschine has a more classic Zombies feel, starting with a small bunker like setting, before expanding to a underground lab and harder, more vast waves of infected as the rounds progress. Firebase Z was added as free DLC, with this being one of the biggest maps in this game mode ever with a small, closeted map before you teleport to a much bigger location as you investigate an anomaly in Poland under the orders of Weaver. At this point I don't have a clue what is going on in the storyline, but long time fans will be happy to know the wacky and crazy nature of past fights with the undead continue here.

Outbreak was part of the recent DLC update, (with future free updates coming soon) with an open world and multiple scenarios to explore, making this the most fun and vast experience you will have with the undead in any title in the long running saga. Weather 20 rounds or endless rounds; LMG or Ray Gun in hand, it's an exhilarating time and the most fun I have had on this mode since Tranzit on 'BO 2.'

With a very enjoyable campaign, full of suspense and two endings, alongside the best Zombies mode in a while, this is a solid entry in the Call of Duty cannon. Unfortunately the Multiplayer modes aren't as addictive as they once were and have become fairly stagnant, needing a big change to revive a fun experience, that doesn't grip me for long. But there's enough here to keep you occupied for a while and with plenty DLC to come and 'Warzone' as popular as ever, this FPS series is going nowhere anytime soon, EA over to you.

7.5/10

Thanks for taking in my thoughts and make sure to leave your views and opinions in the comments and  stay tuned for another Tom Talks!