Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4 Review

Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4 was released worldwide on October 12th of 2018. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key features and highlights of the 15th installment of the Call of Duty franchise

Previously, all releases in the franchise featured only two game motes: Multiplayer mode, and zombie survival mode (surviving against a horde of killer zombies). While those two modes remain part of this release, they received exciting “face-lifts” of sorts. Further, in Black Ops 4, a brand- new game mode called Blackout was added.

In previous Call of Duty releases, Multiplayer mode featured a 4v4 setup which allowed players to purchase weapons using the fictional money earned from previous rounds; the more wins accumulated resulted in more funds earned to purchase arms and munitions. However, in Black Ops 4, it’s more of “capture the flag” feel, in that your team is competing against an enemy team to retrieve a stash of cash. The first team to successfully retrieve the funds and bring it back to the main area wins the round. There are seven rounds played in this manner, and the first one to win four rounds wins the match.

To that end, Black Ops 4’s multiplayer mode features the return of 10 specialist characters, from which players can utilize their special traits and abilities. Black Ops veterans will be familiar with the first six: Ruin, Prophet, Battery, Seraph, Nomad, Firebreak. The newest additions to this version include characters named Recon, Ajax, Torque, Crash.

The zombie survival mode of Black Ops 4 is updated, such that you select a stage to play within, in a split-screen fashion which allows playing alongside friends, and the number of zombies that come after you gradually increase the more time you play within said stage. For instance, you’ll face a minimal number of zombies at the onset, but the more zombies you kill an the more walls you barricade, the more money you’ll earn to purchase weapons and explore new parts o the battleground which makes fighting easier and gameplay more exciting. Players who’ve become familiar with previous terrains from previous releases will be challenged in Black Ops 4, as fan-favorite maps including Jungle, Slums, Summit, Firing Range and Nuketown have been remade.

Finally, the new Blackout mode features a 100-player peer-versus-peer Battle Royale; i.e, “every person for themselves.” In this mode, you can obviously play solo, but also in duo’s or quad’s. Regardless of the number you play alongside there are numerous places to drop in and collect loot within the island where the battle takes place, with features including being able to drive cars. As you might imagine, the last person standing wins the game and comes out on top. This mode was clearly designed based on the incredible popularity of Fortnite Battle Royale, so the Call of Duty developers married elements that made the aforementioned game so popular with many of the key components of Black Ops’ releases that fans have come to know and love.

Early on, some of the top video game publications and review aggregators have given Black Ops 4 generally favorable reviews, citing bold changes that are, for the most part, valued additions to the franchise.