Overview
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War returns the series to the context of the Cold War and brings back several historic Black Ops figures, including Woods, Mason and Hudson. The campaign combines covert operations, infiltration, intelligence gathering and military combat around the hunt for Perseus.
Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, the game was released on November 13, 2020. The platforms listed in this entry are PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and PC. The associated genres are action, historical and FPS. The specified game modes are Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative and Split screen, and the engine listed is the IW Engine.
The campaign gives player choices a greater role than in many installments of the series. The protagonist can be customized, some conversations offer different responses and several situations allow the player to decide how to act. These decisions can have consequences for the progression and outcome of the story.
This freedom also appears in the design of certain missions. An infiltration sequence can, for example, offer several ways to reach an objective, allow the player to explore an environment, question different people or look for a solution before the operation potentially shifts into more direct combat.
The campaign also incorporates intelligence gathering and investigation. Information recovered during operations helps clarify the conspiracy and can play a role in preparing certain side missions, giving espionage work a function beyond simple collection.
Multiplayer returns to primarily grounded movement and combines several scales of combat. Alongside traditional 6v6 modes is Combined Arms, designed for 12v12 battles that can include vehicles.
Fireteam expands the scale further by bringing together several four-player squads on larger maps. Fireteam: Dirty Bomb notably requires players to collect uranium, transport it to different sites and then arm dirty bombs in order to score points for their team.
Customization is built around Create-a-Class and the Gunsmith. Weapons, attachments, equipment, Field Upgrades, Perks and Wildcards can be combined to create different loadouts. Some Wildcards directly change the usual class-building rules, for example by increasing the number of attachments available for a weapon or allowing additional Perks.
Scorestreaks also evolve: score earned through eliminations, assists and objectives persists after death. Consecutive elimination streaks still provide bonuses, however, maintaining an advantage for players who remain alive while contributing to objectives.
The Zombies component begins a new continuity centered on the Dark Aether. At launch, Die Maschine retains the mode’s round-based structure while developing several new progression and preparation systems.
Players can begin a match with a custom loadout, notably including a weapon and a Field Upgrade. During a session, weapons have different rarity levels and can be strengthened, while gathered resources can be used to craft equipment and progressively improve the group’s capabilities.
The exfiltration system also adds another possible way to end a match. At certain points, the team can choose to attempt to leave the area instead of continuing through rounds indefinitely, triggering a final phase in which the extraction point must be reached and secured.
Zombies progression does not end completely when a session is over. Earned Aetherium Crystals can notably be used to permanently improve different skill categories, including weapon classes, Perks, Field Upgrades and Ammo Mods.
Black Ops Cold War therefore divides its identity between an espionage campaign more open to player decisions, multiplayer capable of moving from 6v6 combat to large-squad engagements, and a Zombies mode that retains traditional rounds while adding loadouts, persistent upgrades and extraction.
Key takeaways
- Woods, Mason and Hudson take part in a new operation to track down Perseus and stop an international conspiracy.
- The campaign introduces a customizable protagonist, dialogue choices and several decisions that can influence its progression.
- Certain infiltration missions offer multiple ways to reach an objective.
- Multiplayer combines traditional modes with 12v12 Combined Arms and Fireteam battles.
- Fireteam: Dirty Bomb notably revolves around collecting uranium and activating bombs spread across large maps.
- Create-a-Class combines Gunsmith, Field Upgrades, Perks and Wildcards to customize loadouts.
- Scorestreaks retain score progression after death, while still rewarding elimination streaks.
- Zombies develops the Dark Aether with custom loadouts, weapon rarity, crafting, persistent upgrades and the option to exfiltrate.
Conclusion
Black Ops Cold War returns to the espionage and covert operations that shape the identity of Black Ops, while giving the player a greater role in the campaign. Protagonist customization, dialogue and choices complement the more directly military missions.
Multiplayer retains Call of Duty’s fast-paced combat while varying its scale considerably. Create-a-Class structures customization, Combined Arms introduces larger battles and Fireteam places multiple squads in environments designed around more dispersed objectives.
Zombies simultaneously renews its foundations without abandoning its round-based format. Starting loadouts, resources, weapon rarity, persistent upgrades and exfiltration create progression that continues both within a match and across multiple sessions.
Good to know
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was released on November 13, 2020.
- The game was developed by Treyarch and published by Activision.
- The platforms listed are PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and PC.
- The associated genres are action, historical and FPS.
- The specified game modes are Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative and Split screen.
- The engine listed is the IW Engine.
- The campaign allows players to customize their protagonist and make several narrative decisions.
- Zombies begins a new continuity centered on the Dark Aether.
