How old is Sonic the Hedgehog?

Call of Duty Black Ops is a series that's very special to me in a weird way. The first game I ever owned in the Call of Duty series was "World at War," and that's only because a kid I went to school with bought it for me. I'm very thankful that he did, but it wasn't a game I played a crazy amount. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I didn't have easy access to online back then, so I wasn't fully invested in it. Little did I know this game actually started the timeline for my all time favorite entry; the original Black Ops.

The thing is, CoD became a series I would play at my cousin's house, or he'd bring the games to me. When I got a PS3 Modern Warfare 2 was a game we went out to rent to try out, or he'd bring over his copies of whatever the newest one was for us to play. I never bought these games myself, nor did I fully keep up with the series. So when he brought over Black Ops and accidentally left it at my house, I never expected to find myself playing it all day on Thanksgiving, nor did I expect to love it as much as I did... But I have to say, it quickly became my favorite Call of Duty, despite not owning it!

Of course Black Ops is something me and my cousin would play off and on for quite awhile. Each time he brought the game over, we'd jump into split screen and spend hours online. I have a lot of fond memories of those days, but that's where the series ended for me.

I didn't play Black Ops 2. 3, or 4, but when Cold War was announced I was interested. This was the first Call of Duty to release for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and that alone was enough to make me want to give it a chance. I wanted to see for myself what the next generation could do for the series, and what better way was there than to start with a Black Ops game? Well, I'm happy to say that the game didn't disappoint. Heck, not only that, it also convinced me to go back and buy Black Ops 1, 2, 3 AND 4, but that's all besides the point.

Yes, I enjoyed Cold War, but it's not as simple as that. Call of Duty games are much more than a single piece. These games have a lot going on, and because of that this review isn't so cut and dry. I can't just say "this is a good game, go buy it!" Because that might not even ring true for everyone reading this review. This game has a lot going on, and I can't simply recommend or not recommend it be played. It's going to depend on what you, the reader, are interested in, and what you want to get out of this title.

So with all of that being said, this is going to be a bit of a different review for me. I've never reviewed a Call of Duty title before, and I want to be completely upfront about that. I'm not a CoD fan by any means, but I am a fan of Black Ops 1; a game I've never owned (until after playing Cold War). But despite never owning it, the single day I spent with it's campaign is still burned into my memory 13 years later, and Cold War had had a similar effect.

That doesn't mean it's a game for everyone though.

The Campaign:

The campaign mode in Call of Duty is a series staple, and for some players is the main reason they play the series. The mode typically offers a cinematic experience, while focusing on the core gameplay. The story is broken up into stages, and each stage gives you different goals and different tools to accomplish said goals. Stages themselves are self contained, so guns, ammo count, etc, does not carry over into the next level. This means you are fully encouraged to give it your all as you advance through the campaign, and not worry about "conserving resources."

All of this applies to Cold War's campaign as well, but this time around there are some twists.

The Story:

The story of Cold War is a direct sequel to the original Black Ops, but follows a new main character, "you." The moment you start up the game, you are asked to name the main character, choose your pronouns, and pick from one of the personality profiles. These profiles will alter your stats and give you additional perks during the campaign, but they won't break the game or make it harder to complete. That being said, once you create your character you will be given the codename "Bell."

At the beginning, Bell is recruited by a man named Russell Adler to join an elite task force. Adler, a CIA operative, is asked by US President Ronald Reagan to lead his team and hunt down a Soviet agent by the name of "Perseus." Perseus plans to launch a nuke and cause mass destruction across the world, and must be stopped at all costs. Joining Bell and Adler are Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jason Hudson from the first Black Ops game, as well as other new additions to the cast. Together they hope to save the world, and put an end to Perseus once and for all.

Of course it's not that simple.

Being a Black Ops game, the story isn't as black and white (as one might say). Throughout the entire story you'll see hints that things might not be as they really seem. It's up to you to pick up on these clues and piece together the truth for the game's conclusion. Your choices during the game will have an effect on the ending, and determine the final mission of the game.

The Gameplay:

The main gameplay of Cold War is nearly everything you might expect out of a Call of Duty game, but with some twists of it's own. The game of course is a first person shooter, and, as mentioned before, it is broken up by levels. These levels are not fully linear however, as this time around you get to pick your next mission from a board of posted objectives. Some of these missions are completely optional, while others are required to advance the main plot of the game. Once you jump into a mission though, you'll find that nearly each and every one is different.

Each stage in the game will offer different sets of weapons to use, with objectives built around said weapons. Stages that offer snipers will be more focused on taking out targets from a distance, while stages that give you shot guns will be more up close and personal. Of course you aren't required to stick with the weapons you are given, as fallen enemies will drop their gear as well, and everything you find is yours for the taking. Sometimes these other weapons will actually give you more of an edge than the default weapons, and that becomes key to surviving on the higher difficulties.

While the game doesn't feature a standard health bar, taking damage will darken your screen, and once you get into a critical state the next shot will kill you. Different weapons or being caught in explosions will take off more or less of your health, but thankfully taking cover and waiting for a bit will reheal you after awhile. Harder difficulties on the other hand will basically kill you if you get hit by anything though, so you can't fully rely on regenerating health as you tackle these challenges.

Vehicle combat is also a thing in Black Ops, but mostly only in the form of action scenes. These sections typically have you riding in a vehicle shooting at enemies chasing after you, and is your typical shooter go to. That's not to say these scenes aren't exciting or fun, but at this point it's something to be expected. Of course these aren't the only set pieces the game has to offer, as there's a wide verity of things to keep your blood pumping. I won't ruin any of it here, but just know that the game does a good job of making sure the action doesn't get stale.

Mission verity also includes stages where stealth is more key, and there's also stages where you play as other characters. These are especially fun as they call back to the original Black Ops, but again I don't want to ruin it.

The game also features a wide verity of collectible items hidden throughout the stages, and they actually tie into the unique part of Cold Wars... The Code Breaking.

Code Breaking:

As you find intel throughout the game, Code Breaking missions are unlocked BEFORE the main mission themselves. By reading the intel the game asks that you figure out the code, and by doing so you will get different outcomes from said mission. For example, one operation might be focused on tracking down a target, but their supporters exist as well. You need to figure out who these supporters are, and take them down along with the main target. But how do you do this you might ask? By figuring out the code.

The unique thing about Cold War's Code Breaking is the fact that every game is different. This means you cannot look up how to solve a specific code online, or ask your friends. Instead YOU must figure out your own code, but using the same principals that apply to everyone's game. So if the answer to cracking a code is to listen to numbers, then count the letters in another document, only to apply said letters to a spreadsheet and follow down the new numbers; well, that'll be a similar process for everyone, but everyone will end up with a different answer. The game physically asks you to enter in your answer as well, so it's not like you can brute force your way through them.

Finishing all of the code cracking sections of the game will alter the outcomes of the missions, and it'll also unlock additional scenes at the ending of the game. Of course you don't have to complete these to advance, so it's completely up to you on what you want to do, and what you want to skip.

The Multiplayer:

Possibly the biggest part of Call of Duty in general. The Multiplayer mode is the largest and most fleshed out aspect of nearly any CoD game, and the same can be said here with Black Ops Cold War. It's the mode that keeps people coming back for more, and there's a lot to cover with it!

The Basics:

To begin, the basics of the multiplayer have stayed the same. You'll begin at level 1 with select default classes to pick from, and as you get kills and complete objectives, you'll slowly level up and unlock more content. Early on you unlock the ability to create your own "class," but the guns and perks you can use must also be unlocked by leveling up. This means the preset classes do have a use even after you unlock custom, as they have access to gear and abilities that will be unlocked much later on.

Getting into a match in Cold War is as simple as picking what you want to play from the menu, and then waiting to join a lobby. The game will try to match you with the best connection at first, but if it doesn't find any players to join with, it'll start expanding it's search outwards. This ensures you always get matched with the best possible players connection wise, but it is also determined by how many people are actually playing when you are trying to match up. If you're playing an unpopular game mode at a weird time of day, then you might find yourself matching with people across the world; there's just no getting around that though.

As you level up and play matches you'll also unlock other rewards and make progress within the game's "seasons," which will give you new cosmetics and attachments for your weapons. This allows you to give your character your own personal touches, and also change how your weapons perform in general. Attachments like scopes will improve your accuracy, while others might improve your rate of fire, or increase your damage. It's really up to you to play with your customization options to see what fits your play style, but in general everything is pretty well balanced. While it's true some weapons and combos will give you an edge over other players (especially when you are higher level with more options), but that doesn't mean newbies can't still win.

The game also features a wide verity of maps to play across all game modes. We have the iconic Nuke Town returning from past Black Ops games, but for the most part everything here is new. Some maps can be played on across multiple game modes, while other maps are exclusive to the modes they appear within. The maps in rotation are actually chosen by the developers though, so keep in mind that not everything will always be available.

To top all of this off, the game does feature a bot mode as well where you can pick your own settings, but you cannot use it to unlock things faster. Unlocks are reserved to actual online play.

Split Screen play is still an option here, but requires a second profile on your console of choice. This allows you and your friends to play on the same game console, and still make progress on your own profile. Simply have the second player login to their account, and then jump into the online mode. It's how CoD worked during the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 days, and it's how it still works now... Except now days we aren't limited to playing on one console.

Cross-Play, PC Concerns, & Custom Settings:

The final "basic" aspect of Cold War's multiplayer comes from the fact that it is now multiplatform cross-play. This means that EVERYONE playing Cold War is on the same server. Someone could be playing on PlayStation 4, and join a match with someone who is on Xbox One. Or maybe you're playing on PlayStation 5, but you're going up against PC players! All platforms share the same servers, and everyone can play together. This means if you have a PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, or a PC and a copy of Cold War, then you're in this together with everyone else.

Of course that can cause some concerns.

There's no denying that PC players have an advantage. A mouse is much faster than a controller, and PC players have much more control over their aim. Not to mention the custom keyboard and mouse settings that can be applied, as well as other (non cheating) aids that can be applied. As a console and PC gamer myself, I can speak from my own personal experience. Although I mainly play shooters on console, on PC I have so many more tools to make my life easier. I can quickly shoot at whatever is in front of me and do a 180 degree turn to take out someone behind me, and then spin back around in less than a second.

While this is possible on controller as well, you're limited by your turning speed settings, and increasing the turning speed will lower your accuracy. Meanwhile with a mouse you can remain 100% in control, and go as fast or as slow as you like. Or, if you're like me, you can also use a gaming mouse to further improve your control. You can set hotkeys to the mouse itself (melee button, reload, etc, are just a thumb's reach away), or you can even have a "sniper button" that lowers your speed as you aim for headshots. It makes aiming so much easier, all without actually being a cheat. On consoles you can't do this with a standard controller.

That being said, the game does offer a wide verity of settings and aim assists functions. These help controller users keep up with mouse users, but it's not going to magically make you better at the game. Mouse and keyboard users will still have an advantage.

On the other hand, console players can actually join them! The game supports mouse and keyboard play on consoles as well, and the game offers PC settings which allow you to toggle things off and on that are within your console's capabilities. This lets you customize the game more to your own preferences, with even settings like a Field of View slider being available. It's nice having the options, and tweaking things can improve your gameplay quite a bit.

Of course if you don't want to play with PC players and have to worry about being at a disadvantage, you can do that as well. The game allows you to choose what type of players you want to match with (such as controller users on your own platform) as well, so you can always go that route instead.

Multiplayer Modes:

As previously stated, Black Ops Cold War has a wide verity of multiplayer modes, and each will offer a different experience. This means there's at least something out there for everyone, with one mode that can be enjoyed by those who despise shooting games.

Here's some of the major gameplay modes. 

Team Deathmatch:

The standard gamemode. In Team Deathmatch (TDM) players are grouped with other players and attempt to get the most kills before time runs out (or reach the kill cap). Get a kill and your team gains a point, die and the other team gains a point. It's a simple mode, but it's the core of all multiplayer shooters. For anyone who wants the good old classic gameplay, TDM has you covered.

Kill Confirmed:

Kill Confirmed is similar to TDM but points are not gained from killing. Instead, when someone is killed a dog tag is dropped. Players must pick up that dog tag to "confirm" the kill and score. This means players have to get up close and personal to actually get credit for their kill, and that leaves you open for others to get revenge on you.

Domination:

Domination is a point capturing game. Teams stand on capture points to capture an area, and they gain points as they holding the most points. While points aren't gained from killing other players in this mode, taking the other team down is still key to winning. The team who hold the points will want to defend them at all cost, while the other team will need to capture it from them. To do so they'll have to stand on the point long enough to uncapture it, and capture it themselves. Of course other players aren't going to standby and watch this happen. It's a hectic mode where the tides can turn at any time.

Combined Arms - Domination:

A large scale version of Domination. This mode can have up to 24 players at once, and takes place on large maps with vehicles. Teams work together to capture areas just like in Domination, but with more capture points, and a lot more chaos.

Hardpoint:

Similar to Domination, this game mode is centered around holding and capturing a point. The catch is that there's a single point, and it changes to different locations across the map. It requires players to constantly adapt, and work together as a team to hold the point.

VIP Escort:

VIP Escort is a different type of game mode. One person on one of the two teams is chosen as the VIP, and they must reach a specific point to win the round. As for the other team? Their job is to stop that VIP! If the VIP dies, the other team gets a point, but if they make it to their spot, the VIP's team scores. Teams switch between protecting and attacking every other round, and whoever scores 4 points first wins the game.

2v2 Gunfight:

2v2 Gunfight is a mode where two teams of two try to take each other out. You have one life in this mode, and if your team dies the other team scores a point. The first team to reach 6 points wins. There are also other versions of this mode such as Knife Fight and Snipers, with the game modes being rotated in and out.

Fireteam: Dirty Bomb:

A massive 40 player mode, where 10 teams of 4 players must gather resources, and attempt to set off bombs across the map. Everyone is out for the same resources though, so it's first come first serve. This is a hectic mode where you have enemies around every corner, and the only ones you can trust are your teammates.

Search and Destroy:

Search and Destroy is a mode where one team just arm bombs, and the other must prevent that from happening! It's pretty straight forward, but arming and disarming bombs takes time. Teams will have to guard the bombs to either prevent it from being armed or to keep it armed, so the mode can get very crazy very fast.

Prop Hunt:

A very unique mode fun for everyone! Prop Hunt puts you either on the "Prop" side or the human side. Props are players who are turned into objects from the map that is being played, and it's up to them to hide as said objects. For example, someone might turn into a water fountain in the mall map, where they can then go hide on a wall that makes sense. Humans then have to find and shoot the props, and "kill" them all before time runs out. Props let out a whistle sound every so often to help tip off the human players, so it's not like they can stay fully hidden all the time.

Gun Game:

Another interesting mode. Gun Game starts you out with the most basic of weapons, and gives you new weapons as you gain a kill. The idea of the game is to get a kill with the final weapon in the set, which requires getting a kill with, well, everything! Getting melee killed will set you back a rank, so you need to watch out for that, but melee kills do not count towards your own advancement. It's a fun game that forces you to be good with pretty much everything, and it becomes easier the more you advance down the line.

And MORE:

This is honestly just scratching the surface. Cold War offers so many multiplayer modes, with different modes being rotated in constantly. Free for all fights, 3v3 modes with different weapons, a verity of Nuke Town modes, a mode where you either throw stones or shoot each other with arrows, and so on. The idea is to change things up to keep it from getting stale, and Cold War does a great job of doing just that. 

And this isn't even including Zombies.

Zombies:

The final part to Cold War is the famous "Zombies" mode. Originally introduced in World at War as Nazi Zombies (based off of a movie of the same name), zombies throws you into a verity of maps with your team, and asks you to survive. You can either play endlessly or do a set of 20 rounds, but ultimately each map has their own goals. 

To survive the zombies each player can do things like board up windows or block off the zombie's paths, but that will only get them so far. By getting kills players rack up points, and they can then purchase new guns or upgrade skills to help them survive. Eventually boss zombies (and other monsters) will spawn as well, and players will have to work together to survive.

It's a very chaotic mode that becomes harder the deeper you get into each stage, and becoming overrun will mean the instant death of you. Thankfully other players can heal you and bring you back, but if everyone dies it's game over.

Each stage offers a different zombie experience, and provides an inside look to the overall Zombie plot. This isn't something that's just limited to Cold War though. Although Cold War starts a new story arc, it's a follow up to the previous plot that began all the way back at World at War. This story has continued over into nearly every CoD game since then, and is told through hidden messages, radio conversations, and cutscenes. Fans will enjoy seeing what comes next, but everyone else will just see it as a backdrop to what's going on in the gameplay... Which is the real reason to play Zombies anyway.

To put it simply, this mode is a lot of fun, and feels completely different from everything else the game has to offer. Zombies could easily be the main reason to play Cold War for a lot of people, especially those who prefer PvE co-op, and not PvP. Of course Zombies can also be played solo, but that's a challenge.

ActiVision Arcade Games

While not a "main" part of the game, it's worth mentioning that Cold War also contains classic Activision Arcade Games that can be played. These games can be found throughout the game, and you are free to open up the menu and play them basically at any time. It's a nice little distraction from the rest of what Cold War has to offer, and offers countless hours of fun.

These games include: Pitfall, Pitfall II, River Raid, Fishing Derby, Grand Prix, Kaboom, Chopper Command, Boxing, and more.

Age Settings and Graphic Content Toggles:

Although Cold War is an M rated (for 17 and older) game, there are some interesting options within the menus. There's no denying how popular the series is with kids and teenagers, and while it's up to the parents to decide what their kids can or cannot play, Cold War offers some age restrictions to tone things down. You can toggle on or off the stronger language (such as F bombs), and you can also tone down the violence and remove blood. It's not going to change the fact that you're using real guns in a realistic looking game as you shoot each other, but it lets you turn off the more "offensive" content.

Heck, it can be great for adults as well. Makes it so your family/others won't have to worry about hearing what's being said or seeing graphic content, or if you'd just rather not hear/see it, then it's there for you. Whatever the case may be, you have options, so don't let language or gore be a reason to avoid this one.

PlayStation 5 Features:

Being the first Call of Duty for the PlayStation 5, Cold War does include some PS5 exclusive features. These mainly come in the form of how the DualSense controller works.

Every single gun in the game takes control of your DualSense, and gives you the "feeling" of pulling the trigger. Triggers lock up and become stiff or loose based on the gun type, and simulates what it would feel like to actually shoot these weapons. For snipers you can lightly press and get the trigger into "position" where a tiny pull will be enough to fire, while other guns will put up much more resistance in general. Now this option can be turned off (so you don't have to worry about it getting in your way in multiplayer), but it's a nice touch for the PS5 version of the game.

Should you play it?

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War does a lot right. It's a solid Call of Duty entry, and a great shooter in general. Call of Duty fans will find that this game offers nearly everything they love about the series, while newcomers can easily jump in here. Sure some of the plot of the story will be lost on them, but the game's stand alone plot and gameplay makes up for it. There's not really anything to complain about here, as everything is very well made. The Code Breaking can be annoying if you're not into that type of thing, but it's also not even required to beat the game. Heck, even the extra scenes for doing them isn't anything too crazy.

That being said, the game really does offer something for every type of shooter player. It has a developed story mode with challenges all it's own. Zombies is a fun PvE experience that fans of PvE shooters will appreciate, and the multiplayer is packed full of game modes, a wide verity of maps, and hundreds of unlockables to keep you busy. It also does a great job of making it feel like you're always progressing. There's no denying that the community can be toxic, but you can always mute other players if they bother you... But for others that's also a part of the fun! (Nothing has changed since the day CoD first went online.) 

Overall, if you have any interest in first person shooters, then Cold War is simply a good choice. There's a reason people are still playing it years after its release (despite multiple Call of Duty games releasing after it), and it's a game that gives you plenty of reasons to come back to it. I don't regret my time spent with it, and I look forward to coming back for more.