Call of Duty: Black Ops 6has wowed fans and critics alike with its strong campaign offering and enjoyable multiplayer mode. It has quickly skyrocketed to the top of the charts and has seenCODreturn as a true leader in the triple-A space. Its player count has far exceeded that ofMW3andMW2, making it one of the most playedCall of Dutygames, which naturally makes it a success on almost every level.
It quickly took the top spot as thebest FPS game on Game Passthanks to it launching there on day one, which has made it more accessible than previousCODgames. By all accounts, there really shouldn’t be anything to complain about, and yet,for all its strengths,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 feels like a missed opportunity. Rather than taking the series in a different direction and giving fans something new to be excited about,Black Ops 6played it safe, offering a back-to-basics experience that will eventually get old.
Black Ops 6 Is Good But A Step In The Wrong Direction
It’s A Back-To-Basics Game When It Should Have Felt New
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is absolutely aback-to-basics release, one that revives the franchise after it momentarily suffered from a string of poor launches, namely withModern Warfare 3. In many ways, that’s a great thing, as fans who had been craving that classicCODexperience were finally treated to it alongside a slew ofreturning fan-favorite maps.It is what many believed the series needed, as there has been a regression in quality over the years.
However,it is no longer enough to put out a goodCall of Dutygame, especially when the series is over two decades old. There is a sense of familiarity whenever booting up the latestCOD, so much so that players aremistakingly believing maps are remakes. It doesn’t help that it’s all been congealed into one launcher, making it feel as if the most recent games have been merged into one giantCODproduct.Black Ops 6, in many ways, had the perfect opportunity to rectify the previous games' mistakes by taking the series in a fresh new direction.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 - 10 Best Easter Eggs in Liberty Falls
One of the two launch maps for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies, Liberty Falls, is packed with lots of hidden secrets and Easter Eggs.
It could have seen the lull in sales as an opportunity for growth, not a sense of nostalgic regression. Instead,it delivered an overly familiar sixth entry into a series that started back in 2010. Any other franchise would see this as its death knell, as is all too often the case with film franchises. However, while they’re losing money and audience retention,CODis having its best year. That says a lot about how people are willing to consume yearly releases and the amount of effort they expect from a franchise as big asCall of Duty.
It also speaks to the lack of innovation in this triple-A series, as its developers simply need to push out something that appeals to as wide an audience as possible while removingfeatures that once mattered. Perhaps that is enough for now, buteventually, the well of time periods will run dry, the gunplay will feel stale, and the visuals will stagnate, forever bordering on the uncanny.Black Ops 6could have pivoted the series in a different direction, but alas, it did not. However,CODstill has plenty of opportunities to expand its IP into uncharted territories.
COD Needs More Experimental Games
It Should Branch Out Into Different Genres
Call of Dutyneeds spin-off games that tackle different genres from its typical military FPS fare. It has already attempted to blend an assortment of different gameplay styles within its campaigns, such as the rather terrific stealth sections that have become somewhat of a staple in recent years.It’s not hard to imagine a fully-fledged stealth game under theCall of Duty bannerthat offers satisfying first-person stealth gameplaythat no one else seems particularly interested in making anymore.
Call of Dutyhas come close to having more innovative and experimental experiences with the likes of the unfortunately never-releasedCall of Duty: Roman Wars.
Alternatively, it could go down the survival horror route and expand its zombie mode into more than just a simple add-on. Crafting has slowly been introduced into the more recent Call of Duty games and MW3 dabbled with anopen-world zombies mode. While neither aspect ever felt sufficiently fleshed out, a spin-off title that is fully dedicated to the survival horror aspect that so many COD fans have grown to love over the years could offer a genuinely compelling experience that rivals even the biggest names in the genre.
Of course,Call of Dutyhas come close to having more innovative and experimental experiences with the likes of the unfortunately never-releasedCall of Duty: Roman Wars. It was a third-person action-adventure game set in Ancient Rome that looks more akin toRyse: Son of Romethan anythingCall of Duty-related. Players used bows and swords and rode on elephants rather than shooting nondescript terrorists with ARs and driving tanks.
It could be argued that it was just another time jump that more or less preserved the spirit ofCOD, much like howFar Cry Primalwas basicallyFar Crywith cavemen. However, at the time, there was no third-person inCOD, so it would have been revolutionary to have seen the franchise pivot to an entirely new perspective, not to mention that the time period was so drastically different from what fans were used to. It’s clear then that there are some unique ideas coming out of Activision Blizzard; they’re just never fully realized.
It’s Time Call Of Duty Became Something New
It Can’t Keep Just Being The Same Thing Every Year
It is important to stress thatCall of Dutyis not bad, nor has it ever really been terrible. Outside some slightly more lackluster launches, theCall of Dutyfranchise has relatively consistently put out enjoyable FPS games that balance strong campaigns with enticing online multiplayer. In many ways, the franchise has evolved significantly, with it placing a far greater emphasis on the multiplayer component now than ever before. It has its own battle royale mode that is incredibly popular and has expanded its other plethora of modes in impressive ways, too.
It is merely thatcaring aboutCODis harderwhen every release feels homogeneous and those aforementioned innovations begin to stagnate. The fact that everyone has been referring toBlack Ops 6as a return to form and a back-to-basics experience goes to show just how slow the series is markedly improving.It simply cannot remain the case thatCall of Dutycontinues to be the same experience year after yearwith little sign of growth or experimentation. Otherwise, while it is enjoying a strong year now, it will inevitably end up like those aforementioned film franchises.
Black Ops 6 Is Great, But Xbox Game Pass Is Still Ignoring Its Biggest Opportunity
Xbox Game Pass is missing out on a big opportunity with Call of Duty fans. While Black Ops 6 is a great game, the classics deserve recognition, too.
WhileBlack Ops 6may have missed the boat when it came to innovation, Activision Blizzard still has plenty of opportunity to expand its IP. It’s not likeCODneeds to become a party game or have a kart racer - although that would be a lot of fun. Rather, it needs to show some willingness to grow beyond the restraints of its current model. Ultimately,Black Ops 6made Activision the most money and thus trumped any other ideas, but hopefully, at some point, fans will getCall of Duty: Cooking Mamaedition and everyone will rejoice.
