Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Review – Stellar Multiplayer, Flawed Campaign

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers an exceptional multiplayer and zombies experience, though its co-op campaign struggles to meet the same high standards. The game shines brightest in its competitive and cooperative offerings, providing some of the most refined action the series has seen. However, the narrative portion feels rushed and borrows heavily from other modes, creating a disjointed single-player adventure that fails to live up to the legacy of its predecessors.

Playing through the co-op campaign in this first-person shooter evokes the sensation of tuning into a random, low-budget television episode without any context. The story picks up a decade after the events of Black Ops 2, following protagonist David Mason as he investigates a mysterious broadcast in the coastal city-state of Avalon. From the very first mission, a sense of cost-cutting is palpable. Cutscenes feature awkward character animations and stilted dialogue that fall short of the cinematic quality established in last year’s Black Ops 6.

Pacing issues are immediately apparent, with the plot accelerating at an overwhelming rate due to heavy exposition dumps. Early on, the squad encounters a hallucinogenic red gas, plunging most missions into a dream-like state. While these sequences offer some visually striking moments, such as fractured memories of Menendez’s Nicaraguan compound or a twisted Los Angeles highway, they largely devolve into repetitive combat against reskinned zombies and overly durable boss encounters.

Mission structure resembles raids from massively multiplayer online games like Destiny 2, a stark departure from the tightly scripted, set-piece driven campaigns that defined earlier titles. In the real-world segments set in Avalon, a semi-open world structure reminiscent of Modern Warfare 3’s unpopular open combat missions makes a return. The map, originally designed for Warzone, feels excessively large, forcing players to traverse significant distances between objectives. Special abilities like a super jump and grapple hook provide faster movement options, but they feel like solutions to a problem that shouldn’t exist in a Call of Duty campaign.

Avalon’s setting feels inconsistent with the 2035 timeline, particularly when revisiting locations like the Skyline multiplayer map from Black Ops 6. This rooftop apartment appears unchanged despite being set more than four decades earlier. The only truly futuristic environment appears during a Tokyo segment where players control a new team of characters, utilizing the new wall-jump mechanic for rooftop parkour. This section stands as a clear highlight, making it disappointing that similarly well-designed moments are scarce throughout the rest of the campaign.

Many mechanics in the co-op campaign feel directly lifted from Warzone. Weapon boxes scattered throughout the environment allow for gear customization, replenishable armor plates provide protection, and weapons feature different rarity levels that can be upgraded at designated stations. The user interface mirrors the battle royale mode exactly, complete with the absence of mission checkpoints and the inability to pause the game.

Despite these shortcomings, the campaign isn’t entirely without merit when played cooperatively. With friends, the experience transforms into something genuinely entertaining, with the questionable writing providing unintentional comedy. Memorable moments include battling a giant version of returning character Harper or watching the main antagonist survive an anti-tank missile to the face only to reappear unharmed seconds later.

The new Endgame mode emerges as a surprising triumph after completing the campaign. This extraction-shooter experience drops players into a gas-filled Avalon where they complete challenges to level their Combat Rating and unlock special perks. The mode operates on a strict time limit, with death before extraction resulting in lost progress, creating high-stakes tension reminiscent of roguelike games. The map divides into difficulty zones, culminating in a challenging boss fight that requires cooperation with other players. Successfully defeating the boss rewards players with exclusive weapon skins and gear for use in other modes, providing compelling reasons to revisit the experience.

Multiplayer represents where Black Ops 7 truly excels. Building on the strong foundation of Black Ops 6, this installment offers one of the most engaging competitive experiences in the franchise. The maps, which were a weakness in previous years, are now absolutely fantastic both in quantity and quality. Japanese-themed locations particularly impress with stunning visual details and atmospheric lighting that create immersive battlegrounds.

A new Skirmish mode featuring 40 players on massive maps provides a refreshing change of pace from the traditional small-scale combat, capturing some of the large-scale warfare that makes Battlefield appealing. Smaller maps like Blackheart, Homestead, and Cortex feature excellent flow and spawn placement, working perfectly with the new Overload mode where teams compete to control and detonate a bomb-like device.

Map variety remains impressive throughout, with several locations featuring concepts that would have benefited the campaign. Scar takes place in an Alaskan village under assault by robots, while Colossus explores the rusted remains of a resort famously destroyed in Black Os 2. The new wall-jump mechanic enhances the Omnimovement system, allowing skilled players to access vertical routes and outmaneuver opponents.

The return of Gear Overclocking from Advanced Warfare enables players to upgrade frequently used equipment with new abilities. This system pairs effectively with Weapon Prestige, where resetting weapon levels unlocks special attachments and exclusive camouflage patterns. These progression systems ensure players won’t exhaust their leveling goals anytime soon. Weapon balance feels particularly strong, with assault rifles and SMGs serving as versatile options while sniper rifles and shotguns remain devastating in their respective engagement ranges.

Zombies mode continues the excellence established in Black Ops 6. The launch includes one massive Round-Based map featuring an upgradeable vehicle for transportation, with heavy references to the legendary TranZit map from Black Ops 2. The mode continues the complex storyline that began in World at War, complete with a new main quest requiring completion of hidden objectives. For players less interested in elaborate easter egg hunts, a straightforward Survival mode provides perfect undead-slaying relaxation with friends.

Dead Ops Arcade 4 returns as a lighthearted top-down challenge mode with retro twin-stick controls. While not the most deep or complex offering, it serves as an enjoyable diversion worth several playthroughs.

The game includes robust accessibility features with multiple UI reliability options, including adjustable subtitle size, background colors, and menu text dimensions. Players can fully customize information colors and resize the multiplayer HUD according to their preferences. Multiple control layouts accommodate different play styles, with simplified controller presets and reduced motion requirements. Both console and PC players can choose between controller or keyboard and mouse input methods.

Ultimately, whether Black Ops 7 deserves a place in your collection depends on your priorities. Multiplayer and Zombies represent the pinnacle of their respective modes, with fantastic maps and incredibly refined gameplay. The co-op campaign, despite its entertaining moments with friends and strong Endgame mode, falls short of expectations and doesn’t deliver the sequel that Black Ops 2 deserved. For players focused on competitive and cooperative action, this installment provides hundreds of hours of exceptional content, while those seeking a meaningful narrative continuation may find themselves disappointed.

(Source: techradar)