October 25 marked the launch of Treyarch’s latest offering to the Call of Duty banquet with Call of Duty Black Ops 6. Opening its doors to an unusually content audience, the game has gone on to be heralded as a triumph by even the most decorated veterans of the Call of Duty battlefield and somehow silenced the many naysayers that usually emerge from the thicket for CoD franchise launches.
The hype that’s buzzing around on the socials sings high praise for Black Ops 6 and very few gamers seem to have a single negative word for the long-awaited title. While this would normally be a breath or fresh air for me, I, for once, just don’t understand the unwarranted fanfare. This turning of the proverbial tables has left me confused and feeling like I fell asleep on the night of October 24 and woke up in some kind of alternative reality.
A Multiplayer Devoid of Choice and Variety
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that the multiplayer mode is my go-to when enjoying the Call of Duty universe. Sadly, however, this is also where most of my issues with Call of Duty Black Ops 6 are. Coming from Modern Warfare III, where I spent the majority of my gaming time, I was used to be being spoiled with a wealth of weaponry available in the armory and drastically differing maps.
Alas, I wasn’t in for similar treatment at the hands of Treyarch. Instead, I was met with a meager selection of weapons and only two of them were my beloved shotguns. The same lack of depth bleeds into the maps, with each feeling almost exactly the same as the last. Modern Warfare III hooked me from the start and encouraged hundreds of hours of play from me while I went through each of the weapons, mastering them as I went and unlocking cool camos for my favorite firearms; a luxury not offered in the realm of Black Ops 6. I understand that new weapons will likely be released as the game matures but it somehow isn’t quite the same.
Omnimovement is Rarely Used
In an earlier article, I talked about a new feature called ‘Omnimovement’ that was set to allow players to dive or slide in any direction and even shift body position while prone. I remember being apprehensive about the change due to Treyarch not having the best of history in changing how players moved around the map; the thrust jumping mayhem of Black Ops III is probably best left in the past.
With that being said, it turns out that my early trepidations weren’t something I should have been worried about after all – because no one uses the feature. Yes, you will come across the odd camper laying prone on his or her back, but aside from this the mechanic is rarely used, in my experience. At least that’s one positive I can take from Black Ops 6, and that’s something, right?
A Disappointing Early Experience
Granted, I’ve not exactly spent every waking minute on Black Ops 6, so these impressions are maybe a little hasty. However, they say first impressions count and – in my experience – these left a lot to be desired.
Hopefully a future update will sweep in and save the day; adding more maps, weapons and operators. A little more content would give the game that it so badly needs. It’s a shame that the choices are slim and the variety as rare as hen’s teeth because somewhere beneath the scarcity, there’s a solid multiplayer offering dying to get out.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is available now on all major platforms and available to stream or download with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.
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