Call of Duty Black Ops 6 packs the franchise's best multiplayer in years — but lacks new ideas

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the latest entry in the juggernaut shooter franchise. It brings the long-running Black Ops sub-series to a Gulf War setting — a first for Call of Duty — and adds a new movement system called omni-movements. Otherwise, Black Ops 6 relies on the same bag of tricks that Call of Duty fans have been enjoying for more than a decade, but that’s not a negative as the CoD formula continues to be capable of delivering thrilling shooter moments.

I love Call of Duty and have put thousands of hours into the series' various multiplayer suites over the years. Having been a dedicated player since Call of Duty 2 (released in 2005), I've seen the franchise at its best and suffered through its lowest ebbs. I'd rank Black Ops 6 in the middle. It doesn't set a new standard for Call of Duty quality but there's enough substance to keep you entertained.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is not without problems. However, at its core, it's a fun shooter, which is the most important thing. Whether you're a fan of Zombie mode, just want to play the blockbuster campaign, or want to lose hours to the unrivaled multiplayer portion, there's something in this package for you.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: The basics

• What is it? Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is part of the long-running first-person shooter series, which launched its first game in 2003. It's part of the Black Ops sub-series which kicked off with 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops.
• Who is it for? Black Ops 6 is primarily targeted towards existing Call of Duty fans. It makes some small changes to keep veteran players engaged but doesn't switch up the formula enough to attract new players.
• What's the price? The standard edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 sells for $69. The digital-only Vault edition is $99 and includes some extra weapons, operators and the first season of BlackCell.
• What other games has the developer made? Several Activision developers contributed to Black Ops 6, but Treyarch and Raven Software are the main studios behind the game. Both developers are primarily known for their work on Call of Duty games.
• What games is this similar to? Naturally, Black Ops 6 is similar to other Call of Duty games, but may also appeal to fans of the Battlefield franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: Campaign

The single-player campaign is the bread and butter for some Call of Duty players and a skippable side attraction for others. I most definitely fall into the latter. When playing a Call of Duty game, I typically don't touch the story for months after it comes out, as I want to spend what precious little time I have for gaming on the multiplayer. And that's if I bother to play at all.

However, the Call of Duty 6: Black Ops 6 campaign is solid and well put together. As is the trend with Black Ops games, this game is about smaller battles and espionage more than all-out warfare. Set in 1991, the campaign follows a group of rogue operatives as they battle against a paramilitary group with sinister intentions. It might sound like a standard Call of Duty story, but developers Treyarch get weird with things (like really weird), and I'm okay with that based on the way it's framed within the story (no spoilers here!).

Call of Duty might be famous for its run-and-gun gameplay but stealth is an option in several campaign levels if you prefer a quieter approach. However, if you want to blast enemies and run around with the omni-movement system, you can do that, too (with a couple of forced stealth missions sprinkled in).

Shooting in Black Ops 6 feels great, which is great for when your stealthy intentions completely go by the wayside.

As fun as the moment-to-moment shooter gameplay is, the story just didn't grab me. Sure, it has weird hallucinogenic portions that add some intrigue to the otherwise generic military tale, but I just didn't grow attached to any of the characters, which is critical to keeping the eight-hour campaign engaging.

Fan-favorite characters Frank Woods and Russell Adler, alongside several new faces, are tasked with stopping the Pantheon paramilitary group, but I found it hard to care about any of them.

The solid gameplay goes a long way, but without feeling compelled by the story to keep going, I found myself thinking about where I'd much rather spend my time: competitive multiplayer.

If you're a Call of Duty campaign fan, Black Ops 6 will likely tick the right boxes for you. There are setpiece missions, smaller battles and all the other vital aspects you know and love. Plus, it's long enough to feel like a good value if it's your main selling point without overstaying its welcome.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: Multiplayer

I love Call of Duty multiplayer. The speed, feel of the shooting, map design and progression all suck me in every year. Am I a great player? Not anymore (my kill-death ratio hovers around 1.10). But it doesn't matter how good I am; the game finds a way to make you feel like an action hero, even if your aim isn't that sharp.

You might have heard mixed reactions to the maps offered in Black Ops 6. I've seen some dedicated Call of Duty players panning them. Me, though, I love the map selection. I can't remember a Call of Duty game where I liked almost every map that comes through the rotation, but that's exactly how I feel about Black Ops 6.

Some highlights include Payback, which sees you battling it out in a mansion; Warhead, a smaller map with intense corner-based fights; and my favorite, Rewind, where you'll fight it out in a video rental store situated in a blown-out shopping center.

And if the map selection wasn't already on point, Nuketown is now in the mix after being added in the first of several free post-launch content updates.

Omni-movement is the most significant change to multiplayer (and the game as a whole). You'll see many more players flopping around and diving than you're probably used to. It's like a shiny new toy; so many players are going overboard using it all the time. This will wear off once they realize it's best reserved for a specific situation. You don't always want to on your back in the heat of a firefight.

Thankfully, it's not such a game-changer that it'll ruin your experience, and if you don't feel like flopping around, you can slide around and sprint in much the same way as the two most recent Call of Duty Modern Warfare titles.

As much as I love COD multiplayer, I have no problem acknowledging that a shiny new movement system isn't going to convert non-fans. It's still a lot of the same stuff. You spawn into a game, shoot people, get shot and repeat. Between matches, you level up and unlock new guns and attachments for said guns.

And the cycle continues. You probably already know if you like that cycle. And if you do, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 nails it in every way.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: Zombies

The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign gets a little weird. The Zombies mode is absolutely bizarre. Of course, adding the undead to any mode removes any semblance of realism, but that's just the tip of the unhinged iceberg.

For old-school fans of the mode, the most exciting aspect of Zombies is the return of round-based gameplay. Instead of running around the open map endlessly, you'll get progressively harder waves of zombies and more powerful tools to fight them with. And it's not like the old days when you're cooped up in a small area — the two levels are wide open and large.

As for the levels, Zombies launched with Terminus Island and Liberty Falls. Both have plenty of easter eggs and other oddities to discover, so veterans of the series will have plenty to keep them busy while waiting for post-launch updates.

Like every other mode in this latest Call of Duty iteration, shooting zombies and other ridiculous monsters feels fantastic, and movement is smooth (you can hop around and flop with omni-movement if you want).

The biggest issue with Zombies, which isn't new to Black Ops 6, is that it's hard to play with random players you meet online. The first few waves are easy enough, but you will fail shortly after if you're not well-coordinated. If you have a group of friends to play with, you'll have a great time. If you're solo (as I was), you'll find progressing to the deeper portions of the mode nearly impossible. You can get some of the cool Easter eggs, but lots of them require coordination.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 review: Verdict

I love Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Well, I love its competitive multiplayer. After finishing this review, I'm not in a rush to revisit the campaign or Zombies. And that's okay because the three modes offer something different for everyone.

If you like working toward a common goal with your friends, Zombies is there for you. If you want a blockbuster single-player shoot with dramatic twists and turns that feel like watching a classic action movie, the campaign mode will deliver.

And if you're like me and want to enjoy the thrill of competing against other players, multiplayer is the mode for you. With Prestige levels and tons of unlocks, this mode will easily keep you busy until next year when another Call of Duty game launches, and we repeat the cycle all over again.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 doesn't rewrite the tried and tested formula, but that's okay, too. Or at least, it's okay for me and probably will be for most longtime fans.