Set to release in North America on Oct. 12, Activision brings the newest iteration in the blockbuster series Call of Duty, with Black Ops 4 (BO4). Similar to Call of Duty’s Advanced Warfare and Black Ops3, BO4 is set in the future, featuring futuristic weapons called Titans and characters who borrow previous traits from earlier games, which allow for exhilarating combat.
Trust me, I am excited beyond belief.
Playstation, Xbox, and PC gamers will experience BO4 a month earlier, as release dates for previous Call of Duty games were originally in November. To keep up with the onslaught of game releases in the upcoming months such as Red DeadRedemption and Battlefield, I applaud Activision for the change and I think it will determine early success of the game.
The earlier date also allows for the beta to be available to gamers who pre-ordered.Gamers who pre-ordered BO4 got a chance to play the beta—a test version of the game available to play before its final release. I remember playing online after the beta release, and I absolutely loved the gameplay—artificial intelligence wasn’t stupid, Titans were enjoyable, and of course, it’s a blast running around and shooting your enemies.
This is single-handedly the biggest shift in the series, with a new battle royale game mode called “Blackout,” à la the likes of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. In contrast to other games in the series, BO4 will not include a single-player campaign.
For years, Call of Duty campaigns have brought out the in-game potential, letting players relive some of the world’s most compelling missions. For me, the campaign has always been the first stop in any Call of Duty game. Now, it’s 2018, and the first thing that comes to mind in any Call of Duty game is the word “multiplayer,” which underwent some changes as well.
For starters, it’s five-on-five. There’s no regenerating health—either heal yourself, wait for the medic, or die. This alone changes the game, because now players have to find creative ways to match certain weapons with attachments. Oh, did I mention it was five-on-five?
Despite the changes, some gamers felt like the overall concept of BO4 was too similar to its predecessor, since some guns and maps are replicated from the previous instalments.
All in all, we’re here now, and we literally have the best Call of Duty waiting. I absolutely cannot wait to get my copy and just sit and relish that moment. Then, I’m going to log on and blow zombie heads off their shoulders.
