Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PC) Reviewed.

First-person shooters are never my first choice in games, especially given how bad I can be in them. Yet, some of these games have just enough varieties, that often requires a closer look.

One such game is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, that I’ll be reviewing today. And as someone who has enjoyed the Black Ops storyline, I am excited to see how this new game will expand upon it. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

What is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is predominately a first-person shooter game created by Treyarch and Raven Software, and published by Activision. The game acts as a sequel to first Black Ops game that got released back in 2010. Thus, the stakes are quite high for this game, as it has a lot to live up to.

When I first got asked to review the game by Sal, it felt somewhat strange seeing as he was the one who loves playing Call of Duty. Then it hit me why; the installation size for the game was 140 GB!

With each year passing, the Call of Duty filesize seems to keep increasing indefinitely, which honestly is becoming quite an issue. And with that realization, I kicked off the Campaign first.

The Story.

Following the success of its powerful narrative from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the Call of Duty franchise continues to double down by expanding storytelling immersively by weaving the player into the tale.

From the get-go, the 80s setting in the game flourishes in a very reminiscent and beautiful way that makes you believe that you’re in the era. Almost immediately, the player gets thrown into the mix as a CIA operative working with big names like Mason, Woods and Hudson to uncover a conspiracy during the Cold War.

While the overall storyline does offer up enough suspense and secrets to classify itself as an authentic James bond experience, it’s the added beauty of the level’s scenery and smooth visual that pieces it all together. Thus, becoming an action movie that keeps you glued to the seat till the end.

One of the things that were new and very much appreciated was the inclusion of the player into the story. As I mentioned, players will be in control of a CIA Operative who will essentially be you by the codename of Bell. 

The avatar can be customized with gender and military backgrounds that will be referred to with psychological profiles that determine their passive bonuses in the main story. However, you won’t be able to customize how your character looks, which is a bummer.

And on top of that, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War introduces elements of RPG by giving players the choice to decide their various responses to situations. For example, at the end of the first stage, you’ll be tasked to interrogate and ultimately determine the fate of an individual.

Well, the choices do not impact the storyline immensely; they do introduce a level of replayability as some optional objectives, and dialogue options can reveal additional pieces of evidence that can be used in later missions or side missions.

Ultimately, these new features add a new level of immersion to the campaign that’s not found in previous instalments.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Online Experience.

Multiplayer Mode.

Even though the campaign is a compelling element of the Call of Duty franchise, most people tend to pay and play the games for its fast-paced Multiplayer mode.

So if you were hoping to jump right into the action of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer and rule over the scoreboards with your honed skills with ease, then I’ve got news for you buddy. The game has changed.

More accurately, it has dialled down on its fast-paced action for a much slower and tactical approach. Everything is relatively slower than the most recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; like your avatar moving slower, reloading taking time, killing an enemy requires more than a few shots, and even grenade throws animate gradually.

Thus, the game forces you to adopt a more strategic approach when moving in and taking down enemies this around. If all you want to do is rush in and get some kills, then chances are you’ll die faster than you can see any enemies.

And yet, once you nail down on how to play the game on its terms, it becomes quite entertaining even if you’re new to Call of Duty. Since getting shot, doesn’t mean you’ll get killed; you have a chance to turn it around…sometimes.

Zombie Mode.

As much as it is fun to shoot other players, something about shooting Zombies is just so much more satisfying. Zombie Mode has become a crucial aspect of Call of Duty now, even though the bottom line is just as simple as killing Zombies to survive.

However, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombie Mode feels a little more dangerous than previous instalments because of how much slower everything is, this time around. So every action or inaction can result in an unfortunate outcome if you don’t play smart.

One of the features that I enjoyed is how seamlessly I could bring over and use the weapons that I’m comfortable within Multiplayer mode into Zombie Mode.

And no matter which Mode I choose to play, my weapon still gains experience for unlocks. Thus, effectively making it so that I don’t have to choose to focus on one particular online activity.

The Bottom Line.

We have reached the end of the review of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and it’s time to decide if it’s worth your time and money? Frankly, it boils down to what you need from the game.

If you’re a hardcore online player who wants a fast-paced shooting experience, then this game isn’t for you. However, if you’re willing to accept the step back that it has taken from Modern Warfare and embrace the new change, then it can be a very engaging shooter. Plus Zombie Mode helps to seal the deal on a having fun time.

Or if you’re like me, who loves an intriguing campaign storyline with the option of doing online activities at the end of the day, then this game is perfect for you.

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