Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Review

The fact that the Call of Duty franchise is still going strong after so many years is impressive by itself. Over the last decade, the series has changed a lot. It has had games set in the future, titles taking place in World War II, and more experimental experiences.

With Call of Duty: Black Cold War, Activision has returned to its roots. Although it is not a reboot, it is a direct continuation of the story from the first Black Ops game. It also aims to be a worthy follow-up to what is considered one of the best entries in the series. For the most part, it succeeds in doing just that, despite some noticeable issues.

Story

Some recent Call of Duty games have been criticized for their stories. In fact, some titles have not even had a proper singleplayer campaign. That is not the case with Black Ops Cold War. Developer Treyarch is known for its more narrative Call of Duty titles. The game includes a proper spy story that is actually quite compelling to follow. As a sequel, a lot of what is going on will seem familiar. There are returning characters and a plot that follows a similar formula to the original.

What the game does well is truly embrace the 1980s setting. There are historical figures and lots of intrigue. By the end of the story, players will see several twists and turns. Some even completely flip the entire plot upside down in crazy ways that you won’t expect. There’s even the ability to make a number of choices that can affect the ending. This provides more drama and really helps to immerse you more fully in the story. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a great narrative, but it is one of the best in the Call of Duty series.

Interestingly, Black Ops Cold War has added some very light RPG elements to the story. Players can actually customize the protagonist somewhat. Choosing certain elements of our backstory affects traits for the player. That could mean that you get some extra health or can swap weapons faster than you normally would. These choices also come into play in the plot, having some meaningful consequences. It is a unique idea for the series and works reasonably well by adding some more interactive elements.