Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has launched to mostly positive reviews, giving players a genuinely interesting campaign to work through and a robust multiplayer mode with plenty of maps. For those who were burned by 2023's MW3, Black Ops 6 will feel like a return to form for Activision and the franchise as a whole. Of course, MW3 was universally panned by critics and fans alike, so it's not necessarily a high bar to beat.
So, players may feel compelled to compare Black Ops 6 to some of the other titles in the series to see just how well it stacks up against COD's more favorably enjoyed games. While it's not strictly necessary to play the other Black Ops games to enjoy Black Ops 6, it's still worthwhile comparing the latest entry to its predecessors to see how much Activision and its suite of developers have grown and learned from their fanbase's feedback. Luckily, Black Ops 6's campaign largely holds up when compared to other Black Ops games, although it isn't quite perfect.
CoD Black Ops 6's Campaign Is A Mixed Bag
It Has Some Memorable Sections & Some Rough Patches
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's campaign is a huge improvement over the more recent lower-quality COD campaigns, and promises players around eight hours of thrilling content. It features a number of exciting stealth missions which are often the surprise highlight of a Call of Duty campaign, as well as some interesting character moments that expand upon the lore established in earlier entries. The Black Ops 6 campaign also manages to weave in the more sci-fi elements the subseries is known for into some inspired missions that will delight those looking for something that breaks the mold.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's campaign is a huge improvement over the more recent lower-quality COD campaigns, and promises players around eight hours of thrilling content.
However, it has its low points, including a more open-world style mission that has a number of optional content peppered throughout it. This drags the otherwise relatively tight pacing down substantially and often feels more like busywork than an enjoyable expansive location to explore. Additionally, as is often the case with modern Call of Duty games, it lacks any real substance, at least when it comes to the real-world events it is adapting. It touches on horrific events and has the player do morally ambiguous things, but it's all very surface-level.
The story can also be a tad nonsensical at times, which is especially difficult for those who haven't played previous entries. However, even for those who have, the story can often get too tangled in its own mysteries and not offer up enough answers to explain why players are doing what they are. COD games are often spectacle over substance, and, at times, although not always, Black Ops 6 feels the same way. It's a shame, as the spectacle is mind-blowingly impressive, but luckily, Black Ops 6's best parts always find a way to shine through.
Which CoD Black Ops Game Has The Best Campaign
The Original Has Aged Brilliantly
The best Call of Duty: Black Ops campaign is easily the first game. Not only does it have the highest Metacritic score of any of the Black Ops titles, but Black Ops 1 also has the best-told narrative of the series, and potentially of the entire franchise. It introduced fans to some of the most memorable moments in Call of Duty history - who can forget Mason swearing up a storm about those numbers - as well as iconic characters like Frank Woods and Alex Mason. It's a mind-bending, twist-laden extravaganza that never disappoints.
It also has a phenomenal cast with Gary Oldman returning as Reznov and Sam Worthington putting in a performance of a lifetime as Alex Mason. Black Ops also features Troy Baker, Ice Cube, and Ed Harris, all of whom put in pretty stellar performances. Of course, a star-studded cast doesn't make a game great, and other Call of Duty games have featured similarly stacked casts. However, everyone does a really great job in the original Black Ops, to the point that it's easy to completely distance the actors from the characters, making them far more believable.
It's worth noting that Call of Duty: World at War is a part of the Black Ops timeline, as characters from that game carry over. It, too, has a phenomenal campaign that is pretty close in quality to the original Black Ops .
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a very close contender thanks to its more intricate time-jumping plotline, and Cold War definitely deserves a mention for its tense storyline, incredible visuals, and fixing many of COD's general campaign issues. However, the original Black Ops remains the best game in the series by far - at least when it comes to the campaign - and is fondly remembered by fans as a result.
Black Ops 6 Is Somewhere In The Middle Compared To Previous Games
Cold War, Black Ops 2, And Black Ops Slightly Outclass It
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 never reaches the heights of the original Black Ops campaign, but it's not significantly worse either. It sits firmly in the middle, offering a slightly more compelling experience than Cold War and Black Ops 3, but never feeling quite as memorable as the original two Black Ops games. Of course, when compared to other recent Call of Duty campaigns, Black Ops 6 is a masterpiece, which says a lot about how good those original Black Ops games are.
Call of Duty has changed a lot since those initial Black Ops games, both in its approach to storytelling and in its overall gameplay design, so it's not surprising that Black Ops 6 doesn't quite reach the original Black Ops' level of quality.
Black Ops 6's failings aren't inherently exclusive to it and can largely be overlooked, especially when in the throngs of its amazing spectacles. For fans who've been engaged in this ongoing storyline, Black Ops 6 will definitely feel like a return to form and more of a direct sequel than Black Ops 3 was. Of course, Black Ops 6's surprising ending sets up future installments, which will also likely delight fans and join it in the running for best Black Ops game.
Call of Duty has changed a lot since those initial Black Ops games, both in its approach to storytelling and in its overall gameplay design, so it's not surprising that Black Ops 6 doesn't quite reach the original Black Ops' level of quality. Activision's pursuit of realism in its visuals and push towards multiplayer-focused games - not that Call of Duty games have ever really been strictly single-player - has occasionally come at the cost of a good storyline, but that never really feels like the case with Black Ops 6.
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Rather, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 feels like a return to form and an attempt to recapture the magic of those original Black Ops games, and in many ways, it succeeds, even more so than its predecessor, Cold War. However, there was never a reality in which it would be better than those games, as the vision for Call of Duty shifted a long time ago. Nevertheless, Black Ops 6's campaign is a solid entry into the subseries and, at times, is just as memorable as those original games.
Sources: YouTube/Call of Duty, Metacritic, YouTube/Jub
As tensions rise during the Gulf War, Black Ops veterans find themselves facing a covert group within the CIA, now branded as traitors. Players navigate intense missions across new multiplayer modes, including dynamic environments and innovative features like body shields, while the Zombies mode returns with classic round-based action and new maps.
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