Call of Duty has become, well, a multi-billion-dollar industry that’s created scores and scores of über-popular, first-person shooter games over the last 21 years. So, as you can imagine, the franchise has hopped around the globe; leaped into a lot of battles; and shot, detonated and destroyed evil armies in every past, present and future warzone possible.
The latest venture, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, sticks its landing in 1991. But story-wise, this one isn’t simply about infantry blazing away on a WWII battlefield (as you might remember from the first CoD in 2003). As the new game’s subtitle suggests, this entry includes episodes of political subterfuge, undercover spy missions and special team raids along with its battlefield skirmishes.
The single-player campaign follows a pair of operatives, Troy Marshall and Frank Woods, who were introduced in past games. This seasoned duo (which values you as a trusted member of their team) has been ostracized by U.S. military officials because of some endeavors that have gone wrong in the past.
But being shunned by the bigwigs in Washington is OK, really. That’s because there’s something in the wind about the insidious movements of a heavily armed paramilitary group called Pantheon. And what better way to battle a secret multinational army than by gathering a small secret group of skilled operatives of your own.
So, Marshall and Woods make their way to, you guessed it, a secret, former-KGB hideaway and make it their base of operations. As they start to gather allies and dig up intel, they realize that not only is the CIA likely corrupt to its core, but a biological weapon of mass destruction—that one Saddam Hussein was supposedly hiding—is at the heart of a huge, dastardly plot. Oh, and no one knows who they can trust.
Gameplay-wise, players take a central role in a variety of different missions in which they sneak, steal, battle and blaze their way through what often feels more like an amped-up spy movie than a military campaign.
Some of those missions are very open and sandbox like, such as assignments to infiltrate enemy bases and find a way to rescue a given prisoner or blow up a cache of weapons. Others are more linear and focused on spectacular explosions and nearly superhuman battles.
Along the way, your character gambles in a casino; battles through an erupting airport; gets infected by a deadly substance; endures physical torture; sneaks through a European mob base; battles from the back of a speeding motorcycle and from within a tank; hangs from the skids of a soaring helicopter … and more.
As with past Black Ops game entries, Black Ops 6 also includes two other modes for gamers to leap into with various weapons in their mitts. The multiplayer mode features some 16 new maps and a variety of objectives, match protocols and progression systems. Players can play offline with a two-person split-screen or online in up to 6-vs-6 play.
There’s also a cooperative, round-based zombie mode that actually takes its cue from the bioweapon introduced in the single player campaign. And across all three of the play modes, players are given access to what the game calls its “omnidirectional movement” mechanics, a fluid system that lets players sprint, dive and slide in any direction during battle.
The Black Ops 6 characters aren’t necessarily deeply explored, but there is a lot to work through in the political intrigue-focused storyline that encourages players to think beyond the headlines. And your character is definitely fighting to reveal the truth behind political ploys to the world and to save many innocent people from a potentially deadly and destructive outcome.
As mentioned, Black Ops 6 presents a twisting thriller of a story that at times feels very cinematic. The game is also paced well and is designed with fluid movements and game mechanics in mind. Gamers can choose from several difficulty levels to match their comfort level in the midst of battle.
This is, however, an M-rated shooter/action adventure, through and through. No matter the mode you choose, first-person battles will be frenetic. Blood spatter the scenery and the screen as you cut down enemies with pistols, machine guns, assault rifles and various explosive devices. Players can also stealthily slip up on enemies to pistol-whip, viciously stab them or use them as a human shield against enemy gun blasts.
The zombie contests can be particularly gruesome when it comes to the flesh-chunk splatters, as well as decapitations and dismemberments of the oncoming hordes. Characters are also brutally tortured and battered in the single-player campaign.
Finally, we get female characters depicted in somewhat revealing clothing and skin-baring poses. Lying and deception are ever-present story elements. And some individuals smoke constantly and spew some nasty language—including uses of f- and s-words, as well as exclamations of “b–ch,” “d–n” and “h—.” God and Jesus’ names are both profaned throughout.
The Call of Duty games are known for their interesting gameplay and fluid battles. And Black Ops 6 carries on that tradition in its spy/thriller tale. But don’t overlook the fact that this is an M-rated shooter, Mom.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
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