The Call of Duty franchise has, more or less, run the FPS show since debuting in 2003. From the great (like Black Ops 2) to the bad (like 2022’s Modern Warfare 3), it always manages to sell well every year. Despite many believing the train wouldn’t stop, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is unfortunate proof that the series needs to take a pit stop and refuel.
Last year’s Black Ops 6 was a great game. The campaign was awesome, and the multiplayer felt as satisfying as the gunplay. Do I think it holds a candle to the original Modern Warfare or Black Ops games? Sort of. There really hasn’t been a game in the series to match it thus far, with my personal closest being the Modern Warfare reboot. So, I didn’t go into Black Ops 7 expecting it to get there. Unfortunately, it didn’t even reach my base requirements for a solid entry, outside of Multiplayer.
David Mason and the squad in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s co-op campaign.
Black Ops 7 already felt a bit controversial upon reveal, going solely multiplayer with its campaign and being a sequel to Black Ops 2, futuristic setting and all. As many saw with Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare, fans weren’t too into the sci-fi schtick. However, if it’s done well, as it was in Black Ops 2 and Advanced Warfare, it can be forgiven.
Unfortunately, 7 doesn’t get the pass, as it reuses several trite themes and doesn’t bother explaining them. It’s futuristic for the sake of being futuristic, and for a series known for history, it’s not great seeing it done better.
I’m a big campaign person, so I jumped straight into it. I played solo since I don’t enjoy playing with others outside of couch co-op, which it didn’t have. I was stunned to learn that no AI teammates were available and that I’d be in gunfights by myself. Definitely not a dealbreaker, but being bombarded by enemies with no help — especially given how bullet-spongy they are — was not fun. It also didn’t help that there is no way to pause the game, even when playing by yourself. Once you get into a level, you can’t leave, or else you have to start the mission over.
The story is not great. As David Mason and company, you take on the villainous Cradle while experiencing nightmares of the past. The story doesn’t invent anything new, despite the lengths it goes to go outside of the box. It took a huge risk to go into the nightmare-inspired visuals and capitalize on it, but I don’t think it pays off. Some set pieces were well designed, such as one taking place on a twisted thruway.
The campaign did shine in terms of set design when it left Avalon (outside of a large Michael Rooker, that was weird). Compared to the spectacle of Black Ops 6’s campaign, this feels like several steps down. The signature psy-ops themes go overboard and, for once, it felt like way too much.
A typical Multiplayer match in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
As with every Call of Duty, the gunplay is great. Each gun feels different, and you can feel the impact of each one. It works best in Multiplayer, but in Campaign, the enemies feel like bullet sponges, especially with health bars pointing it out. However, gunning down enemies and clearing a room never gets old, no matter how many times you do it. Be it robots, soldiers, or weird zombie-like creatures, nobody does gunplay like Call of Duty, and Black Ops 7 is a great reminder of that.
In Multiplayer, the map designs are a highlight for me. They do outdo those available in Black Ops 6 with how dynamic and fun they feel. Some of my favorites include Exposure, Toshin, Hijacked, and Scar. Gameplay-wise, it’s the same as all the others, but slight adjustments to loadouts and movement work well. If there’s one thing Treyarch is best at, it’s engaging multiplayer gameplay. I’d even say it comes a touch close to Black Ops 6’s, but in a different way.
I also tried out the Zombies mode (in the map Ashes of the Damned), which is one I’m not too into. While I wasn’t too great at it, I had a good time blasting zombies away and being kept on my toes. I did do some games with others, which helped get me further than I would have alone. It speaks to a lot of the game that it’s better with friends and/or strangers, though that isn’t great news for solo fans.
Shooting your way out of situations in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a jarring entry not only in the Black Ops series, but in Call of Duty as a whole. Despite a strong multiplayer experience, the sum of its parts just doesn’t add up. Fans will no doubt enjoy the Multiplayer and Zombies, as to be expected from Treyarch. It’s a good game in its own right, but the lousy campaign and overused themes take it down a notch. For a series coming off a spectacular last entry, it’s a shame to have Black Ops 7 end up like this. If anything, it’s a valid reason to stop yearly Call of Duty releases.
The Call of Duty franchise has, more or less, run the FPS show since debuting in 2003. From the great (like Black Ops 2) to the bad (like 2022’s Modern Warfare 3), it always manages to sell well every year….
The Call of Duty franchise has, more or less, run the FPS show since debuting in 2003. From the great (like Black Ops 2) to the bad (like 2022’s Modern Warfare 3), it always manages to sell well every year. Despite many believing the train wouldn’t stop, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is unfortunate proof that the series needs to take a pit stop and refuel.
Last year’s Black Ops 6 was a great game. The campaign was awesome, and the multiplayer felt as satisfying as the gunplay. Do I think it holds a candle to the original Modern Warfare or Black Ops games? Sort of. There really hasn’t been a game in the series to match it thus far, with my personal closest being the Modern Warfare reboot. So, I didn’t go into Black Ops 7 expecting it to get there. Unfortunately, it didn’t even reach my base requirements for a solid entry, outside of Multiplayer.
David Mason and the squad in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s co-op campaign.
Black Ops 7 already felt a bit controversial upon reveal, going solely multiplayer with its campaign and being a sequel to Black Ops 2, futuristic setting and all. As many saw with Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare, fans weren’t too into the sci-fi schtick. However, if it’s done well, as it was in Black Ops 2 and Advanced Warfare, it can be forgiven.
Unfortunately, 7 doesn’t get the pass, as it reuses several trite themes and doesn’t bother explaining them. It’s futuristic for the sake of being futuristic, and for a series known for history, it’s not great seeing it done better.
I’m a big campaign person, so I jumped straight into it. I played solo since I don’t enjoy playing with others outside of couch co-op, which it didn’t have. I was stunned to learn that no AI teammates were available and that I’d be in gunfights by myself. Definitely not a dealbreaker, but being bombarded by enemies with no help — especially given how bullet-spongy they are — was not fun. It also didn’t help that there is no way to pause the game, even when playing by yourself. Once you get into a level, you can’t leave, or else you have to start the mission over.
The story is not great. As David Mason and company, you take on the villainous Cradle while experiencing nightmares of the past. The story doesn’t invent anything new, despite the lengths it goes to go outside of the box. It took a huge risk to go into the nightmare-inspired visuals and capitalize on it, but I don’t think it pays off. Some set pieces were well designed, such as one taking place on a twisted thruway.
The campaign did shine in terms of set design when it left Avalon (outside of a large Michael Rooker, that was weird). Compared to the spectacle of Black Ops 6’s campaign, this feels like several steps down. The signature psy-ops themes go overboard and, for once, it felt like way too much.
A typical Multiplayer match in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
As with every Call of Duty, the gunplay is great. Each gun feels different, and you can feel the impact of each one. It works best in Multiplayer, but in Campaign, the enemies feel like bullet sponges, especially with health bars pointing it out. However, gunning down enemies and clearing a room never gets old, no matter how many times you do it. Be it robots, soldiers, or weird zombie-like creatures, nobody does gunplay like Call of Duty, and Black Ops 7 is a great reminder of that.
In Multiplayer, the map designs are a highlight for me. They do outdo those available in Black Ops 6 with how dynamic and fun they feel. Some of my favorites include Exposure, Toshin, Hijacked, and Scar. Gameplay-wise, it’s the same as all the others, but slight adjustments to loadouts and movement work well. If there’s one thing Treyarch is best at, it’s engaging multiplayer gameplay. I’d even say it comes a touch close to Black Ops 6’s, but in a different way.
I also tried out the Zombies mode (in the map Ashes of the Damned), which is one I’m not too into. While I wasn’t too great at it, I had a good time blasting zombies away and being kept on my toes. I did do some games with others, which helped get me further than I would have alone. It speaks to a lot of the game that it’s better with friends and/or strangers, though that isn’t great news for solo fans.
Shooting your way out of situations in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a jarring entry not only in the Black Ops series, but in Call of Duty as a whole. Despite a strong multiplayer experience, the sum of its parts just doesn’t add up. Fans will no doubt enjoy the Multiplayer and Zombies, as to be expected from Treyarch. It’s a good game in its own right, but the lousy campaign and overused themes take it down a notch. For a series coming off a spectacular last entry, it’s a shame to have Black Ops 7 end up like this. If anything, it’s a valid reason to stop yearly Call of Duty releases.
by Michael Murphy
