Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reviewed – one of the year's best games

Call of Duty is one of the biggest franchises in the entertainment industry. First released in 2003, it has sold over 500 million units across 24 mainline games. And every month, some 100 million people duke it out across multiplayer modes.

With those figures, it's easy to see why Call of Duty became the face of the acquisition deal between gaming bohemoths Microsoft and Activison-Blizzard. The deal, worth over $75.4 billion, dominated world headlines these past two years and was a testy time for gamers. Would the deal make the first-person shooter an Xbox exclusive under new ownership?

Thankfully, a miracle happened, as the adults in the room decided to put their players first. Sony fans, you can breathe a sigh of relief as Call of Duty is set to remain a multiplatform title - for the next ten years, anyway.

This was already fantastic news, but it is made all the sweeter by the recent release of the brand new Call of Duty Black Ops 6. After four years of development, it is one of the finest entries into the pantheon of shooters, promising lots of gripping action, fluid movement, and polished graphics. Players with even the slightest interest in action-packed gameplay will surely find a new home on this evolving battlefield.

Black Ops 6 – a triumphant return to single-player action

Many people, myself included, think of Call of Duty as a purely multiplayer-focused game. The campaigns almost always feel like a bit of an afterthought. A mode in which you invest a couple of hours as a makeshift tutorial.

Perhaps there's still that stigma lingering around the industry that a game that prominently features guns just can't deliver a compelling story. And that we just can't take it as seriously anymore. And yet, Black Ops 6 truly flips the script on any prejudice you might have. Its single-player campaign is where the game immediately shines. It deserves all the universal acclaim it is currently enjoying.

The opening levels are where you'll slowly re-learn the harsh reality (and utter joys) of playing Call of Duty. Playing as a faceless CIA operative, you find yourself heavily outnumbered and heavily outgunned. A nearby exploded car seems to be your only shelter from the spray of bullets.

You're on some rescue mission, but honestly, you'll be too preoccupied with staying alive to know for certain what your objective is and who it is you're protecting. As you duck and dive forward, you'll try to return gunfire. Aiming feels tactile and responsive. Getting shot at also feels responsive, as enemies fire with infuriating accuracy when you peak your head above the parapet. Your health bar disappears with every mistimed step.

Set in the early 1990s, the campaign covers the political upheaval of the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, but with some twists. A new terror agency, Pantheon, is vying to take centre stage, and there are fears of mass destruction, rogue CIA operatives, and more. Famous politicians like Bill Clinton appear throughout, giving the game an eerie context.

There isn't much by way of gripping dialogue. No emotional outpouring from the characters. In most instances, you only have the nozzle of your weapon in front of you. And yet, the campaign feels so dramatic and high-stakes. Moments of silence can be quickly replaced with hectic shootouts in a split second. You'll learn to ignore your ammo count and shoot until there's silence.

Cut scenes and level transitions feel like they came directly from a Hollywood blockbuster. And some levels, like the campaign's 'Emergence', really amp up the creepy factor and let developers flex their creativity like you wouldn't expect from a shooter. More of this, please.

A generous variety of missions keeps the energy and interest high. Granted, missions often air on the stealth-and-spy approach, but Black Ops 6 gives courageous players the option to make as much noise as they choose.

A polished multiplayer moving in a new direction

The impressive single mode aside, the true power and legacy of Call of Duty releases are found in the multiplayer. Like a snake eating its own tail, the Call of Duty series often competes with itself in this area. Every release comes with a new selection of maps, gameplay tweaks, and the Herculean task of taking gamers away from previous instalments.

We all have our favourites. And it's only normal for you to retreat to your preferred version. But I made the ambitious call to uninstall Modern Warfare III to make room for Black Ops 6. A decision I'm happy to say paid off.

Black Ops 6 comes with a host of new maps and systems to put up a strong case for players to try something new. On launch, players can duke it out across 16 maps, each with plenty of secret trenches, caves, ducts and more to avail of.

A plethora of different game modes strikes a balance between competition and cooperation, with the return of classics like Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and Domination. A guaranteed favourite will be the new game mode, Kill Order, especially if queuing up with friends. It's a 6vs6 stand-off where one player on each team becomes a high-value target. Communicating with your team is pivotal to protecting your own VIP, all the while making moves to take out your opponent's.

Regardless of what modes do or don't come with Black Ops 6, there's one system that has been introduced that changes the fundamentals of gameplay – omnimovement. With it, players can sprint, slide, and dive any way they want. You can also rotate 360 degrees while prone. This reinvents how players can traverse maps and is already proving divisive. Some players find it clunky and imprecise, while others say it transforms mundane fights, adding thrills to every single skirmish.

In truth, omnimovement does make for very exciting, flashy duels. Players can and will move unpredictably now. It takes a bit of time to get to grips with the new responsiveness, but it's a risk, I think, that injects new life into the competitive scene. It won't be for everyone. But it does warrant a playtest, just to see if it's something you could get used to.

If playing with or against the new movement isn't for you, fear not – there's still immense fun to be had in playing Black Ops 6 in its signature PVE Zombie mode. As a round-based mode, you'll team up with mates and splatter waves of undead enemies to complete objectives. As zombies grow in strength and numbers, you'll try to upgrade weapons and keep your nerve and composure. It's an addictive game mode, and I feel it will get even better as seasonal updates are released.

Call of Duty - a legacy franchise that goes from strength to strength

For a franchise as established as Call of Duty, you could forgive developers for resting on their laurels. Even for just one year, they could easily push out a generic reskin of previous titles and call it a day. But for many, Black Ops 6 will be one of the strongest titles in Call of Duty's two-decade legacy.

The game strikes an ambitious balance between familiarity and innovation, with pristine graphics at every point. A strong, refined single-player campaign will surprise many. The pressure is on for future instalments to keep the momentum and polish going.

The multiplayer is just as fun as expected, with classic modes revived through new maps. While the omnimovement system may not be for everyone, there's still plenty of familiar terrain for you to move through to get your money and time's worth.

And we also remember one thing - this is just the launch. Black Ops 6 will enjoy a healthy supply of updates, seasonable events, and more well into the future – the first of which arrives as early as November 14th.

This release includes a new battle royale map featuring up to 120 –players, the classic resurgence mode, and much more. Expect more maps. More weapons. More zombies. And more all-out chaos.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available to play on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC