(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag Composite; IGDB)
Developer Treyarch returns to spy-thriller, multiplayer gaming with a title that's sure to be one of the year's biggest releases: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. It's an iterative sequel to 2024’s Black Ops 6—Treyarch honed in on what people loved about the last game, while adding new features to get military shooter fans excited.
Set in the year 2035, Black Ops 7 (coming November 14 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S) straddles the line of science fiction-inspired gadgets and gizmos while maintaining a gritty, boots-on-the-ground approach to gunplay and movement. After sliding, wall jumping, and shooting my way through its early access and open beta builds, I walked away with five key elements you should know if you're considering dropping $69.99 on it.
(Credit: Activision)1. Wall Jumping Is a Welcome Addition to Omnimovement
Omnimovement was Black Ops 6's biggest shake-up to the Call of Duty formula, a smart mechanic that made combat faster and more fluid by letting you sprint, slide, and leap in four directions. Black Ops 7 builds upon Omnimovement by introducing a wall jump. Although it isn't as robust a movement option as the wall jumps in Titanfall, it's an ideal way to easily access vantage points and juke enemies. You can chain up to three jumps together, but each sequential jump loses a bit of speed and momentum. So, you must use it wisely.
Wall jumping won't fundamentally change the way you play, but watching a pro player use Omnimovement to its new, full potential makes me think that Black Ops 7 could have an even higher skill ceiling than its predecessor. It will be exciting to see how this new mechanic evolves as more of the community gets its hands on the game.
(Credit: Activision/PCMag)2. There Are Great New Map Designs
Six of the 16 Black Ops 7 launch-day maps were available during the beta, and they adhere to Treyarch's three-lane design philosophy. Without diving into the knitty-gritty, this means that when you spawn into a level, you're presented with three paths that lead to the enemy spawn point. This design ethos makes the maps easy to learn and keeps the combat flow tight and constantly moving.
The maps are also designed around Black Ops 7’s new wall jump mechanic. Many contain "hazards," which are chasms that you must wall jump across to access map lanes. In addition, not-so-subtle smudges on walls signal where you can wall jump vertically to access higher levels and vantage points. It all works seamlessly, and requires you to deftly combine movement and shooting to be successful.
My favorite map is Imprint, a snowy facility with hazards and a second level that had me looking for shortcuts to get the drop on enemies. I wish the maps allowed for a little more creative parkouring, but going too vertical could potentially break the exciting, three-lane design.
(Credit: Activision/PCMag)3. Overload Is Fun, But Not a Game Changer
The Black Ops 7 beta introduced a new gameplay mode: Overload. In it, you must capture the Overload Device that spawns at various map points and run it to the opposing team's spawn point. It’s a fast-paced mode that tests your movement skills and map knowledge. The key to quickly reaching the enemy's spawn point or hunting down an enemy who holds the device is knowing lane shortcuts. I liked its "tug of war" situations when my team and the opposing squad couldn’t move the device more than an inch in either direction. In short, Overload starts as the classic Capture the Flag mode but morphs into Hardpoint mode.
Introducing a new mode in an established franchise can be challenging. Sometimes players just want to play the hits, but Overload fits snugly into the tried-and-true Call of Duty rotation. Although Overload Device is a cool break from Domination, Hardpoint, and Team Deathmatch, it doesn't reach their highs. It makes the overall package more robust, but I wish it had more thrills.
(Credit: Activision/PCMag)4. Skill-Based Matchmaking May Be in a State of Flux
If you visited Black Ops 7's subreddit on the first day of the beta, you would've seen posts about Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM). It's designed to match players of similar skills into game lobbies and create a gameplay experience that doesn't pit new or casual players against hard-core players or pros who will likely annihilate them. However, some argued that SBMM worked too well, leading to match stagnation.
On the beta's second day, Treyarch demonstrated that it's listening to the community by adding a new mode playlist. You can choose between a playlist featuring SBMM (Moshpit) or one featuring "classic matchmaking where skill is minimally considered" (Open Moshpit).
I didn't notice the difference until the next day, when the beta opened to everyone. The Open Moshpit matches were absolutely harder, and my team got steamrolled a few times. I also had more balanced matches where I had to lock in and try to improve.
Since the beta's conclusion, Treyarch announced that it will take the Open Moshpit approach to multiplayer. The ideological SBMM war has ended…for now.
(Credit: Activision/PCMag)5. If You Liked Black Ops 6, You'll Like Black Ops 7
I saw someone online refer to Black Ops 7 as "Black Ops 6.5." There's some truth in that. I don't expect groundbreaking changes in a series with titles released in consecutive years, but this entry feels remarkably similar to last year's. This is leading to some player malaise, despite the improvements, a fresh coat of science-fiction paint, and vibrant vistas.
There isn't a whole lot of "new" here at the moment. Admittedly, the beta isn't the entire Black Ops 7 package. The game promises a surreal, trippy campaign and updates to the popular Zombies mode. And the Warzone battle royale mode will eventually see wall jumps added to the mix. So, even if the traditional multiplayer suite feels a bit stale, there's much variety outside of it.
The real question is: What's better, Black Ops 7 or Battlefield 6? We reviewed Battlefield 6 and found it an excellent military shooter. Will Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 receive as warm a reception as its predecessors? We'll find out on November 14.