Welcome to a casual gamer’s review of the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 campaign. The focus is on the campaign maybe you’re like me, you have no friends. Woes me, woes you. This spoiler-free review contrasts sharply with the visual spoilers in the IGN review.
Is the campaign worth full price or your time, even with a Game Pass subscription? Absolutely, in my opinion (you can then cancel it after beating the game). Most Call of Duty (COD) campaigns are subpar, focusing too much on multiplayer. However, this one stands out as the best, in my view.
In my experience, quality campaigns in COD games are often disappointing and over-the-top, focusing mainly on multiplayer. However, I believe this Call of Duty campaign is the best one ever made.
It includes typical COD levels—war zones with RPGs, grenades, gunfire, and swarms of enemies. But what sets it apart is the developers’ successful experimentation. For example, in one level, you can drive around a large map with your squad to complete key objectives like destroying SAM sites. You don’t have to follow a specific order or act immediately. You can explore points of interest, take out enemies, or collect supply crates. This freedom is a great approach to your objectives.
There are also a couple of horror levels, though I won’t spoil anything. I’m not a fan of horror games, but these elements are balanced well.
Stealth missions are impressive. You don’t need to be stealthy; you can go all guns blazing. One mission, set at a political event, allows multiple paths to your objective, adding minor replay value. Your path choice doesn’t impact the story but offers a nice element of choice.
Overall, it’s a refreshing and well-executed campaign.
My favorite level is the casino one. It features a stealth mission without weapons for much of the level, where you take the perspective of all your squad characters, including the main character, Case. This part felt reminiscent of “Ocean’s 11” as you maneuver through the casino, and then it switches to action-packed “Call of Duty” mode.
The variety of items, accessories, and gadgets is substantial but balanced—not overly futuristic. You can personalize combat to your style.
The story revolves around the silent protagonist, Case. Dialogues with your squad members open chat boxes, but choices don’t affect the story significantly. There are no dialogue choices to be a “good guy” or “bad guy”, they’re preset choices that don’t change the story like a typical RPG might. It would have been nice to have some voiceover acting for Case, but they’re making an effort with this campaign, so props to them.
Case and his squad are on a mission, blacklisted and have become fugitives, trying to prevent a potential war. The rogue group, the Pantheon (the evil group you’re team is tracking), is shrouded in mystery. Their true objective adds to the campaign’s appeal as you chase them down to uncover their plans.
As rogue operatives, you’ll infiltrate US government sites and participate in shady operations. This element adds depth and excitement to the game.
Balancing between intense action and stealth missions can be challenging, especially during long sessions. The game does a good job of balancing these elements to keep things engaging.
What the game does well is between core missions, you return to your base of operations. During this time, you can explore the old mansion, uncover secrets, and engage in preset dialogues with your companions, resetting the tone of the missions and getting to know your squad. My favorite is Felix, a smart guy with internal demons.
You can upgrade your base using in-game cash, no microtransactions. Investing in the workbench, for example, lets you buy upgrades like faster reloads.
Graphics are decent, especially on Xbox Series X. The game runs smoothly with minimal bugs. The only glitch I noticed was Adler’s (main story character) smoke animation coming out of his body, which was unintentionally funny. If anything, nothing ruined the experience.
The frame rate dropped only once during an in-game cutscene, not affecting gameplay. Overall, the mechanics were smooth.
The sound was excellent, especially with Xbox headphones. Explosions were great, well-balanced without being deafening. The audio, including dialogue and voice acting, was spot on.
The campaign took 8.5 hours, feeling just right. The climax action sequences and cutscenes were perfectly timed, avoiding any sense of dragging.
Enemy AI was decent, with some frustrating grenade spam, but it made the challenge fun. Overall, the game’s versatility and quality made it an awesome experience. Enemies in swarms cleverly maneuver around cover, making it fun and challenging. However, a dedicated vehicle tank mission is minimal compared to other Call of Duty games, focusing more on story and combat mechanics.
The mini-bosses can get repetitive, with elite soldiers like ones with shields and grenade launchers appearing often. It would have been better if they were introduced in batches to keep things fresh.
Despite this, the game’s value on Game Pass is incredible. For first-person shooter fans, the mix of heavy combat, some horror, and stealthy approaches makes it worth checking out.
I usually don’t say this about Call of Duty campaigns, but this one is exceptional. Kudos to the developers, and I hope they continue this trend.
