Is Black Ops 7 Worth It?

This year’s latest Call of Duty entry, Black Ops 7, is launching very soon. In fact, for many (such as myself), the full launch is tomorrow! As a long-time fan of the Black Ops series, as well as Treyarch’s work, I want to discuss whether I think the game is “worth it” based on my experiences from the beta.

PART ONE: THE CAMPAIGN

This is the only part of the game that I cannot fully speak on, as it obviously wasn’t included in the Beta. However, based on the early reviews it’s been receiving, it’s likely that BO7’s campaign is highly mediocre. Based on the previews, I am instantly reminded of Modern Warfare 3’s (the reboot, not the original) campaign. Although that campaign tried a different formula from COD “norms”, it was ultimately ineffective at telling a worthwhile story. I do think the “Endgame” mode that Treyarch introduced sounds decently interesting, and it will probably incentivize players to play through the campaign. However, this doesn’t make up for a boring and poorly-written story.

PART TWO: THE MULTIPLAYER

This is what I will probably play the most, even as a Zombies fan. Honestly, I thought Black Ops 6 was the first game in the series that felt boring to play. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it, but I genuinely quit playing the game a few months in and never looked back. I am glad to say the Black Ops 7 MP Beta surprised me, as I found it way more enjoyable than BO6. To start, I really enjoyed the new wall-jumping mechanic. Although it’s not the same as wall-running from BO3, it still feels smooth (and practical) enough to be useful in gunfights. I also appreciate how certain sections of the map were designed with this feature in mind. It really adds some map variety to what would otherwise be very straightforward maps.

Of course, Treyarch also brought back the “omni-movement” feature from Black Ops 6, which I believe to be a positive addition. In general, Black Ops 7 looks and even plays like a reskin of Black Ops 6, as that is what it essentially is. However, I feel that BO7’s MP improves on the strengths of the MP of BO6, allowing it to be of a similar quality to previous BO entries.

As for other general gameplay positives, I thought Treyarch did a good job with implementing new scorestreaks. Specifically, the “D.A.W.G.” and “Gravemaker” killstreaks were fun and chaotic additions to shake up the general gameplay flow. This is a minor positive, but I also liked the new “Hybrid Specialist” system, which allows you to receive a Specialist bonus even with perks from different colors. Of course, two big requests that most COD fans begged for were the return of persistent (instead of disbanding) lobbies, as well as toned-down/classic SBMM. Treyarch successfully implemented both of these requests into the beta, much to the delight of fans. A slightly more controversial change was the removal of “Carry Forward” and a focus on more realistic skins. I have seen many argue that less serious skins should still be allowed in the game, and that they should be allow.ed to use previously bought skins in this new entry. Personally, I am glad about the changes Treyarch introduced to MP this year, even if these changes likely only came after heightened competition from the Battlefield series.

PART THREE: THE ZOMBIES

Truthfully, I didn’t play a lot of BO7’s Zombies. However, I did enjoy what little I did play. Although the “Vandorn Farm” map is considerably small in size, I understand that’s exactly what Treyarch was going for. It works as a smaller-scale survival map, which even includes an Easter Egg (which I unfortunately did not attempt). Of course, this map won’t be the full appeal of BO7’s Zombies when it fully launches. I (like many others) am excited to see the return of the Original Crew, along with what appears to be a large-scale map in the style of BO2’s Transit? Although much time has passed since we have seen the crew, I hope they retain the same style of humor that made them charming characters in the first place.

It’s also great to see that Treyarch has multiple maps already planned out for Zombies (with one main map and two survival maps launching in Season One!) While I really enjoyed Black Ops: Cold War, one of its main issues was a lack of Zombies content in general. This seems to be rectified with BO7. Finally, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am very excited to see the return of Dead Ops Arcade. I always considered it a fun distraction with friends if you’re bored with normal MP or Zombies.

In conclusion, do I think BO7 is worth it? I would say ABSOLUTELY, even if you’re not the biggest Black Ops fan. Treyarch seems to be improving on every weak aspect of Black Ops 6 while still remaining true to the arcadey Black Ops style. I personally predict that this game will be well-respected as part of the Black Ops franchise in the future.