Always be Gaming - BLACK OPS 3 - Review

Thanks Emo-XPie for providing the video - check him out on youtube.com

 

Call of Duty - Black OPS 3 (COD-BO3)

COD is a series that has been around for a while now and BO3 has been out since Oct. 2015. There are many reviews, re-reviews and update reviews since it has released. As my favorite FPS dating back to COD #1 & #2 I purchased BO3 day one edition when it hit the shelves wanting to give it a proper review. With many other games being played on my PS4 it sat around for a while because I was highly disappointed when I played COD-Advanced Warfare and played it for an hour and returned it from whence it came. There BO3 sat "calling" me to play it but I didn't want to be disappointed and I was not. Multiplayer games are fun and all but I still like playing through a good campaign, give me an objective a clear one, something to play for not just run stupid and kill everyone around me. There are many game modes to choose from which can lead to some player confusion and it seems like Activision is cramming everything all it's players want to do into one game. The best part as a parent and why I purchased the game was the ability to turn off all the foul language, adult content and blood. I can play the game with my kids knowing that they are not overexposed to all that adult stuff but they don't get left out at school because dumb old Dad said we couldn't play it.

 

Setup

Before I even began playing I spent eight hours in the customizing screen. Games should consider to give players all the options in the start of a game they can customize their weapons and junk how they want and then everything goes through a level up process. Instead of I have to unlock things or purchase things later. I forget to go back and add it to what I have because, I ALREADY SPENT EIGHT HOURS CUSTOMIZING MY STUFF YOU DUMB GAME.

 

 OR  = Same

 

Characters

Diving into the game you start with the characters. The characters have all been given superhuman "robotic" abilities. To me it is almost silly as a "old" COD player to play a COD game and be able to do totally unrealistic things, like super jump, wall run, mind control, or tiny robot attacks. This is the main reason I did not like Advanced Warfare, because it was way to unrealistic trying to be realistic. BO3 takes the unrealistic not so seriously which is why it is a more playable game. However, with all the superhuman abilities, I get the feeling that I should just be playing a superhero game. This would translate to a Marvel Avengers game, you could choose Iron Man (Robot), Captain America (Super Solider), Hawkeye (Bow / Super Sight), Thor (thunder strike), or Black Widow (Assassin). Activision is hurting for dollars and the gamers want a good superhero game, enter, COD - Avengers.

 

Campaign

There are two story modes to BO3, both of which are completely confusing. There is too much tie into why I am half robot in the story. The Nightmare story is all about why we are robots and are being possessed, now we have to fight Zombies. Wait, why didn't they just tie the two nonsense stories together? Seriously the missions were fun to play and the acting was better than average but the story was to confusing and I skipped most of it. The mission were fun though fast paced on rails most of what I would expect from a good COD game.

 

Multiplayer

I do like how the multiplayer is divided up into a standard and zombie horde game. This gives players the advantage to play what they want within BO3. The multiplayer formula in COD games is kill. That's it just kill even in the games that have objectives you don't really get points unless you kill everyone in your path and then trash talk the other persons mama after. The maps are small and certain places are completely unreachable even when they should be. I should be able to jump and run on top of a building or that rock mound, nope. It is a cheap way of shortening the map and keeping the action fast and everyone in kill mode. This way of programming worked for games like Goldeneye when we had only 4 controllers max and limited game cartridge space. Multiplayer maps should be getting bigger not smaller. But I will save my soapbox for another game. COD multiplayers love this type of multiplaying, small, kill or be killed fast action that is in your face so for this game it works.

I do like that you can set up private matches and play co-op. You can choose all the features and any character and battle it out quickly without having to hear about my mama over my headset.

Graphics/Development
The graphics overall in the game are standard for this generation nothing really stood out as giving me a wow moment. I was disappointed also in the lack of destructible environments as that is quickly becoming a standard in games that can blow stuff up in. Not having destructible environments keeps the game at a constant pace of kill everyone, that COD players like. But still I do like to blow up random walls or vehicles.
 

DLC (downloadable content)

I am not a fan of DLC just give me the whole game when I buy it the first time. But I understand the complexity of updating games so give me the updates for free I bought the damn game WTH. Or how about give me a game that is one price not six different games. What happens when I play a game with someone that has just bought the game three months from now.

"Hey want to play that new DLC that just came out."

"Nah man, I am not going to buy any of those, they look dumb."

This is the biggest problem with multiplayer games and DLC everyone has to have it or who cares. Everyone has the core game and will play in that.

Activision has released it's first maps from the Awakening DLC and it does not take away from the game but I am already running into friends that don't have the content.

 

Game Score

WIN

This game is a good mix of whatever you want out of a COD game. The developers literally packed everything players have wanted into this game. With some missed steps on the story-arc and weird super solider classes, the game is fast paced and doesn't take itself to seriously. The campaign and Nightmare mode give great single player action (and you can play co-op too). The graphics were good but I want to be able to blow up stuff not just other players. The addition of knowing that younger players play the games and adult control is great. The DLC add-on have yet to prove of any "added value" to the game.

 

Thanks for reading!

Mike Fischer

PSN ids - big_fisch & fischcraft

Steam id - sniper_fisch

Xbox id - indypodcast