Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 -- How the Lack of Auto-Heal Can Change Your Game

In a lot of previous Call of Duty games, players have had the benefit of hiding out for a few seconds after being injured and auto-healing back to full strength. But the times, they are a-changin'.

One feature that we didn't mention with our hands-on with Black Ops 4 was the fact that auto-heal is pretty much a no-go. So if you get hurt you have two options. Either try to tough it out until you're wiped out or use a health pack, which is distributed amongst your abilities with your specialist. (Option A really isn't recommended, especially in modes like Control where lost lives can really make a difference.)

Using a health pack within the game isn't that big a deal. You simply press the shoulder button associated with it, take about a second to bandage up and then get back running again. However, like most special abilities in games of this nature, once you use it you have to wait a few seconds for it to become available again. That means if you get hit and end up at death's door, there's a good chance you've had it unless you can find a place to hunker down until you can access it..

This can change the strategy of how someone plays if they've gotten used to what previous games have had to offer. You'll be using cover more now to avoid being hit by enemies (something you can see in a number of gameplay videos -- a couple of specialists can even generate their own cover) and you'll also be a little weary coming around corners or even watching high spots for those that are taking shots at you.

This will make some players a little more cautious on the multiplayer side, but it's a feature that blends in with the boots-to-the-ground gameplay that Treyarch was going for with its development. As a result, firefights become not only more of a fight for survival, but heavier on strategy. For instance, if you've got a man who's nearly down, you may have two healthier soldiers move in and try to mow down the opposition while he or she waits to heal up.

It's a neat move for the series and one that leans on realism in a similar manner to what Call of Duty: WWII did. Again, some players may need to get used to this if they've been spoiled by auto-heal before. But this also introduces an opportunity to become accustomed with what your specialist is capable of.

For instance, the slide technique. When you're sprinting across a map, you can tap this and you'll engage in a ground slide, avoiding some gunfire and possibly working your way to a safer cover spot. This is useful if you're trying to retain your health enough to reach an objective point or get the jump on someone. You'll also use sprinting more in general to get out of harm's way; and adapt to the idea of hiding out in corners or doorways until you see what an enemy is doing and then jump in and try to take them down.

The lack of an auto-heal may throw some Call of Duty fans for a loop; but Treyarch implemented this to really pick up the multiplayer style of the game. Thus far, based on what we've heard from fellow players, it's paying off. It's just a matter of seeing how others adapt to it and change up their A-game when it comes to winning matches.

We'll find out in the long run when Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases on October 12 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.