Out of all the components included in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 this year, multiplayer is probably the most underwhelming. That’s not Treyarch’s fault in the least, but look at what else we have. Zombies has undergone a major change with storytelling and numerous campaigns; and Blackout‘s Battle Royale shenanigans has drawn in players all its own.
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But multiplayer is still one of the most enjoyed portions of Black Ops 4. As it should be. Treyarch has kind of gone back to traditional terms with it after all the turbo jumps and wall-running that previous entries have provided, and players should be right at home with hunting down opponents and getting those cherished headshots for their repertoire. After several rounds of progress — and getting killed by a bandit — I’m happy to report that it still works just fine, despite some slight issues.
What I like is how Treyarch tweaked performance across the board. Obviously the game’s a monster on PC; but console versions of Black Ops 4 perform exceptionally well when it comes to shooting from the hip or getting an opponent in your sights.
What’s more, the available arsenal of weaponry is pretty sweet. Gone are the fancy over-the-top weapons we’ve seen in the past in favor of an array of assault rifles, SMG’s and other guns that can mow down opponents like grass. They’re also well balanced, so no one really has an advantage over the other — save for their gameplay skills, obviously.
And just a word of warning. If you’re a rookie, you will die. Black Ops 4 is a learning process; and even after years of playing the multiplayer portions of the games, I still die pretty often, fairly for the most part (save for respawn points, which we’ll get to in a sec). But it’s a learning process so that you’ll “git gud,” as the CoD community puts it, and become more experienced with your kills. When you score your first headshot, though, it does feel refreshing.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
One thing you’ll notice right off the bat is that automatic health regeneration is long gone. Instead, you’ll have to use healing syringes to stay in the fight, lest you collapse when a bullet hits you from behind. This is an interesting element that keeps you on your toes, wondering when’s the best time to use these healing abilities. You’ll get used to it, though, and it’s a great change to formula, like Call of Duty: WWII offered last year with its health packs.
Also, I enjoy how much the Specialists have evolved since their introduction in Black Ops III. There’s still a various amount to choose from here; and they’re all worth trying out, if only because you’ll find someone that’s sure to fit your playstyle. I particularly like Torque, but it really depends on your style of play, be it aggressive, distant (for snipers) or something possibly in-between.
Now let’s get into the modes. There are two new ones that we should discuss. The first is Control, in which players have to either defend or take over control points in a small time frame. It’s pretty well done, and a nice variation of classic Capture the Flag that works to greater effect. But it can also be wayyy too easy to lose points, even if it’s by accident. That’s because balancing the load between the two — and still trying to overtake certain objectives — may be a bit much for some. That’s not to say it doesn’t work. It certainly does. But it might not be the best place to start if you’re just jumping in for the first time.
And then there’s Heist, which is a variation of a similar mode in Battlefield Hardline, in which you go on a cash grab and try to get it back to a certain point. Again, very Capture the Flag like, but you can actually use what you pick up to purchase items to use in the next round for your soldier. The other team simply tries to stop you from getting the cash to said objective. Is it original? Hardly. But is it fun? Absolutely. It’s energetic and keeps your team on the run for the most part, while keeping on your toes for who’s coming after you.
Slight Issues, But Progression Is Still King
Other modes also make a comeback. I never, ever get tired of Kill Confirmed; and the classics are back as well (like good ol’ Hardpoint), if that’s what you prefer to play. So if there’s one thing Call of Duty isn’t short on, it’s variety.
But then we get to the slight issues. First off, the map variety here — from the dozen or so introduced into the game thus far — is pretty solid. But some are better than others. For instance, I was pining more for the classic designs from previous Black Ops games instead of the new terrain, since those maps don’t really seem to be as large as they should be. That said, some players may prefer these smaller maps, if only because it tightens up gameplay and makes each skirmish more worthwhile. Me? I’m an old-schooler.
Also, sometimes the spawn points are pretty screwed up. For instance, it seems all too easy for some players to ambush these points and make it easy to wipe someone out just when they’re jumping into the action. It doesn’t happen often; but when it does, it’s an absolute frustration that’s hard to get over. Hopefully Treyarch will balance this out so, I dunno, we have a better chance of staying in a match.
But no matter which maps or modes you go with, Black Ops 4 continues to be a winner because of the goodies that you can unlock. These include some savvy weapons and attachments you can add to your collection, along with camos and perks that really turn the tide of battle in your favor. I particularly like the Operator Mods that you can put into your slot system (in which you can, yes, pick ten), which really help your player out once they’re unlocked. Just make sure you keep things relatively down the middle, tho — you want to leave some slots open for important stuff down the line.
Not Highly Innovative, But Still Fun
As for the other content, Theater Mode is back, letting you recapture the most cinematic moves in multiplayer to show off to your friends. It’s not without its visual issues, but it’s a great social feature if you want to show off how good — or, on the flip side, bad — you can be during a match.
I also enjoy the tutorials. Some players deem them unnecessary, but the absolutely hilarious quips by series veteran Frank Woods make them worthwhile. Plus, who knows, you may actually learn something.
And finally, there’s two player split-screen co-op. I dunno if this was really necessary or not, but it’s great to have if you want to team up with a buddy locally to take out your rivals. I kinda miss the old days of Goldeneye‘s four-player split-screen goodness, so this rekindled a few memories. And, hey, it actually runs fairly well.
While Black Ops 4‘s multiplayer isn’t the best the series has seen — I still have a problem with those spawn points, and it isn’t relatively friendly to newcomers — it’s still a fine component to the game overall. The progression system is excellent; the new modes have just as much to offer as the classics; the split-screen multiplayer is a neat feature; the tutorials are hilarious; and the twitch gameplay is as sharp as it’s ever been. Treyarch still has some stuff to fix, but for the time being, Call of Duty players will be right at home here.
That said, make sure you check out our review of the Zombies portion of the game as well, with a Blackout review to follow very soon!
(Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.)
