Multiplayer gameplay is widely regarded as the staple of theCall of Dutyfranchise; it’s what many people play the franchise for and it sees the single-player campaign play second fiddle. But this year,Call of Duty: Black Ops 4is switching that up, by ditching single-player and solely focusing on the multiplayer gameplay that so manyCall of Dutyfans enjoy.
With theCall of Duty: Black Ops 4multiplayer reveal trailer, publisher Activision and developer Treyarch explain how this year’s entry “raises the bar” for the franchise. The multiplayer mode will feature a “grounded combat experience,” the companies note.
The wall-runs and boosted jumps of past series entries (such asAdvanced Warfareand the otherBlack Opstitles) being ditched. Given thatInfinite Warfarewas criticizedfor its highly futuristic setting and its lack of boots on the ground gameplay, whileCall of Duty: WW2was praised for its grounded style of playing, that’s probably a smart idea.
Black Ops 4will also bring back Specialists which were first introduced inBlack Ops 3. Characters such as Ruin, Firebreak, and Seraph return fromBlack Ops 3alongside brand new Specialists and each character will have their own abilities. For example,Firebreak wields a flamethroweras his main ability, new character Tork can put down razor wire, and Crash has healing abilities. Ruin’s grapple hook can also pull him towards enemies, which seems contradictory to the boots on the ground approach, but looks like great fun in the trailer.
AlthoughBlack Ops 4is ditching single-player, Treyarch did suggest that there will be a significant amount of narrative content. Players will be able to learn more about the Specialists and their backgrounds, so this could mean that fans end up picking their favorite Specialists over more than just their abilities. There is the usual, outlandish narrative that fans would expect from theBlack Ops 4Zombies mode, which may keep fans of story content happy.
Additionally, Treyarch has detailed major changes to the ways in which weapons work. Not only do weapons have 3D tracers, allowing players to see where bullets are coming from, but attachments are now specific to each weapon instead of being shared across all weapon classes like in the previousCall of Dutygames. There is also a new recoil system will also impact how each weapon feels.
It’s too early to say whether these changes have paid off and whether they will go down well withCall of Dutyplayers who champion the series' multiplayer content each year. However, the trailer does mention thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 4will have a beta and this will allow people to test the game and offer feedback ahead of launch.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4will launch on October 12 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
