Impressions: Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII – Blackout
Finally, for those PlayStation 4 Call of Duty fans that have pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII, the beta for the brand new game mode, Blackout, has arrived. For those unfamiliar, Blackout follows a formula that has become one of gaming’s most popular trends: battle royale. Following in the footsteps of games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Fortnite, and H1Z1, developer Treyarch is airdropping Call of Duty into the battle royale battlefield. I’ve logged in some game time with this new mode and I’m ready to unload a full clip of impressions – some positives, some negatives, and some things that’ll make you go “hmmm”. Let’s start with the good.
THE GOOD
Attachments
If you’re holding a gun and you pick up an attachment, the game will automatically upgrade your weapon with the new attachment (assuming it’s compatible and better than your existing attachment)! For those of us who played PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, you’ll know how painfully frustrating it is sifting through the menus, fiddling with attachments. This small change makes a world of difference. Of course, if it upgrades a piece that you don’t want to be upgraded, you can make the change in your inventory menu.
The Map
Like all battle royale games, one of the most important aspects is a map that is large and diverse enough to provide players with an experience that doesn’t grow stale fast. Of course, it also helps when there are significant points of interest within the map to help orientate players – especially when coordinating tactics with your partners. The Blackout map hits an absolute home run in these regards. A massive map with 11 key points, many of which are modelled after the previous Call of Duty multiplayer maps. Remember Nuke Town? It’s here. Remember the Firing Range? It’s here too. It’s a beautiful map that screams nostalgia for Call of Duty fans.
Gunplay
The gunplay in Blackout (ie: shooting the enemies) is substantially more intuitive and enjoyable than some of the other battle royale games. Here, the guns act, fire, and kill much like they do in traditional Call of Duty games – making it easy for fans to pick up and play. And while I imagine there will be some balancing tweaks down the road, the sniper rifles can be a bit too overpowering, overall I was happy with the gunplay.TEH BAD