3 Down – The Three Things I Hated About the Black Ops: Cold War beta
1.) Huge Step Back
Fans of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare are going to notice some very substantial differences in Black Ops: Cold War, and unfortunately, it sometimes feels like a massive step back. First, there are no longer any assassinations, which means no more showy kills that would surely get under your opponent’s skin. Secondly, no more mounting, and trust me, you’ll miss it. In Modern Warfare, you could use mounting to peek out and gauge the battlefield. In Cold War, you’ll be popping out of cover, Whac-A-Mole style, just like we used to in past Call of Duty games. Next, Treyarch has taken all the doors off the hinges – like a dad pissed off at his annoying teenager. No more smashing through doors, wondering what’ll happen after the breach. Doors definitely added a unique element to gameplay, and like mounting, will definitely be missed. Finally, there are no more Tactical Sprints. Funnily enough, I literally just found out about these handy sprints a few weeks ago – much to my embarrassment. Since discovering them has been a game-changer, and I often found myself trying to Tactical Sprint in Cold War, to no avail.
2.) Static Environments
Make no mistake about it, the maps in Black Ops: Cold War are aesthetically pleasing. Treyarch appears to have access to a large pallet of colours than Infinity Ward, because the levels seem to be much more vibrant then Modern Warfare levels were. However, aside from panes of glass that you can smash through, nothing in the environment is destroyable. Shooting any object will plop bullet-hole stickers down and nothing more. If I shoot a TV, I would hope the screen would shatter, but it doesn’t. Same goes for vases or other objects that would be breakable in the real world. Obviously, the environments don’t necessarily need breakable objects in them, but it definitely adds a layer of realism when they do. There’s also something to be said about running around a map late in the match and seeing all the signs of destruction. However, on the topic of visuals, I thought it was really neat that Treyarch included an arcade unit of the Activision classic Grand Prix in one of the multiplayer maps. The arcade unit wasn’t playable and didn’t even explode in some epic way when shot, but it still looked cool.
3.) Jerks
Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Black Ops: Cold War beta is still filled with a plethora of jerks. Quick-scoping is still an issue, and why the devs haven’t found an adequate way to counter this is beyond me. In fact, in Modern Warfare, they actually embraced quick-scoping by adding some quick-scoping challenges. As far as I’m concerned, and I know I’m not alone, quick-scoping is an exploit. And I believe the issue could be resolved by severely penalizing the accuracy of a quick-scope. Another issue is those idiots who jump around the map, all the damn time. The reason they do it is because it throws off their opponents aim. In part because it’s distracting, but also impacts the in-game auto-aim. Again, this is an exploit and even worse, takes away from the immersive atmosphere. I guarantee you wouldn’t find idiots jumping around in a real battlefield. Treyarch did make some adjustments to player recovery after a jump and subsequent jumps, but honestly, it’s not enough. It’s time to find other ways to penalize these jumping idiots. Fortunately, it’s not all bad. It doesn’t look like riot shields will be making an appearance in Black Ops: Cold War. Modern Warfare was plagued by these riot shield losers creeping around, essentially immune to any offense. Sure, a semtex could do the trick, but if they also used the E.O.D. perk, they weren’t almost unstoppable. At any rate, it looks like riot shields will be one less annoyance in Black Ops: Cold War.
And that concludes my breakdown of the three things I liked and the three things I hated about the Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War beta. It’s important to note that this is a beta, so many of my issues, such as the static environments or the lack of doors, might change between now and launch. Game modes might be adjusted, and of course, a ton more content will be added when the game finally launches. For better or for worse, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War will still be the hottest shooter this holiday season, and I will be right there on day one racking up the kills. If you’re interested in participating in the beta, there’s still time! Check the image below for more open beta dates.
And if you’re still looking to scratch more of that Call of Duty itch, be sure to check out our latest cosplay piece featuring the stunning Alex Zedra, who portrays the beautiful yet deadly operator Mara in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
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