Since the “Call of Duty” series debuted in 2003, it has set the bar for first person shooters and been arguably one of the greatest video game series of all time. In each game, the producers added another layer of content, most notably multiplayer in “Modern Warfare,” and zombies in “World at War.” “Call of Duty” has had its struggles, most notably with “Ghosts,” released in 2013, and “Advanced Warfare” a year later in 2014.
With the most recent “Call of Duty” installment, Black Ops 3, multiplayer takes a higher stance than the campaign. The player can engage in wall running and jumping, which furthers the double jump and wall climbing available in “Advanced Warfare,” where players were given the ability to double jump and climb walls to add a vertical dimension to the game. This, along with more impressive jetpacks and a new and improved sliding maneuver allows players to traverse maps quicker.
The game takes place in Ethiopia in 2065, 40 years after the events of “Black Ops 2.” The story and plot was well thought out, but can feel dry and confusing during certain cut scenes. The campaign, however, is mediocre. Unfortunately, as with most first person shooters, the campaign gets repetitive very quickly. Nothing really has changed from the last few installments, and after several robot head shots, it feels like a chore.
From an artistic standpoint, the graphics are very aesthetically pleasing. This especially holds true for the multiplayer mode. There are 13 maps, including Nuk3Town. Nuk3Town’s futuristic setting allows players to utilize the new wall running very well, though it proves disadvantageous when being shot at by the enemy. Despite Nuk3Town’s success with wall running, most other maps do not utilize it well, as it is much easier to avoid enemy fire by choosing another path.
Once the player beats the campaign, they have the option of replaying it, in Nightmare mode. The new mode features zombies instead of grunts. This requires a lot of extra time in an already arduous campaign when one can easily satisfy their zombie fix by playing Treyarch’s signature game mode that was released with “World at War,” and has since been a critical staple to the franchise.
In “Black Ops 3,” zombies are very challenging, but also rewarding. The zombie mode challenges the player from the start, pushing them to consider all survival tactics instead of mindlessly cruising through rounds. However, solo zombie runs, which used to be fun in previous installments, are now practically suicide with the newly enhanced difficulty.
A new feature added to the game is free running time trials. This mode allows players to practice free running skills through swimming, wall running and double jumping. Although some of these skills aren’t quite useful in multiplayer, this new mode provides a platform feel to the first person shooter. This game mode allows you to try and get your name on the leaderboard as you get through the four maps that range in difficulty. Unfortunately, players cannot race their friends, but hopefully Treyarch could add that mode in the future.
Tyler Movsessian can be reached at [email protected].
