The Call of Duty franchise needs little introduction, but for some who have left the series behind in recent entries, it might be time for a reintroduction. The core elements that have made the games one of the highest-grossing titles nearly every year for some time now are still here. You’re likely hearing friends, streamers, and critics discuss Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 more than other recent entries because this return to form feels like a breath of fresh air. They’re right. Here’s our review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on the Xbox Series X. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is ironically a return to form for the series at a time when the franchise and other Activision titles find themselves in a new form of operation. Under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, the franchise will still come to PlayStation but will see increased parity in perks for playing on one console over the other. While things like timed exclusive maps, special weapons skins, and other game elements were once limited to certain places to play, the Xbox motto of putting gamers everywhere over platforms is now applied to the most prominent game in the industry.

The timing couldn’t be better, considering that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 feels as fast, intense, and exciting as any game in the franchise. While the mysterious, alt-history elements of the Black Ops line of titles have always been alluring, the maps, weapons, and even Operators in Black Ops 6 multiplayer are an absolute blast. While maps like Nuketown are back and indeed serving up plenty of nostalgia, the new maps are certainly holding their weight. 

Skyline, located on the rooftop of a luxury resort featuring an exquisite penthouse with access to a lounge, kitchen, gym, and pool, is my favorite of the new maps. Holding ground in narrow hallways and finely detailed rooms leaves every multiplayer match feeling like a sub-10-minute action movie. Rewind, located in a strip mall on the edge of Liberty Falls, is much more frustrating given how much open space there is, but it diversifies the experience, so I can’t be too upset.

What makes the maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer feel so good is that they feel optimized for any game mode. Domination, Hardpoint, and Search and Destroy could feel very out of place in maps that work well for Free for All, Team Deathmatch, or Kill Confirmed, but these maps feel suitable and fun for every mode. With a healthy amount of maps at launch and more on the way, the experience of only playing multiplayer feels anything but stale.

Matchmaking has been a breeze in my time with the game, never taking more than 30 seconds to find a lobby. While Call of Duty games, like many online multiplayer shooters, become victims to hackers and cheaters, I haven’t experienced that yet. The fast-paced action of multiplayer Black Ops 6 could be harmed by long wait times or players utilizing cheats, but both have been moderated quite well so far.

The omnimovement system takes center stage in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Being able to turn, dive, slide, and configure your player in unique positions for optimum attack angles is a dream for the series. It’s never felt better to play Call of Duty, although drawbacks exist. The experience of playing a match while your opponents and teammates honestly leapfrog around the map diving like action stars ends up hurting your chances of winning if they’re not great at it. With great omni-movement comes great responsibility, and wouldn’t you know it, I’ve been in countless matches where diving and sliding take precedence over any tactical strategy whatsoever.

These intricacies of annoying players in a lobby aren’t new to any online multiplayer shooter. Still, they are certainly encouraged by just how mobile you can be in the omni-movement system. It’s not uncommon to see someone on your team moving like they’re the star of the show while rocking a 0.37 Kill Death Ratio. As you can imagine, many folks still learning the system are simply using it to jump and dive like madmen and madwomen to little efficacy. Despite being a great offering, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is still a Call of Duty game, and that comes with some of those little annoyances.

 If you do not like how they play, you won’t suddenly love it just because this is a grand entry. The Franchise’s gameplay might be up for debate, but people who enjoy these game should find a warm embrace back into the Call of Duty community. Here’s hoping that with additional support from Xbox Game Studios, the teams behind the series can continue building on a great new era for a historic game series. We’ll have a Campaign Mode review coming shortly. Let us know in the comments if you have checked out Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Better yet, let us know if you’re playing from a purchased copy or an Xbox Game Pass subscription for a console or PC!

An Xbox Series X|S review copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was provided by Activision for the purposes of this review.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

$69.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• A return to form for the preeminent multiplayer shooter
• Great maps to keep the fun going for hours
• Wonderful movement system upgrades

Cons

• Some mechanics updates have encouraged spamming of annoying moves