Berlin (dpa) — If it’s a “Call of Duty” game, you can expect action, noise and a fast pace. The video game series revolutionized the first-person shooter genre, combining exciting and provocative storylines with an enjoyable multiplayer mode.
According to publisher Activision, the ‘Call of Duty’ series has sold more than 500 million games. The game is now synonymous with the entire genre like no other.
Two development studios, Treyarch and Raven Software, were commissioned to work on the 21st installment of the series, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.” Development took four years, longer than any other title in the series. Was the effort worth it?
Violent action in the foreground
The makers of ‘Call of Duty’ have always played with fire when it comes to controversial storylines. They’ve organized brutal terrorist attacks or let players run amok in an airport. Time and again they have sent their protagonists to the most troubled places in the world.
The common thread throughout the series is war as a means to an end, with an all-powerful super soldier at the helm. Controversy and provocation are as much a part of “Call of Duty” as the spectacularly staged action scenes and sophisticated multiplayer games.
And “Black Ops 6” has plenty of it. The story follows a group of elite agents who resist a global conspiracy in the early 1990s.
This task force gets involved in the Gulf War, takes on the CIA and blackmails corrupt politicians. No mission is too dangerous, no means too inappropriate. Heroes and villains use almost the same unscrupulous methods.
While the previous games were content with an undemanding series of spectacular action scenes, ‘Black Ops 6’ offers more. It is not just about continuous fire, but also requires caution at times.
In addition to the typical first-person shooter action, the agents in “Black Ops 6” spy on targets and sneak up on their opponents from behind.
There is also a base from which the agents begin their missions. There they can improve their weapons or increase their life points through training.
The Gulf War forms the background
There’s still plenty of time for breathtaking action. In Operation Desert Storm, the super soldiers storm the palace of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and search a secret research station where they are plagued by zombie visions.
They often stand in front of closed doors where they first have to crack the code or find access cards. The different tasks and changing locations make the single player mode of “Black Ops 6” more varied than its predecessors, even though the opponents fall over like mannequins with every hit.
The straightforward adventure is complemented by the multiplayer mode – the real secret of the series’ success over the years. Here, players duel in pairs or teams and collect experience points that they can use to improve their weapons and skills.
Back again is zombie mode, where players must fight back hordes of the undead to stop a mysterious experiment. Exciting, but only old fans will recognize the differences between the individual multiplayer modes and this game’s predecessors.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” is a good introduction to the series for those who haven’t played it before. While the action scenes are heavy and there’s a lot of blood, the two development studios have at least avoided the usual storyline controversy.
Yet there are as few critical comments on the morality of war as there are human nuances. Instead of such depth, there is more action and varied missions. The end result is a spectacle for adults against the explosive backdrop of the Gulf War.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” has been released for PCs, the PS5 and the Xbox series. It costs around €80/$80 and is suitable for players aged 18 and over.
