Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 review — The best Call of Duty in the modern era

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is largely regarded as the pinnacle of Call of Duty. The campaign was bombastic, Zombies introduced TranZit which broke open the mode, and the multiplayer was at its peak. As an assistant manager in a small town GameStop at the time, I remember selling 700+ copies at the midnight release. It took the world by storm, catapulting the franchise into an era of dominance we don’t often see matched.

Although Call of Duty has been on a roller coaster in terms of quality releases, last year's Black Ops 6 left me hopeful for the direction of the series, which has been looking for footing in the modern (Warzone) era. With Treyarch returning for a second bite at the apple, there was some concern that a direct sequel to not only their efforts with the sixth entry, but a planned Black Ops 2 continuation could let fans down. After engaging with it for hours upon hours, I’m thrilled to say that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is not only insanely over-the-top in the best ways possible, but packed to the gills without feeling bloated. Even better, the social experience inside of Black Ops 7 is not to be denied, a true mecca of connected gaming.

Campaign

Black Ops 7 begins with David Mason visiting Frank Woods' grave in 2035 and chatting with Troy Marshall, his commanding officer and, of course, a remnant left from Black Ops 6. A recent news interview with Emma Kagan, the CEO of tech and weapons manufacturer The Guild, involved a message from long dead villain Raul Menendez, in which he claims to still be alive. David is shocked, but ready to take on the task at hand. Whether Menendez is somehow back from the grave or not, the JSOC team is ready to investigate and keep chaos from arising again as it did when the Cordis Die video caused supporters to riot ten years ago.

This leads the team – composed of David, Mike Harper, Eric Samuels, and Leilani “50/50” Tupuola – to Avalon, a name familiar to anyone following Black Ops 6’s story and lore. Avalon is full of the smartest thieves and spies out there, and The Guild has made a living operating from it. During a quick insertion, everything goes wrong, with Kagan revealing her hand to be a mind-altering gas you’ll also recognize from BO6: The Cradle. With the help of her scientists, she's perfected it for evil, take-over-the-world purposes, and only your C-Link (a cross-soldier internal chip for comms and more) keeps you from fully succumbing to its nightmares.

That doesn’t mean you won’t face a few demons as the gas billows across Avalon. This causes you to see things as they aren’t, with a lot of Zombie-adjacent monsters to go with the usual militia. If you’re like me and enjoyed the Emergence mission where the Black Ops 6 team first discovered what The Cradle could do, you’ll love this.

Black Ops 7’s campaign is presented through two methods, your regular linear levels that take place in David’s head, and open-world missions on Avalon. Each linear level has its own theme, delving deep into David’s mind and causing him mental anguish. He manages to hold his own for the most part, but it's only because of the support system of his team and mental fortitude from past encounters with the worst of enemies. A common theme we find along the way is redemption, that confronting one’s past can lead to freedom from it. There are some heartfelt moments along the way, even if they aren’t always told properly (which we’ll touch on shortly).

I didn’t expect the extravagant nature of what Raven Software and Treyarch were trying to build here. The intensity of these shared hallucinations has allowed for a level of creativity that hasn’t been touched since Black Ops 3, and even that might not be in the same breath. It’s one thing to travel back to Nicaragua, but fighting a humongous plant creature that has ingested your memory of Frank Woods is on another level. Watching huge machetes fall out of the sky, or surviving an encounter with a humongous, angry version of Harper, is crazy. These lavish set-piece moments are worth the price of entry, and you really have to see it all in action to believe it.

Spectacle is the name of the game here, and Black Ops 7 really nails it. There are multiple awesome boss fights, and one of the open missions even culminates in a battle versus a sniper that keeps you on your toes. Besides that are fantastic level designs in the closed missions with colorful and striking locales, along with unique operations to keep the flow of missions feeling different. Also, Call of Duty just doesn’t get enough credit for how great their game looks and sounds – there are some stunning visuals and audio design present in both cutscenes and in-game.

Even with these moments hitting just right, the pacing of the story could use work. This is two fold, in delivery and the introduction of Avalon as a backdrop for roughly half of the missions. With delivery, there are a lot of story elements that just happen. There are dialogue reasons for it, but sometimes those just don’t get much of an explanation. I recently went back and played Black Ops 2, which had some similar hitches, so this isn’t something new. I certainly wouldn’t go in expecting an Oscar-worthy script.

50/50’s time on the screen showcases this delivery issue. She’s an interesting character, no doubt, but she only gets one real moment where we understand her motivations, and it’s gone all too quickly with barely any setup or reward. The other three JSOC members were established in Black Ops 2, even if Samuels doesn’t get as big of a role there. Still, his Cradle mission makes a lot of sense because of those ties, and it’s one of the best ones you’ll play. 50/50 could have gotten a better shake in the campaign, so hopefully that’s not the end of her story.

There’s also a villain problem. Black Ops 7 sports three prevalent antagonists, and none of them rise to become a real threat. One of them comes seemingly out of nowhere, a betrayal that can’t be predicted but isn’t impactful like Salazar’s was in BO2. This leads to somewhat of an Avengers movie dynamic: the focus is so heavily on the heroes that the villains never develop properly.

Next, Avalon and the open-world mission structure. I want to preface my qualms with this; these are still fun missions. Where Modern Warfare III’s open-world missions felt like throwaway Spec Ops levels, Black Ops 7 gives more thought to their construction. They can feel out of place, with David and company coming out of a hallucination only to need to run to a new location on the map to find something or battle a specific enemy. They aren’t bad, and in some cases are a good romp through Avalon, but I’d argue they set up Endgame more than they compliment the campaign.

Where there is no issue is the slightest is the gameplay. Call of Duty’s gunplay is always world-class, the smoothest and best shooting in the business. Beyond this, the variety and stylings of your arsenal makes for an engaging gameplay experience, even if some of the weapons are familiar from previous games. Given we haven’t made a trip to the future since Modern Warfare 2019, there’s a freshness in spite of the similarity.

In line with that feeling are the major and minor abilities. These are kind of like superpowers, with most reminiscent (or straight copies) of killstreaks and Zombies perk colas. Kinetic Jump will send you flying through the air, War Machine will bring out the grenade launcher, Active Camo will cloak you temporarily, and more. All of these abilities feel complimentary to the experience, although I will say Kinetic Jump feels the most useful given its launch can help you glide across Avalon. Each has a place in your build, so work with your teammates to get the best use out of what you choose to bring in or find in the field.

Speaking of teammates, what makes up for any of the story’s flaws is the co-op capability. It’s been a long time since we’ve enjoyed a co-op campaign, and playing it with friends makes for a great time. It reminds me of what made Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith fantastic; not just the spectacle of it, but the memes that came later. It’s easier to digest those faults when you can laugh at them with your buddies. Not to mention, it makes the campaign much more re-playable; I've enjoyed myself even more in a second playthrough.

Endgame

It may be the addendum to the campaign, but Endgame is absolutely amazing and makes up for any shortcoming the campaign offers. Built as an open world setting, this mode resembles a mash-up of DMZ from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare Zombies of Modern Warfare III. Your objective is simple: build a loadout, infil, do tasks available on the map to level yourself and your kit up, and extract safely. This can be done solo or with friends. In all, there can be up to thirty-two players on the map at a time in up to four player squads, but all engaging in PVE – you won’t be fighting other operators.

Endgame excites me and I can’t wait to play it more. The gameplay loop is engaging, with a lot of contracts on the map in the style of things you’d do in Warzone. Some are simple, like eliminating any Guild opposition in an area within a time limit. Others are more intense; escorting a D.A.W.G. robot to an extraction point has you battling a ton of soldiers and robots along the way and requires teamwork in order to keep the D.A.W.G. healthy. It may sound monotonous, but doing this with friends is a blast and keeps you pressing towards the final goal – an assault on the toughest zone to take on a boss. Another great design choice is in your interactions with other squads; they can also take part in many of the opps you’ll take on, and get rewarded as long as they’re in the area. Some tasks will only give you the credit, but these social missions make life easier for you and profit anyone that offers a helping hand.

Extracting safely is important because of the power level you’ll be grinding. This is more than simple numbers – power level equates to making your soldier better, faster, and stronger. As you progress on Avalon, you’ll be presented with decisions. A prompt at the bottom of the HUD will arrive, requesting you to pick a specific perk upgrade. These come in many forms; faster armor plating, quicker ADS, taking less explosive damage, and more. 

Most of these will be familiar upgrades – things you’ll remember in the form of perks in multiplayer/Warzone/Zombies – but in this format they’re delivered in this distinctive way. With a power level max of 60, you can’t earn them all, so the game takes your initial choices and cues the next ones based on the archetype and playstyle you seem to be moving towards. Once you’ve earned every skill on the track you’re on, you are given a final skill to cap it off that’s an even greater bonus, like triggering an explosion when you land at the end of the Berserker track, for example. As you play with friends and fill the four slots with other operators, it’s smart to make different choices along the way so you can best support your team in separate capacities. This also extends to your major and minor abilities, as the right combinations enable your team to defeat oncoming challenges.

Similar to MWZ, there are tiered zones of difficulty for Endgame. When you first drop in, the game makes a mark of what power level you are, and places you into the corresponding zone so you get the most out of your grind. These are still populated by the wide variety of enemies mentioned earlier, so there are a breadth of Zombie-esque (thanks Cradle gas) and military-themed tasks. Taking on a zone outside of your capability isn’t completely impossible, but can be impractical. I was around level 7 and went into Zone II, which recommends being at level 10, but I had no trouble fighting the enemies inside.

There are bigger jumps in level in the third and fourth zone, however, and in the third one we tried to exfil, but to no avail. Extracting is just like leaving Zombies, you have to finish off a specified number of combatants and a high-value target within a time limit. Our issue wasn’t staying alive, but rather that the foes within that we had to kill to extract were such bullet sponges that we ran out of ammo or couldn’t whittle them down before the time limit expired. It’s a rush when you get things right with your power level, but can be disastrous if you get it wrong. Thankfully if you go down, you can be revived or come back in via a Resurgence timer… provided at least one of your squad stays alive. If you all die, however, it’s back to square one with a reset of your operator.

Avalon is a great map for Endgame, and I’m glad it’s getting exhibited in this particular mode. Beyond the benefit of being able to learn the map for the future Warzone integration, it has a ton of stellar POIs, with many coming from Black Ops 6. Being able to land in the stadium from Red Card, visit Hacienda, or take on the last mission on Protocol makes for a recognizable but unique experience. It also offers a lot of variety, from cityscapes to rocky hills and dusty roads off the beaten path. Whether or not it’ll be a good Warzone map is yet to be determined, but it works phenomenally for Endgame. Also, I love soaring around Avalon with the wingsuit, it makes vehicles a thing of the past, even if LVTs are available.

Something players, especially ones that largely interact with the campaign, will enjoy, is the pacing. Where multiplayer is a sprint to the finish, and Zombies brings the intensity of survival, I never felt like Endgame was trying to curbstomp me into submission. The combination of PVE and a large map with obvious difficulty allows you to engage at your own pace, which means you’ll more than likely always find your way back unless you do something stupid. It’s nice to have a replayable mode in Black Ops 7 that lets you relax a bit, even if you still have to keep your guard up.

Arguably the best feature Endgame brings with it is bridging the gap between campaign and progression. In the past you’d play the campaign and get absolutely nothing. In recent years, rewards have been added so at least you get a few calling cards and blueprints. Now, you can fully level up your account, weapons, and gear. It does make the entire game require an internet connection, but as of last year, the campaign already needed it without benefit. I’ll take this huge bonus, along with extra camos now introduced for this side of the game.

As great as it is, the only thing Endgame could do better is involving more storylines. This initial “mission” doesn’t have much to it beyond an additional scene once you complete the last and only “story” quest. The good news is that Treyarch have already been considering new story content, so there’s a chance at more. Even better, there is seasonal content planned for Season 1, including my seeing gameplay of a flipping Zombie T-Rex and a multi-story robot that somewhat resembles the Giant Robot from the Black Ops 2 Origins map. These were pitched as event content, but it’s really dope to see the team already designing new things for Endgame.

Multiplayer

If I had to sum up Black Ops 7’s multiplayer in a single thought, it would be “perfection”. I’m enamored with the systems in play (especially low-SBMM open playlists) and the redefined map flow that propels it into the stratosphere of Call of Duty titles. I’m sure I’ll occasionally have a match that ticks me off, but ever since beta, I’ve been ecstatic about the direction for my favorite mode.

I mentioned in our beta preview on how well the design choices have influenced the gameplay of Black Ops 7. This philosophy of slowing down the pace deliberately, and forcing the player to build out their loadouts to speed things up again – or utilize other buffs instead – is an inspired one. Several factors make it work, but the pacing of multiplayer has never felt better, including an impeccable TTK.

Starting with perks, these have been reconfigured multiple times to get things just right. These changes have led to perks not only feeling more streamlined, but putting pressure on you to make intentional choices in how you want to play. You don’t just get Tac-Sprint for free, you have to pick it over something like Flak Jacket, which could cost you if a team is chucking grenades like madmen. Maybe you want to go fast with Lightweight, but you’ll be stomping around for all to hear without Ninja. The combination of previous perks is also a godsend, which gives some of the perks a reason to be picked as they weren’t that attractive on their own. The perk system hasn’t always mattered, or has had obvious picks. Here, I feel like there’s a lot of depth in how you build your perk loadout.

Omnimovement is the mechanic most affected by these adjustments, but I feel like it’s in the best direction. Before, in BO6, it allowed some players to become whirling dervishes, impervious to bullets because you couldn’t aim at them properly. In BO7, you can still move like the wind, but of course at a cost as opposed to for free. Still, the addition of the Wall Jump gives flavor to the Omnimovement formula; a new tool to work with, but one that requires skill. I’ve hit my fair share of good shots while using it, but I’ve also been able to wall jump to better position myself for a rotation to a hill or route for a flank. I love mechanics that instill intelligent application from me, and I’ll be applying what I’ve learned from this version of Omnimovement during this cycle of Call of Duty.

Your arsenal is important, and Treyarch made sure to load you down with plenty. In this 30+ weapon locker is a mix of guns both familiar and fresh, with enough diversity to keep you busy grinding for the next level. For every Ryden 45 SMG that reminds you of the Rival-9 or AK-27 that’s obviously an AK-47, you have a DS20 Mirage AR with an integrated underbarrel grenade launcher, or the Akita shotgun that seems more comparable in size to an SMG. There are even a few weird ones, like a burst shot sniper in the XR-3 Ion and the Echo-12 double-barrel drum shotgun. So far, the balancing is pretty well done, and while I’m sure several meta weapons will emerge, I’ve been able to switch between different ones and have a good time.

Weapons also have Prestige in Black Ops 7. There are three levels, with camos and a final exclusive attachment available at the end. While I haven’t been able to engage long enough to earn one, I haven’t seen anything in the descriptions that leave me thinking these are must-have attachments. They seem like worthy rewards with good stats, and some are unique in acting almost like Aftermarket Parts – changing a weapons function. As I delve into them, that will probably change, but I appreciate that Treyarch wanted to give you something worthwhile without alienating players who don’t want to add a new grind to their usual playtime.

Alongside the usual lethals, tacticals, field upgrades, and scorestreaks lies a new system, Overclocks. These are essentially perks for your kit, allowing you to attach meaningful buffs to each item. What I like about the system is that you have to choose which one of the two Overclocks you want to use. It usually boils down to if you want an effect to last longer, or if you want it to be more effective. Either way, you don’t have anything being taken away from you, and so far I haven’t noticed any of these Overclocks being too overpowered. Even a field upgrade like Active Camo doesn’t see too big of a boost, with the option for a longer duration of camouflage or to recloak after firing, or the Rhino scorestreak similarly getting a longer timer for use. It’s balanced, a trait I wasn’t expecting to find.

While it’s great for your operator to be in good order, if the maps you play on suck, it’s not going to be a fun time. Black Ops 6 had a map problem in that the flow of lanes was bad, leading to odd timings and power positions abounding. You would learn them over time, but the open nature of most of the maps left you being gunned down just trying to find your way across the battlefield. I’m exhilarated to find that Black Ops 7 has largely solved that issue, with clearly defined lanes and a simplified design that just feels right.

Every map I’ve played so far isn’t cluttered with random items like barrels or boxes, but most have enough obstructions to create actual lanes rather than impregnable open sightlines. In every mode you play, the map should function in a rock-paper-scissors manner, with counters available to those willing to take the time to learn them. Whenever I’ve been getting slammed, I’ve been able to adjust and rebound nicely, simply from observing how I’ve been playing and changing things up. This is how map design should work, and this correction is great to see. This might be the first time I’ve ever loaded up and was chill with playing every map, as my group skips approximately half of what’s available in Black Ops 6.

I love how varied they are as well. There are bright colors that pop, along with muted tones that aid in the visual flair presented for Black Ops 7. It reminds me a lot of Black Ops 3 and 4, both games that had a ton of personality with their map aesthetics. All of the variety also finds its way into the locations, as the Mason cabin in Alaska (Homestead) has a completely different vibe than The Forge and its slick, chrome headquarters vibe. There is a single map I didn’t care for as much for the flow of Retrieval (although the game mode I played could be the culprit), but even still the style is off the charts. Considering there are sixteen 6v6 maps at launch, it’s impressive to see this level of contrast.

Overload is the new game mode you’ll be playing on these maps. Some may be disappointed at a lack of Uplink, but this is the best compromise without jetpacks. This mode involves a device being grabbed from one of three mid-map points when it spawns and taken to one of your opponent's two bases. Score eight overloads, you win. You’ll also be defending your two bases as well, so there’s a constant battle for map control occurring with each push. In my time playing Overload, I picked up very quickly how team-focused it is, along with it being necessary to understand map control. If you can work with your team to get kills to make your way up the map, and more importantly to spawn them away from the zone you’re attacking. When you’re winning, you’re often cruising. When you’re losing, a lot of the time you’re getting crushed. If the game is close, the intensity makes for a rush, that’s for sure.

A mode I was a bit leery of is the new Skirmish mode, a 20v20 mode that occurs on two maps pulled from Avalon. As someone who hates the flow of Ground War, I wasn’t interested. After playing it for a bit, however, Skirmish seems more thoughtfully put together. Featuring what seems to be smaller locations, both Skirmish maps in Tide and Edge have their own flow, and I’ve been happy to see less snipers everywhere. They’re still around, but there’s enough cover to play how you’d like. Winning a match involves either capturing a point as they spawn – similar to Control – or controlling a high-value sector until it completes a download. These, and kills, accrue score until the first to 800 wins. Nothing is revolutionary, but it's a nice change of pace and isn’t as frustrating as Ground War.

Two final multiplayer thoughts: Importing builds and weekly challenges. Being able to use a code to immediately have my gun build ready to go is spectacular. Not having to constantly repeat my attachments is pretty sweet too. I also love that if you see a gun on a killcam, you can instantly copy that build into your library. As for weekly challenges, I’m so happy to see these return, especially with fitting rewards attached. Although all the details are yet to be seen, the recent blog showed a system reminiscent of Modern Warfare III, which is the gold standard. Let’s grind, boys.

Zombies

I only got heavily into Zombies as of last year. While I’ve engaged with the mode since it was released in World at War, the in-depth questing behind the curtain eluded me. Directed Mode helped me find that cadence, and although I won’t be the world’s first for the Easter Egg (and I’ll need DalekJD to get me even close before Directed releases), I’ve had an incredible time battling the undead in Ashes of the Damned and Black Ops Arcade 4.

Ashes of the Damned brings the Black Ops 6 crew and familiar faces of the past combine together to face the Dark Aether. A character known only as The Warden sucks away our team’s life force, pulls them into the Dark Aether, and leaves them for dead. His intentions aren’t known, but the crew knows they have to fight their way back out, even if just to survive.

The coolest part about Ashes of the Damned is that it occurs on a persistent map. There are six areas, all connected by dangerous roads that I don’t suggest lurking around. These are locations that have been pulled into the Dark Aether, with some you’ll certainly recognize. Beginning at Janus Towers Plaza – where you ended your time in Black Ops 6 – you’ll have to find Tedd’s head inside a nearby building. After sticking him in a truck, it’s off to the races, speeding to Vandorn Farm, which you’ll remember from the Survival section of the beta, and Black Ops 2.

A hub location for your truck is Ashwood, a dusty western town with a lot of verticality to it. Exit 115 Diner brings back, in my mind, the most iconic part of TranZit, a great choice for this inspired map. Zarya Cosmodrome features a 60’s unlaunched rocket, with wide open spaces that make for good kiting of your zombies. The final area is Blackwater Lake, which feels more familiar than it should (maybe due to the Homestead map). Every single location is different from the last, and it makes for an aura to Ashes of the Damned that is peak Zombies.

I appreciate the way the team forces you to move around the map, but also realizing the need to offer transportation on a map this large. In forcing, each area has different perks, but a perk fridge will eventually appear at Janus Towers Plaza. Still, there isn’t a crafting table there, so a trip to Vandorn Farm might be in order. Providing options out in the Wonder Vehicle and jump pads that can send you to the closest two adjoining areas, functioning like the portals on top of Janus Towers in BO6. This gives you the ability to get out in a hurry, although there will be a lot of training involved for you to memorize what perks and tables are where.

Treyarch has cooked with the Wonder Vehicle. Some may bemoan having to drive themselves around, but it's not too tough of a requirement, driving exactly how any Call of Duty vehicle does. You’ll want to be careful in “The Fog”, the designation for the roads taking you to each area, because the horde will aggressively attack the vehicle and bring its health down. That, and stupid explosive plants that I hate with a passion.

To survive the drive, you’ll have to upgrade Ol’ Tessie. What this means as a whole isn’t clear to me yet, as we didn’t get far in figuring out any of the main quest during my sessions. That said, you’ll still get an initial upgrade right away, one of the most epic design choices ever, adding the Pack-A-Punch as a jet engine to the back of the truck. It’s seriously awesome to be able to bring the Pack-A-Punch everywhere you go, and although you have to keep Ol’ Tessie rolling – and occasionally respawn her due to damage – this is a nice touch. Eventually you’ll be able to add more armor and weaponry to the Wonder Vehicle,  including the likes of Abomination heads on the front that shoot frickin’ laser beams. While the Ray Gun is spiffy, and the new Necrofluid Gauntlet looks unique and creepy, the truck is just too cool. Tremendous job with Ol’ Tessie, Treyarch, tremendous job.

Ol’ Tessie might be new, but a lot of the mechanics and items from past games return. All GobbleGums from Black Ops 6 are here, with six newbies entering the machine. While all are great additions, my favorites have to be Power Vacuum and Gift Card. Power Vacuum causes power-ups to spawn faster, and Gift Card immediately drops 30K essence in your pocket. They make sense, and are good for getting you going in early rounds.

Perk colas, ammo mods, field upgrades also are back from Black Ops 6, each with another friend to add to your arsenal. Wisp Tea brings a lil ghost to help combat the undead. The Toxic Growth field upgrade drops thorny prickers in front of you, good for crowd control. Fire Works might be the best ammo mod yet, causing literal fireworks to fly off an enemy and explode on others. These aren’t always the most exciting of new content, but they are fun.

Augments take these and make them even better, however. This system allows you to use it and level it, gaining side perks to your favorite upgrades. These are also completed to where you left them in Black Ops 6 – no need for re-leveling things you’ve already worked on. I really like this system; the Wisp Tea taking on multiple forms that can give you different benefits is excellent, as is previous augments like Quick Revive letting you kill an enemy and spend it to revive yourself in a downed state. It’s an extra facet to the upgrades you’re already using that gives even more choice.

Exfilling has changed a bit, with you needing to eliminate a high-value target in a small, designated arena to get out as opposed to a number of zombies. This has taken the form of the Zursa bear in each of my escapes, and hopefully there will be a lot more variance in bosses in the future. Speaking of, the bear is the only heavy creature I’ve fought so far, which is a tad disappointing even though they are a neat addition.

If you don’t feel like roaming around a giant map, Treyarch has you covered. Survival mode returns, allowing you to play on just a singular area of Ashes of the Damned. Vandorn Farm will be the initial drop, with others coming over the course of the seasons. Whether or not survival maps will arrive from other future maps is to be seen, but given how exceptional the initial six are, it’s a brilliant start.

Although I mentioned my not moving the main quest along, Treyarch did show me what they have in store. For lack of a better term, it’s absolutely outrageous and mind-blowing. It’s almost impossible to describe how outlandish this main quest is going to be, and I don’t want to share anything more so you can indulge in it yourself. Kevin Drew did confirm to me that it’s going to be a tough one, with plenty of obtuse steps to get to the end. After playing Ashes of the Damned and getting an idea of the scope of the map, I’d say he’s right. Thank goodness for Directed Mode, which will arrive in Season 1. Cursed Mode will also delight OG fans, delivering a tougher, survival experience crafted with them in mind.

Dead Ops Arcade 4

By now you must be wondering how in the heck you’re going to play everything in Black Ops 7, but there’s another piece to the pie. Dead Ops Arcade 4 is another mode inside of Zombies, and it has so much going on Activision could have sold this separately. For those uninformed, Dead Ops Arcade is a top down shooter that was accessible through a secret in the menu of the original Black Ops. It’s returned several times, but this instance is on another level.

You can play solo, or team up with up to three others to take on Papa, an ape who has taken your chicken. Yes, you read that correctly. Each regular level is pretty straightforward: kill all the zombies, pick up power-ups and better weapons (like the Ray Gun or RPG), and grab money as they drop. From there, move to the next area and repeat. It's a simple proposition, but the implementation is fun and frantic.

It’s also deeper than it has any right to be. There are 80 levels, yes, 80, in the regular mode, cut to 40 in a casual variant. These take place on custom made maps, but some will be familiar, like Hacienda or Nuketown. Inside these runs are challenge rounds with tougher enemies, and slayer rounds where you have to survive a time limit and a ridiculous boss to get out with the most money. Even more insane are levels that are themed after the arcade games of old, with side-scrolling helicopter rounds, motorcycle races, and even a rail-shooting House of the Dead round taking place on the Citadel Zombie map from BO6. These are super dope and add a ton of flavor to Dead Ops Arcade.

If this were somehow not enough video game for you, hold on, it gets better. There are moments in the game that swap over to first-person, and they are wild. The benefit here is that you can move around and utilize the FPS mechanics of Black Ops as opposed to the top down view, although you also don’t get a 360 degree POV to watch your back. 

You’ll need to do that plenty too, as the breadth of Zombies is vast, with Mimics and Amalgams attacking just to name a few. It’s a good thing Treyarch packed in so much in the power-up department, because it’s the only way you’ll survive. Using your money at certain instances, you can purchase things like fully packed weapons for ten minutes, chickens (not your friend unfortunately), and even D.A.W.G.s. There are even consumables that will turn you into a tank or helicopter for a round. That's without me even mentioning Gobblegums, which have their own special use in DOA4. Dead Ops Arcade 4 is a full-fledged Zombie game by itself, and a freaking great one.

To cap this review off – and thanks to you that have stuck with me thus far – what may be most impressive is that all of these modes can exist in a game and still feel impactful. Each one feels fully realized, even with the campaign's miscues. They all manage to do this, yet don't feel bloated at all, fitting into their sections of Black Ops 7 with aplomb. These are backed by healthy, loaded progressions systems that support having so much in one game. Not every video game can justify its size, depth, and scope, but Black Ops 7 commits and hits its targets magnificently.