The Call of Duty franchise has been one of the most popular first-person shooters since its inception back in 2003. Since then, the franchise has grown into a popular military simulation game. Though popularity for the series has declined within recent years, it seems as if Treyarch, one of two teams responsible for the series, is trying out something new this year with Black Ops 4.
Today’s modern players consist mainly of online players participating in games such as Overwatch, Player Unknown’s Battleground (PUBG), and Fortnite, and it seems like Call of Duty is currently trying to catch up on this action as well. With huge changes such as no campaign, an overhaul on weapons, items, and mulitplayer modes, it seems that this game is giving more reasons for fans of first-person shooters to pay attention to this new installation in this now 15 year old series.
While it doesn't mean that the series will stick with such changes in the future, we can't fault them for wanting to try and pursue different avenues for a game that has been out for a long long period of time. Nonetheless, it still raises concern as to how far they are willing to go to compete with similar games to stay in the public eye of gamers worldwide.
With an early October 12th release looming on the horizon, time will only tell how this FPS franchise giant will fare against its other predecessors already in the fray this year.
Here are Call Of Duty: 10 Rumors Confirmed True About Black Ops 4 (And 9 We Hope Aren't).
True: Set between Black Ops II and III
That's the right: the game is set between the modern and slight future between Black Ops II and III. The narrative for Black Ops IV has been met with a few confused reactions as it will not include the traditional campaign mode most were looking forward to.
However, if fans look on the bright side of this awkward situation, it is still near future of modern combat. Black Ops IV is said to take place sometime between 2025 and 2065. As vague as this sounds, at least it’s not set completely out of context for the new installment in the series.
Hope Aren't: Only day time versions of the map
From what we can tell from the beta, the maps are fairly huge and contain a variety of locations inside and outside of buildings. This creates exceptional depth and variety to the hillsides, office buildings, huge ships, a dilapidated asylum and large dams.
Disappointingly enough, this is not the most attractive map we have seen in the Call of Duty franchise to date.
However, with a map this huge, it was bound to get some graphical cuts. Despite some of the graphic fidelity problems, it is rich with bright and warm colors. While it looks pretty, it would be more realistic to add some day and night time features to the maps.
True: Different Zombie modes
Three Zombie modes will be included in the new game such as Mod of the Dead, Blood of the Dead, along with the original zombie mode. This will be great for players who enjoy zombie modes, as it gives variety to a mode that hasn’t been relevant since Call of Duty: World at War and had only appeared in Black Ops titles since then.
This will also be the first game in which there will be two separate story lines for the mode.
It is said that a Roman gladiator and a titanic level will be promised for its October release. The game mode is said to have more than 100 customization styles to choose from for a more personalized playing experience.
Hope Aren't: Slow performance
During mid and late-game sequences, Call of Duty seems to move at a glacial pace. Many players have suggested upping the player count, but this won’t fix the problem. In fact, the game would have a higher tendency to slow down more performance wise. It seems that in smaller crowds, the beta performance runs smoother and shoot-outs are better.
This could be fixable by making the circles faster while making the impact count more after the first hit. Because of lingering performance issues, upgrading the player count isn't really an option until performance issues are cleared up.
True: Fall release to beat the competition
The early October 12th release will be good for many reasons. One, for Activision, this will mean no competition with Red Dead Redemption 2, which is slated for an October 26th release. It seems that many games are going for this strategy as RDR 2 is one of the most anticipated releases for the year and most are not wanting to be swallowed up in the games sales.
This is also good for those that are interested in a new kind of experience from the first-person shooter. Lastly, for those that are anxiously awaiting to play zombies during the Halloween season, this is the ticket in.
Hope Aren't: Manual pickups for loot
Many have expressed that the picking up loot manually would grow to be quite tiresome as the action requires you to hold down a button with your character directly hovering over the loot. This makes it feel and look heavier to handle, as opposed to other games like PUBG and Fortnite.
There should be a clearer and simpler way.
Automatic pickups and first aid kits would be ideal in such a fast-paced environment. Though holding a button is fine, the timing needs. We also need a wider range for picking up items, instead of having to actually look down at the items to pick them up.
True: New multiplayer modes
Multiplayer modes like Control, where a team shares a pool of lives and alternate in attacking and defending objectives, will be featured. This is interesting because it’s an an old idea, revived for a game franchise that hasn’t quite done this type of game play yet.
Other modes will also be featured as well during the beta release, like TDM, Hardpoint, and Search and Destroy.
This will give players that have pre-ordered the game some perspective on what the game will have in terms of modes and environments by launch date. While this this will only be available with a season pass, maybe some will want to pay the extra money for this unique gaming experience.
Hope Aren't: No way for standard users to obtain a key for multiplayer
As of now there is no way for standard buyers of the game to obtain a key for the multiplayer modes of the game. Players can only get codes a few ways. Players who pre-ordered the game will get a code, as this has always been a staple for anyone that has pre-ordered previous COD titles. If players pre-ordered the game digitally, those players will also be automatically entered into the beta. If players pre-ordered through a store, the code will be on the bottom of receipts or via email. Comcast Xfinity customers are also eligible for codes.
Anyone else should check for giveaways on social media and elsewhere on the internet. For now it still raises a concern for those that didn’t do any of the above. It seems unfair for those that didn’t pre-order the game.
True: Levels from previous Black Ops Titles are back
Fan favorite maps such as Jungle, Summit, and Firing Range have been rebuilt from the ground up from Black Ops 3 as well as the Slums from Black Ops 2.
These will be available at launch.
Nuketown will return as well, which will please fans that loved the Cold War reprise of Black Ops I.
It seems as though Treyarch is trying to play to the strengths of nostalgia, as many hardcore fans really enjoyed most of these levels from the previous titles. Nonetheless, this seems to be a good direction for a strictly multiplayer experience. To see these games with new updated graphics will be a sight to see at the time of launch.
Hope Aren't: Too many confusing attachments and types of ammo
It seems that there are tons of attachments and different ammo types that it could become confusing to many players. There isn’t really a clear distinction on which attachments go where and what ammo types fit best with which guns.
An option could be to add a practice mode for guns like Paladins.
If they were to fix this issue in the beta, maybe Treyarch could add a simpler way for how weapons and ammo are configured much like Fortnite. There may be some players who are well versed in Call of Duty’s use of weaponry, but since the way weapons work has changed considerably in this new game, it may be wise to reconfigure an option in the settings before release to make it easier for some players.
True: 6 maps featured in the Beta version
Maps such as Frequency, Contraband, Payload, Seaside, Hacienda, and Gridlock have made their appearances in the beta version of the game, along with some of its multiplayer modes as well.
Contraband is said to take place on a tropical island in Columbia, which will have plenty of congested areas to keep the tensions high. Frequency is a small map but one that will reap rewards on multiplayer modes like control. Seaside is set in coastal Spain and will have a lot of areas snipers will instantly appreciate. Payload will have players fighting through an actual silo. We're looking forward to playing these in the game at launch.
Hope Aren't: Season pass can only be purchased with the deluxe and Pro editions
It appears that the season pass is turning out to be more restrictive then many had thought. If the Deluxe or Pro versions are bought-- digital or hard copy-- the Black Ops season pass gives the players access to a multitude DLC across all gaming systems.
While this may be good news to an extent, Expansions can now no longer be purchased separately.
What this will mean for future players is that the season pass must be purchased at the same time as the game. This ultimately puts standard buyers of the game at a disadvantage since they will not be able to access the season pass at least during launch.
True: 5 vs 5 multiplater and objective-based games
Multiplayer setups will feature options where players will get to choose from specialist with different abilities and play styles. Similar to other online multiplayer games, like Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege, that have these successful formulas, the modes will feature a 5 versus 5 multiplayer setup and objective-based games.
This will be great for players as it will bring a sense of variety and familiarity to those that have played these types of games. The modes might run the risk of being a tad bit stale if they haven’t really done much to make these modes distinct from their competitors. Only time will tell when the season pass is up how well these modes will fare against the competition, overall it’s exciting news for COD fans.
Hope Aren't: The quick selection interface is too complex in battle
In the beta version of the game, switching back between healing items and and grenades created a bit of an issue when one is in the heat of battle.
Instead of using a pad interface to bring up a menu to to switch between grenades and health items, we're prefer to use the pad interface by clicking up, down, right, or left to switch to different item. Not only is this less time consuming but it makes it a little easier when trying to heal or use different items in tight choke areas.
While some may adjust to the D pad being used for switching through items, it just seems like an awful lot of work for a battle royalw type of arena.
True: Battle Royale mode to be featured with Season Pass
The new battle royale mode is called Blackout and is made to compete with hit games such as PUBG and Fortnite. While there is a slight oversaturation of battle royale types of games on the market currently, it is expected that Treyarch will do something exponentially different from other games to stand out from the current competition.
Blackout will only have 80 players per round on the launch of this new mode, but Treyarch has insisted that this might change in the future.
Unless they bring something new to the table to make this, this will run the risk of being a short-lived affair at launch. Otherwise, fans have a reason to be excited for this new kind of battle royale for FPS games.
Hope Aren't: Underwhelming visuals
The colors in beta seemed to be a little drained and emaciated in comparison to what we have seen at E3 promos and and different video game trailers that have been exposed to us over the past few years.
The colors are not as punchy as many would have hoped even when playing on 4k television sets.
It's a bit disappointing considering the color palates don’t match with anything we have seen up to this point before the beta. This is also discouraging as this team had quite a bit of time to prepare for the beta launch .This is a beta after all, so maybe the color issues can be resolved before the October launch date.
True: Free Stuff
All Beta players get a unique calling card for playing. Those who reach maximum level requirements earn one free unlocked token to be used in the final game. What this unlocked token is still a mystery, but it will provide motivation to those that have purchased the Pro and Deluxe versions to finish the beta in time for the October release. To those who have bought neither, maybe it’s time to do a little switching of pre-order bundles before it is too late.
It will also give players credit for being a part of the beta test, which is always nice.
It’s a win-win situation for all as Treyarch gets to see the results of their new multiplayer experience while the players are rewarded for it.
Hope Aren't: Call Of Duty points won’t be available at launch
It seems the reveal of this new title in the franchise has left a lot of questions on what to expect on the multiplayer aspect of this game. Most of all, micro-transactions seem to be one of the more important details leading into the October launch.
COD points, not loot boxes, will be featured in this new installment, so we can rest easy that this isn’t some pay to play scam. Players will be able to use these points to customize their characters as an optional choice. However, it seems these points will not be available at launch, but at a later date. This poses a bit of a problem, as it's a little confusing as to why such a vital part was left out for launch.
True: The classic Pick 10 Create-a-Class system returns
The classic Pick 10 Create-a-Class system is expected to return for the multiplayer experience of Black Ops IV. However, special Equipment will be concentrated to each character and class. Each Specialist will also have specific targets and enhancement abilities for their class as well. A gear slot will also be offered to players with special perks that will be usable across all classes.
The good news is that it will not impact the 10 slots provided via the character’s load-out, giving the player lots of room to configure their class to their liking. With all these changes, players are in for a new and exciting experiences to play around and experiment with as the we come up to the early fall launch.
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What are you most excited about in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4? Let us know in the comments!