Análisis from Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War

The star saga of first-person shooters returns in style. Like every year, Activision bursts with its already traditional Call of Duty, that this year, come back with a new one Covert operations with the intention of offering an experience similar to the origins of this sub-name. Cold War, as indicated by his name, invites fans to relive the conflict known as the “cold war”. An era of counter-espionage between the United States and the USSR, in which we will be immersed through a campaign of those who remove our hiccups.

After a fourth installment of Covert operations a little bittersweet, Treyarch bet everything on a completely renovated audiovisual section. The spectacular nature and setting of the Cold War is reflected in some fantastic scenarios that bet on greater frenzy. All this thanks to the graphics engine already used in the previous one Modern war. Will you achieve your goal of restoring prestige to the brand? Covert operations?.

Cold War arrives with a renewed campaign and the essence of the classics

Cold War Black Ops bet on the cold war as the central axis of his campaign. A theme that has rarely been reflected in this way in video games. The graphics engine of Modern war and Treyarch’s good job with the narrative, result in a very immersive action adventure. Real and fictional characters are interwoven in a plot that, without being too expansive, becomes light and fun.

We started our journey in nineteen eighty one, enter fully into an important operation managed by the president himself Ronald reagan. We will put ourselves in the shoes of Bell, an operator who will join Frank Woods, Russell Adler and company to perform a mission of the greatest secrecy. The goal, find Perseus, the new enemy who will play in this new campaign.

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In this case, the developers chose to give it a slightly different twist when developing the story. The main novelty in this sense is that we will have lines of dialogue with which to choose one way or another in certain situations.. They are few in number and very specific, but they are there, partly altering the rest of the adventure. Even in the covert operations base, where we set up with our combat partners, we will have the opportunity to interact with them, be able to obtain new information. I’ll just say that there are two different possible endings.

But the news does not stop there, since the clues to consider are also added as a new element, both in the main missions and secondary. These They can be reviewed before each mission, and new ones can even be obtained to supplement our knowledge. For example, at some point we have the option of unlocking the key to a floppy disk, which contains confidential information. Information that could be decisive in the accomplishment of our mission.

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The changes aren’t too big, but it’s appreciated that the player can choose from time to time one way or another. It’s not a revolution in the game, far from it, but it could lay the groundwork for future deliveries. In general, I liked the storylines, and like I said, it’s a campaign that’s not heavy, and breaks down into very short but fun missions. It can be finished in an afternoon, and personally it was a joy to return to the scenery of Vietnam.

Black Ops Cold War is a bit lacking in its technical section

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Graphically, the jump was not as big as in Modern war. In Cold War That same engine is used, and it doesn’t look bad at all, although it does reveal its weak spots in some areas of the campaign. On our “visit” to Vietnam, we flew a helicopter through the mountains and forests of the region for a few minutes. These landscapes are precisely those which denote this lack of ambition in the visual. Even so, most of the time the game hides it well, either with the darkness of the night, or with more “corridor” areas.

As for the sound effects, I expected a lot more. Although I liked that the sound of footsteps was lower than Modern war, there are things like explosions or the sound of guns that are far behind. This section was one of the ones I liked the most from the previous title, and here it doesn’t seem to be so careful. The feeling is that it lacks personality, like it’s just another minor track in the genre.

Multiplayer, the formula that always wins

Call of Duty he’s used to dominating his genre year after year, and that’s no coincidence. Some players are increasingly opting for one nickname or another. Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward… have all created their own style, but based on the same formula that has triumphed since the beginning of the last generation. The key that unifies all of their games is multiplayer, and Cold War is no exception.

Unlike last year’s installment, this game bets on even more frenetic gameplay. Sprints are even faster, whatever perks we choose. The pace increases remarkably, although I am more convinced by what I saw in Modern war and in Warzone respectively. It’s a matter of taste, and some will feel more comfortable while others will need a few games to get used to. Otherwise, it’s still as arcade and fun as ever.

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The most remarkable thing is the inclusion of two new game modes; Combined weapons and VIP escort. The first is an old acquaintance, imitating the “land war” of past episodes. In this case, we can play on cards larger than allow the use of vehicles, whether ships or tanks. On the other hand, in VIP Escort we will have to protect the VIP player of our team (who can also be us). The objective is to help him escape by helicopter to the designated point on the map. The game will also end if all members of one team or another die.

Assault Teams is a new category, where up to 40 players can participate in 10 teams of 4. In Dirty bombAs the 10 teams fight to collect and deliver uranium in various active bombs, scattered around the scene. As is logic, we will score not only by completing the main mission, but also by killing enemy players.

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Cold War until a total of 11 cards at launch. A figure that is not bad at first, since in the future the number will increase as it usually happens in the rest of the games of the saga. Armada, Crossroads, Miami, Moscow or Checkmate are some of the scenarios offered by this new multiplayer. In general, I liked them all, especially Satellite. In the case of larger maps full of players it seems a bit more tedious, and although the formula is reminiscent of Battlefield, the result remains at half gas.

Some innovative little zombies

Maybe this is the section that leaves me the coldest of this news Call of Duty. I was hoping to find a new path, something different from what I had seen before, although these were rather quiet changes. Nothing is further from reality. Innovation in this sense leaves a lot to be desired and is practically a “more of the same”. I dare say that this modality is exactly the same as the one we saw in World at war with Kino Der Toten.

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The premise is the same as always; Kill waves of zombies and unlock new areas of the map by getting new weapons. In teams of 4, the options are 20 waves like cap or infinite outfit until they kill us. The most original point is provided by Dead Ops Arcade, an aerial view mode that mimics the various arcade games of yesteryear. However, again, we are speaking in a way seen previously, available from the first moment. We’ll have to wait for future updates, but it doesn’t look like this approach will change much.

Has the Cold War managed to distinguish itself from the saga?

The answer to this question, unfortunately, is no. Despite its graphical improvement over Black Ops 4, Cold War is a game that even worsens what we see in Modern war. Sound is one of the characteristics that decays the most, with a smoother footstep effect, but sounding inferior throughout the rest of the set.

Visually, there is also no substantial or noticeable improvement. The campaign, now focused on the Cold War, takes us to iconic locations, but that doesn’t hide the conservative nature of Activision’s proposal year after year. Now There are elections as the main novelty, and that’s where creatives can focus for future releases.

Zombies mode is unfortunately the worst, where there is a feeling of too much neglect. Ideas are lacking, and if you don’t go for a break similar to the one Ubisoft took with its assassin saga, a third change seems complicated. In the rest, Cold War it works just as well as the rest, with very addicting arcade multiplayer. Now it’s more frantic, something some will like more than others, but the truth is it’s noticed. Finally, This is the usual formula with odd brushstroke notes for future games. If you liked this analysis, don’t forget that you have a lot more here.