Bilawal Bashir 
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign trailer just got released and it looks like Raven Software is pulling no punches with the action this time.
Black Ops campaigns are always filled with bombastic action set pieces and slower missions, sometimes of psychological variety. Black Ops 6 seems to be going all-in with the fast-paced shooting, but there are plenty of unique missions to play this time. The upcoming Call of Duty story trailer premiered at the Xbox Games Showcase, and fans have reacted positively.
While the new gameplay mechanics were generally met with frustration from fans, Black Ops 6’s campaign was met with positivity. Whether the new ideas will satisfy Black Ops fans remains to be seen, but the reception is much better than what was seen with Modern Warfare 3.
Black Ops 6 campaign mixes large, open-world-style maps with action set pieces
Black Ops 6 will feature various big and small maps and offer plenty of choices during the missions.
In partnership with Treyarch, Raven Software is helming the Black Ops 6 campaign. The story takes place after the Cold War and is set in the early 1990s. Old characters like Frank Woods will flesh out the spy thriller tale alongside fresh faces. Mission design is a critical component in the storytelling of Black Ops 6. Players will have choices in how they tackle the missions, rather than just blasting their way through hallways full of enemies.
There is plenty of variety in the missions, too. Some take place in large open levels, with the freedom to execute the mission however the player wants. Others are more story-centric.
One mission that was featured is inside a casino, where players may have to sweet talk out of tricky situations. The evidence board from the Cold War is back but this time, it’s headquartered in an abandoned seaside manor. Players can analyze go over the intel and plan for the next operation before deploying.
While Treyarch has been molded over time into being one of Activision’s four Call of Duty developers, the studio’s claim to fame was its Spider-Man games. Treyarch successfully mixed open-world gameplay and linear levels on consoles as far back as the Sega Dreamcast. The studio is once again getting to flex those muscles in Black Ops 6.
Black Ops 6 focuses on player choices, replayability
Treyarch had multiple story paths in the Black Ops: Cold War campaign, and now Raven Software is expanding the scope and replayability in Black Ops 6.
The “RPG-like” know-your-comrades system introduced in the Cold War seems to be expanded here with dialog choices. The game aims to branch out from the more linear storytelling Call of Duty fans are used to. Speaking to teammates in the safehouses, players can select different dialogs and have unique conversations. While commonplace in role-playing games, the lore discovery method in Black Ops 6 is new to Call of Duty.
Player choice also extends to mission execution. While going guns blazing in Black Ops 6 is always an option, a more tactical and quieter approach is also available. Stealth can be utilized in some missions, offering a different experience and sometimes unique opportunities during the campaign.
The way the fans receive the game remains to be seen. Players will be able to take it for a test-run on the cheap, thanks to it being a day-one arrival on Xbox Game Pass.
