2020's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War introduced some fairly innovative features with its campaign mode. The game's espionage focus paved the way for a new kind of Call of Duty stealth mission, one in which players were given a bevy of unique choices to make, and different paths to take. But a more subtle addition was Cold War's Safe House, a mechanic that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 thankfully carries forward.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's Safe House was a hub area that players returned to in between missions. This hub area had one or two secrets to discover and allowed players to listen in to some character dialogue, but that was about it. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 takes these foundations and expands upon them in almost every way, setting a new standard for hub areas in Call of Duty.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's 'Emergence' Has Some Serious Control Vibes
Just like its predecessor, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has some mind-bending moments, and the mission 'Emergence' strays into Control territory.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Rook Is a Campaign Highlight
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Rook Is an Engaging Hub
The first of its kind in the franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's Safe House was a fairly simplistic hub area that was light on lore and distinct visual design. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Rook does its best to improve upon each of these aspects. Set in Bulgaria, Black Ops 6's Rook is an old manor that was used during the Cold War as a secret KGB black site.
As players explore the Rook for themselves, they'll be able to unearth more details about the KGB's time in the manor, and the black site's dark purpose. Along with these intriguing lore tidbits, players are encouraged to explore the Rook via its environmental puzzles. To unlock the mysterious safe on the second floor, players are sent on a scavenger hunt around the entire Rook, a journey that presents them with several puzzles including lockpicking minigames, computer hacking, and a UV hunt for piano keys.
Completing these puzzles leads to some genuinely worthwhile rewards, not just for the campaign but for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's multiplayer component as well. Exploring the Rook also presents players with the opportunity to converse with Frank Woods and the rest of his rogue black ops team, shedding more light on their personal motivations and backstories.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Rook Is The Site of a Major Campaign Evolution
But by far the Rook's most important evolution from its predecessor is its upgrade system. When players first arrive in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Rook, they're given $1000 of in-game cash. That money can be used to purchase three upgrade trees that will appear in the new safe house: the Training Area, the Weapons Workbench, and the Gear Station.
For in-game cash, players can upgrade their character, gear, and weapons, improving stats like health regeneration, weapon recoil, and reload speed. All of Black Ops 6's campaign skills are incredibly useful, and they act as a strong incentive for players to explore each mission thoroughly for the cash needed to upgrade. Players can even unlock a handful of weapon blueprints that can be used in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's multiplayer mode and Call of Duty: Warzone, adding a nice layer of synergy to the overall Black Ops 6 experience.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Cross Save
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
- Prequel(s)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: World at War
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat
- 8 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 216 GB (October 2024)
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
