Activision this month released Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, putting a huge focus on their brand new mode, Blackout. Following the incredible success of Battle Royal games such as PUBG and Fortnite, those working on the fourth Black Ops instalment decided to wade into the action and put together their own take on the genre.
Whilst players get a heap of replayability with this new mode however, those who enjoy titles with substance and a linear narrative will suffer. For the first time, there's no single-player campaign mode in Black Ops 4; no story to follow and no exciting plot to engage with. It's a huge blow to anybody who's loved going down that route in the past.
There are little moments of nostalgic fun which hail back to single-player chaos, in that there are solo tutorial sessions available for each of the specialists you can choose from in the various multiplayer modes, but the quite literal fact is that something's missing, and Black Ops 4 cannot escape that.
It's true that games such as Overwatch have done a brilliant job of showcasing how one title can work incredibly well for so long without a campaign mode, and it does seem as though Black Ops 4 and the world of COD is moving closer to this sort of overall feel, with the mixture of characters available in multiplayer and their unique abilities.
To reach that level of success however, COD has a way to go. Overwatch will soon be celebrating a roster of 29 unique heroes to play with; compare that with Black Ops 4's 10 specialists, and no plans to add anymore, and you'll not only see, but feel the difference in gameplay.
Of course, COD's biggest wins have come from the various team games available in multiplayer. Joining up with friends or strangers from around the globe, you're encouraged to work as a team to claim an objective, pick up dog tags, or quite simply collect kills whilst dodging enemy bullets.
Alongside Blackout, this year's crown jewel comes in the form of the revamped Zombies mode. There's a heck of a lot to get to grips with this year, with new classes and abilities forcing even the most polished of players to really dig deep and put in more effort than ever before.
Joining up with friends is the best way to have fun in Black Ops 4, and this has often been the case with COD games of the past. A lot of improvements have been made, and whilst we're truly gutted there's no campaign to get to grips with, it's clear developers have put in real effort with this year's offering, rather than just milking the COD cash cow for all it's worth.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. A code for Xbox One was given to Female First in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Tagged in Call of Duty