With Black Ops III letting the side down and IV having no campaign at all, Cold War had big shoes to fill.

Black Ops and Black Ops II had amazing stories to tell and I was lapping up all the backstabbing and subterfuge they had to offer. At times, it felt like it was trying a little too hard and failing to deliver on all the things I liked about the previous entries. The same cannot be said for Black Ops Cold War. I know a campaign is good when I want to go back and play it again. Vanguard has taken a very different approach to this year’s campaign, opting to tell a bulk of the characters’ stories through a series of flashbacks, intertwined with ridiculously gorgeous cutscenes that really showcase the graphical fidelity of new consoles.Īlso, the choice was made to go back to WWII which I disliked initially but was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the narrative here. Technically speaking, it's an incremental step forward from last year's gorgeous Modern Warfare reboot.Vanguard vs.

Environments and faces in particular look excellent.

Finally, a word about Black Ops Cold War's graphics: while I wasn't able to get a look at the Xbox Series X or PS5 version in time for this review, it is really impressive on mid/high-end PC. You can beeline through this or really take your time skulking around to explore every option. Yes, there are plenty of KGB goons to stealthily choke out and hide in lockers, Hitman-style, but more fun is deciding how you want to achieve your objective without firing a shot. If that sounds familiar, it’s because something very much like it was the highlight of Call of Duty: World War II back in 2017. Instead, it’s an undercover romp through an enemy-infested government building. “Furthermore, while it’s fun to dangle a bad guy over the edge of a rooftop while you interrogate him, like in the opening scene of Tim Burton’s Batman, Black Ops Cold War’s best mission involves almost no guns at all.

Call of duty: cold war review ign