Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (Video Game Review)
March 6, 2016
Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a military science fiction first-person shooter video game, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the twelfth entry in the Call of Duty series and the sequel to the 2012 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 6, 2015. A feature-limited version developed by Beenox and Mercenary Technology that only supports multiplayer modes was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Upon release, the game received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes place in 2065, 40 years after the events of Black Ops II, in a world facing upheaval from climate change and new technologies. In response to the drone assaults of Black Ops 2, several countries around the world have developed high-tech air defenses that render conventional air forces virtually useless. As such, most of the warfare between countries is done by covert operatives fighting behind enemy lines. Military technology has progressed to the point where robotics play a major role in combat, and both fully robotic humanoid drones and cyborg supersoldiers have been developed to fight in the battlefield. As a result, there is speculation and fear about an eventual robotic takeover. The game follows a team of black ops soldiers, like previous installments in the Black Ops series.
The campaign in Black Ops III is designed to support 4-player cooperative gameplay, allowing for bigger, more open level design and less corridor shooting. In addition, the player can customize their character’s gender and appearance. The campaign features its own progression system, featuring unlock tokens which must be used to acquire different weapons and gears as they progress through the campaign. The game features a “realistic” difficulty mode, in which players will get defeated if they are hit by one bullet. Finishing all campaign missions will also unlock “Nightmares” mode, where players can replay the entire campaign with a new narrative, as well as zombies replacing most of the normal enemies.
The multiplayer introduces a new momentum-based movement system, which utilizes thruster packs to allow players to perform slow boosts into the air, as well as perform wall running and sliding, all the while giving players complete gun control. In addition to the Pick 10 class system from Black Ops II, Treyarch implemented a character system called “Specialists”, where players can pick from 9 different soldiers, each with either a special weapon or ability unique to them. A new “Gunsmith” feature offers aesthetic variations in weapon attachments, allowing various weapon customization combinations. The Paintshop feature allows players to create their own custom prints onto specific portions of a gun, further emphasizing the depth of customization in the game.
The new Zombies co-op mode, Shadows of Evil, is the best version of the undead slaying mode in Call of Duty yet. It has its own progression system, the 1940s urban-style setting is gorgeous, and it’s a place where a magician played by none other than Jeff Goldblum says lines like “With each subsequent transformation I grow ever more confident with my tentacles.” Either way, it’s a good game overall you would certainly love to play, it’s practically popular.
Check out this short official gameplay video by PlayStation through YouTube: