There’s something to be said for longstanding developers, franchises, and games that have cultivated a dedicated base of players and fans. Undoubtedly, Call of Duty is one such series, and even within the franchise, people tend to have their favorite of the three developers that work cyclically on the yearly iterations. When Treyarch revealed Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, it came as an enormous shock to many people that the game wouldn’t include a campaign. To an outside spectator, it might appear that an entire third of the game was being cut off, but in practice, that’s far from the case. This might be the most full Call of Duty experience yet.
Black Ops 4 appeals to the dedicated Call of Duty players. It appeals to the dedicated Black Ops players. While Treyarch’s campaigns have typically been excellent, it was always a part of the game that seemed cordoned off from the rest. Black Ops 4 then embraces what the vast majority of players love about Call of Duty: fast-paced multiplayer gameplay, an extensive Zombies offering, and yes, there’s even a story. Anyone who conflates “story” with “campaign” and thinks that Black Ops 4 is just a soldier murderfest clearly hasn’t been keeping up on the modern era of gaming. Games like Overwatch, Destiny 2, and others have changed the way the industry thinks about delivering a narrative that players can not only connect to, but continue to interact with. There’s a lot of ...