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The fall release season means the biggest games, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Activision’s annual Call of Duty franchise. This year revisits one of its most popular series with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. But for the first time in the long-running franchise, this one eschews a single-player campaign altogether in favor of more multiplayer modes and standalone stories with each of its operators.
Reviews are rolling in, and the conclusion from critics appears to be that the lack of a traditional campaign hasn’t hurt the total package. Our own Black Ops 4 review found that the three main modes were substantial enough to make up the difference, and the depth and breadth of the multiplayer offerings kept reviewer Kallie Plagge from missing the usual bombastic story mode. Read on for a variety of critical responses, and take a look at GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic for more reviews from around the industry.
- Game: Madden NFL 19
- Developer / Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Release date: August 10
- Price: US $60 / £60 / AU $69
GameSpot — 8/10
“Black Ops 4 isn’t short on content, and its three main modes are substantial. Multiplayer introduces more tactical mechanics without forcing you into them, and it largely strikes a good balance. Zombies has multiple deep, secret-filled maps to explore, though its returning characters don’t hold up and prove distracting. Finally, Blackout pushes Call of Duty in an entirely new direction, making use of aspects from both multiplayer and Zombies for a take on the battle royale genre that stands on its own. Sure, there isn’t a traditional single-player campaign, but with the depth and breadth of what is there, Black Ops 4 doesn’t need it.” — Kallie Plagge [Full review]
Game Informer — 9.5/10
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 makes a sacrifice that’s sure to be off-putting to some with the lack of a campaign, but the surrender of tradition comes with sweeping and significant benefits. Blackout is the best battle-royale experience available today, zombies offers crazy customizable co-op, and multiplayer keeps things grounded for those looking for the classic core.” — Daniel Tack [Full review]
VentureBeat — 90/100
“I hope that Treyarch and Activision see this as a new jumping off point, with frequent updates to add new experiences and maps to Blackout and the other modes. But we’ll see just how much the Call of Duty community appreciates what Treyarch has done.” — Dean Takahashi [Full review]
EGM — 8.5/10
“This always seemed like the inevitable conclusion we faced as Call of Duty fans. With the exception of the side-thought that is the Specialist HQ, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a wholly social experience, and it stands all the stronger because of it. Committing to three full-fledged multiplayer modes was a necessary risk for making a Call of Duty game that will likely have longer legs than any installment before it. Quality single-player campaigns are always welcome in our Call of Duty games, but if this is Treyarch’s new direction for the series, that works too.” — Nick Plessas [Full review]
Destructoid — 8/10
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can’t just operate with the same business-as-usual mentality from Activision, now that it’s taken this step. Blackout has the potential to be its own game in the same way Epic tore its Battle Royale mode from the main package as a separate entity. Leave it to Treyarch to create a conundrum after introducing a non-traditional project into the fray.” — Chris Carter [Full review]
Variety — No Score
“While it lacks the reinvention of some of its predecessors, Call of Duty: Black Ops IV is dutifully crafted, meticulously polished, and the best Call of Duty multiplayer outing in years.” — Luke Winkie [Full review]
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