The early popularity ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6can largely be attributed to how different the title feels compared to the franchise’s recent focus on the rebootedModern WarfareIP, with fans seemingly feeling that it was high time for a shake-up in the series' identity. While the recently released title has done well to introduce some brand-new mechanics and experiences to theCoDfranchise, the game has also used the full breadth ofBlack Ops' past releases as inspiration for its overall feel.
The respect thatCall of Duty: Black Ops 6pays to its predecessors is quite evident throughout its campaign, Zombies, and core multiplayer modes, but one past title in particular seems to stand out in terms of the positive comparisons that can be made between itself andBlack Ops 6. The return to basics thatBlack Ops 6has adhered to for its Zombies, as well as the eccentric movement of its multiplayer and its ambitious campaign, feels very reminiscent of the best aspects of 2015’sCall of Duty: Black Ops 3.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Has Emulated a Lot of What Made Black Ops 3 Successful
The 2015 launch ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 3was quite an ambitious one for the popular sub-franchise. While2012’sBlack Ops 2had laid the groundwork of a semi-futuristic setting blended with more historic sequences,Black Ops 3fully committed to a 2060s setting along with the kind of futuristic tech that this entails. Besides altering the kinds of equipment that players had at their disposal, this futuristic setting had a huge impact on the movement ofBlack Ops 3, andBlack Ops 6has aimed for a similar shake-up to what is such an important and commonly used game mechanic.
WhereasBlack Ops 3followed inAdvanced Warfare’s footsteps by bringing “jet pack” movement toBlack Ops, the recentBlack Ops 6has injected its own variety into the sub-franchisethrough its new Omnimovement sprinting system. While both of these movement changes have produced their own criticisms from players, they have served as a way to make their respective games feel more unique with stronger identities, offering one key similarity betweenBlack Ops 6andBlack Ops 3.
Even the campaigns of both titles are quite comparable, primarily in the developmental ambition and risks that are at the center of bothBO3andBO6’s single-player narratives. While the isolated andat times confusing campaign ofBlack Ops 3is largely considered to be the title’s most controversial aspect, its fascinating mind-bending sequences are definitely replicated in the later stages ofBlack Ops 6’s own narrative.Black Ops 3was also the firstBOtitle to feature a campaign Safe House hub, withBlack Ops 6building on the Safe House mechanic to great success.
Black Ops 6 Zombies Has Taken a Big Page Out of Black Ops 3’s Book
The Zombies experience ofBlack Ops 3was arguably the title’s most successful aspect, with the game possessing a beloved range of Zombies maps as well as daring new game mechanics like the Gobblegum system.Black Ops 6has famously taken Zombies back to round-based experiencesand Zombies-specific playable characters, while even being the only other game to directly feature the Gobblegum mechanic afterBlack Ops 3.
Even the maps ofBlack Ops 6’s Zombies seem to be taking inspiration from the best ofBlack Ops 3, withthe upcoming Citadelle des Mortsalready drawing heavy comparisons withBO3’s Der Eisendrache. While the wildly different settings of both games allow for each title to feel unique in its own right, many of the most positive and engaging aspects ofBlack Ops 6are directly tied to the franchise’s roots, withBlack Ops 3seemingly being like a big driving force of inspiration for Treyarch’s latestCoDrelease.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
