In the past three Call of Duty games, many players have said it’s the same game over and over—a sentiment I agreed with. However, Black Ops 6 changes that with its biggest innovation in years: omnimovement.
The word of the article is omnimovement. This is the new movement system in Black Ops 6, which has been in development for four years. Let me tell you—it’s a masterpiece. In short, this seemingly minor addition lets players sprint and dive in every direction, not just forward, and with a certain amount of aftertouch. You can slide around corners or even turn in midair. I get that being able to run sideways or launch backward over a sofa doesn’t sound like a huge deal in a game this fast-paced, but trust me, it’s made a difference.
Gunplay feels great, which is critical since Call of Duty’s success often depends on it. Black Ops 6 absolutely nails it. Some years, one to three guns rise above the rest, but this year, 90% of the guns are viable in every mode and on every map.
The maps are just okay. While there are some excellent maps, there are about four that wouldn’t really be missed if they were removed. On Nov. 9-10, Treyarch released a full-time playlist of Stakeout and Nuketown—by far their two best and most popular maps. That weekend ended up being the most played so far.
Camo grinding, well, has been a grind. Camos are the backbone of Call of Duty grinding; everyone is racing to get Dark Matter like always. The grind has been a good mix of hard and sweaty and fun and easy. It’s been super enjoyable so far, and I can’t wait to keep going for Dark Matter.
Customization, though, has been disappointing. Normally, Call of Duty offers a wide range of skins and weapon camos. In past games, we’ve had great skins like Snoop Dogg, Michael Myers, and so much more. So far, we’ve got NONE—there are no skins available to buy, and honestly, it’s just sad.
Technically, Warzone will be released on Nov. 14, which should add a refreshing new element to Call of Duty. Considering Warzone is the franchise’s most-played mode, I’m really excited to see how its release goes.
With Black Ops 6, Treyarch and Raven Software have taken almost everything I love about the Call of Duty multiplayer experience and given it a beautiful polish. The maps cater to nearly every gun style, and the game feels quick without being overly jerky. The weapons kill opponents exactly the way you want them to.
Omnimovement is entertaining and visually stunning, but it doesn’t entirely replace the most effective methods in every situation. The only thing that really makes me angry is the lack of silly skins. I do wish there were more novel and inventive modes to try. But even though Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 plays it safe in some areas, it excels because it masters the basics of multiplayer combat in a way that feels better than it has in years.
I’m having an awesome time with it.
