Black Ops 4 has finally launched and it’s safe to say that Treyarch’s latest effort is one of the most radical iterations that the iconic military shooter series has produced in years. Dropping the traditional single-player campaign in favour of a Battle Royale mode, a ‘la Fortnite, the Call Of Duty brand has refused to rest on its laurels and is noticeably evolving with the times. But have these big changes had a positive or negative impact in the eyes of the critics?
Well, the reviews are already beginning to pour in. Essentially, the main scuttlebutt according to the majority of outlets, is that the changes have mostly been for the best. We’ve decided to roundup all the most current reviews from the major outlets in one spot for your reading pleasure. So sit back as we do a runthrough of how the critics felt about Treyarch’s latest instalment in its highly regarded FPS franchise.
The Guardian — 4/5
“It may not tear anyone completely away from Overwatch or Fortnite, but it offers a tactically rich alternative for players who want something with more grit, naturalism and sweaty peril. It is perhaps strange, perhaps even guilt-inducing, to take such pleasure from a game that wears its gung-ho military fetishism as a badge of honour, but as it stands this is the most enjoyable Call of Duty game for several years.” — Keith Stuart [Full Review]
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.” — Kallie Plagge [Full Review]
Twinfinite — 4/5
“Blackout is easily the biggest highlight here, and if Treyarch had to cut the single-player story in order to make this happen, I’d say it was a worthy trade.” — Zhiqing Wan [Full Review]
Destructoid — 8/10
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has ushered in a new era of AAA: one where every studio and their grandmother tries to pack a battle royale gametype into their project. The thing is Activision actually did it right, while also providing a strong zombies outing alongside of its token traditional multiplayer element.” — Chris Carter [Full Review]
The Telegraph — 10/10
“It is mechanics that glue Black Ops 4 together, then, rather than any particular theme, which helps each component drill down into what its good at. The competitive multiplayer can afford to be break-neck at all times, because you can happily nick off and play the more languid, tense and tactical Blackout.” — Tom Hoggins [Full Review]
Game Informer — 9.5/10
“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]
Push Square — 9/10
“There will always be those that lament it for the lack of a single player campaign, but what Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 does for its multiplayer experience is nothing less than phenomenal. Traditional multiplayer has never been better thanks to a few tweaks and additions here and there that elevate the action to a whole new level, while the all new Blackout mode does Battle Royale better than anyone else. And on top of that, Zombies continues to impress us with a plethora of mechanics to engage with and scenarios to complete. As a package, you’re going to struggle to find much better than Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in the multiplayer market this year.” — Liam Croft [Full Review]
If you fancy checking out the latest patch notes for Black Ops 4, or want to find out how to equip and use operator mods, or simply want to know how prestiging works, then we’ve got your back. Make sure to stay tuned to VGR for more Black Ops 4 intel!