Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Review: A Wild, Uneven Package

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is one of the most ambitious entries in the series, attempting to deliver the "biggest Black Ops ever" across three distinct modes. While the core Multiplayer experience is one of the franchise’s best in years, a deeply flawed and chaotic campaign prevents the full package from hitting its mark. It's a game of extreme highs and unexpected lows. Multiplayer: The Shining Star If you come to Call of Duty strictly for its competitive online action, Black Ops 7 is a must-buy. Treyarch has refined the moment-to-moment gunplay into a slick, fast, and highly expressive experience. The updated Omnimovement system, combined with the new wall-jumping mechanic, allows for incredible verticality and outplay potential on the new map rotation. This year’s pool of core 6v6 maps is strong, offering classic three-lane designs with clever sightlines that reward skilled players who master the frantic new movement speed. Crucially, the decision to remove forced Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM) from certain core playlists has been a major point of discussion. While this makes lobbies less predictable and sometimes brutally difficult for average players, it has resulted in a more dynamic, varied, and, for many veterans, a more consistently fun experience overall. Campaign: An Ambitious Misfire The single-player campaign is the most disappointing element of the package. It attempts a radical departure, leaning into psychedelic, surreal, and genuinely bizarre sci-fi themes (hallucinations, nightmarish boss fights, sci-fi tech) that feel more like a horde shooter than a traditional Black Ops narrative. The campaign's fundamental problem is its design for four-player co-op. While this is a novel feature, playing the campaign solo feels tedious and unrewarding, forcing the player to repeat multi-step objectives alone. The storytelling itself is often rushed and nonsensical, failing to capitalize on its unique premise and leaving the narrative stakes feeling weightless. It's a swing for the fences that unfortunately results in a strikeout. Zombies: Back to Basics Zombies returns to its roots with the beloved round-based structure, placing the action in the vast, ever-shifting landscape of the Dark Aether. While the mode is fun, chaotic, and highly replayable with friends—featuring the largest round-based map yet and the ability to drive vehicles—it's ultimately more iteration than innovation. It provides a solid, if familiar, Zombies experience that fans of the mode will undoubtedly enjoy. The Verdict Black Ops 7 is a game of two halves. The Multiplayer is fantastic, delivering a polished, high-octane experience that feels fresh. However, the Campaign—a necessary gate to the new Endgame PvE mode—is a significant misstep, feeling like a poorly integrated collection of ideas. The entire package is tainted by an underlying sense of rushed development, highlighted by the community outcry over the apparent use of AI-generated art for some calling cards. Ultimately, Black Ops 7 is saved by the strength of its core competitive gameplay. It is essential for multiplayer fans, but everyone else should approach with tempered expectations.