'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' review: A welcome shot in the narrative arm

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The single-player story campaigns in the long-running Call of Duty franchise are, to put it kindly, not the main draw. When a new release in Activision’s first-person-shooter series is announced, most of the buzz centers on the competitive and cooperative multiplayer elements, and for good reason: That’s where the time and care are generally put. The story campaigns, on the other hand, are a mixed bag best encapsulated by two entries with the exact same name: 2011’s action-packed and highly regarded "Modern Warfare 3" and 2023’s abysmally short and offensively boring "Modern Warfare 3." Thankfully, the latest entry, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6," is closer to the former than the latter, a surprisingly lengthy, well-paced and engaging spy thriller that keeps you just as entertained as the gameplay itself.

The plot of "Black Ops 6," codeveloped by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision, isn’t particularly groundbreaking: Set in 1991 during the midst of Operation Desert Storm, you and your team of operators are enmeshed in a “Mission: Impossible”-style plot that involves a mysterious new threat called the Pantheon and the emergence of a dangerous bioweapon. But what makes "Black Ops 6’s" story one of the better in the franchise is how it blends the grand spectacle we’ve come to expect from Call of Duty games with a more slow-burning cloak-and-dagger political plot that only gets more intriguing as the game progresses over its eight-hour runtime.

You’ll still have plenty of wartime action with jets and rockets screaming across the sky and bullets flying at you, particularly in the Iraq-set missions, but the game truly shines when you’re off the war’s front lines and hiding in its shadows, both literal and metaphorical. Two missions in particular deserve mention. The first, in which you infiltrate a political gala, offers a fantastic variety of ways you can complete your mission, none of which involve a gun. The latter is an awesome caper scene ripped straight from an “Ocean’s” movie that cinematically pivots between team members during a high-wire act of thievery and subterfuge. (My favorite mission, which I won’t go into much detail to avoid spoiling, felt like it came from the paranormal game "Control" rather than the Call of Duty franchise, and I’m still surprised how well it worked here.)

The game competently threads the needle between its tense sequences and its more out-and-out shooting missions, balancing the need to tell its story but not keeping you from the action for too long. The moments between missions, when you return to your team’s safe house in Bulgaria, are surprisingly humorous as you learn more about your fellow operatives and what makes them tick. (Take your time to explore the manor: There are secrets to discover, and it’s where you upgrade your character.)

Unfortunately, "Black Ops 6" doesn’t much care to look beneath the surface of its own story. Its Desert Storm background serves as little more than a time setting, and despite it being a spy thriller, it rarely sees past black and white. While not every game needs to reach "Spec Ops: The Line" levels of compelling and haunting examinations on the nature of humanity and war, a little more nuance would have gone a long way here.

What is nuanced, though, is the gameplay. From the detail work like how the guns reload to the fluidity of how the gunplay feels, "Black Ops 6" is yet another mechanically well-crafted game in the series. The campaign can be a bit stingy with ammo, basically encouraging you to swap weapons constantly. (I was always sad when I didn’t have any homing-capable explosive throwing knives.) And there’s a new “omnidirectional” movement system, which allows players to slide and sprint in any direction, adding a heightened level of responsiveness. In all, the game just feels snappy and fun to play. (The fact that it’s a visual delight as you’re sliding around doesn’t hurt either.)

All those well-tuned mechanics pay off in the multiplayer modes. I’ll admit the competitive multiplayer and cooperative zombie modes aren’t really my thing, but I had no complaints about either when I played a few hours of each (other than how often I died). There are a bunch of new maps to play on, and the new movement system really gets a chance to show off when you’re running-and-gunning.

In the end, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" is a welcome shot in the narrative arm for the franchise. It’s no Spec Ops and it gets a little weird in the back half, but it’s clear Activision took note of the poor response to "Modern Warfare 3’s" shoddily put-together single-player campaign and put some real resources into this one. Combined with enjoyable gameplay, "Black Ops 6" delivers one of the better campaigns in recent years and is a worthwhile entry to the storied franchise.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 ★★★ (out of four)

Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, published by Activision; available on PlayStation 5/4 and Xbox Series X/S and One; rated M for Mature for blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, suggestive themes and use of drugs; $69.99