For over two decades, Call of Duty has dominated the shooter genre, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide. But with Black Ops 7, the series arrives as the underdog.
Fans have been eating well in 2025. The Battlefield series is back to its explosive best with Battlefield 6, and ARC Raiders’ mix of tense gunfights and unforgettable moments has produced one of the best multiplayer shooters since Overwatch in 2016.
Despite being one of CoD’s most popular sub-series, the hype going into this second Black Ops has been noticeably low. This is partly down to the strong competition it’s up against, but also the feeling that Treyarch releasing another near-future CoD isn’t exactly groundbreaking.
Now that it’s finally here, can Black Ops 7 compete with ARC Raiders or Battlefield? This review in progress will answer that over the coming week. As we didn’t receive the game until launch day, we’ll be adding our thoughts as we play, before delivering a final verdict.
What is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 about?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 picks up 10 years after the events of 2012’s Black Ops 2 and the supposed death of Raul Menendez, leader of Cordis Die. Set in 2035, you play as David Mason, son of Alex Mason from the original Black Ops, as he and his JSOC team investigate Menedez’s surprise return.
The story also focuses heavily on the criminal organization known as The Guild, which has evolved into one of the world’s largest tech companies under CEO Emma Kagan, played by Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mad Men).
Multiplayer is as strong as ever
Call of Duty still has the best gunplay around. Black Ops 7’s fast, frantic shootouts are as satisfying as ever, from the first kill to the thousandth.
The look, feel, and sound of every weapon are best in class, and each gun feels much more distinct than Black Ops 6, which were often indistinguishable, making it tough to pick out a difference between Assault Rifles that do a similar job, like the Model L and XM4.
The time-to-kill is largely unchanged from last year, and it’s a perfect balance between keeping the pace high without being too punishing. Fights are fast enough that they reward smart positioning and accuracy above all else, but also give high-skill players time to react so that being caught off guard isn’t an instant death sentence.
One of the biggest talking points heading into BO7 was aim assist, which was nerfed heavily from the beta in the day one patch. I’ve only played on controller, and the change is instantly noticeable, especially at closer range, forcing you to be much more precise in the first place to get any help.
While it made some of those early matches a little brutal (at least, that’s what I’m blaming it on), it doesn’t take long for it to feel natural. They may need to dial it up slightly to prevent casuals from being tortured, especially without skill-based matchmaking, but overall, a healthy skill gap is good for the game.
Omnimovement also returns, allowing you to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction, but with one huge addition – the ability to wall jump. Running and jumping at any wall and hitting the jump button again pushes you off, allowing you to reach higher vantage points and hit some montage-worthy trick shots.
Don’t worry, it’s a far cry from the insane mobility of the jetpack-era CoDs, but it feels slick in action, and the maps have been designed in ways that make it essential, not just a gimmick.
Maps are a return to form
Speaking of maps, Black Ops 7’s launch offering is a huge step up from Black Ops 6, which squandered its great gameplay with dull battlegrounds. This time, those awkward layouts have been replaced with simple, clean maps that mostly use the three-lane setup the series is known for.
Homestead is the standout, taking place on a frozen lake with the northern lights overhead, in one of the most gorgeous maps the series has produced to date. Raid, returning from Black Ops 2, also shines after getting a striking future-Japanese makeover, proving once again that it’s an all-time great CoD map.
They’re not all home runs. Flagship, which sees you fighting underneath an old aircraft carrier, is a boring yard full of metal containers that’s bland to look at and lacks any real flow, and the tiny Blackheart is pure chaos that only Shipment and Stakeout fans will warm to.
But despite the odd miss, Treyarch has righted the wrongs of last year and produced a lineup of maps that are genuinely hard to choose between in the pre-game vote.
Fun but familiar
All of this adds up to a great multiplayer that will no doubt keep players hooked for months to come. But while it’s a lot of fun to play, there’s nothing new here to get excited about.
Sure, weapon prestiges offer some extra rewards for levelling up your favorite weapon, and the new Overclock feature brings some powerful upgrades to Scorestreaks and equipment, such as UAVs that are tougher to kill or Sticky Grenades that can be cooked. None of it is quite as game-changing as Black Ops 6’s omnimovement, though.
More to come…
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