From Its First Mission, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Takes Steps to Demonstrate How It’s Differentiating Itself from Other Titles. Players Start by Ambushing a House Filled with Enemies Ringing in the New Year and Chase Their Team’s Target Across Rooftops. When He’s Finally Captured, Players Get to Actually Choose What to Say in the Form of a Dialogue Tree. at Least for Me, This Was a Huge Change for a Call of Duty Title. I’m More Accustomed to Letting the Game’s Characters Do the Talking While I Have Fun Running and Gunning.

Let Me Get This out of the Way First: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Does Not Play Like 2019’S Modern Warfare. This Game Is Much More Arcadey, Like Most Black Ops Titles Before It. If You’re Heading into This Expecting the Same Experience You Got from Last Year’s Cod Title, You’re Going to Be Disappointed.

To Some, It May Be a Surprise, but This Is Where Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Shines. I’ve Always Been a Fan of Treyarch’s Nazi Zombies Game Modes, Ever Since They Debuted Back in World at War. This Year, the Game Mode Made a Triumphant Return as the Best Reason Overall to Pick up Black Ops Cold War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

By Maya Lin-Takahashi

• Oct 8, 2026 • 17 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

If It’s November of Any Given Year, That Means There’s a New Call of Duty Title Gracing Store Shelves and Digital Marketplaces. This Year’s Title Is Another Entry in the Black Ops Series, So If You’re Expecting Anything Similar to Last Year’s Modern Warfare, You’re Sure to Be Disappointed. Instead, This Year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War Took Some Tentative Steps Outside of the Franchise’s Comfort Zone, but Ended up with Almost Nothing to Show for It.

Maya Lin-Takahashi

Consumer Tech & Gadget Reviewer

Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.

Tags: call of duty black ops cold war review