Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Expectations Heading Into The New Title
After the Dallas Empire were crowned the winners of the inaugural season of the Call of Duty League (CDL) attention has quickly turned towards the next instalment of the storied first-person shooter (FPS) franchise, Black Ops Cold War.
The return to the Black Ops sub-franchise has received a resoundingly positive reception for both casual and competitive players. Developers Treyarch are once again at the helm of multiplayer, while Raven Software is spearheading the single-player campaign, the studio behind the remaster of the first Modern Warfare game.
With a lot of focus on multiplayer after polarising opinions on Modern Warfare circled the community throughout the cycle of the game, the expectations for a solid multiplayer experience have never been higher.
Modern Warfare - Close But No Cigar
Click to enlargeThe 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare did a lot of things right. A brand-new game engine, combined with a balance of brand-new content, and the return of several Call of Duty classics provided one of the smoothest multiplayer experiences for the casual audience.
In contrast, Modern Warfare is widely considered to be one of the worst competitive titles to date. The spawn system often led to inconsistencies within a competitive match, the majority of the weapon arsenal was never used due to being too strong for competitive play, and the move away from a traditional three-lane map design proved to be extremely unpopular with the competitive community.
In terms of unifying the player base, Modern Warfare has done a fantastic job thanks to introducing cross-platform play to the Call of Duty franchise. Despite the action-packed, fun-filled experience for the casual players, the lack of support for the competitive scene in a year where developer support was crucial ultimately let Modern Warfare fall into the depths of mediocrity.
Black Ops Cold War: A Chance For Redemption
Click to enlargeTreyarch has a history of creating some of the most popular Call of Duty titles in the history of the franchise from both a casual and competitive perspective. After such a mixed reception for Modern Warfare, the entire community is once again looking for the complete package similar to what Black Ops 2 and Modern Warfare 2 offered all those years ago.
What makes a successful Call of Duty game often comes down to the small elements that have the highest impact when it comes to playing the game. Infinity Ward stepped away from what has worked in previous titles in a bid to stand out from previous instalments in the franchise. The gamble didn’t pay off, with flawed spawns, mechanics, map design, server performance, and many more features failing to capture the attention of the multiplayer player base. These additions to the game ultimately pushed several players away from multiplayer and into Warzone, arguably the most popular Call of Duty title to release in the past two years.
As we move towards the release of Black Ops Cold War, the pressure of pleasing all corners of the community has never been higher, but what does Treyarch need to do in order to make Black Ops Cold War multiplayer a success?
The Keys To Victory For Black Ops Cold War
Click to enlargeFans of Call of Duty multiplayer are always after one thing, and that is fast-paced, action-packed gameplay where there is never a dull moment in a multiplayer match. Synonymous for its three-lane map design, Treyarch has created some of the most popular maps in history, thanks to their clear, concise layout combined with a perfectly balanced pool of weaponry. If Black Ops Cold War consists of three-lane maps complete with a logical spawning system, multiplayer is already a step ahead of Modern Warfare.
The second key is server performance. Often a hot topic of conversation during the Modern Warfare cycle, the servers used for casual matches featured superior performance to those used in private matches and even competitive matches that took place online. Tick rates ranging from a modest 60Hz all the way down to a measly 12 saw the game perform at varying levels, much to the annoyance of those looking for a consistent playing experience. Considering the current global situation, consistent online performance is now essential for both players wanting to have some fun in a casual game and for those competing for millions of dollars. If Activision and Treyarch can improve server performance, this could well be the difference between success and failure.
Lastly and by no means least is the introduction of a competitive playlist. A playlist which replicates the settings used in the competitive game is now a feature in several titles across a variety of genres, and with the Call of Duty League ushering in a new era for Call of Duty esports, adding a fully-fledged competitive playlist into Black Ops Cold War is a great way of catering for the competitive community, and for fans to play the very same game their idols are competing on. Call of Duty has had a strange relationship with its competitive scene, with some games featuring a solid ranked playlist while others haven’t featured anything at all. Given Treyarch’s history in supporting the esports scene, this could be the final piece of the puzzle to make Black Ops Cold War a resounding success.
Will Fans Be Disappointed?
At the moment, it is too early to tell whether Call of Duty fans will be amazed or disappointed with what Black Ops Cold War has to offer. With the worldwide reveal for multiplayer taking place on September 9, we will get a better idea of what to expect when the game fully releases on November 13. Considering what happened during the Modern Warfare cycle, Activision cannot afford another polarising year of players enjoying the game and others being left disappointed with what’s on offer.
Images via Activision
