Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 first look – 300GB of spies, zombies and Margaret Thatcher

During the Xbox showcase, Microsoft made sure to please gamers by providing them with exactly what they wanted. After facing criticism for recent job losses and studio closures, the company presented a 40-minute preview of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a highly anticipated game that will require a 300GB download. Even for the single-player mode, constant online access will be needed due to the high number of textures being streamed from remote servers. It was no surprise that the Xbox version will be available on GamePass from day one, but there is no exclusivity for the platform, as the PlayStation version will also be released on the same day, October 25th.

The video game is set in the early 1990s, during a time of political turmoil. It covers major events such as the fall of the Soviet Union, the Gulf War and the US presidency transition from George Bush to Bill Clinton. The Campaign story follows an exciting spy thriller narrative, filled with secretive CIA operations, power struggles and top-level conspiracies. A main character, Frank Woods, is critically injured and replaced by squad leader Troy Marshall and CIA handler Jane Harrow. Despite their best efforts, a mission goes wrong and they are forced to go rogue. To accomplish their mission, they recruit a diverse group of tech experts and highly-skilled assassins. As the player, it's up to you to ensure the success of the mission and save the day.

The upcoming game, Black Ops 6, is said to offer some fresh approaches to campaign missions, following in the footsteps of previous Call of Duty titles. Players will have the option to approach set-pieces in different ways, whether using guns blazing or a more sneaky tactic. Additionally, there will be moments where players can interact with non-playable characters, allowing for new opportunities to arise. For example, players may be able to bribe senators in order to gain access to restricted areas. The game will feature some recognizable figures from history, including Saddam Hussein, George Bush, and Margaret Thatcher. However, it's been confirmed that Thatcher will not be a playable character.

The makers of Call of Duty usually create new games every two years, but this time, Treyarch and Raven had four years to make the latest Black Ops title. According to Matt Scronce, an associate design director, this extra time helped them completely transform and redefine the game. They were able to carefully think about every decision they made and create something entirely new, rather than just building on previous versions. This new Black Ops game was created from the ground up in a way that hasn't been done before.

A significant alteration in the feel of the game is the implementation of a new system called Omnidirection. This system allows players to sprint and slide in any direction they choose, resulting in a more seamless and smooth experience. According to Treyarch's senior director of production, Yale Miller, they frequently discussed the importance of fluid movement and this desire ultimately led to the creation of Omnidirection.

Scronce explains that in the early stages of developing Black Ops 6, they experimented with a quick sidestep known as a juke. However, as they studied movement, they realized that fluidity and fidelity were essential to keep players in a state of flow. They concluded that the juke wasn't the best fit for the game. Therefore, they went back to the drawing board. Scronce states that in Call of Duty, players have only been able to sprint forward for over 20 years. So they looked to real-world athletes like NFL players, NBA players, and tennis players who can move quickly in any direction.

Players can now move in any direction they want, making it easier to run away, dodge attacks, and slide to avoid danger. You can even do impressive moves like rolling under objects or sliding backwards while firing your weapon, just like in those epic action movies from Hong Kong. All of these movements required a lot of work, including creating thousands of new animations using motion capture technology. It was only possible to achieve this thanks to the extra time the developers had available to them.

The team revealed that they have considered accessibility as a crucial aspect of their work. To make the game more accessible, they have introduced a new intelligent movement system. This system includes the ability to crouch, sprint, and mantle with the help of toggles that can be turned on and off depending on the player's preference. Additionally, players can choose to automate jumping over walls or sliding under low obstructions. The team drew inspiration from various other games to incorporate such features. "I took cues from the Forza series with its traction control, anti-lock brakes, and turn assists,” stated Scronce. "Mobile games were another great example. They are buttonless, so what's their game plan?" The team has also made the Heads Up Display (HUD) customizable. This way, players can rearrange on-screen information like mini-maps according to their preference. This feature was created with Call of Duty streamers in mind who often find it difficult to add an in-game camera view of themselves without blocking important information.

The important part of the game that allows multiple players to join has been changed quite a bit, with some recent changes being made less intense. There are now 16 new areas to play in, and most of them use a classic design with three main lanes. There is also a special feature called the Prestige system, which lets experienced players show off their skills by earning special outfits, accessories, and weapons that other players can't access. This is similar to what was in other Black Ops games before. The game developers, Treyarch, are also promising a huge selection of weapons from that time period, with many different ways to customize them.

In other news, the classic Call of Duty Zombies mode, which originated in Treyarch's World at War game from 2008, is returning to its original style. The more recent Modern Warfare games introduced a brand new style of zombie game with an open-world setting. However, Black Ops 6 is reverting back to the original setup of a round-based game where players collaborate to withstand hordes of attacking zombies. Along the way, players can earn new weapons and explore detailed, confined environments.

The topic of the new Call of Duty game has raised some criticism about the representation of historical events, as well as the glorification of US foreign policy and military gear. Despite these concerns, the franchise is still popular and the upcoming Black Ops 6 seems promising due to the extra time given to the developers. This has allowed them to focus on the details and improve various elements of the game, such as character animation and multiplayer maps. According to Scronce, the team has put in extra effort to make this their best work yet.