Game Review: Black Ops 4 is a mix of three distinct battle games

Like any good first person war-based game, Black Ops 4 offers a multiplayer mode, which you can also play split screen with another friend on the PS4 or online

Black Ops 4 does not come with a story-based single player campaign. Instead, the game offers three ways to play the game — with friends, strangers and also bots, if you are feeling antisocial.

Play mode
The three modes in the game are multiplayer, blackout and zombies. The "no campaign" move seems odd at first, but the game is better because of this — the modes have their distinct personalities, which in turn translates into a chunky offering. Like any good first person war-based game, Black Ops 4 offers a multiplayer mode, which you can also play split screen with another friend on the PS4 or online.

However, you need the PlayStation Plus to play online. There are eight modes available in multiplayer — Deathmatch, Free-For-All, Search & Destroy, Domination, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, Control and Heist. I particularly liked the new mode Heist, where the team has to collect a bag of loot and deliver it to the extraction point.

Search & Destroy with its no re-spawn rule also turned out fast and exciting matches. All these modes can be played offline with bots. Blackout is the only mode you cannot play offline, considering it needs 100 players to be on the map. We did a preview of Blackout during the beta version of the game.

The mode closely captures the essence of PUBG with its ever-shrinking map and tons of weapons lying around. The difference here is that the controls are more polished and hence, the experience is better. However, the competitors are brutal; be prepared to die multiple times before you get the hang of the game. I have yet to win a game in Blackout mode despite playing the beta earlier.

Since most people play PUBG on mobile phones, the poor controls are an equaliser that makes the kill frequency a lot higher. Again, the Blackout mode requires a PlayStation Plus subscription and is the only mode you cannot play offline. Zombies is by far my favourite mode in Black Ops 4. You and a crew have to defend yourself on a map and try and survive as many waves of zombies, monsters and infected animals as possible. The maps and weapons and doors need to be unlocked with points that you earn by playing. The zombie mode also works well with bots, which makes it great for offline play.

Great package
The game also has a selection of specialists: ten in all, of which some have been imported from Black Ops 3. Each specialist has its own equipment and special weapon that bring more dimension to the game. The biggest change in the game has been the absence of a regenerating health bar. Instead, you have to now collect health packs and stims and manually activate them to heal. As a combination of games, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is great. Despite not having a campaign, there is enough content to keep you busy for very long.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision Blizzard
Platform: PC, PS4, XBOX
Price: PC: Rs 4,000; PS4/XBOX: Rs 4,699

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