Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 marks the latest chapter in Treyarch and Raven Software’s long-running saga, returning players to a world shaped by decades of secrets, shifting alliances, and unfinished business. The game is set in 2035, which is ten years after the events of Black Ops 2 and nearly half a century after the events of Black Ops 6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the twenty-second entry in the Call of Duty franchise and the seventh instalment in the Black Ops line. Black Ops 7 arrives with the weight of an immense legacy and even bigger expectations. From its campaign to the expansive Zombies overhaul and an all-too-familiar multiplayer suite, this year’s release aims to refine, expand and modernise, but does it do enough to stand out in a franchise defined by yearly reinvention? Let’s find out. 

You’re dropped back into the boots of David Mason as he leads Spector One, a seasoned JASOC unit operating in a world still reeling from the fallout of past conflicts. Supported by familiar allies and new faces, Mason and his team uncover early threads of a covert threat called “The Guild”. Their mission quickly spirals into a dangerous blend between high-stakes global operations and psychological warfare, blurring the lines between reality and the edges of consciousness. The story appears to lean heavily on tension and paranoia with the return of mysterious figures and the introduction of new enemies. The developers crafted a narrative built on deception, mind manipulation, and the consequences of unfinished business, without spoiling the twists that drive it forward. 

Black Ops 7’s campaign feels like a full-on sensory overlord in the most wild and strange ways. Killstreaks, multiplayer-style ranking, and weapon progression are seamlessly integrated into the story, making it feel less like a classic Call of Duty and more like a wild fusion of Zombies, Warzone, and live-service multiplayer stitched into a narrative campaign. The story feels drug-fueled to the point where it’s as if the writers were on the same trip while writing this; the cutscenes jump around, conversations overlap, and half the time I was sitting there trying to figure out what was going on.

I didn’t mind the new perk abilities that had been added, so you could pick up something like x-ray vision, invisibility, teleporting, which just add to the chaos. The thing that confused me the most about the entire campaign was the boss fights, which were straight-up bizarre at times.

I was unsure whether I was playing Call of Duty, The Last of Us, or a Souls-like title. One thing I appreciated was the addition of co-op, which allows you to run the entire campaign with friends. I just wish that if you decide to play the game solo, your squad could be filled out with bots to keep the same energy and dynamic. The campaign felt ambitious, messy, and unlike anything the series has done before, and not for the better.

Zombies might be the sole saviour of this game, with it feeling like it’s back to its round-based roots with Ashes of the Damned, the biggest Zombies map in Black Ops history, complete with a dedicated new crew and a drivable Wonder Vehicle that lets you roam around to your heart’s content. It has been confirmed that there will be more maps joining the roster when Season One drops, which I’m keen for, as this is the most fun I’ve had in Call of Duty Zombies in a long time.

The gameplay has evolved a little with the addition of the Necrofluid Gauntlet, which is a living Wonder Weapon capable of both ranged and melee destruction and makes an absolute mess, which I’m all about. They’ve also added a new perk called Wisp Tea, which summons a protective ethereal companion after sustained damage.

Rounding out the undead offering from the game is Dead Ops Arcade 4, packing 80 levels and 20 arenas of twin-stick mayhem against the Silverback clan. Altogether, Zombies in Black Ops 7 aims to be bigger, stranger, and more experimental while adventuring back to its core gameplay. 

Multiplayer has launched with 19 maps, which are all available before we see Season One, and every core mode is ready to go, which are all supported by persistent lobbies and matchmaking, where skill barely factors into the equation.

Players can drop into a wide spread of Core and Hardcore favourites like Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy, Hardpoint, and Kill Confirmed, alongside the 2v2 intensity of Gunfight and multiple Face Off variants. Some new additions shake things up, including Overload, a sabotage-style mode where teams push a device into enemy zones, and Skirmish, a large-scale 20v20 objective-driven battleground that brings team warfare into the Black Ops formula.

There are 16 brand-new 6v6 maps and two larger Skirmish maps set the stage, with environments ranging from icy Alaskan crash sites to neon-lit Japanese districts, plus the return of some classics, such as Raid, Hijacked, Express, and Nuketown 2025, arriving in the Preseason. A roster of 24 operators is also available, with immediate access unlocked in challenges. Yet, despite the huge offering, the Multiplayer ultimately feels like every other CoD: same mechanics, same movement, same leaving system, and only a slight UI change, making it feel like you could have just kept playing the previous Black Ops 6. 

When it comes to controls, Black Ops 7 sticks firmly to the established Call of Duty formula, so much so that anyone who’s played a recent CoD or really any modern first-person shooter will feel instantly at home with the game. The layout is unchanged, and the responsiveness is similar. While the consistency keeps the game accessible and smooth, it also means there’s nothing new or surprising in the game. Movement, aiming and general gunplay all function exactly as players would expect, reinforcing that while Black Ops 7 is attempting to refine the experience, it doesn’t attempt to evolve the core controls in any meaningful way. 

Honestly, the graphics in Black Ops 7 feel… underwhelming. It honestly looks no different than the Modern Warfare remake in 2016, almost a decade ago. With the current competition in the shooter space, I would have expected some jaw-dropping attention to detail with better lighting, more realistic character models, and gun models that really make it feel like the current generation of gaming.

Instead, we’re hit with these oversaturated, over-filled colours that don’t look great. It feels like a missed opportunity, and it appears that the developers are simply reusing the same engine and graphics. For a series that’s supposed to push the envelope, the visuals just didn’t give that “wow” moment that drags you deeper into the game. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers the series’ signature sound design, featuring over-the-top cinematic flair, from the thundering gunfire and explosive set pieces to the subtle environmental audio that adds tension. Weapons feel satisfying and punchy, with each fire mode distinct and recognisable. The character voices are great, with the right level of emotion to add weight to the story without feeling overly dramatic. While it follows the familiar audio patterns of previous Call of Duty titles, the game still manages to fully immerse players in both the campaign and multiplayer worlds through polished soundscapes. 

Ultimately, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is a mixed bag that attempts to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously. The campaign is ambitious and chaotic, blending high-octane action with psychological twists and cooperative gameplay. Still, it often feels messy and disjointed, leaving players questioning whether the experiment was worthwhile. Zombies emerges as the highlight, returning to its round-based roots while adding creative new weapons, perks, and modes that are genuinely exciting and replayable.

Multiplayer, while extensive and content-rich, ultimately plays it safe, offering familiar maps, modes, and mechanics that feel like a continuation of Black Ops 6 rather than a reinvention. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is at once familiar and strange, bold and uneven, and while it won’t redefine the franchise, it still provides enough movement for fans to enjoy.

Written by: Hayden Nelson