Call of Duty returns this year with its first back-to-back Black Ops release — similar to Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 a few years ago — and that no-doubt makes this year's title feel like less of a leap. COD 2025 is clearly built on the admittedly-strong foundations of Black Ops 6, which makes multiplayer feel quite familiar here in Black Ops 7. However, some neat tweaks still make this one worth a try, and Zombies mode has the potential to really shine this time around.
Currently here in beta form, players can hop into a handful of multiplayer maps / modes and just the one Zombies experience - of course, the complete suite will be available in the full game. Multiplayer takes us to a near-future setting in BO7 which aesthetically is a welcome change - even if the weapons and gadgets on offer don't stray that far away from last year's title.
However, other elements of the MP experience have been tweaked a little more, and we're mostly on-board with those changes. The maps are tighter and more focused than what we were getting by the end of the Black Ops 6 cycle; they're more reminiscent of what we saw in Black Ops 3 and Black Ops 4. Speaking of those games, developer Treyarch has also added in a more grounded version of its wall-jump mechanic from BO3, opening up the levels with some more interesting traversal routes and opportunities to make some sweet plays. We're digging both of these changes right now.
Gunplay is, well, COD gunplay. Time-to-kill feels a little faster than last year (although that may be due to the pace of the game in general), and taking down foes feels as solid as ever for the series. Headshots are particularly satisfying to pull off here in Black Ops 7 multiplayer; you know when those hit-marker and head-pop sounds just match up perfectly? Mmm, chef's kiss.
Touching on that pacing remark I just made there... I do want to warn folks that Call of Duty multiplayer feels particularly fast this year, and that may put some of you off. It's a hallmark for Treyarch games to be fair and last year's title wasn't much different - but BO7 can be rather brisk at times, and that leads to some sweaty lobbies when your enemies are taking things super seriously. Stay calm, hop into another lobby, all's fine... yeah?
Right, Zombies. Zombies, Zombies, Zombies. Look, I'll admit, I'm an old school COD Zombies fan. I loved the days of the unique story-driven characters, the tight maps that took some serious dexterity to stay alive on, and how the experience used to feel like it had its own identity compared to the rest of the game. Black Ops 7 doesn't get all of those things right, but the Beta's Vandorn Farm survival map is seriously fun if you want some classic Zombies action.
Vandorm Farm is a small survival map based on the Farm map from Black Ops 2, and it's a lovely change of pace to just be able to hop into a COD Zombies map again and focus on surviving for as long as possible. We believe a bigger, more in-depth experience will be present in the main game and that'll satiate the Zombies fans who want that sort of thing. Me though, I just wanna hop on with the boys and stay alive; slaying zombies until the wee hours of the morning. Vandorm Farm is giving me that right now, so, more of this in the full game please Treyarch!
Conclusion
So far, Black Ops 7 is feeling like one of the most iterative COD games in years, and that says something for an annualised franchise that some believe barely changes each and every year. Its bones have been forged in last year's Black Ops 6, and the experience can definitely feel overly-familiar at times. However, like usual, the team has made some neat tweaks to multiplayer that definitely make this beta at least worth trying, and Zombies has the potential to please old and new fans this time around. The jury's out on the full package, but Black Ops 7 is just about managing to justify its existence right now. Just about.