As expected, Activision went all out on their E3 presentation this year, including a big setup for the forthcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. I got a change to play through Hardpoint and Domination multiplayer sessions, and the formula for Call of Duty remains more or less the same—Black Ops 4 has simply added new locations, characters, and updated the visuals nicely.
Before beginning each match, the demo presented Black Ops 4‘s Create-A-Class system, which contains a refreshed interface and loadout options for players to mix and match. Every weapon has its own specialized enhancements and additions, to give each combination its own strengths.
Black Ops 4 demo was focused on teamwork, and rewarded characters individually for their accomplishments in helping the team accomplish a goal. It become clear while playing that a team working together and combining abilities for maximum deadly effect was the best way to succeed in-game. To that end, changes in the CoD formula include abilities and new combat profiles, and the addition of health packs to combat. Players will now be able to restore some health to an injured character before engaging with the next target. The packs are useful but finite, so timing your doses are key.
The demo itself was running at a nice 160 FPS on the PC, and graphics-wise, the game is coming with a number of enhancements. First up was the larger Domination map, with lots of buildings to hunker down in, ponds to swim through (and be shot down in), and objects to parkour off of. Combat is fast, but thinking on your feet makes time for the use of special abilities to win the fight. The Hardpoint map was next, a smaller map that made its debut at E3. This map had an intricate catwalk system that provides alternate routes to enemies and objective points.
Around the same time as the game’s E3 showcase, Treyarch and Activision also announced a Black Ops Pass, which “”represents a new approach to post-launch content.” The pass includes the return of zombies to CoD with 4 new zombie-themed experiences, 12 extra multiplayer maps, and 4 exclusive Blackout characters. Beyond that, Treyarch has confirmed that a good amount of post-launch content will be coming to Black Ops 4 with “a ton of community events” and “franchise celebrations” for players’ enjoyment.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 releases on October 12, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.