Black OPS 4 Doesn't Play Like A Traditional Call Of Duty Game, Are You Ready To Embrace It?

Hands-on with the private beta reveals big changes are incoming.

The time has come for us all to reconcile with the fact that Call Of Duty has changed.

The series is no longer leading the shooter market, instead it is finally settling into a position in which it is merely following the trends within it. Call Of Duty is fighting to reclaim its relevancy amidst the first genuine redistribution of power that we’ve seen in this sector in over a decade. Battle Royale is dominating with respect to sever population; the hero shooters are consuming community conversation; and shared-world experiences are redefining how we catalogue and consume the adventures we have with our fellow players. You can see much of this reflected in the way Black Ops 4 carries itself both on and off the battlefield. Treyarch has made none of these decisions in bad faith, nor do they necessarily come with any overt consequences to the core fun and appeal of Call Of Duty’s tight multiplayer action – though reconciliation is key if you want any hope in hell of enjoying this year’s instalment. Free your mind of the burden of expectation, for a pretty good time awaits those that do.