Before the launch of Black Ops 7, we revisit Call Of Duty’s most consistent sub-series, to figure out which is the best Black Ops game.
For years, the Call Of Duty series followed a release cycle that used to make it easy to tell what game would come next, with Infinity Ward handling the Modern Warfare games, Treyarch on Black Ops, and Sledgehammer Games on… whatever it seemed to fancy.
Publisher Activision has since broken this cycle. Although in the case of 2023’s Modern Warfare 3 coming the year after Modern Warfare 2, that was because the next game was running late, so DLC for Modern Warfare 2 was repurposed as a full game (a decision painfully obvious to everyone but which Activision denied).
Now, just one year after Black Ops 6, Treyarch is following it up with Black Ops 7, which is unusual but at least this seems to be a proper game, and the Black Ops sub-series has always been consistently enjoyable. In fact, we’d be hard pressed to deem any of its entries as ‘bad.’
Even so, we’ve looked back through the last 15 years of Black Ops games, to determine which is the best of the lot – ahead of Black Ops 7’s launch on November 14.
Before we start, a quick note that we’re only focusing on the mainline Black Ops games developed by Treyarch. So, the likes of the Nintendo DS version of Black Ops 1 and Black Ops: Declassified for the PlayStation Vita won’t be included.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)
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Black Ops 4 had some of the best multiplayer gameplay of the PlayStation 4 generation, including Blackout – the series’ first crack at a battle royale mode, before Call Of Duty: Warzone. But it was only ever half a game.
The atypical absence of a campaign mode makes this one difficult to recommend revisiting today, now that the multiplayer is no longer a draw. The servers may still be up, but most players have long since left it for newer games.
Plus, even back then, Black Ops 4 was rough around the edges and came across as if Treyarch had less time to put a new game together. Although Activision never admits what’s going on behind the scenes, it seems clear this suffered from some of the same scheduling problems as Modern Warfare 3. Although in this case the outcome was considerably more competent.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
The odd one out in terms of its name (although it’s treated as if it is called Black Ops 5), Black Ops Cold War is by no means awful but it’s certainly one of the weaker entries. Its new multiplayer addition, Dirty Bomb, is unfocused and messy; the Zombies mode feels stale; and the campaign is annoyingly toothless, as it refuses to do anything with the interesting political subject matter it keeps bringing up.
So, why is it not right at the bottom? That’s honestly because, unlike Black Ops 4, this game will have replay value even after Activision switches off the multiplayer servers. For all its faults, the campaign is a blast to play through, thanks to its arcade-like feel and cheesy James Bond-esque storyline.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
The first entry to be set in the distant future, Black Ops 3 is as high as it is purely down to its superb movement options, including Titanfall-esque wall-running; the introduction of unique Specialists characters; some excellent maps; and the campaign’s Cyber Cores that grant different abilities, ranging from turret hacking to forcing enemies to throw up.
Through its setting, it was trying to do a lot of new things, although it wasn’t always entirely successful. Even in co-op, the campaign is a chore and lacks the cinematic flair and cleverly disguised linearity seen in other Call Of Duty games. Plus, it takes itself far too seriously and the story isn’t good enough to justify it.
Special mention: Call Of Duty: World At War
Although it doesn’t bear the Black Ops name, it felt wrong not to at least mention 2008’s Call Of Duty: World At War. Aside from it being developed by Treyarch, this is considered the first entry in the Black Ops storyline or at least a prologue, since characters and plot points from it are acknowledged in subsequent Black Ops games.
Aside from a decent campaign, it also debuted the iconic Zombies mode, where you must survive against an endless swarm of undead Nazis for as long as possible. For as tense and stressful as it could get, you couldn’t help but go another round, especially with the right group of friends, and it’s no wonder the mode has stuck around all these years later.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
Much like Black Ops 3, Black Ops 2 tried to shake up the series formula with an impressive number of new ideas. And like Black Ops 3, they weren’t all successful, but they were interesting enough that the campaign mode (which is partially set in the far-off future of… 2025) still warrants a revisit and is enough of a fan favourite for Black Ops 7 to serve as a direct continuation.
Its plot is the right blend of sincere melodrama and spy movie nonsense, and we quite enjoyed its branching narrative where even small choices can have great significance later. Although this does come at the cost of some unremarkable level design and less bombastic cinematic set pieces.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
Nostalgia is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, but the reason Black Ops is still so popular now is because Treyarch did so well with the first few entries. Aside from the traditional multiplayer, the first game gave us a major expansion on the Zombies formula, established in World At War, that would further cement the mode as a fan favourite and series staple.
It also contained one of our favourite campaigns across the entire Call Of Duty series, thanks to its arcade vibes, impressive mission variety, and a delightfully bonkers narrative with a neat twist at the end. We wouldn’t mind seeing this get the same treatment as the original Modern Warfare 2’s campaign and be re-released as its own package.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)
Some degree of recency bias is likely at play here, but even if its core multiplayer and Zombies modes are just going through the motions, Black Ops 6 is easily one of the best games in the whole Call Of Duty franchise.
One big reason for this is the new omnidirectional movement, which is a literal gamechanger in how it lets you run, jump, and slide in any direction without losing momentum. It gives Black Ops 6 more of an identity and when combined with Call Of Duty’s standard boots-on-the-ground gunplay, helps to makes it distinct from Modern Warfare.
The other reason is the campaign, which is a contender for the best single-player content in the series’ history. It’s incomprehensible without any knowledge of previous games’ plots, but it’s welcomingly varied (with missions ranging from a bank heist to infiltrating a presidential fundraising event), has some neat character work, and, like any good Call Of Duty campaign, manages to flip between overly self-serious and endearingly silly whenever it needs to.
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