Every year during the fall, Activision releases a new “Call of Duty” game through one of its three studios. This year, the acclaimed Black Ops series returns with its third installment. Created by one of the three studios, Treyarch, one of the fan preferred studios, they made some of the best “Call of Duty” games. The franchise has been around for 10 years, and the games have been losing flavor as any product would if it has been stretched out over the years. The last two “Call of Duty” games were known for being “unlikable” or “not Call of Duty like”, and I would have to agree. These games, “Ghosts” and “Advanced Warfare”, may have been liked by few, but a vast majority of fans did not enjoy its bland campaign modes or boring co-op play. But if there is one thing that is true about “Call of Duty”, it is how fans enjoy the Black Ops series.

“Call of Duty: Black Ops 3” is set to come out this November, and the other two “Black Ops” games were acclaimed as fun and exciting games. Not only does the “Black Ops” have a large amount of fans, but the most game sales in the “Call of Duty” series. So it is safe to say that any “Call of Duty” with “Black Ops” in its name is considered enjoyable. This year, Treyarch let fans participate in a multiplayer beta back in August, a version of the game where you can only play the early stages and small amounts of content from the multiplayer mode. I was fortunate enough to play the beta and got to experience what the game was like before it came out. I really enjoyed the beta, and though it was as good as the other Black Ops games, I believe it will bring back old fans who didn’t enjoy newer “Call of Duty” installments.

Unfortunately, I can only give my opinions on the multiplayer gamemode, because it was the only part of the game I could play. I can still state some thoughts on its campaign and zombies mode based on trailers and released info, but there will be more focus on multiplayer.

I’m not the biggest fan of “Call of Duty”, because I only play the games the month they come out and I prefer games on PC, but that does not mean I don’t enjoy “Call of Duty”. When I first started playing the beta, the first thing I noticed was how great the game design looks. It is a great improvement from previous titles and makes the game look more smooth in action. The big new feature to multiplayer is the specialists system. This feature allows players to choose a class with a special ability or weapon they can use in matches on a timed limit. Because of it being in beta, players could only play a few of the specialist that were created. This a new concept to the “Call of Duty” scene, and it really makes the multiplayer more interesting and fun.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the paint shop. This feature lets players create their own camos and designs to put on their weapons. This brings tons of creativity and personality to the game. Overall, the game plays very well, there were very few glitches and multiplayer did not feel boring. The only problem, which almost every game runs into, is some weapons and specialists being “unbalanced”, which means they are very strong and could give an unfair advantage over other players. But once the game is released, Treyarch can fix and balance the game.

Forbes.com, a website for news and reviews, said this about the game: “Above all else, it flat out feels like a “Black Ops” game, which is what many fans will be hoping for.”
Finally, as little as I know about campaign and zombies, I believe they will come out strong upon release. They have always been fun in the other games, and based on trailers and leaked information, there will be new features to these modes, such as four person campaign and leveling in zombies. This info can only be judged by personal experience, and we will have to wait for the game to come out to form our own opinions on the new ideas.