Call of Duty: What’s the Difference Between Black Ops 6 And Black Ops 7?

by Richard Warren

For only the second time in franchise history, Call of Duty fans received two installments of the same subseries back-to-back. The first time this happened was with the rebooted Modern Warfare saga, with MW3 fairing poorly and being bashed by critics upon release. Though its multiplayer eventually won fans over, its campaign was hated from the get-go, and the response to its take on open-world Zombies was mixed. Now, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 have released back-to-back, and while history has repeated itself in regard to the campaign, BO7’s other modes have been celebrated. For lapsed Call of Duty fans looking to return to the series, or those trying to purchase a game for a loved one, there will be a tough choice to make between the heavily discounted BO6 and brand-new Black Ops 7. However, when comparing the two games side by side, the choice actually becomes a fair bit easier, as there’s a major difference in regard to the amount of content.

Black Ops 6 vs. Black Ops 7 Campaign

Black Ops 7’s campaign has been a source of internet memes due to “losing the plot,” as it takes the trippiness of recent entries to new heights. Its open levels have proven unpopular, as they’re seen as filler, while the singleplayer experience is awkward due to no bots being present. Some gamers with groups to play with have likely had some fun with the bosses, as they offer a change of pace from the usual CoD fair. But ultimately, the campaign is seen as an unworthy successor to BO2 by most, whereas Black Ops 6 was well-received outside of its awkward ending. Prior to setting up Warzone, the campaign was exceptional, with fun and varied missions full of spy work as well as the perfect amount of openness in a single, large Desert Storm mission. Its characters were fairly well-written, upgrading the Safehouse was satisfying, and its singleplayer nature allowed for the setpieces CoD is known for — something BO7 sorely lacks. For most gamers, BO6 is recognized as being the much better game in terms of its campaign.

Addressing the Endgame in the Room

One thing that Black Ops 7 does have going for it on the campaign front is Endgame, an open-world extraction shooter-like mode where players complete missions spread throughout Avalon. The goal is to level up and become strong enough to eventually take out the boss at the center of the map, with players able to extract to keep their progress. Essentially, the mode is a spin on MWZ, just with less Zombies, or DMZ, but without the PvP element. That lack of PvP may turn some away from the mode, but it’s a solid casual experience for friend groups seeking more co-op gameplay after completing the story. It’s also getting extra support post-launch via new world events, with one even letting players battle the giant robot from the CoD Zombies classic Origins.

If Endgame interests players, it could be enough to overcome the weak points of the campaign like dialogue, storytelling, and “filler” missions in between the handcrafted ones. However, if players have no interest in Endgame, or want a traditional singleplayer CoD campaign, Black Ops 6 is a far stronger pick.

Black Ops 6 vs. Black Ops 7 Multiplayer

In terms of sheer content, Black Ops 6 is an obvious winner, as it had several seasons to bring back party modes and introduce multiplayer maps. Black Ops 7 has an impressive launch map count, and a healthy split between original maps and returning classics (something MW3 struggled with early on), but even then BO6 dwarfs it. The same goes for the weapon count and Operators, though Black Ops 7 does have the advantage in terms of making player requested changes. Persistent lobbies, toned-down SBMM, and tamer cosmetics are all big wins in the eyes of fans, while weapon builds are a nice quality-of-life change. If players want a lot of content right away, BO6 is the game for them. However, if they can wait for maps, party modes, guns, and Ranked to be added over time, BO7 could be preferable. Basically, it comes down to whether players fall on cosmetics, SBMM, and the quantity vs. quality debate, as Black Ops 7 multiplayer has been better received by fans due to its map design and depth — even if BO6 has more maps, modes, perks, and guns to offer.

If Black Ops 7'sseasonal content keeps up the pace of Season 1, it will likely have more multiplayer content than BO6 by the time its support is brought to an end.

Black Ops 6 vs. Black Ops 7 Zombies

Just like with multiplayer, Black Ops 7 Zombies is at a disadvantage in terms of its weapon, Operator, and map counts. However, it did have a partial Carry Forward so that players could keep their Gobblegums and Augment research progress, with all the BO6 Perk-a-Colas and a majority of the Ammo Mods/Field Upgrades coming over (and the missing ones set to be added back in future updates). With at least four more round-based maps expected, and several more Survival maps confirmed, it's very likely that BO7 Zombies ends up outshining its predecessor. Cursed mode is a big hit, too, especially when compared to the mixed response to Grief. Still, for those who never played either game, comparing a content-complete BO6 Zombies to a Zombies mode that has only started its content run is night and day. Purchasing BO6 will net players 5 full-fledged maps (including modern classics like Shattered Veil and Citadelle Des Morts) that they can play right now compared to just the one in BO7 thus far, so for the time being, BO6 edges out BO7.

Black Ops 7 is getting two more Survival maps in Season 1 and its first new round-based map, Astra Malorum.

Read the full article on GameRant   

This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.