- [James] Hello, Call of Duty fans.
This year we're trying something new.
Because Black Ops 4's modes are so different,
we're reviewing them separately,
followed by our overall traditional review and score.
This video is a deep dive into Blackout.
Be sure to check out the multiplayer, Zombies,
and overall review too.
Links to those can be found in the video description
as they roll out, enjoy.
(gunshots boom) (dramatic war music)
The monumental highs of victory and crushing lows
of narrowly losing in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout
are experiences I've had
in other battle royale games before, but the road
to these memorable moments highlight a significant leap
in gameplay fidelity and polish for the genre.
Call of Duty's responsive and forgiving gunplay,
nimble movement, and creative but practical equipment,
fit beautifully into the trendy last man standing format.
It's not just a one-way street though,
as the dynamic battle royale setting
provides some much-needed variance and consequence
to Call of Duty's at times superficial combat loop.
I did experience and see others having technical issues
that warrant concern, but when it's running smoothly,
Blackout is nothing short
of the most enjoyable battle royale I've played to date.
(gunshots boom) (upbeat rock music)
Blackout gets straight to what I love most
about battle royales, using what I've found
for an all or nothing skirmish
with an equally desperate opponent.
I was immediately struck by the silky smooth transition
between free falling, parachuting, and landing,
and the fluidity doesn't stop there.
(gunshots boom)
Sliding, jumping, and mantling all blend seamlessly
into one another, you can even heal while sprinting,
shoot underwater, and fire your weapon
while using other equipment.
These intuitive touches are a welcome departure
from the genre's military simulation roots.
The only place where I feel depth is sacrificed
in order to facilitate accessibility
is the woefully under-featured inventory.
Only one weapon is displayed at a time,
and you shockingly can't drag or reorder items at all on PC.
I'd like to be able to reposition equipment for easy access,
as well as smoothly drag attachments
from one weapon to another
instead of awkwardly dumping them all on the ground.
Though, it is nice that ammo
doesn't take up valuable inventory space.
(cool rock music)
Blackout does, however, absolutely nail the concept
of interesting loot.
Its arsenal is rich and varied in inclusions
from both multiplayer and Zombies.
This leaves plenty of room to develop a taste
for unlikely personal favorites on your way
to acquiring objectively powerful weapons like the Paladin.
(gunshots boom)
Then there are perks, which offer fun
and useful temporarily buffs like the ability
to hear the sound of far-off enemy footsteps.
But the star of the show in Blackout
as far as loot is concerned is equipment.
(whooshing)
Not only is each piece of equipment fun and practical,
but together, they keep encounters
with other players feeling fresh.
The grapple gun, for instance, can be used
to escape from an otherwise hopeless situation,
or close the gap to pull off an unlikely revive.
Landing a well-placed sensor dart in the final circle
felt almost as good as firing the game-winning shot.
And the inevitable late-game barrage of flashbangs
and grenades you know and love from other battle royales
can even be thwarted with a well placed trophy system.
The result of this cornucopia of loot is a map littered
with appealing variables
that each offer unique gameplay opportunities.
The map itself is a sort of greatest hits
of the Black Ops series.
Original elements are cleverly combined
with iconic locales like Nuketown, Array, and Turbine.
Though it didn't always happen, I absolutely loved
when the final circle closed onto one of these locations
as it effectively turned that particular match
into a sudden death bout on a tried-and-true Black Ops map.
Zombies even make an appearance
if you want to risk going loud for some extra loot.
They're fun to fight and easy to ignore otherwise.
(dramatic war music)
Black Ops 4's gunplay still takes center stage
in its battle royale experience.
The responsive hitscan feeling that's synonymous
with the series is intact at close ranges,
in spite of Blackout using
a projectile-based damage calculation system
complete with bullet drop and travel time.
As a result, landing a distant headshot
with a sniper rifle is remarkably satisfying.
(gunshot booms)
Recoil can be more random, but also more forgiving
than PlayerUnknown's Battylegrounds,
and time to kill varies from instantaneous
to the outer limits of reasonable,
but for the most part, feels functional.
The increase in effective HP conferred
by level three armor is significant, but Blackout
offers both the information and tools to react to it.
Unlike Fortnite's shields, armor is visually
and audibly readable, allowing you to figure out
how to overcome that advantage before the fight begins.
The puzzle of adapting and succeeding
in spite of a disadvantage is the essence
of why I enjoy battle royales so much.
I do, however, take issue with the fact
that an enemy's armor is almost always destroyed
in the process of killing them.
I had no problem restocking on ammo, healing items,
and equipment reserves while looting a slain foe,
but if I wanted armor, I'd have to look elsewhere.
And in order to realistically keep that armor
until the later stages of the match,
I'd have to avoid a fight entirely.
As a result, I feel like I'm being punished for partaking
in my favorite part of Blackout, the combat.
Getting all of my friends into the same lobby on PC
proved to be a consistent struggle
due to NAT problems that can be resolved
by port forwarding, but it's worth noting
that that's an unexpectedly involved fix
for a game as big as Call of Duty in 2018.
My squad's technical issues on PC didn't stop there,
and I go into greater detail on their problems
like crashes and disconnects in my written review.
(dramatic war music)
In lieu of significant innovation,
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout instead presents
a remarkably polished and intuitive take
on the basic battle royale formula.
Everything, from the creative perks and equipment
to the familiar Call of Duty locations,
works remarkably well in the dynamic battle royale space.
And some elements like the arcade shooting
are even enhanced as a result of it.
The plethora of technical issues ranging
from simple fixes to more involved workarounds on PC
are concerning, but ultimately didn't stop me
or my friends from playing and having a great time.
I thoroughly look forward to playing Blackout
in the months to come, and hope
that Call of Duty's annualized release cadence
doesn't interfere with the frequency and longevity
of post-launch support that I expect from the genre.
(gunshots boom) (dramatic war music)
Be sure to check out the overall traditional review
on IGN.com, and if you enjoyed the video,
shoot me a follow on Twitter @ThuggnDuggn.
For all things battle royales, keep it right here on IGN.