Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War starts on November 13th. MeinMMO presents important information here that could help you with your purchasing decision.
A new year, a new CoD – this has been the case since Call of Duty 2 from 2005 and this rule still applies in 2020. However, there are some differences with this year’s release. Warzone requires its place in the CoD franchise and the immediate predecessor title Modern Warfare from 2019 remains relevant.
To give you a good idea of whether CoD: Black Ops Cold War is worth it for you, MeinMMO presents 7 points you should consider before buying. To set the mood, here is the official release trailer for Cold War:
Campaign, Zombie Mode, Multiplayer, Warzone – This is Cold War
When does CoD Cold War start? The global release date is Friday, November 13th, at 6:00 AM German time.
What modes are available in the game? Here, the new CoD 2020 relies on the usual mix of story campaign, PvE mode, and multiplayer. Additionally, the Warzone will become a part of the game, with integration scheduled to be fully implemented by December 10th.
What can the campaign do? The campaign sends you as a CIA agent to locations around the world in the 1980s. 13 years after the events of the first Black Ops, the old gang consisting of Mason, Hudson, Woods, and a new face: the scarred agent Adler, reunites. However, you will most likely play as a character created by yourself – for the first time in a CoD campaign.
You are on the hunt for the phantom “Perseus,” a Soviet spy whose existence is not assured for all members of the top military leadership of the USA. You will chase this super-agent against the backdrop of the Cold War all over the globe, making stops in:
- East Berlin
- Vietnam (Flythrough Video on YouTube)
- Turkey
- Amsterdam (Flythrough Video on YouTube)
- Moscow (Flythrough Video on YouTube)
as well as several other locations. Be sure to check out the flythrough videos only if you don’t mind spoilers. The entire story is actually inspired by real events and even brings an actual President of the United States into the game: actor and later politician Ronald Reagan.
What can the Zombies co-op mode do? The crazy zombie mode returns to CoD with Cold War, offering a great co-op experience. Here, you fight alongside your teammates for your life and try to uncover the secrets of the zombie maps.
The mode comes with its own rules, perks, and enemies, aiming to make the zombie outing a unique experience. At launch, there will likely be one zombie map (Die Maschine), and the scope will be expanded for free over time. Here you can find more info about the details of the Zombies mode.
What’s coming in multiplayer? Here, you get the familiar CoD experience that many players are eager for in the newest installment. You play on different maps with different modes for victory. To achieve this, there are new weapons, fresh maps, and a completely new scorestreak system with at least 21 major war machines to unlock during matches.
What happens with Warzone? The battle royale is supposed to continue to evolve over the years, representing a kind of link between the annual CoD titles.
New, gameplay-relevant content should always be free and align with the setting of the current CoD. You can use weapons from Cold War and Modern Warfare if you’ve unlocked them, and Cold War has been integrated into Warzone. A possible new map for Warzone seems to be based more on the backgrounds of the Cold War.
Cold War returns to the classic gameplay feel
The CoD from 2019, Modern Warfare, introduced some mechanics into the CoD universe that were previously atypical for a “realistic” CoD. These include, for example, tactical sprinting or resting weapons. The movement as a whole had an “extraordinary” impression. Cold War tends to lean back towards its roots. This was also the impression of MeinMMO author Maik Schneider during the alpha phase on PlayStation 4.
The last premium CoD that can be most compared to the newest installment is CoD WW2 from 2017. This was down-to-earth, with no prominent robotic technology giving soldiers superhuman abilities in multiplayer, as seen in some CoD titles set in the future – for example, “Infinite Warfare” from 2016 or “Black Ops 4” from 2018. Cold War returns without jetpacks or exoskeletons.
Compared to CoD MW, CoD 2020 offers many innovations. For example, there are now scorestreaks instead of killstreaks, the classic mini-map, your soldiers can swim, and the loadout setup works slightly differently. The popular gunsmith, however, functions similarly to CoD MW. Here you can find 6 adjustments in multiplayer compared to Modern Warfare.
Confirmed Multiplayer Content
The developers have not yet made a final statement on this. However, through CoD blog posts and the open test phases, we already know what will be included at least in the release version:
- 29 weapons at launch
- 10 multiplayer maps (Overview on GameStar)
- Established multiplayer modes like Team Deathmatch or Domination
- New modes, like VIP Escort, 40vs40 Fireteam or Combined Arms
- The prestige system returns
If you want to learn more about the weapons and perks, visit the colleagues at GameStar.
The first DLC has also already been announced. On November 24th, the iconic map “Nuketown” is returning in the new “Cold War” style. This small map is likely to particularly attract fans of Shipment from CoD MW as it offers similar amounts of action in a confined space.
Is the successful Warzone a threat to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War?
Listen to a discussion in the MeinMMO podcast about the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Will the integration of Black Ops Cold War into the successful Warzone succeed?
Feedback from the public Alpha and Beta phases for multiplayer
The newest CoD has already been extensively tested thanks to several test phases, but it faced a lot of criticism. This applies to both the alpha and beta phases.
What was the problem in the alpha? The first look at Cold War did not sit well with many players. The statement “it’s a step back compared to Modern Warfare” was heard repeatedly. This was particularly true for the graphics during the PS4-exclusive alpha phase. Based on player feedback, the developers made significant changes for the beta.
MeinMMO conducted an interview with a lead developer from Treyarch about the processes between Alpha & Beta, explaining how the alpha feedback influenced the beta and thus the entire game.
What went wrong in the beta? Here, some of the same criticism as in the alpha resurfaced, but connection issues were added. Many players saw some improvements, particularly in graphics and animations, which they were often unable to enjoy because the connection simply wasn’t good.
This was also the case for YouTubers and CoD experts “Drift0r” and “TheXclusiveAce”. Both ended their stream because they weren’t having fun.
However, these problems improved as the beta progressed, and during the second beta weekend, the servers performed significantly better. If you want to see some gameplay from the beta, watch Drift0r’s English video of the second test weekend. He shows the PC version at 1440p resolution:
The overall sentiment of the beta improved, but it remained rather negative for many players.
CoD Cold War connects with CoD Modern Warfare and Warzone
In the future, Warzone is supposed to serve as a link between different CoD premium titles, making CoD MW still interesting for Warzone players. With the start of the first season on December 10th, the progression systems of the three CoD titles will be interconnected, and it doesn’t matter which CoD you play to level up your account level or battle pass. Here you can read how the integration works in detail.
In the battle royale, you will then have access to content from CoD MW & Cold War. All weapons you unlock in Cold War will then also be available for Warzone, and they will be specially adjusted for the battle royale. Over the next year, the available weapons in Verdansk could rise to over 100.
The same goes for cosmetics. Warzone connects your unlocked and purchased items and allows you to combine everything as you wish. However, you cannot use cosmetics from CoD MW in Cold War and vice versa. This only applies to the battle royale Warzone. MeinMMO shooter expert Sven Galitzki sees this integration as the best solution for all CoD players.
With the first season, multiplayer really gets going
Black Ops Cold War has already shown a roadmap for the first season, which is scheduled to go online on December 10th. A lot will happen in the new CoD on that date:
- New maps and modes for Cold War multiplayer
- The 2vs2 gunfight from CoD MW returns
- New weapons are coming to the game
- New zombie modes
- A “secret” Warzone experience – a new map is suspected
- The first battle pass of Cold War launches
- Warzone, Cold War, and CoD MW share level progression and grow closer together
So, if you’re undecided about whether to actually purchase the new CoD, you might want to wait a few weeks after release. Things won’t really get going until the start of the first season. Until then, you’ll also find many test reports and opinions on Cold War that will clarify the picture of the shooter.
The story of Cold War takes place between Black Ops 1 & 2
Particularly exciting for longtime fans of the CoD series: Cold War connects the stories of Black Ops, Modern Warfare, and even CoD 5: World at War.
It revolves around secret operations, brainwashing, and of course the damned numbers. Modern Warfare is also meant to fit into this story, and it could actually work, even if Captain Price looks surprisingly fresh for his computational age.
If you want to see an analysis of how the stories are connected, check out the English video by “Inkslaher.” The only thing that doesn’t seem to fit into the story for him right now is the Mason operator, whom you can use in Warzone for pre-ordering Cold War. But he has answers for that too:
Noteworthy: The PlayStation Exclusives
Players on PlayStation will once again receive exclusive content with CoD Cold War. While CoD MW offered a survival mode that is now also available on other platforms, and a few exclusive cosmetics here and there, Cold War goes a bit further:
- Battle Pass Bundle Bonus – 5 tier upgrades
- PlayStation Party Bonus – 25% higher weapon XP in a PS team
- Double XP Bonus – Exclusive double XP event once a month
- Extra Loadouts – 2 more loadout slots on PlayStation
- Zombies Mode Onslaught – A zombie horde mode
This is not well received by many players, and even some PlayStation fans think it’s too much. Many of these PS contents are only available on Sony consoles until November 1, 2021.
The decision to purchase the new CoD is particularly difficult for some players this year. MeinMMO author Sven Galitzki is more undecided than ever before regarding a CoD. How about you? Are you considering skipping CoD 2020 or have you perhaps already pre-ordered?
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