Just in time for the start of the beta of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout, our author and Fortnite fan Robert has dived into the virtual battle royale fight. There he was able to extensively test the new competitor to Fortnite and PUBG. His conclusion: Something really big could emerge from this!
Call of Duty goes Battle Royale: For the first time in the history of Call of Duty, Black Ops 4 takes a new direction. The single-player campaign is set aside. Instead, developer Treyarch has included a battle royale mode that is currently being tested in a private beta.
The battle royale market is currently dominated by Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Whether publisher Activision can break this dominance with Call of Duty’s Blackout mode remains to be seen. The beta certainly leaves a very solid and enjoyable impression.
Call of Duty Blackout – How the Battle Royale Mode Works
Classic battle royale features: In the currently running beta, as many as 88 players can now be on the map at the same time, while the industry standard is 100 players. Otherwise, Call of Duty Blackout offers the familiar battle royale features:
- You jump over a map with a wingsuit and can fly to different objectives
- On the ground, you collect various equipment like weapons, grenades, armor, and healing items that help you in combat
- As the match progresses, the safe zone shrinks. In Call of Duty, this function is called “collapsing.”
- Games can be played in the familiar modes of Solo, Duos or Quads
- Once landed, you must search the area for loot to enhance your armor and gather weapons
- The last remaining player or the last surviving team wins
How Call of Duty Blackout Differs from Fortnite: Battle Royale
Battle Royale without a building mode: Unlike Fortnite, you cannot (or must not) build giant structures to defend yourself. You face your opponents face-to-face. Call of Duty also differs in several key areas from the industry leader:
- In Call of Duty Blackout, you cannot hide in bushes. These cannot be traversed. Many players in Fortnite get annoyed by these “bush campers.”
- However, you can lie flat on the ground and lie in wait like in PUBG. In my experience, opponents are still quite visible this way.
- You collect so-called perks that give you various bonuses for a limited time once you activate them
- Jumping and flying low is much smoother than in Fortnite. Parachuting is also much faster. In Call of Duty Blackout, you’re right in the middle of the action. Conveniently, on the right side you can see how close you are to the ground and at what speed you are approaching your target.
- In Call of Duty Blackout, even zombies can cross your path, dropping some iconic weapons like the Ray Gun, but they can take a hit and deal considerable damage. This relatively limited PvE component is not provided by Fortnite.
Call of Duty Blackout is Already Technically High-Level
Despite beta status, technically solid: Admittedly, I noticed match interruptions and occasional frame drops. However, this is mainly due to the beta status. Treyarch will hopefully resolve these issues by the launch.
What does not quite work yet is the time you have to wait just before a round starts. Fortnite resolves this (yet) much faster. I had to wait up to three minutes before a round finally started. The simple and quick re-entry after a loss is an essential feature that Treyarch still needs to improve.
The Loot and Equipment in Call of Duty Blackout
Call of Duty offers a wide selection of weapons that you already know from earlier installments. There is something for everyone, whether close or long-range weapons.
In addition, you can find a variety of useful items:
- Armor that reduces damage taken and can be found in various effectiveness levels.
- Healing items like bandages, medkits, and trauma kits ensure that you can heal yourself after a fight. With the trauma kit, you can even achieve an overheal, which means reaching health points above the maximum. Healing itself is quite simple: you use the equipped item by pressing a button. Depending on the item, healing takes a few seconds less or longer.
- Familiar support items from past Call of Duty games, like the R/C car and the exploding monkey, are also part of the game. A wide array of different grenades can also be found.
The looting process itself is too cumbersome: You pick up items by holding the square button (PS4) for a certain amount of time. This is particularly cumbersome and annoying in the heat of battle. Treyarch justifies this by saying that players do not accidentally pick up items while reloading their weapon.
The problem with that: In Fortnite, you can pick up items and reload weapons with the same button, which is only problematic in very few situations. I don’t see why it should be a problem in Call of Duty.
You also do not automatically pick up ammunition; it must be actively collected. I think Fortnite handles this more elegantly (ammunition is automatically collected).
Conclusion – If Treyarch Does It Right, the Competition Can Get Ready
Aside from the existing shortcomings due to the beta status, the battle royale mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 makes a very good impression. The battles are fast-paced, and the available arsenal allows for various play styles. The areas are beautifully crafted and reference the settings of past Call of Duty installments.
What is really annoying is the way equipment and ammunition are picked up. However, Treyarch has already confirmed that they address this issue and will present a more elegant solution.
Clear signal to the competition: Call of Duty Blackout will likely not be the Fortnite killer; the battle royale shooter is too well established in the market and still has the advantage of being free to play. However, competitors like PUBG or H1Z1 could come under pressure if Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 sees appropriate success.
It will be exciting to see whether Activision and Treyarch can manage to keep players engaged even after the release.
Have you been able to play Call of Duty Blackout already? What is your first impression?
