“Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” Review by Nick Navarro
Every year I settle in for the newest “Call of Duty,” and at this point I’ve started noticing a rhythm to the franchise’s creative swings. One entry pushes forward with bold ideas, the next one pulls back and feels more like a stopgap, and then the following year things heat up again. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” slides right into that middle category for me. Even though it’s far from a bad game, it carries the unmistakable air of a release meant to hold the line rather than push the franchise somewhere new. Considering that “Black Ops 6” just arrived last year, the sense of déjà vu is hard to shake.
Set in 2035, the campaign drops David Mason and his team into a world buckling under psychological warfare and rising global tension. Their mission sends them into the vast, futuristic city of Avalon, where a deeper conspiracy starts unraveling the moment boots hit the ground. The story hinges on a plot that reconnects the squad with personal ghosts they’d rather keep buried, setting the stage for a narrative that tries to juggle espionage, emotional stakes, and surreal twists all at once. Treyarch and Raven promote this campaign as a fresh approach through co-op play, and mechanically it does shift things toward more flexible mission flow, whether playing with friends or going solo. The problem is that the spectacle doesn’t land cleanly. The campaign doesn’t just dip into the fantastical; it dives headfirst into it. From the giant-sized Michael Rooker already meme’d online to exaggerated creature encounters and over-the-top set pieces, they dominate its four-to-five-hour runtime, moving the tone further away from the grounded direction many players have praised in other shooters this generation. After coming off the more serious energy of “Black Ops 6,” the whiplash is noticeable. This approach may resonate with players who enjoy wild, almost comic-book-like scenarios, but the shift feels out of place within a series once known for razor-sharp political intrigue and tight, believable missions. Instead of expanding the universe in a meaningful way, the campaign ends up feeling like the least substantial part of the package.
Thankfully, the multiplayer suite picks up the slack. With 16 new 6v6 maps and two 20v20 options available at launch, “Black Ops 7” wastes no time providing a strong foundation for competitive play. The new Omni-movement system immediately changes the pace of matches, carving out a fluidity that makes every shootout feel quick and responsive. The moment-to-moment combat maintains the series’ signature crunch, and the improved map layouts provide smarter cover placement, clearer sightlines, and more satisfying routes than what we saw last year. Pair these solid fundamentals with smaller quality-of-life upgrades and the near-future aesthetic, and the overall multiplayer identity feels energized rather than recycled. The result is a suite that’s fast, polished, and reliably fun, the part of the game I kept returning to without hesitation. While the broader title may feel like it’s treading water, the multiplayer avoids that trap almost entirely.
Zombies also arrives in strong form. The new Round-Based map, Ashes of the Damned, embraces sheer scale in a way the sub-mode hasn’t attempted in a while. Atmospheric fog, shifting environments, dangerous new enemy types, and the traversal mechanics built around Ol’ Tessie give the mode a fresh kick of energy. Navigating the massive layout forces coordinated communication, and the sense of progression throughout a run feels more dynamic than usual. For players wanting something bite-sized instead, Vandorn Farm serves as a much leaner alternative, offering quick-hit survival sessions that still tap into the frantic charm of Zombies without overwhelming scale. Both maps highlight how ambitious Treyarch remains with this mode. Ashes of the Damned especially shines when played cooperatively, showing how experimental ideas can pay off when handled with confidence. Even if the overall game feels like a “bridge year,” Zombies definitely doesn’t.
What holds “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” back is the imbalance between its best and weakest components. The multiplayer and Zombies offerings could easily anchor a standout entry if they had been paired with a stronger narrative foundation. Instead, the campaign drags the total package down, echoing the series’ recent struggle to keep annual storytelling compelling. Between “Modern Warfare III” stumbling after its predecessor and now “Black Ops 7” failing to follow up “Black Ops 6” in a meaningful way, it’s clear that rushing direct sequels isn’t doing the franchise any favors. At this point, I genuinely think Activision needs to consider establishing a third major subseries rather than bouncing between the two iconic pillars year after year. Both Modern Warfare and Black Ops have been pushed hard this generation, to the point where the impact of each new installment feels blunted. The brand could benefit from a fresh identity, something modern, ambitious, and untethered from the weight of decades of continuity.
Still, even with its uneven structure, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” offers enough to keep longtime players entertained. The competitive modes are sharp, the Zombies content is packed with personality, and the gameplay framework remains as tight as ever. It’s a solid entry buoyed by its strengths, even if the overall package clearly signals that the series is overdue for a major creative reawakening.
7.5/10
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Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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