On June 8, 2025, Activision announced its new title for the Call of Duty franchise, a new chapter in the Black Ops series, where we see David Mason to be dragged to a kind of digital limbo full of horrors, even bringing Menendez back to life. This weekend we had an open beta where players were able to try both multiplayer mode and zombies mode.
It’s been a long time since I had played a “codzinho”, so I was very anxious, since my last contact with the franchise was in, a repetitive game that made me get away from the series. Unfortunately, my fears have been confirmed because, once again, Trayarch proves that he is able to rehearse old formulas and serve them as supposedly innovative.
Starting with multiplayer mode, in Black Ops 7 we will have a system very similar to what we have seen in recent years: a quick and extremely focused gameplay in players ‘omnnimovement’, where sliding and jumping are the keys to master opponents. The game also implements a brief “wall-run” that, due to its short duration and tactical utility, leaves a lot to be desired compared to the mechanics present in the criticized Black Ops 4.
Maps continue to use the three -route philosophy, where the player always has the same three ways to go, which leads him to constantly circulate through the scenario in search of eliminations to reach his killstreaks and see the enemies change their spot. The only large and true addition to the multiplayer is a new mode, in which we must bring a PEM generator to two points from the enemy base. It is not necessary to even plant the object, just go through a circle, which actually brings nothing new.
Maps return with their basic geometry, without creativity seen in the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or Black Oops 1, 2 and 3. The simplistic structure encourages some players to champion and abuse the omnnimovement. Although this requires good practice in controlling the character’s movement, it is nothing we have no longer seen in the franchise.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 tries to repaginate its arsenal, with each weapon going to level 45 to release all accessories and modifications. The game saves the different weapon settings, which facilitates and encourages players to customize them. Also, now we can share our creations with other players, something interesting, but it is not a surprising news either.
So far, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has only reinforced a feeling that many players already have about the series: it is stagnant and comfortable in its own lack of innovation. The multiplayer of the game brings a recycling of old ideas from Black Ops 2 to Advanced Warfare, but does nothing very interesting with them. It got to the point of making me download Titanfall 2 again, just to remember how innovative a futuristic SPF can be.
The zombies mode also returns, diving deep into the nostalgia coffin to rescue heroes and concepts of yore, hoping that fans will encourage the return of Reznov, not as a character in the story, but as part of a package of challenges. During the beta, it was possible to see the perk-a-collas, which maintain the same variety from Cold War, even though Treyarch recently announced the return of Widow’s Wine with the full game.
The farm map brings some interesting elements, such as the family of corpses at the table, the basement with a mysterious cube and even a shelf that causes damage to the player when we interact with her. However, there is no way to complete the map and no Wonder Weapon beyond Ray Gun, which can be obtained in the mysterious box or through an “Easter Egg” in a trash, which consumes its lethal equipment and can generate scrap or the weapon itself.
Until then, the only special zombie presented in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was the new boss named Zurso, a huge zombie bear with a large life bar. If the player gets Ray Gun in the early stages, he becomes an easy target, as are the other zombies. By improving it with the pack-to-punch, the only real concern with the undead will only appear around round 45.
Unfortunately, Treyarch once again serves players a reheated formula, no weight innovations or gameplay changes that really change the goal. History mode seems to revisit striking moments of the Black Ops saga, but, as Menendez himself says in the trailer, “fear is a powerful weapon.” Not only do I, but many fans are afraid of another futuristic fiasco, just as Advanced and Infinite Warfare were.
