"Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot."

Those words were uttered by the comedian Charlie Chaplin. It neatly sums up Black Ops 7. As a fan of CoD playing it with emotional investment can feel disappointing , but conversely, if you empty your mind and take a step back, it works better when viewed simply as a new co-op game with friends.

※ This review contains spoilers for the Black Ops 7 campaign.

Game Title: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Genre: FPS
Release date: November 14, 2025.
Review copy: Release version

Developer: Raven Software, Treyarch
Service: Activision Blizzard
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Play: PC

Campaign

Think of it as co-op, not Call of Duty

As mentioned in the introduction, it is worth considering as a "cooperative game". If it weren't for Call of Duty or if the absence had been tied to hallucinations, it might have received a better evaluation. As a veteran shooter game, the overall shooting feel along with the "Boss Battles", "Various Gimmicks", and "Platformer" style, all unusual for a traditional Call of Duty campaign are well-designed for enjoyment with friends.

Also, through the "Evolving Mission" called Endgame, the series introduced a mission that is not a one-time campaign, but can be continuously updated and played.

The problem is that this work is Call of Duty and a sequel to Black Ops 2. From that perspective, both the story and "direction" are weak and lack depth.

First, looking at the story and direction, the story continues from the hallucinogenic drug "Cradle" that appeared in Black Ops 6, where the leader of the guild, "Emma Kagan", uses Cradle to threaten "David Mason" and his team, as well as the world.

The "villain with a black heart" and the "biochemical weapon" are flavors I"ve always experienced in Call of Duty. They feel familiar. The problem is that the execution feels light and undercut. Let's briefly return to Black Ops 1 and consider why the player feared the biochemical weapon, "Nova 6". "Comrades melting away as soon as they are exposed to the gas" and "screams filled with pain" lead the player to immediately recognize "Nova 6" as the "worst weapon" and become alert.

On the other hand, the Cradle in Black Ops 7 painfully induces "hallucinations", but the issue is that these hallucinations aren't frightening and instead undermine immersion. You throw a giant machete at Menendez engage in a bloody battle with the "giant zombie plant" that devours Woods, and suddenly the Bad Ass from Black Ops 2, the formidable "Harper", becomes gigantic and lets out a lion's roar.

▲ In the Menendez Boss Battle, throwing a giant machete at Menendez

▲ Battling a giant zombie plant that has swallowed Woods

▲ You have to fight Harper, who has suddenly grown massive

As this directing continued throughout the campaign, I found myself more curious about what kind of direction would be presented next rather than focusing on the villain "Emma Kagan" and her next plan.

Also, as mentioned earlier, since it is a campaign developed based on co-op, the lack of AI teammates during solo play is a significant drawback. During solo play, only the playable character is displayed, which makes it difficult to feel like you are fighting alongside your allies on the battlefield. Suddenly having your allies appear in cutscenes while you are fighting alone can break immersion and highlight how the level design relies on co-op.

Was it due to the rushed development process? Asset reuse disguised as memory recall was also one of the elements that detracted from the immersion. Mentioning old titles that evoke fan sentiment is sufficient once or twice. What users want to see in a new title are "elements of the new title," not something from the old title." If one wants to see the old title, they should play the old title. In that sense, Black Ops 7 excessively relied on nostalgia. In fact, including the multiplayer maps from Black Ops 6, which was released only a year ago, thein the campaign felt more like "indifference" rather than "nostalgia."

In conclusion, all of this means the campaign falters unless you let go of your expectations. And without friends to play with, it loses even more of its appeal.

▲ The old-school elements that briefly appeared, such as the Black Ops 2 multiplayer map "Hijacked," were charming

▲ It was disappointing that the multiplayer map of Black Ops 6, which has been out for a year, was reused as is.

Multiplayer

Reliable Gameplay, Reduced Excitement

▲ Call of Duty may have many stories and controversies, but there are plenty of players who can"t stop due to its unique "refreshing combat".

Next, let's explore multiplayer. While "beautiful visuals" and "immersive skins" are important in building a game, ultimately, to capture the hearts of players in an FPS game, there needs to be the "fun of shooting." No matter how good the graphics are, or how realistic the skins are, if the visual feedback is too strong or the recoil is too severe, players will no longer continue playing.

In that respect, Black Ops 7 is a passable 'shooter Game". The fun of Call of Duty's "Run and Gun" remains intact, and the visual feedback is adequate, making it easy to track and hit enemies. The absence of complex map layouts, with an emphasis on three-lane maps, has also positively contributed to reducing the fatigue of combat.

▲ Normally, it’s an angle that doesn't allow for a jump, but the wall jump allows you to soar higher and subdue your enemy

The return of "Wall Climbing and Jumping" in this work brings a twist to the gameplay. In the case of "Boots on The Ground", which involves ground combat, the main focus is on horizontal engagements so adding variables would mostly involve taking detours. However, with the introduction of wall climbing and wall jumping, players can now take more daring approaches. Using wall jumps to disrupt enemy aim and counterattack or making a sudden advance to create unexpected variables happens often. However, players who prefer traditional gunplay or dislike movement-heavy FPS titles may feel differently.

▲ The fun of sweeping up enemies with near-future weapons like "Gravemaker", "D.A.W.G", "Rhino", and "swarm" is present.

The 'special abilities" and 'scorestreaks" that leverage the strengths of near-future warfare also added to the game's fun's fun. Creative equipment that has not been seen in Call of Duty since 2018, such as hologram-based enemy disruption, combat using robots equipped with powerful firepower like "D.A.W.G." or "Rhino", and the vision-based sniper "Gravemaker" that shoots through walls, added some welcome variety.

In addition, the introduction of the “Open Playlist” that minimizes SBMM and the nerf of Aim Assist were aimed at alleviating the fatigue that had been felt in Call of Duty multiplayer. Furthermore, performance is noticeably improved from the beta build resulting in a positive impression.

The downside is that it's Call of Duty, which is both fun and tiring. Since the series has been released every year without a break for 22 years since its first launch in 2003, the fatigue from the “'same old taste”" has accumulated significantly. While it is true that it is a fairly faithful FPS game and offers the excitement of combat, it"’s hard not to settle back into the feeling of “another yearly Call of Duty.”

Good Shot, Not For COD

In conclusion, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 can serve as a sufficient option for those seeking a shooter game to enjoy at the end of the year. If the full price is steep, you can still try it easily through Game Pass and it's definitely worth trying at least once, whether it's the co-op campaign or multiplayer.

However, it falls short for anyone expecting a true follow-up to Black Ops 2 and the characteristic standardized campaign of Call of Duty.

With the price of AAA games approaching 90,000 won these days, it's true that the  "short-term remedy" of Game Pass exists, but from a long-term perspective, it is clear that in order for the franchise to continue to receive the love of fans, it needs to show sincerity and effort rather than feeling like another annual release.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.