If you’re a Call of Duty fan, it’s truly an exciting time for the long-running FPS franchise. We now know that Black Ops 6 is officially the next entry coming from Treyarch, and those recent teasers are rattling through our heads constantly. Ahead of the upcoming COD Direct at the Xbox Showcase in June, this brand-new Xbox sale is perfect for getting your hands on Black Ops Cold War (and other entries in the series too) to prepare yourself in the meantime.
There’s an overwhelming amount of FPS games in the Call of Duty franchise, but there’s one key entry that you need to play before Black Ops 6 arrives later this year. If you somehow skipped over this excellent addition to the series, then now is the perfect time to finally get your hands on 2020’s Black Ops Cold War. The game is currently part of an array of fresh Xbox discounts on the entire franchise, with Cold War’s price sitting at a reasonable $19.79/£19.79.
Developed by COD veterans Treyarch with assistance from seasoned studio Raven Software (the same double act that’s working on Black Ops 6, by the way), the fifth installment of the Black Ops series contains easily the strongest COD campaign of the last ten years. Pushing the boundaries of the Call of Duty campaign format forward with Hitman-style levels and multiple choice storylines, Cold War evolves upon the ideas laid down before it in other Treyarch entries like fan favorite Black Ops 2.
Cold War uses an open-ended approach to cap off its story, leaving the fate of the game’s protagonist, Bell, up in the air. Throughout the game, you’re presented with key choices that can affect your relationship with several characters, like Russell Adler (who is set to return to Black Ops 6). Like other Black Ops 2, these choices can impact the ending of the game, resulting in a very different future the United States. It is likely that this kind of gameplay will be heavily featured in Black Ops 6, as early leaks suggest it will pivot an open world game style campaign.
For those of you looking for a best-in-class multiplayer game experience, then Cold War holds up on that front too. Traditional modes like Domination and Hardpoint are all there, but it is the game’s sturdy map selection, simple yet effective weapon customization, and satisfying gunplay that elevates it above recent games like Modern Warfare 2. Or, dare we even say, the slide-canceling goodness of Modern Warfare 3? It’d be criminal not to mention Zombies mode, either. Before the open-world game approach of MW3 Zombies arrived, Black Ops Cold War initiated a renaissance for the mode, following the extremely divisive reception to Black Ops 4’s version of Zombies.
Die Maschine is a near-perfect launch map, paying homage to where Zombies began in World at War, while pushing some excellent new mechanics too. Cold War also spawned the creation of Outbreak, the mode that serves as the core inspiration for where Zombies is right now. The recent wave of Black Ops 6 teaser clips suggest that Call of Duty Vanguard’s maligned iteration of the mode could have a part to play, so let’s just hope it is a small one.
This Call of Duty Xbox sale is live for the next 15 days, so you have until Saturday, June 8, 2024, to get your hands on Cold War and other entries that take your fancy. We can’t help but notice that this sale finishes the day before the June Xbox Showcase, which is where we will see our first look at Black Ops 6. How convenient, Microsoft.
In other gaming news, you can hop into the XDefiant Double XP weekend right now to level up your weapons with ease, Embark Studios gets the ball for The Finals Season 3 with some mysterious new clues.