Black Ops 6 Beta Impressions – Free Gunner
Another year, and it’s another Call of Duty. This time around, it’s Treyarch’s turn once again to bring in the goods. Thankfully, we got to try the multiplayer before its October release via the early access beta. Where to begin? There’s a new omnimovement system in place, though other than that, it’s your tried-and-true Call of Duty formula. How does it stack up against previous years? Read on to find out.
Strafe in the Air and Everywhere
The big addition in Black Ops 6 is omnimovement where players can strafe in any direction, dive, lie prone in a supine position and the like. For the most part, it makes the game feel faster, though not so much that it breaks the game (at least so far in the beta). Will this get abused? There’s a very high chance of that, but for now, it’s working as intended, and it gives the game much faster feel that makes one-on-on engagements a lot more “twitchy.”
Is it as revolutionary as Treyarch has been touting? Maybe not, but it seems like a solid step in the right direction in delivering something new to the franchise without deviating too much. Of course, Treyarch now has the unenviable task of balancing this, so that it doesn’t get abused by the “sweats,” and easy enough to use that newcomers will be able to grasp it.
As for the gunplay, it feels like a Treyarch Call of Duty game, which is a good thing. We have a limited number of weapons, perks, and other items to use in the beta, but so far, everything feels as it should. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Just one lap in the training grounds for omnimovement, and you’ll feel right at home .
Performance and Other Concerns
While what we’ve played was solid so far, it was not without issues. Chief among them are technical problems, which we can’t put our finger on whether it’s packet bursts or frame rate drops. Regardless of what it is, it is pretty bad. Imagine running across the map, seeing an enemy and then freezing for a split-second, which in Call of Duty time, means insta-death. That has happened to me multiple times, and based on what we’ve seen on social media, to a lot of other people as well.
Hopefully this is something Treyarch can fix in the second weekend of the beta or in the final game, or we’re going to have some very angry people come October.
In addition to that, the Jackal submachine gun was by far the best weapon in the game. You will literally see almost everyone using this, as the gun has excellent mobility and handling, minimal recoil, and an insane range for an SMG. Thankfully, Treyarch has already said that they are making weapon adjustments in the second week of the beta, which we assume includes a nerf to the Jackal.
Another issue we’ve seen are the spawns. While there’s a complaint about spawns in every Call of Duty game, it’s on another level in Black Ops 6. Is it because of the faster movement? Maybe, but I’ve lost count how many times I’ve spawned in front of an enemy or super close to them that I can kill the person who killed me after respawning. It’s an issue across all modes, which is a bit of a concern. That said, this is another thing Treyarch has confirmed will be adjusted in the second week of the beta.
The maps haven’t impressed us as well. We got a few small maps like Gala and the Pit where streaks are turned off, and the traditional three-lane maps that are given more verticality in this iteration of the game. For the most part, each map has an issue that makes navigating it a chore. Take SCUD for example, as the satellite dish area is severely overpowered, and having 2-3 people take territory there means a lockdown of the surrounding area. That said, we will give it a pass, as this is a beta after all, and there’s a lot more maps incoming in the retail build of the game.
Sleeper Agent
The Black Ops 6 beta does what it sets out to do, and that’s to get people hooked into the game, and look forward to what’s next. I’m interested in seeing what we can unlock up to level 30, and how Treyarch reacts to the balancing adjustments. So far, so good, the studio seems to be on the right track for the shooter, though we do hope the technical issues are ironed out ASAP.
Players will be able to try the beta themselves when it returns for everyone this September 6, and will run until September 9. Don’t forget, there are rewards for players who hit the max level in the beta that will carryover to the final game. While it seems like there’s a lot more issues than actual “fun” in the beta, that’s not i, as what we’ve played so far has solid mechanics, pinpoint gunplay and that familiar COD feel. Of course, we’ll reserve our full judgment when the game’s finally out next month.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be released this October 25 on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Black Ops 6 Early Access Beta Key provided by Activision, managed to hit level 20 and used the Jackal to great success!
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