Black Ops 6 Beta preview - A "messy" game changer for Call of Duty

Black Ops 6 Beta Weekend 2 has wrapped up, and just like every year, I’m holding out hope for a better Call of Duty this time. After spending nearly eight to nine hours across the last two Beta weekends, I now have a fairly good grasp of what to expect from the multiplayer for the upcoming year. Unlike previous years, I have a great feeling based on what I've seen so far.

There are some things that Treyarch Studios did right and some that they didn't. However, that didn't take away the excitement, and I'm really hoping to see the full launch of Black Ops 6 next month.

If I had to put it in one word, the game is going to be "messy," but in a good way. Black Ops 6 is going to change how we have been perceiving Call of Duty since the beginning. So, what has changed? Let's find out.

Black Ops 6's Omnimovement might be a complete game changer this year

As promised by Treyarch Studios since the beginning, the Omnimovement in Black Ops 6 is a massive game changer. It’s fluid and functional, and Call of Duty never felt as good as with Black Ops 6 since Modern Warfare in 2019. So, what exactly is Omnimovement?

This new movement system allows you to sprint and dive in any direction, almost like in the Max Payne series, but a lot faster. However, it’s not just a new fun movement mechanism that Treyarch has introduced.

Initially, I had some hiccups trying to master this movement, but the Omnimovement has a smooth learning curve. Once you know how to utilize it to your advantage, there are so many new possibilities when getting into a gunfight now.

A glimpse of Omimovement in Black Ops 6 (Image via Activision)

For instance, if you want to surprise an enemy that's behind the door in front of you, you can jump sideways and shoot while lying on the ground. Or, in a close-quarter gunfight, where you don’t have the time or space to react, you can use the feature to get behind the enemy and outmaneuver them. It’s really fun and innovative, but the learning curve is huge.

Additionally, the Slide Cancel mechanism is still in play, but it no longer resets the tactical sprint as it used to. During the first weekend of the beta, the tactical sprint was noticeably faster than the regular sprint, offering a clear advantage.

However, in the open beta, the developers increased the base sprint speed to the point where it nearly matches the tactical sprint. This change diminishes the tactical sprint’s advantage in a gunfight. Despite this adjustment, it didn’t bother me too much, as my primary focus was on mastering the Omnimovement system.

Also read: How to check your Black Ops 6 Open Beta combat record

Traditional Call of Duty gunplay at its best

When it comes to gunplay in Black Ops 6, there's not much new to add—it feels very much like a typical Call of Duty experience. What I did notice though, is that the time-to-kill (TTK) seems to have decreased slightly, making it easier to take down opponents in the Black Ops 6 Beta.

However, this has always been subject to change. Hence, the developers will take player feedback and change it throughout the year. Like any other Black Ops series, the guns also felt lighter than those in Modern Warfare.

After two years of Modern Warfare titles, I had grown accustomed to their weighty feel, so it was initially odd adjusting to the lighter weapons in Black Ops 6. Nevertheless, I prefer this change.

One thing I absolutely love in Black Ops 6 is sniping. The sniper rifles are extremely overpowered, and I had a blast using the LR 7.62. It reminded me of the old Call of Duty days when sniping was a lot of fun.

The Gunsmith system has become easier to operate

One thing I like about Black Ops 6 Beta is the new Gunsmith System. Compared to the last two Call of Duty titles, it feels like we are going back to the roots, and it is easy to operate again. In the Beta, there were a limited number of attachments to choose from, making it easy to understand their pros and cons.

Tanto .22 in Black Ops 6 (Image via Activision)

Furthermore, the Optics are shared across almost all weapons, which is a major plus point. I've always felt that some of the grind in Call of Duty is pointless, and unlocking the same Optic for every weapon is one of them.

We're yet to see how the Gunsmith looks after the launch, and the integration with Warzone might make things complicated in battle royale. However, just for the multiplayer, it was more streamlined than I expected.

Also read: Will Black Ops 6 Beta progress carry over to launch?

Maps need some improvement, too much verticality might ruin the fun

I love the lighting and the shadows in the new Black Ops 6 maps. Most of them are vibrant and have a unique tone, which, surprisingly, is exactly what I’ve been clamoring for in Call of Duty games for a while. However, with all the beta maps that I’ve played so far, I’m disappointed about the layouts.

For instance, both the Derelict and Rewind had too much verticality. That is good for certain game modes like Search and Destroy (which wasn’t in the Beta). But for modes like Team Deathmatch or Kill Confirmed, it was really tough to have the map fluidity that a traditional CoD player would look for.

Pit gameplay in Black Ops 6 (Image via Activision)

Black Ops 6 has also introduced small-scale strike maps, one of which is the Pit. Personally, this was the best map to utilize the Omnimovement and learn the game before it officially launches on October 25.

They also introduced a brand new mode called Kill Order, which is almost like Team Deathmatch with a High Valuable Target (HVT) on each side. The mode is a breath of fresh air, but as I mentioned earlier, with massive verticality in maps, it's hard to play fast-paced modes like this.

Some issues were persistent, but hopefully, they will be fixed soon

It’s worth noting that this was a beta, and the developers have already addressed many issues from the closed beta after Weekend 1. However, problems with spawn points persisted. In the Babylon map, which felt like Treyarch’s take on Shipment, spawns were problematic, with players frequently camping them and eliminating enemies as soon as they respawned.

Babylon in Black Ops 6 (Image via Activision)

However, these are problems that are expected in beta, and we can hope for them to be fixed when the game launches. Gaining weapon XP was also challenging across both weekends, though the developers had promised improvements for the open beta, which didn’t fully materialize.

In conclusion

My first impression is that the Black Ops 6 Beta was probably one of the best beta weekends that I’ve experienced in recent years. There were minor issues like the footstep audio and the rest that I’ve mentioned before, but most of them are easily fixable with a patch during launch. There will also be more maps in the launch, and we can expect more variations.

As its own multiplayer, Black Ops 6 seems excellent. It’s visually appealing, the gunplay is rock solid, and the Omnimovement is absolutely delightful. I do have a concern regarding the skill gap it would raise, but personally, I'd say it was a treat. Fingers crossed, but I’m hoping for a great Call of Duty year with Black Ops 6.

Reviewed on: PC (Code provided by Activision)

Platforms (s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Publisher (s): Activision

Developer (s): Treyarch Studios

Release date: October 25, 2024

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