Today, we got the first real glimpse of what it means to be #BackInBlack. Not only did we get a trailer for Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops III, we were treated to a flurry of other details about the game, due out on November 6th, 2015.
Campaign wise, you’re going to be able to play with up to four friends, which means larger environments, and with that, more open gameplay. With new lighting and animation techniques, they’ve redone AI for the game since Black Ops II, and in Black Ops III, you’ll come across at least 20 different enemies. You’ll get to choose your gender and customizations (yes, in the campaign still), and in cutscenes, you’ll be able to see the character you’ve created.
Like it was hinted earlier last week, Treyarch won’t go the same route that Sledgehammer did with Exos, but rather cybernetics. You’ll have at least 40 cybernetic enhancements to choose from in the campaign, ranging from simple hacking to controlling airborne devices. With all these enhancements, Treyarch is hoping for something that hasn’t been a hallmark of past Call of Duty titles; campaign replayability.
But what does all of this mean for the bread and butter of Call of Duty; the multiplayer? Not only will you get to do things like create your own variants of weapons and your own weapon camos in the Gunsmith, you’ll get to choose what kind of soldier you want to be in the multiplayer with new Specialists. They each have their own abilities, voices, weapons and personality. However, you’ll only be able to take one or the other when it comes to weapons and abilities. The Specialists revealed today include:
-Reaper: A combat robot with a high power Mini-Gun, or the ability to rewind to the position he was in about six seconds earlier.
-Ruin: Can go into battle wielding weapons like Gravity Spikes (on top of the normal loadout), or can choose an overdrive ability that gives him super speed for a brief time.
-Outrider: Has a bow with explosive bolts, or a radar-like Vision Pulse. Seraph: A high caliber revolver or a Combat Focus ability which will earn you bonuses towards Scorestreaks.
It also sounds like movement in Call of Duty: Black Ops III will go in another direction from the Exos that have made Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare such a polarizing title. Movement isn’t necessarily about finding the highest position on the map, it’s about being able to transverse. Sprint is unlimited, there’s a limited wall-running ability, and there will be absolutely no perks that alter those rules.
Kill Confirmed, Domination and Team Deathmatch were confirmed as playable modes, with more to be revealed as the summer progresses.
Not much was revealed about Zombies today, however, except that it too, will have a full player experience and its own progression system. Treyarch will have more details about eSports, player leveling, and more, at E3 in June, including a playable demo.
What new developments have you the most excited? (My personal favorite? The addition of co-op campaign.) Don’t be afraid to let us know here or on twitter. Be sure to follow OpTic Intel as we keep you up to date on the latest Call of Duty Black Ops III news.