Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is nearly here and this around, the devs over at Treyarch and Raven are doing things a little differently from last time: going all-in on the 90s action movie aesthetic. Over the weekend, we at Sirus Gaming were able to get our hands on the Multiplayer Beta for the game and these were thoughts about it so far.
Before I continue with this preview, it should be noted that the team and I played the beta on the PS5. We are aware of the technical issues plaguing PC players at the moment and all I can say is that from the time we spent on the beta, the worst it got for us was us needing to re-queue and the occasional bouts of desync and lag. But other than that, it was smooth as silk.
Regardless, it must be stressed that this is a beta for the game and we are fully confident that the game will perform better the closer it is to launch later this year.
If you enter the beta solo, you’ll see a window asking if you want to try the new “Omni Movement” system. If you press “yes”, you’ll load up a training course where you can practice this new movement system unique to Black Ops 6.
You are taught to sprint forward, backward, and side to side. This completely goes against everything I’ve known for the longest time in shooters where you can only sprint forward. The devs were serious about going down the action star route and running in all directions is part of it. If you hold the slide button while sprinting, you will perform a dive. Diving allows you to catch enemies off guard. This is especially important during corner fights when a split second can mean the difference between winning the gunfight or seeing the loadout screen.
I had fun jumping out of corners and doorways. The enemies aren’t always on the other side, but on occasions, I did catch someone pre-aiming the side I used to be and the joy of perfectly catching them unawares was sublime. My only problem is that your aim goes all over the place during a dive. So, if possible, I try to zero in on an opponent before pulling the trigger. It doesn’t always work out for me but that’s just another day in COD multiplayer.
Amazingly, Lex was able to hold someone hostage, albeit accidentally and only for a couple of seconds. He intended to kill someone using melee from behind but ended up in a curious position with enemies to the front and back. (Our first stream of the beta captured the moment in all its bloody detail.) I can picture a good use for the hostage in a game mode like Deathmatch but in this case, it was more hilarious than anything else.
We also had a bit of a talk about bringing out the knife during the matches. Lex is iffy about the delay between switching to the knife and your guns. I don’t bring out the knife unless I absolutely don’t have ammo in my primary and secondary, so it’s a distance thought for me. And Jarren was neutral throughout the whole conversation.
The gunplay is arguably the best aspect of the playtest. The aim was snappy and the recoil wasn’t overbearing. There are only around 8 or so guns to choose from right now, so that opinion can still change when they introduce more guns in the next round of the playtest. So far, the guns on hold were capable in the right hands, especially the shotgun. That thing can chew up enemies with one perfectly well-placed shot. However, missing is the last thing you want to happen so there’s the drawback. The same can be said with the sniper rifle but corner peeking is still a thing.
I did try all the guns as they became available. I had grown fond of the Marine SP shotgun for its sheer stopping power but its use was map-dependent. By the end of our session, I had chosen my upgraded AK-74 as my go-to option. The AMES 85 was the clear favorite for many players in our lobbies followed by the Jackal PDW but they weren’t for me. I’d like to make a special mention to the XMG. This might be the first LMG that didn’t perform poorly in my hands. A rarity considering my disastrous history with LMGs.
Hands down, our favorite map in the multiplayer beta has got to be the “Skyline”. Sure, it was technically larger than a small multiplayer map, and there was always the chance of us missing the other team as they rotated to the other side. But, we as a team, had the most fun on that map. We agreed that the verticality played a big part in our enjoyment. Scanning for enemies on the roof across the pool quickly became second nature to us. The living room fights were also memorable for how hectic they were.
This isn’t a knock on the train cars and Iraq map. It’s just that the Iraq map was susceptible to Semtex tactics as well as being a sniper’s paradise. The railroads’ map is exceptionally tiny so fights often devolve to who can claim the most frag kills with a single grenade. On the bright side, they are slightly more colorful compared to previous maps. But that might be the case and I’m not used to seeing them yet.
I believe that the multiplayer beta is off to a good start. You can easily reach the level cap of 20 in a single 3-hour session if you give it your all. But don’t worry, there will be more betas leading up to the full release of the game on October 25, 2024. In the meantime, players can level up their favorite guns before more maps and game modes are introduced.