The 2025Call of Dutygame was revealed to beCall of Duty: Black Ops 7, a direct sequel to the series' most iconic title,Black Ops 2. Many past characters and evencertain actors are returning inBlack Ops 7, and all this hype had me thinking about where it all began:Call of Duty: Black Ops 1. This game was released a whopping 15 years ago, in 2010, and, strangely, remains the highest-ratedBlack Opstitle, with an 87 on Metacritic.
Most fans putBlack Ops 2above the original, and afterchecking outCall of Duty: Black Ops 1and2on Xbox PC, I can see why.Black Ops 1is a great game, butit’s nowhere near the top of the franchise like I once thought. The multiplayer still holds up phenomenally, but the campaign and Zombies have some issues looking back that the sequels heavily improved upon.
The Campaign To Black Ops 1 Has A Major Tone Problem
It’s Often Too Cheesy For Such A Serious Narrative
Looking back, 15 years later, there’s still a lot to love aboutBlack Ops 1’scampaign. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the levels are pretty good, it has iconic quotes and moments, and the twist is great and well-foreshadowed. However, after my most recent playthrough, andespecially after playingBlack Ops 2, it has its faults. The biggest one for me is the tone.
For such a serious plot that plays up its mystique factor and espionage elements,Black Opscan get pretty cheesy,pulling me out of the game. The best example of this is Hudson putting on his glasses, accompanied by a music stinger at the end of the Revelations mission. What a way to spoil the mood after a mind-bending, psychological mission where the twist is revealed.
Another problem is howBlack Ops 1uses multiple perspectives, as it can be sloppy at points. Most of the levels are flashbacks, intercutting between the present-day interrogation scenario and the past level that you’re playing. Some of the moments it returns to the present day are just unnecessary, an elementBlack Ops 2improved by allowing flashback scenes to breathe. The best example of this inBlack Ops 1is the betrayal moment in the WW2 mission, which occurs largely off-screen, ruining one of the story’s key parts.
The Zombies Experience Isn’t As Good Looking Back
Zombies Has Evolved So Much Since BO1
WhenBlack Ops 1came out, it had the greatestCODZombies experience out there, with the most maps and huge gameplay innovations. However, it justdoesn’t hold a candle to future Zombies modeslikeBlack Ops 2,Black Ops 3, or evenInfinite Warfare. Some of the maps in this game are thebest Zombies maps ever created for the series, but there are a few bad ones as well. Five was never good, even back then, with a layout that just doesn’t translate well to good Zombies gameplay.
All theBlack Ops 1Easter eggs were a nightmare.
Shangri-La was a fun map at the time, but playing it now exposes many of its faults, like its frustrating co-op play when trying to open the Pack-a-Punch or the annoying Easter egg.Black Ops 1was also the first COD Zombies game to push the Easter egg aspect, and compared to newer titles, it falls flat. In future games, Treyarch and Infinity Ward tried tomake the Easter eggs actually fun to do, while inBO1, you have to playSimonor an early version ofKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes, matching up shapes through voice chat.
All theBlack Ops 1Easter eggs were a nightmare, and besides a few parts, like slaughtering hordes of zombies to fill up tubes in Moon, it wasn’t any fun. Plus,they’re heavily luck-dependent, requiring wonder weapons and certain excavators about to be breached. It’s still a solid Zombies experience and very fun to play, but to be frank, I would playBlack Ops 3andInfinite WarfareZombies any day of the week overBO1.
After playingBlack Ops 1in 2025, it’s no longer the legendary game I thought. It’s shocking thatBO1remains the highest-ratedBlack Opsgame, becauseBO2is better in every regard. I playedBO2directly afterBO1, and I can say thatBO2is just as good as I remember or maybe even better, boasting the best campaign in the franchise, a top-three multiplayer experience, and stellar zombies. I’m eager for thelong-overdue direct sequel,Black Ops 7,but the originalCall of Duty: Black Opsis an amazingCODthat has nonetheless been surpassed by the numerous sequels.
