Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

 PC
User Score
3.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 786 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 195 out of 786
  2. Mixed: 98 out of 786
  3. Negative: 493 out of 786

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  1. vbarbarian
    Dec 30, 2020
    9
    Can't stop playing the new zombies. Multiplayer is ok. People getting angry and leaving 0's because they can't quickscope noobs for 5 hours straight is pretty funny. Overall I like it.
  2. FaiqGamer
    Mar 11, 2021
    8
    My opinon/review on Black Ops: Cold War for PC.

    What's good in Black Ops Cold War PC:
    -Good Campaign
    -Dope Soundtrack
    -Decent weapon selection
    -Decent Gunsmith
    -Nice zombies mode, (inclduing the new one)

    What's Bad:
    -Skill Based Matchmaking
    -Maps are kinda unbalanced in some modes
    -Technical problems such as Disconnection/crash
  3. garethvk
    Jan 29, 2021
    8
    Treyarch returns to Call of Duty with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and updates the franchise while staying true to what has made it such a massive success.

    Unlike Black Ops IIII, Cold War features a campaign and it is one that offers players side missions, alternate in-mission objectives, dialogue options, and differing endings. Set in the 80s but jumping in time to Vietnam and    Treyarch returns to Call of Duty with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and updates the franchise while staying true to what has made it such a massive success.

    Unlike Black Ops IIII, Cold War features a campaign and it is one that offers players side missions, alternate in-mission objectives, dialogue options, and differing endings.

    Set in the 80s but jumping in time to Vietnam and other timeline events; the player is cast as an operative named Bell. Players have the option to customize their character in terms of name, gender, backstory and such but it does not play much into the game as “Bell” is what players are known by.

    From Eastern Europe, to Vietnam, Cuba, and other locales, the game includes 80s technology and music as players must stop a Soviet General named Perseus from unleashing a Nuclear onslaught.

    As fans of the series can guess; players will undertake various missions using combat, stealth, infiltration, elimination, recovery, and more to save the day. There are all sorts of weapons for players to select from ranging from Western to Eastern and allows players to experience a variety of options from sniping, run and gun, and even a Bow.

    Vehicles also play a part of the game but they are more heavily featured in the multiplayer portion of the game.

    The game does offer variations on the ending based on a player’s choice of completing side missions and choices they make along the way and the game also offers players the chance to grab enemies and use them as a shield in taking on enemy fire. This is one option I would love to see appear in multiplay.

    The graphics are solid and some of the landscapes from jungle to frozen tundra really stand out as I was playing on an EVGA 2700 GTX card. The game was also considerably more stable than Modern Warfare was at launch as I did not encounter any issues with my gameplay.

    At first I thought the campaign was short but I later realized I had become so engrossed in it that I mistakenly thought so. The levels do offer some real treats which I would love to discuss but do not want to spoil.

    Multiplay is the bread and butter of the series as it is what drives the popularity of the series along as players will spend countless hours leveling up, customizing, and playing the various maps and modes as new content arrives until the release of the next game in the series.

    Some have complained that the maps are a bit sparse and uninspired but I have enjoyed my time in the multiplayer and enjoy the fact that I can now select only the modes I wish to play for Quickplay to avoid being placed in a mode I do not wish to play.

    The Co-Op Mode I enjoyed so much in Modern Warfare is gone this time around in favor of a Zombie mode and while it does not shake things up much from the prior Zombie offerings; it does offer plenty of entertainment and I look forward to seeing more content in the future.

    There is an Assault mode where players can use vehicles ranging from Tanks, Snowmobiles, Jet Skis, Gun Boats and more which adds to the fun as ramming your ride into a landing area which an explosive attached is great fun.

    The only issue I had with the game was with Warzone as attempting to launch it took me to desktop and out of the game so hopefully this will be smoothed out soon as new updates are already out for the game and next week will see the return of the popular Nuketown map which now is updated to 1984.

    In the end Black Ops Cold War does not reinvent the franchise but rather gives players more of what they have come to expect with a few new wrinkles to the mix.

    4 stars out of 5
    sknr.net    … Expand
  4. Edsfelps
    Feb 21, 2021
    10
    Good game, and very interesting graphics for new generations of video games, tambien muy buen sonido.
  5. Frustraded
    Feb 13, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. very good campaing,good zombies,decent multiplayer better than some cod games.… Expand
  6. jelikey
    Jan 9, 2021
    8
    When purchasing this game you have to realize that multiplayer isn't everything, the campaign, at least for me is one of the best in the series. However, from a multiplayer POV it is just okay. Lack of maps and those that are there are mediocre at best. I play for the campaign, but I understand that a majority of people came for zombies and multiplayer. Zombies is meh, a fun thing to playWhen purchasing this game you have to realize that multiplayer isn't everything, the campaign, at least for me is one of the best in the series. However, from a multiplayer POV it is just okay. Lack of maps and those that are there are mediocre at best. I play for the campaign, but I understand that a majority of people came for zombies and multiplayer. Zombies is meh, a fun thing to play with friends, but worse than bo1 and bo2. I do in fact like this zombies but I can see how it would be a hit or miss with some people. Some people forget the launch state of Modern Warfare which was not very good, this game is better but progression is slow and there needs to be more maps added as non-dlc maps. If they give it the same treatment as Modern Warfare then I think that this could turn out to be a great game. For right now, however, keep your money and wait to see what happens.… Expand
  7. Playernr1
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    One of the best Call of Duty games in long time. It had kind of bad launch, but it's way better now. Can't wait for COD 2021, hopefully WW 2 !!!
  8. codbetterthanbf
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    About million times better game than Battlefield V and it doesn't have any sjw agenda like Battlefield V does. Fun game.
  9. VirtualStorm
    Mar 3, 2021
    10
    Es el Mejor Juego de ACCION!!!! Me encanta :D pero si tiene unos graficasos que mi GTX no soporta ;v pero me encanta el juego :D!
  10. Dark_Doter007
    Jan 10, 2021
    10
    сюжетная компания очень удивила,5 из 5 молодцом но вот мультиплеер конечно не как в мв 2019 режим зомби тож прикольный
  11. californiatears
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    Thank you EA for this wonderful game and game series! I never cared about cod multiplayer, because there's so many of them already. I play only singleplayer and singleplayer is only reason i care about cod and that was great!
  12. fullmetal3000
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    I mean it's pretty cool game, specially single player part. Multiplayer is also fun.
  13. AliensExist
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    It's very true that this game is bad on playstation consoles, because playstation is just weak pathetic console, so no wonder. But this game is solid on masterrace gaming systems like PC and Xbox Series X. Would recommend!
  14. raskin_oleg
    Jan 26, 2021
    10
    PLEASE, DONT LISTEN KIDS WITH BAD PC!!!
    This game have story on the Black Ops 1 level or same! Just believe, if you fan of Black Ops 1, YOU MUST PLAY THIS GAME without immediately. I am just bought this game by my own money... and IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE!
    Sound: 8/10
    Graphics: 7/10
    Story: 10/10
    Gameplay: 8/10 (believe me, there it's really better than any call of duty before)
  15. TheMessenger
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    Just cause Playstation 4 / 5 version are bad (because weak loser console), doesn't mean you have to troll PC / Xbox Series X versions that run on ultimately superior hardware.
  16. cr3d
    Jun 1, 2021
    8
    This game in my honest opinion, as a cod veteran who has been playing the franchise on and off for 9 years, it is very over-hated.

    The biggest downfall of this game is some of the silly decisions Activision/developers have made revolving the multiplayer. two massive ones that are the real issue for the vast majority of us is the strict SBMM (skill-based matchmaking) and the fact that    This game in my honest opinion, as a cod veteran who has been playing the franchise on and off for 9 years, it is very over-hated.

    The biggest downfall of this game is some of the silly decisions Activision/developers have made revolving the multiplayer.

    two massive ones that are the real issue for the vast majority of us is the strict SBMM (skill-based matchmaking) and the fact that lobbies with randoms disband at the end of each game...

    the sbmm makes the game very competitive because you are being hammered to your skill ceiling 24/7, basically you can never catch a break! and the lobbies disbanding is just a sad reality, i have so many happy memories of trolling people and having a laugh and even making real friendships within matchmaking, but now you have to friend people and it ruins the experience, before you could all just chill and not leave the lobby and talk to a bunch of strangers, not anymore!

    with the negatives all said and done, zombies, campaign and multiplayer are all strong contenders this year, the zombies being a little easy but other than that, the 'trifecta' which makes Treyarch so great is true and strong in this call of duty title. Amazing campaign which i will play again when i have forgotten the plot in a year or so. the mp content, maps and gun play are really good.

    TLDR: That is all I have time for, a rather short review but it says all you need to know really. If you don't like being competetive, this game is not for you, even party games and jokey game modes are turned into a cesspool of CDL skins and sweaty gfuel-drinking cheese heads that use the most op create a classes.

    8/10    … Expand
  17. somwehere
    Mar 25, 2021
    10
    EA is one of my favorite companies. Let me explain why. They aren't lazy losers like CDprojectred, that's why. They actually make working games every single year. Every year.
    Cdprojectred released no games since 2016 and in 2020 they came out with most amateurish game possible. You have to be absolute hypocrite to hate EA. I absolutely don't care how much money they wanna make. They are    EA is one of my favorite companies. Let me explain why. They aren't lazy losers like CDprojectred, that's why. They actually make working games every single year. Every year.
    Cdprojectred released no games since 2016 and in 2020 they came out with most amateurish game possible. You have to be absolute hypocrite to hate EA. I absolutely don't care how much money they wanna make. They are company, that's why companies exist by the way lmao. All i can ask is working games and EA delivers that.    … Expand
  18. HollywoodStar
    Nov 14, 2020
    9
    This game plays incredibly well. The movement feels fast paced, the gunplay in phenomenal. The sound design is my favorite part, a lot of the guns' noises will put hair on your chest. Prior to shooting the Hauer 77 I was a little boy. After shooting it, I drink whisky and smoke cigarettes... I am a man now. The zombies feels so good. It is only one map, but the progression both in andThis game plays incredibly well. The movement feels fast paced, the gunplay in phenomenal. The sound design is my favorite part, a lot of the guns' noises will put hair on your chest. Prior to shooting the Hauer 77 I was a little boy. After shooting it, I drink whisky and smoke cigarettes... I am a man now. The zombies feels so good. It is only one map, but the progression both in and outside of the actual game makes it feel endless. The new scrap features makes me feel as if I always have something to work towards in the game, and the Aetherium crystals work the same way outside of the game. The multiplayers maps are somewhat hit or miss. The gunplay is very fun, but some of the maps feel pretty poorly designed to fit with specific game modes. Overall though it is my favorite multiplayer since Black Ops 2. To rebuttal the people that complain about the game feeling cartoonish and arcade-like, that has always been the charm of Call of Duty in my opinion. If you want a hyper realistic game, go play Tarkov or something.… Expand
  19. Onsides
    Nov 14, 2020
    8
    This game is so fun. The multiplayer feels good, movement feels good, zombies is so much fun. I haven't played the campaign yet but everything else about the game and the gameplay feels fantastic. My biggest gripe with this game is that the party system sucks. Trying to join a party takes at least 3 attempts before it lets you actually join and once you are in a party, it isn't 100%This game is so fun. The multiplayer feels good, movement feels good, zombies is so much fun. I haven't played the campaign yet but everything else about the game and the gameplay feels fantastic. My biggest gripe with this game is that the party system sucks. Trying to join a party takes at least 3 attempts before it lets you actually join and once you are in a party, it isn't 100% guaranteed that you will end up in the same lobby as your friends. Other than that, the game feels really good. Brings me back to my childhood of playing black ops 2 for hours on end. Love it.… Expand
  20. c300g97
    Nov 22, 2020
    10
    Best black ops we've had since 2, awesome campaign from Raven's studios and the multiplayer feels like a great mix of classic and battlefield, which makes it awesome
  21. Jkitzy
    Nov 16, 2020
    9
    The progression is good in it. The campaign is the average cod campaign where shoot every enemy then you win but it can get boring very quickly it tries to be engaging at the end which it does. the zombies is very fun and they are trying new things but some things need balancing as some things are overpowered and some things are underpowered especially in multiplayer.
    Really feel like    The progression is good in it. The campaign is the average cod campaign where shoot every enemy then you win but it can get boring very quickly it tries to be engaging at the end which it does. the zombies is very fun and they are trying new things but some things need balancing as some things are overpowered and some things are underpowered especially in multiplayer.
    Really feel like Treyarch is keeping it real, this version of CoD feels closer to the original versions that sparked the entire CoD rush. Mutiplayer maps feel great and flow so much better than the sandbox style mp maps in MW2019. Zombie mode has tons of content, and allowing you to progress your weapons and profile through playing zombies as well))    … Expand
  22. Bread162
    Nov 19, 2020
    8
    [Played on PC, cost $79.99 CAD]
    The game overall is really fun. I have only played multiplayer and zombies currently, but I find both are enjoyable. The gameplay feels like a slightly more arcade-ey version of Modern Warfare 2019 which will not be to everyone's liking, but I personally think both games feel pretty good. I feels like a mix of the new Call of Duty with the old Call of Duty,    [Played on PC, cost $79.99 CAD]
    The game overall is really fun. I have only played multiplayer and zombies currently, but I find both are enjoyable. The gameplay feels like a slightly more arcade-ey version of Modern Warfare 2019 which will not be to everyone's liking, but I personally think both games feel pretty good. I feels like a mix of the new Call of Duty with the old Call of Duty, with both the good and the bad.

    Positives:
    - Zombies is REALLY good, I personally think it merges the more complicated new stuff from BO3 and BO4 zombies super well with the more classic zombies gameplay of Black Ops 1, where the maps were a bit smaller and easy to set up. The systems are really interesting, but the menus used for Armor and Pack a Punch are a little cumbersome when trying to Pack a Punch or refill your armor quickly when being chased by zombies.
    -The sound design is good, while most definitely not as real feeling as Modern Warfare, all guns have punch and sound very heavy. This is not to everyone's taste as it can sound more exaggerated, to in my opinion I think that it sounds good while playing.
    -I have not played the campaign yet but I have heard it is quite good
    -Free zombies maps, and all content updates to the game are free due to Activision's new model

    Negatives:
    - Standard multiplayer feels really small, I personally really like the Combined Arms mode, but the standard multiplayer matches I've played have felt lack luster
    - The game has a fair few bugs in it, which isn't very acceptable from this franchise after so many years. They should really know better, especially with charging $10 more on the new consoles. The majority of the bugs I have experienced are in zombies rather than multiplayer, but I still think zombies is the best mode in the game.
    - The skins you can unlock for your guns in this game are significantly less interesting than the ones in Modern Warfare in my opinion, and while there are more with having zombies and multiplayer camos, the only interesting ones are the zombies skins    … Expand
  23. jhollis977
    Nov 14, 2020
    10
    This is as polished as Modern Warfare, with everything you know and love from Black Ops. Throw in 80's music and the Cold War setting and you have a pretty damn good game for $60. This has also been my first game to try Ray Tracing on, and it looks phenomenal.
  24. mtcx
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    So, this game is a total hoot. While the campaign isn't that interesting - it's a very linear story line shooter that isn't challenging at all - I lost interest after about 4 missions. The multiplayer is a blast though. It's classic, straightforward multiplayer bash fest. There aren't a lot of maps (I assume this will improve over time) but this is actually beneficial to yourSo, this game is a total hoot. While the campaign isn't that interesting - it's a very linear story line shooter that isn't challenging at all - I lost interest after about 4 missions. The multiplayer is a blast though. It's classic, straightforward multiplayer bash fest. There aren't a lot of maps (I assume this will improve over time) but this is actually beneficial to your performance - because they're memorisable in a reasonable amount of time.
    The game is largely bug free (although the hit boxes are a bit overly generous) and is well executed - the menu system is simple and clear (I'm looking at you COD:BO4), the game mechanics are easily grokked. If you're looking for a "cold war sim" experience, this is not it. The whole "cold war" theme is flimsy as hell and irrelevant but who cares, it's a blast.    … Expand
  25. jdmarcinek
    Nov 20, 2020
    9
    Honestly, this game is everything i wanted as a cod player, because campaign is great, multiplayer is almost perfect, almost because weapon leveling is long af, and it doesnt have too many maps but without that its great, zombies are amazing i dont know honestly why this game has so low reviews cuz i really enjoyed it and i think most people either but everyone is hating this game here (iHonestly, this game is everything i wanted as a cod player, because campaign is great, multiplayer is almost perfect, almost because weapon leveling is long af, and it doesnt have too many maps but without that its great, zombies are amazing i dont know honestly why this game has so low reviews cuz i really enjoyed it and i think most people either but everyone is hating this game here (i mean on metacritic) it sucks :| i guess probably these people didnt even played that game and just say what other say :(… Expand
  26. 4life-
    Nov 20, 2020
    8
    I dont recognize any of the technical problems users are reporting on.Nor did i play any of the multiplayer modes So this is based purely based on my experience with the story.

    Looks cool and i love the 80s feel. Actors did a nice job,the sound and music for me was great,although it would not hurt to get more licenses to some sweet 80s classics. The graphics on my PC was great. Pretty    I dont recognize any of the technical problems users are reporting on.Nor did i play any of the multiplayer modes So this is based purely based on my experience with the story.

    Looks cool and i love the 80s feel. Actors did a nice job,the sound and music for me was great,although it would not hurt to get more licenses to some sweet 80s classics. The graphics on my PC was great. Pretty much maxed out what i could,and it looked amazing. As mentioned before - No issues or crashes for me. Logging in via Battlenet was easy and stable.

    Story is very short. I love the "Detective" part of this game. Brilliant idea with the code cracking and finding the correct suspects. And i absolutely LOVED the "KGB" mission. However i wish the game was more like this mission. I absolutely loved it,and keep going back playing every option in this mission. This is something i hope the devs see,and take to heart. Also GREAT that a single player is in the game. SP is NOT dead. MORE MORE MORE,and please make it longer. I will happily pay the full price for a amazing action filled SP story. I play COD almost exclusively for that.

    All in all. A great game but too short. Maybe if they could sell just the Single player part for a reduced price,and i do hope they keep remember us story driven players. The game is a solid 8 for me. I would give it fullscore if there was more missions,and maybe more like the amazing KGB mission.    … Expand
  27. xDBluCZxD
    Nov 16, 2020
    10
    After one year of suffering with MW Treyarch is back. Campaign is awesome, fun and mind blowing, Multiplayer is Black ops 1 + Black ops 3, 4 so its fun, chaotic, full of action. Zombies are awesome too. I am glad Treyarch is back and I cant wait for content!
  28. JD-Day
    Nov 20, 2020
    10
    Amazing game. The singleplayer is awesome. Great variety and open maps. Zombies are even better and are extremely addictive, even in solos. The Multiplayer is %85 because the scorestreak system is stupid.
  29. Jackiebiscuit
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    After playing this game for many hours, I can say it has basis to amazing! This game may have many bugs but I expect most game launches to be buggy when it comes to games like this. There is a severe lack of content but that doesn’t hurt the quality of the game in my opinion. The zombies experience is easily the best thing about this game as they have completely outdone themselves with theAfter playing this game for many hours, I can say it has basis to amazing! This game may have many bugs but I expect most game launches to be buggy when it comes to games like this. There is a severe lack of content but that doesn’t hurt the quality of the game in my opinion. The zombies experience is easily the best thing about this game as they have completely outdone themselves with the great cross progression system and adding many quality of life improvements like the removal of perk limit and being able to mantle everything and having the ability to easily maneuver through zombies. The multiplayer side is a bit on the rough side as I wish we had more maps but it’s fairy balanced (aside from the initial mp5 which just got nerfed) compared to most cod games, and as we all know, modern warfare 2019 was god awful with its balancing. The campaign is a very great but short action based adventure! Loved the gameplay as well as the stealth scenes. I did love the gameplay of the previous cods campaign as well and the story a bit better but I prefer cold wars story overall as well as the multiple outcome of endings. Overall, the current state of the game is alright but we just need more content! Easily the best cod we’ve had in years with its basis being so strong, they just need to build on it.… Expand
  30. Mr_Impulsive
    Nov 16, 2020
    8
    I really feel like Treyarch is keeping it real, this version of CoD feels closer to the original versions that sparked the entire CoD rush. Mutiplayer maps feel great and flow so much better than the sandbox style mp maps in MW2019. Zombie mode has tons of content, and allowing you to progress your weapons and profile through playing zombies as well.

    This is prob my favorite version    I really feel like Treyarch is keeping it real, this version of CoD feels closer to the original versions that sparked the entire CoD rush. Mutiplayer maps feel great and flow so much better than the sandbox style mp maps in MW2019. Zombie mode has tons of content, and allowing you to progress your weapons and profile through playing zombies as well.

    This is prob my favorite version of CoD so far, I love MW2019 but i was not a fan of the mp map design. If you loved the old school CoD shooters then you will most likely appreciate Cold War. The audio and actually being able to hear foot steps is so nice, hats off to the audio.

    Does it look worse than mw2019... yes and no, the maps are very clear and crisp and vibrant making enemies easy to see at long range. The audio is not as realistic like MW19 but the gunfire doesn't drown out everything else around allowing you to hear better. You can actually hear foot steps now which is amazing. Careful sprinting around...lol

    It doesn't have all of the fancy bells and whistles MW2019 has but a few things this game has over MW is map design hands down, Cold War has some of the best maps I have seen in years, they flow very nice and the pace is good. The TTK is much faster in Cold War allowing you to kill with a few shots versus a solid full clip.

    Overall I feel Treyarch made a FUN to play CoD this time, it feels like Black Ops 2 all over again.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Launcher (The Washington Post)
    Jan 27, 2021
    70
    What feature, or lack thereof, would compel a Call of Duty fan to buy or skip a new entry at this point? It plays fine, and it’s the most recent one. That’s usually enough.
    Read full review
  2. GameSpace
    Jan 13, 2021
    85
    Overall, I love the old-school feels of Black Ops in Cold War and I love the storyline. All of the modes are fun to play and offer a lot for old players and new players alike. It is fun to get back into the action with players from all consoles and on PC to make the action that much better with cross-play. There are some issues with multiplayer that will seemingly never go away but such is life for an online multiplayer game.
    Read full review
  3. Worth Playing
    Jan 4, 2021
    80
    The question of whether to pick up Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War on the PC is situational, despite it being a solid title. If you're the type of player who likes the campaigns that each entry brings forth, then you'll be fine with Cold War. The branching paths of the short campaign give it some replayability beyond simply increasing the difficulty. Fans of Zombies mode will also be fine, even though it suffers from having only one map (for now) and a PlayStation-exclusive mode that'll be unavailable on the PC for a year. Multiplayer fans are in more of a pickle. If you're tired of the maps in the prominently featured Modern Warfare but want traditional modes, then this is perfect, especially since the cross-play feature is going strong and there are people on both the last- and next-generation platforms ensuring the game gets a healthy shelf life. If you're primarily a Warzone player, you aren't going to bother with this one, since that free-to-play game is getting Cold War elements soon to keep it fresh.
    Read full review
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