Call of Duty: Black Ops III

 PC
User Score
3.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1426 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 324 out of 1426
  2. Mixed: 256 out of 1426
  3. Negative: 846 out of 1426
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  1. mjsh
    Nov 6, 2015
    10
    I can say this is the best call of duty game ever made. don't doubt on buying this. great story missed with awesome and fun zombies and multiplayer. and new modes such as nightmare and free run and with the modding tools coming next year it will be even better.
  2. Borreh
    Nov 13, 2015
    10
    And here I thought Soma will be the only game this year that would make me use my brain. I was dead wrong.

    This game's solo campaign was better than Call of Duty has any right to be. I'll admit right away that I like the solo campaigns of this series, but I always expected a good spectacle and a fun (if dumb) plot at best. Instead, this year we got a game that's out there, among    And here I thought Soma will be the only game this year that would make me use my brain. I was dead wrong.

    This game's solo campaign was better than Call of Duty has any right to be.

    I'll admit right away that I like the solo campaigns of this series, but I always expected a good spectacle and a fun (if dumb) plot at best. Instead, this year we got a game that's out there, among Bioshock, Spec Ops: The Line, Metro: Last Lights and the likes; One of the most intelligent stories I ever experienced in an FPS game. It feels more like a well-written action spin-off of Deus Ex rather than another CoD. It might seem borderline nonsensical at times near the end, but if you read between the lines (quite literally) and give it some thought, it's perfectly logical (albeit with multiple interpretations available). All of this is mixed with the top-notch spectacle you'd expect from this series; Just this time there's some real substance beyond all the explosions.

    Add good visuals, some great music, and, what's more important, surprisingly good gameplay. The player movement is extremely fluid, cyber powers useful and fun to use, enemies engaging. Yes, enemies - For once, CoD introduced varied enemy types that make the gameplay much more varied and demanding. Oh, and did I mention this game has boss battles?... I'll say that again: Call of Duty has boss battles.

    The campaign is surprisingly long and replayable. Even more, finishing it unlocks a new game + mode with a different storyline and slightly different missions. Add to that the most fleshed out (and fun as always) Zombies mode yet that just reeks with character and the best multiplayer the series has seen since a long time. Sure, it borrows heavily from Titanfall, but more than makes up for that with decent balance, fun maps, tons of content, and the (nowadays obligatory) addition of unique heroes that add some flavour to the games.

    Yes, the game did get its share of technical issues at launch (many of which were fixed within the first 24 hours after the release), and the jigsaw plot combined with strongly modified gameplay can feel alienating for old fans of the series, but give this game a chance. For the singleplayer alone, it is worth it.

    PS. It is incredibly amusing to see people praising Bioshock Infinite for having a complex storyline, and then bashing Black Ops 3 as "incomprehensible gibberish" for doing the exact same thing. It is almost as if our expectations towards games define their quality, and not the games themselves. If it's Bioshock, it has to have a deeper meaning, if it's CoD, it has to be stupid nonsense. I wish people would be more open-minded than that.    … Expand
  3. crusssell
    Nov 8, 2015
    9
    Best COD since MW2.
    They did so much right, from offline mode and split screen that seems to be neglected nowadays. It really doesn't seem fair that a bunch of butt hurt babies felt the need to picket before the patch landed that resolved a bunch of performance issues. (patched within 24 hours). Fun as Campaign (4player coop) zombies mode seems great (haven't played enough to really tell    Best COD since MW2.
    They did so much right, from offline mode and split screen that seems to be neglected nowadays. It really doesn't seem fair that a bunch of butt hurt babies felt the need to picket before the patch landed that resolved a bunch of performance issues. (patched within 24 hours). Fun as Campaign (4player coop) zombies mode seems great (haven't played enough to really tell though) and Multiplayer is been amazing. Great maps, great new abilities.

    It's a really good game. Any minor issues i had on release have been resolved. If you ever liked COD grab it.    … Expand
  4. Dolfann23
    Nov 11, 2015
    9
    Black Ops 3 is a very enjoyable addition to the Call of Duty franchise. The zombies is the best it has ever been, and the multiplayer is very solid and the best since Black Ops 1. I feel the game does not deserve all these 0/10 reviews that hate on the game because of the title alone.
  5. Chizcakez
    Nov 11, 2015
    8
    To get the obligatory out of the way- Yes, this game is not optimized for PC. You may experience server crashes, framedrop issues or random disconnects. But when the game runs smoothly (which it does) its a really good experoence. You have lots of content, from Dead Ops Arcade to Gunsmith, the Multiplayer is motivating, the new specialists feel fresh, although i personally dont like someTo get the obligatory out of the way- Yes, this game is not optimized for PC. You may experience server crashes, framedrop issues or random disconnects. But when the game runs smoothly (which it does) its a really good experoence. You have lots of content, from Dead Ops Arcade to Gunsmith, the Multiplayer is motivating, the new specialists feel fresh, although i personally dont like some of the abillities (looking at you Rejack). Im really glad that they reduced the annoying jetpack bouncing by adding the fuel system and removed the buyable supply drops, because these things ruined AW. We all know its not innovative but its a big step in the right direction from CoD, since the last two titles were pretty much a disaster.
    Overall its a solid, fun game, with lots of content and good balance.    … Expand
  6. PinchytheLobby
    Nov 14, 2015
    10
    Giving it a 10 to even out the unfavourable reviews, I would give this game an 8/10, smooth motion and gun play. The campaign, multiplayer and zombie modes work well in unison, generally a good all round game to play when you want to relax.
  7. ChaosSS
    Nov 12, 2015
    9
    Обычная колда ничем не лучше и не хуже остальных. Баги, оптимизон? Поправят патчами. Хреновая русская локализация? Все с такой в этом году, даже Видьмак любимый. Что еще, движок старый? Зато можно поиграть на пастгэне. Сюжета нет? Есть кооп. Надоело будущее? Играйте скайрим.Обычная колда ничем не лучше и не хуже остальных. Баги, оптимизон? Поправят патчами. Хреновая русская локализация? Все с такой в этом году, даже Видьмак любимый. Что еще, движок старый? Зато можно поиграть на пастгэне. Сюжета нет? Есть кооп. Надоело будущее? Играйте скайрим.
  8. Agentbb007
    Nov 19, 2015
    10
    User Score 2.7? Really... This is what we've come to on Metacritic?? OK I think it's officially time for metacritic to get rid of the User Reviews. It shows how stupid we've become as a society...
  9. Ectogamut
    Nov 9, 2015
    9
    Not sure the terrible reviews are being fair to this game. This is an obvious step up from Black Ops 2. A very noticeable upgrade in the graphics...something lacking in many of the previous COD titles. And sure, the developers took a page from Titanfall with adding verticality to the game, but they did it well. Personally, I'm surprised at so many negative reviews considering that theNot sure the terrible reviews are being fair to this game. This is an obvious step up from Black Ops 2. A very noticeable upgrade in the graphics...something lacking in many of the previous COD titles. And sure, the developers took a page from Titanfall with adding verticality to the game, but they did it well. Personally, I'm surprised at so many negative reviews considering that the positives in BO3 seem to far outweigh the negative. So far, loving the game!… Expand
  10. supermanpopcorn
    Nov 11, 2015
    9
    German Review:

    'Bin eigentlich ein alter Battlefield Fan und muss sagen Black Ops 3 is wirklich gelungen. Es ist mein zweites Call of Duty und es hat mich sehr überrascht dass sich der Kauf derart gelohnt hat. Treyarch scheint wirklich zu wissen wie ein "geiles" Spiel aussieht. Nicht nur der Umfang ist echt groß, sondern die Qualität überzeugt. Ich spiel' auf dem PC und habe egentlich    German Review:

    'Bin eigentlich ein alter Battlefield Fan und muss sagen Black Ops 3 is wirklich gelungen. Es ist mein zweites Call of Duty und es hat mich sehr überrascht dass sich der Kauf derart gelohnt hat. Treyarch scheint wirklich zu wissen wie ein "geiles" Spiel aussieht. Nicht nur der Umfang ist echt groß, sondern die Qualität überzeugt. Ich spiel' auf dem PC und habe egentlich nur ein Problem, zudem komm ich aber gleich. Alleine das sogenannte Artdesign, sowohl auch die Musik in der Kampagne ist der Hammer! Es ist viel leichter immer alles schlecht zu reden anstatt Stärken zugestehen. Ich vergeb' hierfür 9 von 10 Punken weil die Maus anscheinend immer noch mit den "frames per second" verkoppelt ist. Wer bloß auf diese Idee kam ... naja dann halt einen Lock in den Optionen setzen.    … Expand
  11. zaninif
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    In a nutshell, this is one of the best COD in years! It's a lot of fun: great gameplay (it's similar to AW but a bit better imho), lots of stuff to do (co-op and zombies!), and the graphics are not bad at all. I don't know if lag comp has been implemented this time, but if it has then it's much better than the previous installments. My latency to COD servers is about 30 ms, so I haveIn a nutshell, this is one of the best COD in years! It's a lot of fun: great gameplay (it's similar to AW but a bit better imho), lots of stuff to do (co-op and zombies!), and the graphics are not bad at all. I don't know if lag comp has been implemented this time, but if it has then it's much better than the previous installments. My latency to COD servers is about 30 ms, so I have always being penalized by lag comp for being close to servers - not anymore, apparently.

    Note that my rig is GTX 980 Ti, i7-2600, 500 GB SSD, 16 GB RAM, Fios 50/50 Mbps, and I'm in the NY metro area. Maybe because of my rig/location, I have not experienced any major issues. Sure, I lose connection sometimes, but it's not too often, and I'm sure it will be fixed soon.    … Expand
  12. Pescado
    Nov 23, 2015
    8
    Unlike Starwars Battlefront, it has a campaign. It's not perfect but I found it enjoyable. Zombie mode is fun, and the multiplayer is where it shines.
  13. Shodan92
    Nov 21, 2015
    9
    Best Call of Duty since Moder Warfare 2.

    Campaign is fun to play with friends. Multiplayer is really great.
    I haven't play Zombies yet, but from what I hear it's also fun.
  14. kbdig2
    Nov 6, 2015
    10
    awesome but I have no sound? :D great story missed with awesome and fun zombies and multiplayer. Black Ops III presents the most ambitious campaign yet.
  15. kkay
    Nov 7, 2015
    10
    The game is poorly optimized, it sure is. Im in a lucky 5% playing without any issues tho, and I liked the game since very start. This is a first CoD title for me, since CoD World at War, and I appreciate how big it is. Also, If you dont like how battlefield changed after 4, this game may just be for you. Regarding optimization~ Patches are on the way, so its not gonna stay in the sameThe game is poorly optimized, it sure is. Im in a lucky 5% playing without any issues tho, and I liked the game since very start. This is a first CoD title for me, since CoD World at War, and I appreciate how big it is. Also, If you dont like how battlefield changed after 4, this game may just be for you. Regarding optimization~ Patches are on the way, so its not gonna stay in the same state for long. Also, I really liked the specializations.… Expand
  16. CENEGA
    Nov 6, 2015
    10
    The best Call of duty that I played.
    Nice multiplayer.
    Nice Zombies.
    Nice graphic.
    Great port.
    and new modes such as nightmare and free run and with the modding tools coming next time it will be even better.
    Good Job Treyarch
  17. thedarklordya
    Nov 6, 2015
    9
    Easily the best COD to date. Better than its predecessors on the next gen in every way possible. Multiplayer maps have a great size and the zombie's map is huge, possibly too big.
  18. BrownManYash
    Nov 10, 2015
    8
    I'm not a fan of CoD. I play CS:GO and Warframe and Ghost Recon Phantoms and Halo. I enjoy tactical play, but a bit of illogical play too. I've never put more than 40 or 50 hours in a CoD game before. I'm telling you this, so people don't call me a fanboy, because I the polar opposite.

    MY SCORE IS BASED ON IF THE PROBLEMS WITH MULTIPLAYER GET FIXED. First off, I just want to get this    I'm not a fan of CoD. I play CS:GO and Warframe and Ghost Recon Phantoms and Halo. I enjoy tactical play, but a bit of illogical play too. I've never put more than 40 or 50 hours in a CoD game before. I'm telling you this, so people don't call me a fanboy, because I the polar opposite.

    MY SCORE IS BASED ON IF THE PROBLEMS WITH MULTIPLAYER GET FIXED.

    First off, I just want to get this off my mind. This game is graphically intensive, and it should be. We're at a time where graphics and gameplay are a huge deal, and we're at the 2+ GB VRAM requirement for these new AAA games. This game maxed out on 1080p hit 4+ VRAM usage on the CAMPAIGN (I have a gtx 970, so i ran a couple functions at medium and high instead of extra). I was pushing 3+ GB VRAM usage in multiplayer on higher end graphics. I do realize there are some performance issues for even gtx 980 ti for this game, but thy should be cleared soon with a couple of patches coming in.

    Another year, another CoD. However this time, we're back to Black Ops. And man it feels good. After the past 2 sub-par games (well, Ghosts was a tragedy), Black Ops 3 picks back up the seemingly dying franchise. Campaign is actually interesting and has damn good twists and secrets (as are the other Black Ops). And having a second campaign is a good addition, and its kind of creepy. And for the people confused by the campaign: Please stop thinking black ops is a mindless shooter fps storyline. Use your brains, and stop mocking the game if you can't "read between the lines" or if you're not willing to think for once (I know I'm being offensive, but it's frustrating to know that this good story is belittled by people who cannot use their brains. There's so much to this story!)

    Zombies? I don't know, since I'm actually afraid of zombies and I haven't played it (ya I'm a wimp, deal with it). But it looks different from the others.

    Multiplayer provides smoother play than the last 2 really fast paced CoD games. And hell, it may be a bit similar in terms of Titanfall parkour, but hey, it isn't a bad addition. And the maps are back to the 3-lanes design, as I believe they should be. HOWEVER, we are having MAJOR performance issues with the game, and the wave of hackers that every fps game has. BUT PEOPLE, THE GAME CAME OUT RECENTLY!!! GIVE TREYARCH SOME TIME FOR PATCHES! And you do realize that Treyarch is giving us PC players modding tools, an exclusive to us only! Funny thing is, this kind of negativity is present on so many new games that have recently come out (cough cough Witcher 3, Dragon Age, Fallout 4). Give the developers some slack. Standards for quality games are rising every year, and game developers put in so much time and money for these games to keep us players happy. There will be bugs and glitches at release. It's inevitable, but as players start pointing out these errors, the developers will make patches. So please people, give some time, and the major problems will be gone.

    All in all, I enjoy this game. Whether I want to lay off some steam, want some mindless shooting, or just want to relax, this game is worth it. I will try out SnD soon, and hopefully it plays as tactically as CS:GO.

    My first review,
    Yash    … Expand
  19. Voxel_Fox
    Nov 6, 2015
    9
    I Haven't been happy with a call of duty game since the first Black Ops. I am extremely enjoying my time in Black Ops 3! I havn't had any problems with framerate, and it looks and plays damn fine.
  20. Thiago145
    Nov 6, 2015
    10
    Best Call of Duty ever,it delivers an amazing experience with a great port from Treyarch.
    People may found some FPS drops in the campaign especially if you are using a i5,however PCDEV already said that they are working on a fix for those issues
  21. Meshuggener
    Nov 6, 2015
    9
    If that was the first call of duty game, there would be no COD haters and would be more appreciated...
    This is a multiplayer game; i havent finished the campain...I love it ! ...may be a little expensive (80$) but
    considering i m gonna play it for few hundred hours, its no big deal then...If you want fast and fun multi fps with nice graphics, buy it ! ; )
  22. Knutz
    Nov 6, 2015
    9
    I'm giving this a 9 because it is the best COD I've played. BO1 was great, BO2 was meh, but this is by far the best! Ignore these previous negative reviewers overwhelmingly giving it 0-1's. E.T(atari from the 80's). deserved a 0-1, but not this. The least it should get is a 7.5 and that's a solid statement. They're just BF converts now upset that it's not BF...That's all. EveryoneI'm giving this a 9 because it is the best COD I've played. BO1 was great, BO2 was meh, but this is by far the best! Ignore these previous negative reviewers overwhelmingly giving it 0-1's. E.T(atari from the 80's). deserved a 0-1, but not this. The least it should get is a 7.5 and that's a solid statement. They're just BF converts now upset that it's not BF...That's all. Everyone knows COD is the worst gaming community when it comes to the genre, so take their reviews with a grain of salt. We all should know this by now.
    It's COD, what'd you expect?! They've got a lot of new elements to the game, it seems to run and feel solid both graphically and responsive to controls. I haven't had any of the issues that the others are talking about. One guy didn't even play it after messing with the settings for 2hrs...but gave it a 1 or something like that. Hateful community!!
    As I've stated...It's COD, it's going to look, feel and sound like COD, but I like the new elements they threw into it. Last COD I played was BO2, so maybe take that into consideration. It's a good game and I feel I got what I paid for, but I also knew what to expect....I wasn't blown away, but definitely better than what I had expected.
    AMD 4100
    Nvidia gtx 560TI
    8gb ram
    Windows 7 64.    … Expand
  23. mintlo
    Apr 13, 2016
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I picked up the game a few months after its release and had a difficult time adjusting to the new game mechanics of thrusting but after getting better at it I enjoy the new challenges with attacking and defending given the new physics. I'm only talking about the multiplayer portion as I haven't tried the story mode or zombies mode, they don't really interest me as I prefer the challenge of playing against human opponents. After purchasing the game I saw there was a brief sale offering only the multiplayer portion of the game and I wish that I would have had this purchase option from the get go. There is a limited player base for PC and I wish they would offer the multiplayer only so as to increase the player base or perfect cross platform play so PC players could play against Xbox and/or Playstation players. Another issue I have is that instead of showing how many players are active in the BO3 they show a percentage of total players active in a particular game mode.
    Another issue of contention is scarcity of special one-shot kill weapons that can only be obtained by crates. I think I know why they chose to do this-scarcity increases demand which caused people to either purchase COD points or play longer in order to be able to get more crates. However, it is very frustrating to continually play and get killed by the over powered special weapons meanwhile continually striking out on receiving the special weapons. I'm not going to purchase COD points - I feel that micro transactions such as these are unethical and the creators of the game should be ashamed of themselves. You are taking advantage of peoples addictive behavior in order to deprive them of money and enrich yourselves in the process. Maybe that's a metaphor for the capitalist paradigm we live in and it's certainly a first world problem. You know this has got me thinking. I'm going to sell everything I own and join the peace corp. Thanks for helping wake me up economic inequalities in the world Treyarch.    … Expand
  24. Jacsam
    Feb 18, 2016
    8
    I do not like multiplayer. I bought the game for the single player experience. I thought the graphics and game play were very good. It also had some interesting weapons. I do not think a game has to reinvent itself every time it comes out. This game is a solid FPS and if you like call of duty then you will enjoy this game.
  25. Bunnyhunter
    Nov 29, 2015
    10
    Best cod with cod4, BO and BO2. very good graphics, run smoothly on my pc all at full settings, no lag (or VERY rarely). The multi is superb. Great zombie and very entertaining campaign.
    some specialist weapons are useless on hardcore, best played in core mod.
    cherry on the cake : mod tools on 2016 with dedi private servers ! This Treyarch guys know how to make a good pc cod, don't be    Best cod with cod4, BO and BO2. very good graphics, run smoothly on my pc all at full settings, no lag (or VERY rarely). The multi is superb. Great zombie and very entertaining campaign.
    some specialist weapons are useless on hardcore, best played in core mod.
    cherry on the cake : mod tools on 2016 with dedi private servers !
    This Treyarch guys know how to make a good pc cod, don't be fooled by this user scoring, watch pc cod youtubers, they are all enjoying it.    … Expand
  26. Bobk
    Dec 26, 2015
    8
    I don't know why people hate this game so much. It is another Call Of Duty tittle so not much has changed but it is still way better that Advanced Warfare and it can't be compared to the absolute disater Ghosts. The game offers a lot of content, from guns to perks to specialists. I would give it a third spot in the franchise ,right after Black Ops 2 and COD 4: MW.
  27. lasn
    Mar 4, 2016
    8
    The game had a bad launch, but it was fixed pretty fast (for me atleast). I think that is the reason for the low user score. 2.7 out of 10 is absolutely too low. Game is alot of fun.

    My first COD game. I have over 150 hours played now. Well worth the money.
  28. GaryGeneral
    Jan 27, 2016
    10
    Having spent thousands of hours of my life on Multiplayer in various Call of Duty games (and other shooters, sadly), I feel I'm qualified to rate this game. Second best Call of Duty ever- Black ops 1 was top, this is next. The vertical nature is under control (unlike Advanced warfare), the guns are great, maps small and intense. What else could you want? Except more people playing on PC toHaving spent thousands of hours of my life on Multiplayer in various Call of Duty games (and other shooters, sadly), I feel I'm qualified to rate this game. Second best Call of Duty ever- Black ops 1 was top, this is next. The vertical nature is under control (unlike Advanced warfare), the guns are great, maps small and intense. What else could you want? Except more people playing on PC to get more games running (eg no one ever plays gun game???) Dedicated servers and competitive mod will cement this as a serious alternative to CS:GO… Expand
  29. Kmodo
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    Black Ops are the only CoD's we play these days due to being the only one with dedicated servers and graphics options you just come to expect on PC e.g. 120fov and not 65fov on MW3 lol.

    Hundreds of hours in previous Black Ops and currently 110hours BO3 so far which is pretty decent for a very casual gamer these days :D It's just a fun game to play, whether have 30mins free over hours    Black Ops are the only CoD's we play these days due to being the only one with dedicated servers and graphics options you just come to expect on PC e.g. 120fov and not 65fov on MW3 lol.

    Hundreds of hours in previous Black Ops and currently 110hours BO3 so far which is pretty decent for a very casual gamer these days :D

    It's just a fun game to play, whether have 30mins free over hours and even though we buy most new games (star wars, r6s etc) this will stay our go to game till the next Black Ops ;D    … Expand
  30. twinklyten
    Jan 25, 2020
    8
    Mechanically inferior to black ops 4 but the enjoyable although bad campaign and quality offline ai award it a similar score
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
35
#35 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 3, 2015
    60
    A bit better than the Ghosts, but worse than Advanced Warfare – new Call of Duty is awkwardly trying to make some changes in single player, but adding a bunch of technical problems in the same time. Multiplayer it is flawless as usual. [Issue#258]
  2. Riot Pixels
    Nov 30, 2015
    60
    Treyarch should have created one awesome sci-fi campaign instead of three mediocre ones.
    Read full review
  3. Ragequit.gr
    Nov 14, 2015
    81
    Treyarch gives us a Call of Duty game that is brimming with content and is sure to provide hundreds of hours of entertainment to its buyers. It’s just a shame that the focus on the quantity of content ended up causing a lack of polish in some areas.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »