Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is a Treyarch-developed, Activision-published shooter built around competitive multiplayer, co-op Zombies, and Blackout battle royale—not a traditional single-player campaign. It launched October 12, 2018, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Launch-era reviews generally liked the online package, but whether it suits you depends on how much you want those modes and how much a conventional campaign matters.
What reviewers thought of Black Ops 4
The launch-era reviews point to an online-focused game whose three modes offer different reasons to play. GameSpot’s Kallie Plagge rated it 8/10, praising the blend of familiar and new ideas in multiplayer and calling Blackout an effective Call of Duty take on battle royale. She also found Zombies deep and full of secrets. Her reservations: some Specialists were less rewarding without coordinated teammates, and returning-character dialogue could distract from Zombies.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - PS4 Legacy Edition | $24.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Call of Duty Black Ops 4 - PlayStation 4 (PS4) | $29.39 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Call of Duty: WWII (PS4) | $23.89 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - PlayStation 4 | $37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
PC Gamer was more guarded, awarding its PC review 78. It praised the responsive shooting and Blackout’s quick pace, but stressed that players seeking a conventional solo campaign would find little to fill that role. These are individual reviewers’ 2018 judgments, not assessments of the game’s current service, availability, or technical condition.
What are the three main modes like?
Competitive multiplayer
Activision’s May 2018 reveal described multiplayer as more tactical and team-driven, with changes to weapon controls, combat flow, health regeneration, and movement. The Pick 10 system returned, and Specialists brought distinct weapons and equipment. GameSpot’s review found the mix of old and new broadly successful, while noting that some Specialist abilities depend on teammates coordinating around them.
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- Legacy Edition Includes: Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered*;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, strong language, suggestive themes
- Infinity Ward reaches new heights with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which returns to the roots of the franchise with large-scale war, epic battles, and cinematic, immersive military storytelling and takes players on a journey from Earth to beyond our atmosphere.
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare delivers something for every Call of Duty fan with three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is back, remastered in true high-definition featuring improved textures, physically based rendering, high-dynamic range lighting and much more to bring a new generation experience to fans.
- Team up with your friends with 10 of the iconic multiplayer maps from the online multiplayer mode that redefined Call of Duty introducing killstreaks, XP, Prestige and more in customizable, classic multiplayer modes.
Zombies
Zombies is a substantial co-op mode rather than a small extra. At launch, the announced maps included IX, Voyage of Despair, and Blood of the Dead; that list describes the original offering, not every later addition. GameSpot praised the mode’s depth and secrets, while finding some returning-character dialogue distracting. PC Gamer also noted solo Zombies with bots.
Blackout
Blackout brought battle royale to the Black Ops setting, drawing on characters, locations, weapons, equipment, and vehicles from the series. Activision’s reveal described solo and team play, with ground, air, and sea vehicles. Both reviews highlighted its appeal: GameSpot praised it as a successful Call of Duty spin on battle royale, and PC Gamer liked its pace and shooting.
Is there a single-player campaign?
No traditional campaign is included. Specialist HQ offers character-focused tutorial missions, practice matches, and a story thread, but its main purpose is teaching multiplayer mechanics. PC Gamer judged the solo offering thin for anyone expecting a conventional story campaign. Solo Zombies with bots provides another way to play without a group, but it is not a replacement for a narrative campaign.
How much should you rely on the scores?
GameSpot’s review is 8/10, while its game page displayed a Metacritic score of 83 when consulted for this article. That aggregate is a page snapshot, not a timeless or platform-independent measure. Metacritic’s selected critic excerpts reflect the same central trade-off: reviewers praised Blackout and the online package while recognizing the campaign omission as a meaningful downside.
Rank #3
- The Best Shooter Experience on Console in 2017 - Daily Star
- An Explosive Return to its Roots - The Telegraph
- Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII a breath-taking experience that redefines World War II for a gaming generation
- Experience three different game modes: Campaign, multiplayer and co-operative
- Experience Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny
GameSpot reviewer Kallie Plagge disclosed that Activision supplied her PS4 copies and said she split play evenly among multiplayer, Zombies, and Blackout. PC Gamer’s review covered the PC version and identified its test system as Windows 10, Intel i7-8700K, GeForce GTX 1080, and 16 GB RAM. It reported occasional crashes across modes and party/invite problems on that review PC, alongside otherwise strong performance on the GTX 1080. Those are launch-period observations tied to one review setup; they do not establish current PC stability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who is Black Ops 4 for?
- A good fit: players mainly interested in competitive multiplayer, co-op Zombies, or a Call of Duty-flavored battle royale mode.
- A weaker fit: players who consider a substantial, conventional single-player campaign essential.
- Worth weighing: Specialist abilities may depend on team coordination, and solo play is available through tutorial missions and Zombies with bots rather than a standard campaign.
For context, Activision’s May 17, 2018 reveal quoted Call of Duty executive Rob Kostich saying that more than 200 million players had “called Black Ops home” and played for more than 15 billion hours. Those are publisher-reported franchise-wide figures, not independently audited counts or Black Ops 4-specific player totals.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Cross-Gen Bundle
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the sequel to 2019’s blockbuster Modern Warfare.
- Featuring the return of the iconic, team leader Captain John Price, the fearless John "Soap" MacTavish, the seasoned Sergeant Kyle "Gaz” Garrick, and the lone wolf himself, fan favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley, players will witness what makes Task Force 141 the legendary squad it is today.
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Sources
- Call of Duty/Activision, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Revealed!”
- Blizzard Entertainment, PC launch announcement
- GameSpot, “Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 Review – Zombies, Blackout, Multiplayer”
- PC Gamer, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 PC review”
- GameSpot, Black Ops 4 game hub
- Metacritic, Black Ops 4 critic reviews
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