I’m a massive fan of the Call of Duty franchise, and regardless of the entry, I jump on every year to enjoy its multiplayer offerings with friends. Say what you will about some of the lower points of the franchise, but I firmly believe that year on year, you’ll find some of the most refined and satisfying gunplay mechanics around, which makes it utterly addictive.
Call of Duty: Black Ops might have blown the doors off the franchise when it released back in 2010, and for good reason. It was presenting a more nuanced, mind-bending narrative about the implications and consequences of war. Sure, the franchise has gone far and wide since, but at the time, this fresh take was rather admired.
So with that being said, I just want to highlight what the game means to fans and newcomers alike today, because its re-release does bring with it some glaring issues and annoyances that unfortunately cannot be ignored.
The Numbers, Mason
Call of Duty: Black Ops on modern consoles is without a doubt the same game released in 2010. So let’s talk about that game. I had mentioned how unique the story was at the time, and I feel that holds up here.
Nostalgia aside, there are still some awesome setpieces that get the blood pumping, like escaping the Vorkuta Gulag with Resnov, and even some neat twists, which I would rather not spoil if you never got around to playing this. It’s something to do with those numbers, I guess.
Jokes aside, I had fun blasting through this campaign once again, and believe that while the production values were so high back then, they do translate somewhat to modern blockbusters and even more recent Call of Duty entries. While I wouldn’t say it was ahead of its time, I will say it has all aged quite well, narratively speaking.
The multiplayer is also a fun time, and it’s nice to see a more straightforward experience compared to more recent entries, free from any battle passes, rolling seasonal updates and crazy skins. Those additions are relatively commonplace in most live-service games, but it’s refreshing to go back to a simpler time, even if, once again, nostalgia is doing most of the heavy lifting here.
The maps are still fantastic, and even while Firing Range, Summit and Nuketown have all returned in subsequent Call of Duty games, they’re just as solid. In the same token, progression also feels incredibly straightforward given the simplification and minimisation of those microtransactions, levelling up to 50 and then again with each Prestige; just as you remember it.
Zombies is also here, and I generally enjoyed the initial offerings here, but we’ll touch on why this is equally disappointing in just a second.
The Broader Package and Enhancements
Call of Duty: Black Ops now runs at 1080p on the PS5, and that’s about the only thing you’ll notice. The game did admittedly only run at 600p on the PlayStation 3, but we’re not even being treated to some sort of 120 FPS performance boost on compatible displays. The game does run at an even 60 FPS, but that was also the frame rate available on the PS3 version.
It should be noted that recent updates and patches have improved latency, and PS5 servers will now host online matches instead of PS4 servers. But these aren’t really tied to gameplay, much less anything you’ll notice. As a result, Call of Duty: Black Ops feels a little muddy at the <a href="https://comicvibe.com/the-100-best-spider-man-covers-in-history/” title=”The 100 Best Spider-Man Covers in History”>best of times.
There are even some strange bugs that occur, including the safe area of the display sip,y not reaching the edges of my TV, or the brightness calibration settings feeling way too inaccurate for most modern panels. Adjusting the brightness levels so that the first of three blocks is “not visible” makes everything else seem way too dim as a result. Adjusting the brightness so that all three blocks are visible gives the impression that you’re playing it wrong, but it looks much better as a result.
Even if you’re fine with the visuals, this re-release of Call of Duty: Black Ops doesn’t even include any of the additional season pass content that came after it. Of course, you can purchase it, and at the time of writing, there is a 67% discount for all PlayStation Plus subscribers. The game itself is also 50% off at the time of writing, once again for PlayStation Plus subscribers. That’s a nice gesture, but once the base game goes back up to A$59.95 and the season pass goes back up to $47.95, this is an incredibly tough purchase to recommend.
I’m a massive fan of those four extra Zombies maps alone, and have wanted to pull the trigger on the season pass for a while now, but at the time of writing, it’s a choice I am yet to make.
Overall, that really does devalue what we’re playing on the PS5 in 2026, and I feel like it’s an unavoidable talking point that ultimately unravels the entire experience.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a fan of Call of Duty: Black Ops, as it was in 2010, then you’re in for a treat. But if you’re forking out extra cash for a more refined and modernised experience, I have some bad news.
While the game still runs quite well, the lack of any enhancements is disappointing, and the additional season pass purchase really did tip me over the edge.
The current PlayStation Plus discount makes it slightly enticing, but at its full price, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend picking this one up.
TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Campaign and multiplayer experience hold up
Lowlights: Very minimal enhancements on the PS5; Season pass content not included
Developer:Iron Galaxy Studios
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
