Black Ops Game Isn’t Nearly As Good As I Remember It

The 2025 Call of Duty game was revealed to be Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, a direct sequel to the series’ most iconic title, Black Ops 2. Many past characters and even certain actors are returning in Black 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-rated Black Ops title, with an 87 on Metacritic.

Most fans put Black Ops 2 above the original, and after checking out Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 on Xbox PC, I can see why. Black Ops 1 is a great game, but it’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 about Black Ops 1’s campaign. 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, and especially after playing Black Ops 2, it has its faults. The biggest one for me is the tone.

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For such a serious plot that plays up its mystique factor and espionage elements, Black Ops can 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 how Black Ops 1 uses 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 element Black Ops 2 improved by allowing flashback scenes to breathe. The best example of this in Black Ops 1 is 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

When Black Ops 1 came out, it had the greatest COD Zombies experience out there, with the most maps and huge gameplay innovations. However, it just doesn’t hold a candle to future Zombies modes like Black Ops 2, Black Ops 3, or even Infinite Warfare. Some of the maps in this game are the best 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.

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 1 was 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 to make the Easter eggs actually fun to do, while in BO1, you have to play Simon or an early version of Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, matching up shapes through voice chat.

All the Black Ops 1 Easter 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 play Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare Zombies any day of the week over BO1.

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After playing Black Ops 1 in 2025, it’s no longer the legendary game I thought. It’s shocking that BO1 remains the highest-rated Black Ops game, because BO2 is better in every regard. I played BO2 directly after BO1, and I can say that BO2 is 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 the long-overdue direct sequel, Black Ops 7, but the original Call of Duty: Black Ops is an amazing COD that has nonetheless been surpassed by the numerous sequels.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Systems

Released

November 9, 2010

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Treyarch

Engine

iw

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op