Is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Worth Buying in 2025? Yes, Absolutely.
In my opinion as a long-time fan of first-person shooters, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is absolutely still worth picking up in 2024. With continued strong player counts across multiplayer and zombies, substantial post-launch support adding new content, and incredibly fun action grounded in real Cold War history, Cold War remains a must-play FPS experience. There‘s never been a better time to grab a copy for your PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Campaign – A Thrilling Homage to 1980s Action Classics
Cold War‘s action-packed single player campaign clocks in around 6 hours playtime if you just blast through the main missions. But taking time to find all the hidden evidence, audio logs and alternate pathways extends the playtime closer to 8-9 hours.
According to HowLongToBeat, the average time to complete the campaign 100% is around 11 hours for completionists seeking all available trophies or achievements.
The campaign‘s globe-trotting spy story evokes classic 1980s action movies like James Bond or The Hunt for Red October. Set during historical events like the Soviet-Afghan war, it seamlessly blends real figures like President Reagan into its fictional tale of foiling a Russian spy.
Gameplay-wise, the campaign is a non-stop highlight reel of explosive set pieces across diverse locations. One standout mission has you infiltrating the headquarters of the KGB in Moscow, requiring stealth and caution or going in guns blazing. Other levels feature intense firefights through jungles, villages, deserts and more.
According to Metacritic, the campaign received strong praise from critics:
"It’s bombastic and brash in all the right ways. A must-play for any FPS fan." – IGN (8.5/10)
In my opinion as an FPS veteran, the Cold War campaign succesfully pays homage to the action movies of my youth while modernizing the formula with gorgeous next-gen visuals and sound design. The missions strike a fine balance between tactical stealth and adrenaline-fueled mayhem. And the writing brings enough humor and heart to its military heroes to keep you invested from start to explosive finish.
Multiplayer – Frantic Action with Near Endless Progression
As of January 2023, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War still has around 30,000 concurrent players on Steam alone at peak times. And that‘s not even counting console players on PlayStation and Xbox networks.
Despite launching all the way back in November 2020, Black Ops Cold War has maintained a healthy playerbase thanks to post-launch support, crossplay functionality and the sheer addictive fun of its moment-to-moment multiplayer gameplay.
Currently Cold War offers 19 large-scale 6v6 maps along with 10 intimate 2v2 Gunfight maps for lightning-fast firefights. There‘s also a selection of party modes offering unique twists like only melee weapons or randomized loadouts. All maps are free, with more added sporadically through seasonal updates.
The game really shines in terms of weapon selection and customization. There are over 50 primary weapons each with dozens of attachment options to deck out and optimize your loadout. Leveling up each weapon and completing camo challenges keeps gameplay fresh as you constantly progress along new paths.
The Pick 10 loadout system returns from Black Ops 2, allowing you to fully customize your combination of weapons, perks, lethal equipment and more. You can really tailor your style, whether that means carrying 2 primaries or stacking up on perks for speed and awareness.
As a veteran of the franchise since the original Call of Duty, I appreciate Cold War multiplier providing that perfect balance of casual fun and rewarding mastery. The quick pace lends itself to jumping in for some mindless killing over lunch break. But spending time to dial in your loadout and master weapons offers a deeper gameplay loop for hobbyists to get lost in for hours optimizing playstyles. It caters well to both appetites.
Zombies – Undead Chaos with Expanded Scope
Zombies mode has been a beloved staple of Treyarch Call of Duty games since World At War in 2008. And it returns with a vengeance in Cold War.
The launch map "Die Maschine" instantly throws you into the undead chaos Zombies is known for. But it also introduces more puzzle solving elements and side quests compared to purely survival-based Zombies maps of the past.
Since launch, Cold War Zombies has expanded to 6 total maps along with new gameplay systems like upgradeable skill tiers and support perks. Outbreak mode offers sprawling regions to explore with changing objectives versus just surviving a single location. And limited-time events like Jingle Hells Christmas bring seasonal twists.
According to Activision, the 2020 Call of Duty set a new franchise record for number of players, hours played and average hours per player thanks in large part to Zombies retention.
As someone who has battled the undead horde in Zombies since World at War, I‘m amazed at how Treyarch continues to innovate and expand the mode with each new game. The Zombies team regularly communicates with the community and incorporates fan feedback into new maps, enemies, Easter eggs and more. Cold War Zombies is a shining example of this refinement and evolution in action.
Is Cold War Still Worth Buying in 2024?
So with continued strong player engagement across multiplayer and zombies, meaningful post-launch expansions, and rock-solid next-gen performance, is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War still worth buying in 2024?
The answer is a resounding YES!
Between the blockbuster campaign, endlessly replayable multiplayer and expanded Zombies universe, Cold War delivers an incredible amount of high-quality content for the price. Considering you can routinely find the game on sale for $30 or less, that‘s an absolute steal.
In terms of pure value for money, you‘d be hard-pressed to find a shooter anywhere near as feature-rich and content-packed as Cold War for under $60 let alone $30.
On a technical level, the game also serves as a stellar showcase of the PS5 and Xbox Series X power. Slick 4K visuals at a silky smooth 60 frames per second makes Cold War play and look better than ever. The detailed gun models, fluid animations and realistic lighting truly shine on new hardware.
So if you‘re looking for a shooter to test out your shiny new console‘s horsepower, showcase your slick 4K TV or catch up on an absolute classic Call of Duty game – Cold War checks all the boxes. It finds that magic balance between grounded realism and over-the-top fun the franchise is known for.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War still going strong in 2024 proves certain game releases really are special. This is one that will likely remain playable for years to come. Don‘t miss experiencing this high point in the legendary FPS series for yourself.