On November 13th, 2020, the most recent entry in the legendary Call of Duty franchise unleashed itself upon the world. Par for the course, Black Ops Cold War comes packed in with a short but compact single-player campaign, a multiplayer suite, and a zombies mode.
Given the nature of the fracnhise and the differences between the developers tackling each entry, many things about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War simply do not make sense. Few, if any, of these actually diminish the game's quality, and are more humorous musings about the title. Despite being a military shooter, the game is quite funny at times thanks to these.
10 No Mounting
Not being able to mount objects never made any sense, but it is especially weird to see its absence now after 2019's Modern Warfare reboot included it. Wouldn't any trained soldier want to better their aim and more efficiently utilize cover by mounting it? It was also a solid way to interact with the environment, something which the series notoriously lacks, so its absence is a notable step backwards.
9 Why Are This Game's Events Never Brought Up Again?
Despite the campaign only lasting about three or four fours, this is more then enough time for the heroes to save the world. Despite the world-ending stakes, these events are never brought up again in the other sequels, notably Black Ops 2. Characters like Woods and Mason show up in both, but they never talk about working with Adler or pursuing Perseus. Red Dead Redemption 2 has the same problem.
8 Nonbinary Soldiers In The 1980s
It is nice for the developers to consider other gender identities, but by doing so they created a humorous implication. Homosexuality was still outright banned in the military in the '80s - this was even before the days of the controversial don't ask don't tell policy - so it is doubtful the United States would accept someone with a non traditional gender identity to fight within their armed forces. Additionally, Ronald Reagan was not known as the most progressive president, so he would most likely not want anyone with a different gender identity committing war crimes.
7 No Doors In Multiplayer
When playing multiplayer some players may notice something odd; where in the world are all the doors? Does a team deploy to the map before the day of the battle to remove all the doors from their hinges? Why would they do this?
In terms of gameplay, it removes the tension from last year's game where you never know if a bullet was waiting on the other side. Doors also went a long way towards making the levels feel like real places.
6 The Canon Ending
Black Ops Cold War has two endings, and only one of them is obviously canon. However, oddly enough, the canon ending feels less complete than going down the darker path. Without spoiling too much, the last level of the good ending almost feels like it comes from a different game, being a big battle with missiles dropping every where instead of the more intimate missions of the rest of the campaign. Players also learn less about the villain in the canon ending.
5 Field Upgrades In Multiplayer
Field upgrades are pieces of equipment that take time to power up and then work on a cool down after the first use. How does this make any sense? Considering some of the field upgrades include things like proximity mines, why do the soldiers wait to use these? Is there some sort of rule of war preventing them from spamming the field upgrades or do they suddenly materialize on your person during a match? Either way, it simply doesn't make sense.
4 The Graphics Look Worse Than Modern Warfare
Last year's Modern Warfare is one of the best looking games of the generation, and this says nothing about its others innovations that improve the gameplay experience. It is curious to see Black Ops Cold War look worse in comparison. It makes up for it a little with a more stylized presentation, but one expects more impressive graphics from a game also coming out on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
3 Why Is Mason Still Allowed To Be A Soldier
The first Black Ops game follows Mason as he uncovers the secrets of a Soviet operation which also dives into skeletons within his own mind. It turns out he was brainwashed and might have killed President John F. Kennedy. Why then, would they still allow him into the field after this compromising moment in his career? Is he so good a soldier the United States cannot let him go despite the mental instability?
2 These Black Ops Aren't So Covert
The name of the game in Black Ops Cold War is deniable operations. Do the protagonists think the Soviet Union are too stupid to realize the people who just shot up their bases and infiltrated the KGB headquarters were associated with the United States government? Maybe they take espionage like pranks. It is a mean thing to do, but Russia takes it lightly on the chin and say "don't worry, we'll get you next time."
1 Timelines
With the Modern Warfare reboot, Infinity Ward created a new continuity using many of the same characters. Though he is not in the 2019 game, Zakhaev is mentioned. With the villain's cameo in Black Ops Cold War, it has people all types of confused as to which timeline the game takes place in. Is this the Zakhaev from the old Modern Warfare trilogy, or have the Black Ops games all this time taken place in the same canon as the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot?