Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War is a return to form for the series in many ways. It continues the return that Modern Warfare brought to the table last year although this game is not a reboot. Cold War continues the story of the Black Ops sub-series within Call of Duty primarily in the 1980s.

RELATED: The 5 Best Things About Spider-Man: Miles Morales (& The 5 Worst)

It's a positive for some longtime fans to be sure, but others may feel like the developers didn't do enough to really push the series forward. What went right and what went wrong with the game? Let's go through a spoiler-free discussion.

10 Best: Multiplayer Is The Fastest Its Ever Been

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer screen

Whether one is playing on the new systems or the old ones, Call of Duty has never loaded faster. This is true in the campaign although there are some pauses here and there. The more miraculous thing is getting set up and into a multiplayer match.

This is at least true for choosing quick play, but it may be different if someone is looking for a particular mode or wants to jump into zombies. Nevertheless, overall, Cold War is very impressive in this area.

9 Worst: Frank Woods

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Damon Victor Allen took over for the role of Frank Woods from the original actor James C. Burns. He does not sound great and clearly sounds like he is trying to imitate his predecessor's mannerisms but is going too hard on the gravely attitude.

It’s like hearing Jack Nicholson in something to then get replaced by Christian Slater. Both are great actors but one is clearly trying to mimic the other.

8 Best: Sound Design

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Everything in this game rocks when it comes to sound, be it the licensed music tracks or the synth-infused original soundtrack. The audio design on the guns is also top-notch.

What is really striking is shooting a gun in a different environment and hearing how each shot differs between an open plain and a bunker. It is a masterclass design which shouldn’t be surprising by this point in the Call of Duty franchise.

7 Worst: Live-Action Stuff

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The creative choices that do stick out in a negative way are the live-action moments from the dated footage. The color correction makes the picture quality blurry and blinding. The juxtaposition always looked odd whenever it was used, so it’s not just this game.

RELATED: The 5 Best Things About Yakuza: Like A Dragon (& The 5 Worst)

Also, while it is interesting to see Doritos and Mountain Dew in Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War, there is no escaping the fact that it is advertising.

6 Best: Gun Variety

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The sounds of the guns are awesome but so are the weapons themselves. Again, this is Call of Duty, so it should come as no shock to hear that. What is new about this entry though is that each gun has a different feel when using the DualSense controller on PS5.

There is some real weight when firing some of these puppies which adds to the immersion. A particular favorite is the various shotguns in the game.

5 Worst: Still No Photo Mode

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty has been around for well over a decade now and in at least half of that time games have had photo modes. This series has never touched this feature despite them being AAA products with all of the bells and whistles.

It makes sense to disable it in multiplayer but it could still be around for the campaign. Just think about all of the cool shots you could take with bullets firing in suspended animation.

4 Best: The Safe House

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The safe house was a nice way to allow gamers to mellow out between missions. Someone certainly didn’t have to explore the safe house or talk to anyone, but the option was there for those that wanted it.

This also helped flesh out some of the characters, something the Call of Duty franchise has not always been good about. While this is only a small step in the right direction, it is nevertheless appreciated.

3 Worst: Can’t Talk

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

On the other side of that coin, talking to characters feels hollow since the player-created character does not speak. There are dialogue choices but they do not amount to much. Sometimes they aren't even choices at all but more like options on the order of the dialogue.

RELATED: The 5 Best Things About Watch Dogs: Legion (& The 5 Worst)

While the safe house worked and added something positive to the experience, creating a character and allowing dialogue choices was a stumble that could have used more retooling.

2 Best: Break On Through

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

"Break On Through" is the name of the best mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that disobeying Adler creates a cool level. It is one of the best moments in the campaign.

This sequence was so good that it might make fans wonder what could be if Treyarch or the other developers on the Call of Duty team were to make a horror game. If they partnered with Konami, they could resurrect Silent Hills, aka PT.

1 Worst: The Final Countdown

Gameplay screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The mission after "Break On Through" then feels like playing a wet noodle. No matter if one gets the good or bad ending, the actual gameplay will be quick.

This is odd for two reasons. Firstly, most missions in Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War are actually quite lengthy. Secondly, this is the final mission of the game, so The Final Countdown should feel epic. It all just sort of feels like the developers ran out of time.

NEXT: The 5 Best Things About Genshin Impact (& The 5 Worst)