Call of Duty has been known for its strictly linear campaigns since Call of Duty 4 launched the series into stardom. We’ve seen a few attempts to mix things up, namely Black Ops 2‘s campaign structure and Infinite Warfare’s planetary side missions, but nothing major. However, Raven Software, lead developer on the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War campaign, is trying a brand new approach that includes side missions.
In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine (via segmentnext), Senior Creative Director Dan Vondrak spoke on how the 80s will influence the game. The setting and themes may be obvious, but the influence goes under the hood as well. Vondrak expressed that he wanted to throwback to the 80s by including puzzle elements, similar to games of that era.
This takes the form of detective work. Rather than clues and intel being included purely as story elements to progress the campaign, Raven is introducing them to gain access to extra side mission content. You’ll have to solve puzzles of some sort to figure out the clues and we’re hoping this gives Black Ops Cold War‘s campaign a little more depth.
Off the beaten path
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will feature two side missions, in additional to the main campaign content. In the interview, Vondrak didn’t confirm whether these missions will be unlocked in their entirety through said intel, or whether completing the puzzles will just gain some extra context here. Either way, Raven has confirmed the game will have missions containing multiple endings, which is a big change for Call of Duty in its own right.
The developer has already revealed that Black Ops Cold War will have more player freedom than what’s typical for the series. That includes a full character creator for campaign mode, and even a Hitman-style single player mission. That one tasks players with infiltrating an enemy base in disguise, giving you multiple options to take out your intended target.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launches November 13.
Published: Sep 25, 2020 12:00 pm