Common Sense Media Review
Violent, bloody first-person shooter is best played solo.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
What's It About?
Set in the early 1990s, CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 has you running black ops for the CIA, investigating a powerful terrorist group called The Pantheon. The story pulls from and intersects with real history; in one mission, for instance, you infiltrate Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. But as is often the case with spy stories, not everything—or everyone—is what they seem. As for the "Zombies" mode, you and your comrades (if you choose this option) must survive a zombie apocalypse by any means necessary.
Is It Any Good?
While most people play this first-person shooter franchise online against other people, this installment's best mode is the one where you go it alone. Set in the early 1990s, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's story-driven campaign plays like a cross between an action movie and a spy thriller. It's packed with explosive action and frantic firefights, but players can also test their guile and spy craft with clever gadgets. The missions are varied and cinematic, with one major section allowing players to explore an open area with multiple optional missions and random encounters. All of which makes this one of this series' best campaigns.
The biggest mechanical additions are the ability to sprint, slide, and dive in multiple directions—not just forward—while still firing. You can also shoot in multiple directions when down on the ground. While this is effective in the campaign, and the sprinting and sliding is helpful in multiplayer and "Zombies" mode, lying down makes you an easy target for online competitors and the undead. "Zombies" mode, which is playable solo or with back-up, somewhat makes up for this shortcoming by streamlining the typically complicated survival mode, though it's still tough if you try to go it alone. All in all, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is an excellent shooter, just one you might prefer to play on your own.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Did you feel different when you killed a person in the game as opposed to a zombie? If so, why do you think that was? What's the impact of media and screen violence on children?
Discuss some of the decision making in the game. Players often had to do things that were immoral or unethical, but were doing them to save the world. Are there times when doing bad for a good reason is OK?
Did you prefer playing this game on your own or with others? Have you played any other Call of Duty games? How did this one compare?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Windows , Xbox One , PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure : Paid ($69.99)
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Activision
- Release date : October 25, 2024
- Genre : First-Person Shooter
- Topics : Adventures , History
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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