10 Thoughts On… Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Sony PlayStation 4)

I have logged a handful of hours in the newly released Call of Duty: Black Ops III. I have fiddled with single player and bot matches, and am having quite a bit of fun. Below are ten quick impressions of the game so far.

1. It is a bad idea to punch a robot in his hard drive if you are a fleshy meatbag.

2. Robots also do not much care to be kicked in the ball bearings. It does not end well for you.

3. You can customize and name your guns. That is awesome!

4. Do you know what isn’t awesome? Having the game refuse your shotgun’s name due to inappropriate language. I see nothing wrong with “Shotty Pippen.”

5. You have a lot of locomotion options at your disposal, and they all work. That said they do not feel as satisfying as the movement in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The removal of side dashing is really noticeable.

6. Playing as a solo soldier against 17 bots on multiplayer maps is a total blast. Yes you get surrounded and die often, but you also can mow down a dozen enemies at once and it feels so satisfying. Clearing the map with the use of one power move is such a power trip.

7. Robot killer bees! Robot killer bees on fire! Macaulay Culkin better keep his head on a swivel. You don’t know what I’m talking about? I’m “talking ‘bout My Girl.” Seriously, watch the movie My Girl and you will understand.

8. The levels have plenty of paths to take so you can flank enemies, or just take different ways to your objective. They are obviously designed for the 4 four player co-op campaign and I enjoy the feeling of freedom.

9. This game could be titled: Call of Duty: Infinite Menus. Every menu leads to more menus! It is like a Russian nesting doll of option screens. It can be overwhelming at times, and it is easy to miss some pretty important things.

10. Taking a shotgun to a robot’s dongle is very effective. Probably should have tried that in the first place.

So far Call of Duty: Black Ops III has been very enjoyable. It is a fast game with the satisfying gunplay one would expect from a Call of Duty game. There is an overwhelming amount of options and ways to play. It changes some things from previous games that I am not fond of, but maybe I can grow to appreciate the differences. For now I will have fun using my mind controlled bees to distract enemies so I can go in for the kill.