I have played nearly every Call of Duty campaign since Finest Hour in 2005. I’ve endured the trenches of World War II in gritty missions with Call of Duty 2 and World at War. I’ve stopped a traitor from deceiving the world in Modern Warfare 2, prevented a biochemical outbreak in Black Ops, taken down a private military corporation from controlling the nations in Advanced Warfare, and more. What can I say? These stories that Call of Duty’s developers have crafted haven’t always been the smartest or most original, but nearly each campaign I’ve played has always had something going for it. Even Ghosts had a lovely selection of stealth missions and a mildly compelling family dynamic with the main characters, and I had to see Modern Warfare 3through with its entertaining heroes and epic conclusion.
But after 10 years, Black Ops III, arguably coming from the franchise’s finest developer, marks the first campaign that has left me flabbergasted with disappointment. I would’ve never imagined that Treyarch could be capable of delivering a lazy, incoherent snoozefest with its solid track record – especially since it marks the first time that the studio’s had three years to complete its game. Yet here we are: Black Ops III is the most underwhelming campaign in the series’ history, which ultimately fizzles in five major ways.
