Black Ops 7 review: A faithful yet fresh successor to Black Ops zombies

Esports Insider was recently given access to Black Ops 7 early to try each of its many game modes. I found that BO7 offers a fresh take on the Call of Duty formula, and its innovative spirit makes it one of the best CODs of the 2020s so far.

Zombies improved on the popular gameplay from Black Ops 2’s Tranzit, while adding new ways to enjoy the campaign after you finish the story. Here’s a breakdown of our Call of Duty review, along with a final score to piece it all together.

The mission-based campaign in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is its weakest game mode, mostly due to its focus on character hallucinations. However, the campaign features unique boss fights with special mechanics and offers many visual spectacles, so I had a lot of fun in my initial playthrough.

Returning characters like David Mason, as well as a fantastic performance by Michael Rooker, made the campaign a joy to play as a longtime fan of the Black Ops series. The strongest feature in Black Ops 7’s campaign is its focus on co-op, letting you enjoy the latest Call of Duty story alongside your friends.

Though the pacing felt a bit off in some missions, playing through the Black Ops 7 campaign is a fun way to get acquainted with the new weaponry, so I’d recommend giving it a go if you buy Black Ops 7.

The Endgame mode in the co-op campaign is an enjoyable open-world experience where you battle NPCs to complete objectives alongside your friends. A speedy wingsuit, drivable vehicles, and an assortment of special powers to wield are what make Endgame so much fun to play, and I found that there’s a lot of content packed into this new mode.

Zombies are the best thing about Black Ops 7, in my experience. Ashes of the Damned is a spiritual successor to Tranzit, featuring a truck named Ol’ Tessie that you can drive to various locations around the gigantic map.

Though Ashes of the Damned has a similar feel to Tranzit due to its dangerous roads and rideable vehicles, it’s still very much its own thing. The map is full of twists, and you can even upgrade your truck, so it has a lot of features that are rare for COD zombies.

The ability to play as returning fan-favourites like Dempsey and Maya made the experience all the more exciting. If the zombie maps in Black Ops 6 didn’t wow you, then I think you’ll find that Black Ops 7 zombies is a step forward since it has a nice balance between returning mechanics and innovation.

Dead Ops Arcade 4 is a zombie survival mode that’s a blast to play in short bursts, though Ashes of the Damned is definitely the more expansive experience. The weapons in Dead Ops felt explosive and flashy, but after a while, the combat started to feel somewhat repetitive.

Players can play from a top-down perspective, though first-person is also available. I tried both perspectives, and the top-down felt more natural to play. Overall, Dead Ops Arcade 4 is a fun little addition to an overall solid zombies mode in BO7.

Black Ops 7’s multiplayer offers a fun innovation on top of Black Ops 6’s omnimovement. With the addition of a wall jump, players can kick themselves above the enemy and reach new heights with ease. Set in 2035, returning classic maps like Hijacked truly made multiplayer feel like the older CODs with an ever-so-slightly futuristic twist.

The real prize of Black Ops 7 multiplayer is Skirmish, a 20v20 game mode where players fight in a huge arena. A larger map, alongside the wingsuits, offers a very different experience from standard multiplayer, and it’s nice to have a variety of different types of modes in the same game.

Black Ops 6 was a well-rounded shooter, but wasn’t particularly special in my book. As a big fan of Black Ops 2 multiplayer, I enjoyed both the Black Ops 7 beta and the full game, particularly due to its dynamic maps and wall jump, which allows for some interesting plays in-game.

After spending time in every core experience in Black Ops 7, I found that it’s one of the most innovative CODs since Black Ops 2. Ashes of the Damned features a perfect mix of old and new zombie mechanics, while Dead Ops Arcade 4 was an explosive side mode that’s slightly repetitive, but still an enjoyable top-down shooter. 

Multiplayer was a step up from Black Ops 6, thanks largely to the lineup of well-rounded maps and the wall kick mechanic. Plus, never-before-seen scorestreaks and equipment made the combat feel innovative, with just a touch of futuristic technology.

Mechanical boss battles throughout the Black Ops 7 co-op campaign provided larger-than-life challenges, and the ability to play it with your buddies has forged Black Ops 7 into a great game for co-op fans. The visuals and effects throughout Black Ops 7’s story are nice, but the narrative didn’t pull me in as strongly as previous entries did.

I’d place Black Ops 7 at an 8 out of 10. If you liked Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6, then Black Ops 7 may just be the Call of Duty you’ve been waiting for, since it’s gently innovative in all the right ways.

Note: Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC are the versions currently available as of November 14, 2025.