BO3 In-Depth Review

[Toxic34]

It was a surprise to many, including myself, when Treyarch decided there was more ground to cover in the Black Ops story by releasing this game in 2015. It seemed quite absurd initially: how can there be anywhere to go with no connections to Mason, Woods and Reznov? But, by making it a more indirect tie-in by showing the aftereffects of Menendez' drone attack and the fact that Reznov's prediction that America would not destroy Nova 6 came true, there was something that could be done, particularly in showing what might occur if the boundaries between man and machine become blurred to the point of being nonexistent. In this, Treyarch succeeded in creating an experience that was more cerebral, and relatively subtle, particularly with its ambiguous ending that leaves one questioning whether anything that happened after the prologue level even occurred, an adventure much in the vein of Total Recall and Christopher Nolan's filmography, topped off with an Ultron-like antagonist that searches for meaning and a way to end human suffering, unaware that it is doing so in a hypocritical manner that will destroy all life.

Everything about the game is top-notch, and perfectly representative of the cream of Treyarch's incredible talent. More than ever, they have demonstrated that they are capable of creating mind-bending new realities that leave you questioning everything, and make it so that the only way to feel remotely safe is to kill or be killed.

I look forward to what they will do next, since undoubtedly they have reached the end of Black Ops, and must find some newer pastures to exploit. I imagine it'll be something quite unexpected and surprising.