Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Review: Black Ops Back-to-Back Hype or Holiday Bust?

Introduction

Hey, fellow gamers! If you’re like me, you’ve been grinding Call of Duty since the days of the original Modern Warfare. The Black Ops series has always been a fan favourite, delivering intense campaigns, addictive multiplayer, and that endless Zombies chaos. But with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 dropping right in the heart of the holiday season on November 14, 2025, is this the best COD game 2025 has to offer? Or is it just another rushed release full of COD Black Ops 7 multiplayer glitches that kills the vibe?

I’ve sunk over 50 hours into Black Ops 7 on PS5 since the Black Ops 7 PS5 release in November 2025. Spoiler: It’s a mixed bag. The multiplayer shines in spots, but the campaign feels like a total letdown, and those pesky glitches are popping up everywhere. Let’s break it down – no fluff, just straight talk from a die-hard COD fan.

Black Ops 7 Release Date and Platforms: Right on Time for Holiday Mayhem

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 hit shelves (and digital stores) worldwide on November 14, 2025. For PS5 players in the USA, it unlocked at midnight local time – perfect timing for those late-night launch parties. You can grab it on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam/Battle.net, and even Xbox Game Pass from day one. Priced at $70 for the standard edition, with the Vault Edition throwing in extras like early access (which some got a few days early).

Season 1 kicked off December 4, bringing new maps, operators, and that sweet Endgame mode integration with Warzone. Hype was sky-high after Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but early player reviews tell a different story – Steam sits at “Mostly Negative”, and Metacritic user scores are brutal at 1.7/10.

Campaign Review: Nostalgia Bait Gone Wrong

Let’s start with the story – or what’s left of it. Clocking in at just 5 hours, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign is a co-op-focused mess set 10 years after Black Ops 2. You play as new operatives chasing David Mason’s shadow, but it’s loaded with boss fights every mission, forced online co-op (no solo option), and open-world looting that feels ripped straight from Zombies.

Pros? Smooth omnidirectional movement makes gunfights feel fresh, and some Black Ops 2 callbacks hit hard if you’re a veteran. But the plot is cheesy and predictable and relies too much on nostalgia without earning it. Giant Fortnite-style bosses? Nah, that’s not Call of Duty. Critics gave it middling scores, but fans are roasting it as the worst COD campaign ever. I’d say 3/10 – skip unless you need those weapon blueprints.

Multiplayer: Fun Core, But Riddled with Glitches

This is where Black Ops 7 shines… mostly. 16 6v6 maps at launch (plus Skirmish 20v20), refined omnislide and wall jumps, and toned-down SBMM make matches feel rewarding again. Guns like the M15 MOD 0 AR and Dravec 45 SMG slap hard, with a solid TTK that rewards aim over spam.

COD Black Ops 7 multiplayer glitches are the buzzkill, though. Invisibility bugs, hit registration fails, perk glitches, and login timeouts plague lobbies – especially on PC and Xbox. Activision’s patching them fast, but launch week was rough. Still, it’s the best multiplayer since MW 2019 for many – 8/10 once patches hit.

Zombies Mode: Solid But Stale

Zombies returns round-based with one main map (Ashes of the Damned) and Dead Ops Arcade 4. Gameplay loops are tight – pack-a-punch upgrades, wonder weapons, Easter eggs – but it’s just one map? Feels lazy compared to BO6‘s three. Higher difficulties challenge you without exploits, and Endgame (extraction-style) is a fun twist.

Rumours of remakes like Alpha Omega and Nuketown Zombies in Season 1 have fans hyped. IGN called it a “shambling corpse”, but I dig the core loop: 7/10.

Graphics, Performance, and Best COD Games 2025 Ranking

On PS5, it runs buttery at 120fps with crisp visuals – better than BO6 in movement fluidity. PC? Optimise your rig to dodge stutters.

Is Black Ops 7 one of the best COD games of 2025? Nah. It ranks low in Black Ops lists (below BO2 and BO3) and overall COD tiers due to the campaign flop and bugs. MW 2019 and BO2 still reign supreme.

Pros:

Addictive multiplayer with great maps and movement
Zombies holds up for co-op nights
Tonnes of launch content + Season 1 hype
Shared progression across modes

Cons:

Awful campaign – short, forced co-op, boss spam
Multiplayer glitches everywhere
Low user scores, review bombing
$70 feels steep for the bugs

Final Verdict: Hype or Bust?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 review score: 7/10. It’s no holiday but if you live for multiplayer and Zombies, but the campaign drags it down. Patches will fix the glitches, and post-launch could make it a contender for best COD 2025. Grab it on sale or on Game Pass – don’t drop $70 blind.

What do you think? Drop your thoughts below!