Campaign

While it may not be the worst campaign in the series (Black Ops 3 will never be dethroned), it is a far cry away from what the current Modern Warfare games have achieved. MW 2019 has one of the best campaigns in the series, with MWII being serviceable as well. MWIII misses the mark every time it decides to drop you in an “open combat zone.” These feel extremely rushed and not thought out, most of them being extremely simple to complete while not giving any reason for them to be memorable. The inclusion of Warzone mechanics and areas goes on to show how not enough time was given to focus on making this campaign unique. However, the story and normal levels are fine overall. The opening level feels like it could fit in the other MW titles, while the other standard levels are mostly fine. With this in mind, there are still not any standout levels like “Clean House” from MW 2019. Even the “No Russian” equivalent level, which has been teased for years, was extremely short and uninteresting. Even with the story and some levels being acceptable, it lives in the shadow of what came before it. The story tries to have several big moments, but they do not hit as hard as the original trilogy. Maybe they will get back on track with MWIV, which is teased at the end.

Multiplayer

They finally did what everyone wanted. All the fan favorite MW2 2009 maps have returned and they look better than ever. However, they did not bring them back the way they should’ve. Carrying over the MWII guns/progression punishes players who want to level up the new MWIII weapons. This happens because while I’m upgrading my level 1 UMP, other players are running around with max level MWII guns and blowing my kit out of the water. I feel bad for anyone who is playing this game without having time in MWII, they will be at a massive disadvantage from the get go. The user experience is very muddy because of the massive amount of carryover, guns have 100’s of attachments each with varying levels of similarity to each other. I have to also refer to SBMM. It feels like your ranking from MWII also carries over and punishes you for your skill immediately. If they incorporated a true ranked playlist and left casual lobbies up to chance, this game has the potential for greatness. Unfortunately, Activision will never turn down SBMM and let players have a fun and casual experience. Otherwise, gunplay feels great, maps are all fan favorites, kill streaks are generally fun, and customization is vast. This multiplayer has so much potential, I just hope they allow it to shine.

Zombies

I’m not a huge zombies person anymore. I adored it during the WaW-BO1 era, but fell off after Tranzit killed the hype for me. I dabble a bit every iteration, and this is the most confusing part of this years package. It feels like they just deploy you into DMZ, but there are zombies to kill. The mode is very directionless and feels very uninspired. Maybe this is super fun for some people, but the time I put into it made me feel very lost and disappointed.

Overall

This year’s CoD offering feels like it was not meant for the spotlight. The campaign is a letdown after what came before it. A year or two of additional development time could’ve made it live up to 2019’s MW. The zombies just feels confusing and uninspired. The only part of the package that has serious potential is the multiplayer, which is held back by SBMM. If they allow the multiplayer to breathe without SBMM (which will never happen), it could be an all time great. With that being said, the only reason the multiplayer has a chance of being great is because it is sitting on the shoulders of a game that the current games will never live up to, MW2 2009.

Bloodborne is one of my favorite games ever made, I love it so much that I got a tattoo of the Hunter’s Mark on my forearm. All I have wanted is for From Software to either remaster the game or make a sequel. However, with the success of Elden Ring and surprise masterpiece that is Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, I have doubt that Bloodborne will ever get the revisit that it deserves.

Just when I thought all hope had been lost, Lies of P was announced and released. This game was clearly made people who feel the same way I do, and who possess the ability to even outshine From Software in several aspects. Lies of P is the Bloodborne sequel we have been waiting for.

Clocking in at about 30 hours for a first play though, this adventure spans across 11 chapters that take you all over the city of Krat. The amount of different areas, enemy types, and bosses keep this game feeling fresh throughout. Exploration is always rewarded with new weapons, items, quest lines, and lore. Players familiar with Dark Souls/Bloodborne storytelling will find this story much more digestible, while also finding it heart wrenching and fascinating how the developers were able to make the tale of Pinocchio so fitting for a video game like this.

Combat will also feel extremely familiar to Souls fans, but they have made their own choices that make it unique. With the two part weapon system, your options are much more vast than other games of this style. You can really carve out your own niche with this weapon customization to make a tool that fits your build perfectly.

I could go on and on regarding what this game does to improve/innovate on the Souls formula. This would be the part where I list my issues with the game’s design, but I honestly can’t think of any criticism to give it. Very rarely do we get a game as mechanically sound as this one.

Bloodborne 2 is the game that I’m constantly holding my breath for when Sony holds any kind of State of Play, and that will likely continue to be the case forever. With the release of Lies of P, I finally feel content. While From Software will likely never touch that universe again, Lies of P has filled the Bloodborne 2 sized hole in my heart.

This is the kind of game that reminds me just how much I love this hobby.