Call of Duty: Black Ops 7is, in many ways, a safe bet for the franchise.Black Ops 6was a hugely successful entry for the franchise, and with theModern Warfarebrand not having as much good will with fans followingMW3, back-to-back years ofBlack Opsshouldn’t ruffle many feathers. Additionally, players have been asking for a direct sequel to 2012’sBlack Ops 2for ages, as its lineup of fictional weaponry became beloved to fans, as did its maps and campaign. However, that doesn’t mean thatBlack Ops 7is playing it completely safe, as it’s set to offer a co-op campaign that could mean big things for the series’ story offerings.
TheBlack Opssubseries' two most recent campaigns were developed by Raven Software, and while few would argue that they surpassed the story modes ofBlack Ops 1and 2, they have still been hugely enjoyable experiences. For a series that has had so many campaigns, doing fresh things within the confines of aCall of Dutygame is no easy task, butBlack Ops Cold WarandBlack Ops 6both managed to shake things up through trippy missions like “Break on Through,” choice-based levels like “Most Wanted,” and intriguing concepts like theBO6Safehouse upgrades. Raven introduced dialogue trees to theCall of Dutyseries as well, but with a co-op approach, there is reason to worry that this mechanic won’t be inBO7- and potentially the games that follow.
Modern Black Ops Games’ Extra Dialogue Has Made a World of Difference
While it’s true that figures like Park, Adler, Sev, and the other side characters featured in modernBlack Opscampaigns don’t find themselves on many “best video game characters” lists, it’s also true that these characters are more fleshed-out than the supporting casts ofclassicCoDcampaigns. In the older titles, players may have grown to like someone likeModern Warfare 2’s Sgt. Foley orBlack Ops 2’s Harper because of memes or their iconic actors, but people really knew nothing about them outside of their acts of bravery and heroism.Black Ops Cold WarandBlack Ops 6’s characters, on the other hand, felt more like real people since people got to learn about their personal lives and histories directly from the source.
By exhausting the dialogue forBlack Ops Cold War’s NPCs, players could get more insight into how Mason and Woods have adapted since the events of the originalBlack Ops, while also learning about Sims’ late father or how Park got her scar. These optional conversations returned again inBlack Ops 6, humanizing Adler, letting players learn about Sev’s spy work for The Guild, and so on. Woods in particular shined through this bonus dialogue, as players were able to get some proper emotion out of him as he discussed his struggle with being wheelchair-bound and out of the fight following his encounter withRaul Menendez. Sadly, withBlack Ops 7’s four-player co-op structure, it’s hard to imagine this feature making a return.
Though theoptional dialogue inBlack Ops Cold WarandBlack Ops 6was a clear strength, there was certainly room for improvement. For example, a fully voiced protagonist communicating with the NPCs and actually delivering the chosen lines would add to the immersion, and a relationship system that stems from the dialogue could also prove interesting.
Black Ops 7’s Co-Op Gameplay Leaves Little Room For Conversations
While it could prove false, a recentleakforBlack Ops 7’s campaign provided some insight into how co-op will work, and it certainly feels like a nail in the coffin for optional dialogue. Supposedly, players will control slightly customizable nameless soldiers for a majority of the campaign, with some missions seeing the party leader take control ofDavid Masonand the other players being proper NPCs (Harper is likely to be one of them, with Michael Rooker confirmed to return). While the leak does mention that the safehouse is coming back, it is hard to imagine that it will be full of characters to talk to this time, especially with a large portion of the story apparently revolving around silent soldiers. Perhaps the safehouse will be populated by characters like David whenever players aren’t controlling him, though it seems more likely that the safehouse will be more likeBO3’s thanBO6’s - largely empty outside of little activities and decorations for players to engage with. Dialogue choices within actual missions are even less likely withBO7’s rumored approach.
While the actual quality of the missions remains to be seen, as it’s a bit early to expect another disastrousMW3open-combat scenario, it does seem likeBO7’s campaign will be noticeably different fromBlack Ops Cold WarandBO6. If dialogue trees do end up getting left behind in favor of co-op, then there is a worry that they will never come back.Call of Duty2026 and 2027 will fall under Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, and those campaigns are likely to introduce their own features, meaning it’s up to Treyarch and Raven to keep the mechanic going. With a potential lack of optional dialogue for three years straight, it could be forgotten about like so many otherretiredCall of Dutyfeatures. For those who care about character development in their first-person shooters, this would be a clear step back for the series, so hopefully Treyarch giving co-op another chance doesn’t mean its recent innovations are left by the wayside.
