On October 10 through 12 and October 15 through 19, gamers can play the free open beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on the PlayStation 4. Those who preordered the game were able to start playing the beta on October 8 and 9. Xbox One and PC players can play the open beta on the 15 and 19. 

After months of leaked information online, Black Ops Cold War, set in the 1980’s, was finally announced on August 19, with a teaser trailer on YouTube. Over a month later on October fifth, the official multiplayer open beta trailer was available for viewing. The 30 second video showed gameplay and displayed the gamemodes playable.

I opened the Playstation Store and downloaded the open beta on my PS4. After the 30 gigabyte application was finished installing and ready to start, I opened it. After loading into the menu, I jumped right into an online match.

The first game I loaded into was a “Team Deathmatch,” and the first thing I noticed was the beautiful graphics. The environment surrounding my character was highly detailed and had accurate shaders. There was a lot more movement and shaking of the screen during action than I’ve seen in previous Call of Duty installments, which gave the game a more realistic feel. Firing a weapon also felt much different than older games. It was more sporadic and unpredictable, portraying a real weapon better. A significant change I noticed was the effects of a flash grenade. It blurred your vision a lot and prevented you from using both hands to fire your weapon.

The next gamemode I tried was “Combined Arms: Assault.” In this mode, there are two teams that can consist of up to 12 players. The main task is to capture every objective on the map, with the match beginning with one neutral objective in the middle. The objectives spawn in different areas around the battlefield. The gameplay of this mode is very fast-paced and hectic, with up to 24 players in total playing at the same time. There is lots of action and you always have to be ready for anyone that comes into your line of sight, which is often.

A similar game type is “Combined Arms: Domination.” The objective is to capture five different zones around the map. Taking and holding them gives your team points, and the first team to 400 points wins. Teams in this mode also go up to 12 versus 12. The gameplay is fast-paced as well, once again because of the large teams. With five zones to capture, there are numerous scenarios you can find yourself in. On the map Armada, there are a few ships that you can land on, some of them halfway sunk underwater. Some of the zones are by these sunken ships, which makes for a more challenging match since you are vulnerable to being attacked in the water. On the ships that aren’t sunk, you can drop boats from them into the water and transport yourself around the map.

I took part in a match of “VIP Escort,” a brand new gamemode introduced to Call of Duty. There are two teams, each consisting of up to six players. One team has to escort a player who’s randomly selected as VIP to one of two exfil sites, and the other team has to stop them. If the VIP is eliminated or the two and a half minute timer runs out, then the escorters lose. The VIP’s only weapon is a pistol and two frag grenades, so protecting them is important. Playing this mode took teamwork and coordination to win on the escorting team. I had to make sure I checked corners for any enemies when I was with the VIP to keep them safe. The rounds often end quick, making this yet another fast-paced gamemode.

Overall, I think this game has good potential for its full release on November 13. The graphics look great and the physics are good. The maps are unique with different vehicles to use to gain an advantage over your enemies. After playing for a while, I haven’t run into any glitches, so I’d say the game is well put together.