Call of Duty fans expected a big return with Black Ops 7. However, the campaign mode has triggered widespread disappointment. As of November 14, players and reviewers are calling it one of the most frustrating Call of Duty campaigns to date. Analysts and gamers have expected big things from this game. Some even suggest that Black Ops 7 will outsell Battlefield 6. But things have taken a turn for the worse.
A long list of issues has already been highlighted. Meanwhile, gamers are openly mocking the mode. Many say it doesn’t feel like Call of Duty anymore.
Black Ops 7 uses a cooperative campaign as its default. You load into missions just like a multiplayer match. You can matchmake with friends or random players. You can also unlock camos, rank up weapons, and carry all progression into multiplayer and Warzone.
This sounds great. However, it comes with major drawbacks.
There is no difficulty setting. The game adjusts difficulty based on squad size. And when you play solo, you play completely alone. There are no AI teammates on the ground. You only hear voices on radio comms. Cutscenes still show Mason’s full squad, but they disappear once gameplay starts. This creates a strange, empty experience unlike any previous Call of Duty campaign.
Older games like Black Ops III allowed co-op but also kept AI companions for solo play. Black Ops 7 removes them entirely, making the world feel lifeless.
The frustrations don’t stop there. The campaign is always-online, even for solo players. You cannot pause the game at any point. If your internet goes down, you cannot play. If Activision’s servers go down, you cannot play. And if you step away, the game kicks you for inactivity.
Worse, the campaign no longer includes checkpoints. If you quit, get kicked, or the game crashes, you must restart the entire mission.
These design decisions combine into a campaign experience that gamers describe as “terrible”, “baffling”, and “egregious”.
Black Ops campaigns usually become strange in the final act. Black Ops 7 takes that concept and applies it from start to finish. The entire campaign is filled with trippy, psychedelic, and surreal missions.
The story follows David Mason, with returning characters like Mike Harper, Raul Menendez, Alex Mason, and Frank Woods appearing through hallucinations. The plot centres around a corporation called “The Guild”. Its CEO, Emma Kagan, uses a red gas called the “Crucible” to send Mason and his team into shared hallucinations filled with robots, monsters, and bizarre enemies.
While some boss fights and visual set pieces look impressive, the emotional moments fall flat. The campaign feels more like a stripped-down Zombies mode than a proper Call of Duty story, and that’s the main consensus among the community right now.
Black Ops 7 also includes an open-world, extraction-style end-game set across Avalon. You can explore, raise your Power Level, gather loot, and take on tougher zones.
However, the mode is locked behind the campaign, requiring players to complete 11 of the 12 missions first. This limits immediate access for many groups. The end-game is also PvE-only, which removes the tension of PvPvE extraction shooters.
Even though it offers interesting ideas, players and reviewers say it still feels dated.
Black Ops 7 delivers great visuals, strong sound design, fun boss fights, and satisfying gunplay. Progression that carries into multiplayer is a standout addition.
However, the core issues overshadow these strengths. The always-online system, no checkpoint structure, lack of pause, bizarre story direction, and missing AI teammates make the campaign frustrating and disjointed.
Reportedly, this might be the most disappointed the gaming community has ever been with a Call of Duty campaign. The campaign looks good, but it fails to deliver the classic Call of Duty experience.
Multiplayer, Zombies, Dead Ops Arcade, and Season 1 updates will roll out soon. But for now, the Black Ops 7 campaign is widely viewed as a major letdown.