It is clear to see why so much anticipation existed around the campaign ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6prior to its release, with the title continuing one of the most iconic narratives across the entire franchise. While the recently released title does well to carry forward the coreBlack Opsthemes of espionage, unpredictability, and shady government secrets, the involved characters of the title mark a clear shift in what fans can expect from the series going forward.
Many past entries to theBlack Opsfranchise have a direct narrative impact on the campaign ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, with Treyarch having to make some very bold decisions on what iconic characters from these past games have a place inBlack Ops 6’s story. Many of the narrative turns ofBlack Ops 6leave little room for the franchise’s old guard to appear, putting a huge amount of pressure on the game’s new figures. Despite this risk, the fresh faces ofBlack Ops 6do extremely well to carry forward the quality of past characters, thankfully setting up a bright future for the series.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s New Characters Carry the Torch in an Excellent Way
The roots ofCall of Duty: Black Ops 6’s storygo as far back as 2010’s originalBlack Opstitle, with this being the game to introduce iconic franchise characters like Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jason Hudson. This narrative was then furthered throughoutBlack Ops 2and the more recentCold War, withBlack Ops 6continuing a beloved story that was first crafted over 14 years ago.
The campaign ofBlack Ops 6fills in the gaps between the flashback and near-future stories ofBlack Ops 2, which itself had a wide range of branching narrative choices and drastically different endings that the player could work towards. This gave Treyarch an extremely important decision to make going into the development ofBlack Ops 6, with the studio having to officially canonize certain major events and character deaths that were otherwise optional prior toBO6’s release.
Much to the dismay of many fans,Black Ops 6has made it official that Alex Mason was killed by his long-time friend Frank WoodsinBlack Ops 2due to a case of mistaken identity. Alongside the additional death of Jason Hudson and the huge physical injuries inflicted on Woods,Black Ops 6takes a clear stance that the time of the franchise’s original characters is coming to an end. Woods still takes center stage inBlack Ops 6’s story as a direct link to the series' roots, with his reduced physical capabilities making him begrudgingly reliant on the game’s fresh cast of characters.
Black Ops 6’s New Characters Have Met Some Lofty Expectations
Alongside the playable character, Case,Black Ops 6introduces Woods' protege, Troy Marshall, to the fold. When also considering eccentric German hacker Felix Neumann, mysterious assassin Sevati Dumas, and CIA Specialist Jane Harrow, the overall cast ofBlack Ops 6is still as exciting as ever, despite the sad absences of the likes of Mason. These fresh faces are supported further by returning characters from the more recentCold War, withRussell Adler and Jane Park making explosive returns to the franchise inBlack Ops 6.
While a fair amount of respect and screen time is still given topreviously established characters inBlack Ops 6, the majority of the game’s story is centered around a new generation of figures who further bridge the gap between the franchise’s older and semi-futuristic narratives. The themes of change inBlack Ops 6are echoed in the characters that the player becomes familiar with, and the title’s new faces do an excellent job of following some ofCoD’s most iconic figures.
