Saying Activision and Treyarch get the people who play their games is a bit of a given. Call of Duty is one of the top selling series of all time. People regularly attend launch events. Older titles are still being played long after each year’s iteration comes out. Of course the people making the games know what people want. But with the latest entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops III , that seems even more obvious than ever.
The idea first occurred to me after Treyarch made the announcement that all of the Call of Duty: Black Ops III campaign missions would be unlocked the second someone boots up the game. You can play them in any order you want, story be damned. That might seem like a gross misstep in other series. The stories are some games’ lifeblood. With Call of Duty though, it works, because while the stories can be and often are better than people realize, a lot of people are there for the experience.
By letting them get into whatever map they want, when they want, Treyarch is making it easier for players to get what they want out of Call of Duty: Black Ops III . For some of us, jumping ahead and skipping through stories might get us discombobulated and confused. But for people who are familiar with the series, only in search of a new challenge or perhaps ready to learn new tactics for multiplayer, a level select makes sense. This doesn’t cheapen the experience for those who want to use it, because they’re getting the experience that’s best for them.
And complaining about Call of Duty: Black Ops III ‘s unlocked missions would be like crying foul about the game’s new Realistic difficulty level. The gameplay element is there, yes, but you only interact with it if you wish. For some, a shooter where you only have one hit point is going to be huge. It really is more realistic, and is going to encourage new sorts of strategies as people learn to rely more upon their teammates, rather than trying to boost their own counts and reputation.
But if someone doesn’t feel like they’re up for the Realistic challenge, they can let it pass them by. It’s there, and it’s comforting to know there’s that option, but it isn’t mandatory. The level select is the same way. If it’s something that already has you raising an eyebrow, don’t see it as an assault on your play style. Think of it as something that exists, and perhaps is also truly tempting, but only another option.
Besides, all that really matters with a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops III is whether you get something positive out of the experience. Seeing a developer like Treyarch willing to take chances by incorporating things like a level select and Realistic difficulty are good things. It shows a willingness to experiment to make something greater. It’s difficult to fault a company for trying to enhance your experience.