There is a definite jump in quality between theCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarAlpha and Beta. While some of the changes were needed, others seemed dramatically less important. Still, several changes in three main categories broughtCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warto the next level of first-person shooter experiences.
There is still tons of work to go into the beta. Player, streamer, and pro feedback were mixed, but generally, all three groups agreed that the game had improved since the alpha version was shown. With less than a month left till thefull release ofCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War,many players are starting to wonder what the game’s final version will look like.
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One of the heaviest things impacting the game’s updates has been player feedback. Treyarch and Activision continuously commented on Reddit posts, Tweets, and other player reports as they patched problems within the game. AlthoughCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waris not finished, several updates brought this title up to the next level.
Weapon Improvements
The weapons andgunsmith system inCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warreceived more than a few revisions. During the alpha, several guns took center stage, including Snipers, which were almost unanimously considered overpowered by the game’s community. Each of the weapons required tuning for overperforming and underperforming, but that is not what brought guns to a whole new level. The two factors that changed the game were the increased detailed breakdowns of statistics listed for each attachment and the change in where a sniper needs to hit for it to be a kill.
With increased statistics and detailed information added to the gunsmith, players could now make educated choices when applying their weapons attachments.Call of Duty: Modern Warfareallowed players to see the change in stats through the extension of varying bars, butBlack Ops Cold Wartook a different approach. Rather than estimating the bar movements, they clearly display the varying stat increases in the attachment’s description box. There can no longer debate whether one attachment does more recoil control than the other, as the information is now clearly provided.
As forsnipers, during theCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waralpha, the game was horribly unbalanced. ADS times brought back the era of quick scoping, and one hit kills were viable from the stomach up. This allowed most snipers a 50% chance of instant killing a player, with a low ADS time resulting in player spamming quick scopes and destroying opponents. While this could be fun for some, it quickly unbalanced the purpose of the weapon.
Gameplay Improvements
In the alpha, the gameplay felt clunkier. Fans are used to the smooth movement andquick transitions found inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare.The default settings felt slower, with fans quickly realizing that sliding was faster than running. This resulted in players sliding across the map rather than running, which was not the developers' intention. The biggest change between alpha and beta was the reduction in slide speed, removing slide cancels, and updating all locomotion animations. The game felt cleaner, faster, and more fun as it returned to a more realistic pattern instead of the rapid sliding environment from Alpha.
Scorestreaks and spawns also got a major rework, which helped with the game experience, but was not as groundbreaking as the much-needed tweaking movement received. Other amazing features added include a new Ping system, aFOV slider for all platforms, HUD toggles, and deadzone adjustments. While the game is still in Beta, it will be interesting to see where these improvements go, but at least now players can sprint without the game feeling like it’s dragging on forever.
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Audio/Visual Improvements
One major feature that was fixed was the graphics across the game. Lighting and visibility were adjusted as in the alpha; it was tough to see anyone. This made the game very frustrating for players, but thankfully, the developer used fan feedback and made adjustments that helped enemy models stand out more.
One thing many fans, mainly sniper fans, noticed was the change in hit marker sounds. Several new sounds were added for fatal and non-fatal hits, making it clear whether the target died or dropped to cover. Audio has been a consistent discussion point for fans as many players own high-end headsets, and the off-putting sound quality from alpha caused several inconsistencies.
Black Ops Cold War Changes - Are They Enough?
Still, while the beta offered tons of gameplay improvements, it may not have been enough. There is no doubt that the beta was an improvement but manystreamers still findCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warlackluster. The reception was mixed across the board, with many casual players happy to see implemented feedback but streamers refusing to play the game.
Many professionalCODcompetitors from the CDL thought the changes were great, but many wonders where the game will go from this point. There is a fine line between a greatCall of Dutyand a badCall of Duty,and for many fans, theCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warbeta was dead on that line. The game is still in need of major improvements, and many fans are worried that it will not be ready by its release window.
Still, Treyarch and Activision consider theCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warbeta a successdue to its massive turnout. Despite streamer, pro, and player critiques, the game had a large audience, and tons of feedback has been submitted that will undoubtedly level this game up once again.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waris set to release on November 13th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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