Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 on PlayStation 3 is a letdown, and not only because it doesn’t have a single-player campaign.

Its competitive multiplayer and co-op Zombies have tons of cool new powers, weapons, and secrets to unlock, but after all, it can't measure up to the top-notch performance and visual standards set even by the previous Call of Duty games on this system.

Graphics 3,5/5

When you first find a match in the multiplayer, you might think you are playing some poor Call of Duty clone instead of the original. You will find distractingly simple props, messy textures, and jagged shadows. Some surfaces look like they are not affected by lighting, and even the menu text and images are fuzzy.

Comparing to the great presentation of Black Ops 2, this game is disappointing. However, even an ugly version of a great shooter is still really fun to play.

Gameplay 4/5

Once again, the campaign is missing entirely in the PS3 version, so don’t buy it expecting to play the solo or co-op story. And that wouldn’t be an issue if the campaign was boring and forgettable, but it wasn’t. Despite some weak characters and tough-to-follow story, Black Ops 3 has managed to mix fun new powers into the shooter formula with excellent results.

Well, at least Black Ops 3 for PS3 costs $50 instead of $60, reflecting the missing content.

The multiplayer in Black Ops 3 brings back the reliable Pick-10 loadouts, which let you select 10 weapon attachments, grenades, perks, and more to take into battle. That’s not something new, but it’s still a solid system that allows you to go into a match with the gear you want, and nothing more. Multiplayer also includes a plenty of unlockable gear that let you mold a playstyle of your own.

The important change for multiplayer is that you no longer play as an average soldier. Before a match begins, you can pick a Specialist to play as — anything from an elite archer to a murderous robot. Each Specialist has an exclusive power and one exclusive weapon. However, you can take only one of the two into battle.

Each character is useful, and since there are nine Specialists, there is no way for a team to have every weapon and every power available. So, you have a chance to be useful even if you are not the most skilled player.

If you choose the character who can see foes through walls for a short time, you’re invaluable for warning your team about incoming enemies. If you grab the Hive weapon, you can set up proximity traps to cover the weak points in a strong defense. Special weapons and powers aren’t a free win button, though. If you pop your special and get killed a second later, you’ll need to wait for it to recharge, even after a respawn.

The new Zombies co-op mode called Shadows of Evil has its own progression system and a gorgeous 1940s urban-style setting. There are four characters to choose from: a magician, a cop, a burlesque dancer, and a boxer. They are killers thrown together against their will, and each of them is introduced with a brief video that shows them at their worst.

In this mode, players earn money for repairing barricades, killing enemies, etc. and then using it to buy upgrades to survive the next zombie wave. Also, thanks to a new persistent XP and perks system, you can customize abilities and weapons before a match begins. The mode lasts as long as you can survive, so specializing your characters gets more important as the difficulty ramps up.

A big new addition to the Zombie co-op mode is the ability to “Become the Beast.” At a certain point, you can transform into a tentacled monster that rips the zombies apart. It’s incredibly powerful but doesn’t last long, and you can’t use it often.

Controls 5/5

The new thruster pack movements are smooth, easy to control and offer tons of precision. They are great for chasing down or escaping from enemies, reaching objectives, and navigating levels without overshooting your target.

Great controls make for fast battles, which can start at any time and from any angle. Thanks to maps built with enough paths and shortcuts, you can make use of your skills.

Replay Value 4,5/5

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 for PS3 offers a great multiplayer and Zombie co-op modes, which you can play online for hours and hours, and each match won’t be the same.

Conclusion

With no campaign and poor graphics, this version of Black Ops 3 is the weakest way to play this Call of Duty game. However, the slick gameplay, crazy unlockables, new Specialists, and revamped Zombies mode are all included and perfectly playable. The PS3 version can't measure up to their newer counterparts, but it’s still got it where it counts.

• Graphics 3.5
• Gameplay 4
• Controls 5
• Replay Value 4.5

Pros

Smooth controls;
Tons of unlockable items;
Entertaining Zombies mode.

Cons

Poor graphics;
No campaign.