Sure thing, here it goes:
—
Major spoilers ahead for the Reckoning map in BO6 Zombies. So, if you’re invested and don’t want to ruin it, maybe skip this bit. Or don’t. It’s your call. Anyway…
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5, right? End of the zombies stuff and they’ve wrapped it up pretty nicely. Mostly. Reckoning has some cool lore nuggets—finally explaining the announcer’s deal—and then there’s Grey’s dramatic reaction to what happened to Samantha. Really hit home, you know? And let’s not forget the map itself; it’s got this fresh vibe. But wait—don’t get too carried away. There are things to nitpick: like, poor Panos… feels like they rushed his story, and the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon? Kinda meh. Could’ve packed more punch. Still, the main quest? A maze of complexity with alternate endings and boss fights that are a blast if you’re into that stuff. But yeah, the ending? It’s divisive. Depends on who you ask.
So, you pick the path, and then it’s either SAM or Richtofen taking the spotlight. If you went the SAM route—get ready for this—you take down Richtofen in his mech (not kidding), and then SAM, she’s human, plus powered up. Richtofen’s path? Happier days… AI defeated, and he’s with his family again. But here’s the kicker: that’s not even what everyone’s arguing over. Nah, it’s the shadowy lurkers at the end—those original four in shiny new forms—giving an ominous “welcome to the party” line. Cliffhanger alert! Black Ops 7 awaits, I guess. Except, funny thing, for once, I’m not amped up to see the next chapter. A bit of a bummer since usually, these endings have me hooked. Think of Origins, Terminus… Heck, those kept the pulse going.
Throwback to the Aether storyline. Remember that? Wild, tangled mess but oh-so-good. Teenage-me practically lived for the theories, those community breakdowns, and tracking down hidden radios in maps. It was like a global treasure hunt, no lie. Fast-forward to Black Ops 4, and that storyline called it quits. Tough pill to swallow, especially without certain promised closing acts like that Great War map. Just… gone. And now? Retconning all that closure feels iffy. Guess I’m not alone in not being psyched about our pals making a return; it feels… forced?
Remember Tag Der Toten’s ending? Maybe not fully animated, but man, it hit different. The whole “no escape, sacrifice necessary” spiel? Nikolai carrying the weight—literal emotional wallop. Sam and Eddie walking into a new universe… sigh. Thinking we’d never see them again smacked me right in the feels. Now, with them back in the picture? It just dilutes what felt like a real goodbye. The gravity of it just… drifts away.
Nostalgia—COD’s secret sauce! Whether it’s remixes of Nuketown, or those teased Prestige bits from older Black Ops. Blackout wouldn’t have pulled it off otherwise, let’s be real. But dragging back the old crew this time? I dunno, feels like we’re ruining something sacred. Especially after that gutting sacrifice scene in Tag Der Toten. It was an… ending, y’know? Treyarch better bring their “A” game to explain this twist, while tying up other loose ends, like… what’s up with Panos, eh?
Then there’s the whole Takeo voice actor situation. Poor Tom Kane. The stroke really hit hard. And Sam’s recast went down rough with the crowd, so they gotta tread carefully with Kane in BO7. Yikes.
Funny how they’re playing greatest hits for Black Ops 7. Should they? I’m bewildered. BO6 Zombies did just fine without digging up old graves. They could’ve gone full throttle with the Chaos storyline, picked up that cliffhanger from Ancient Evil. Or built more on the Terminus crew—those folks deserve so much! But nah, seems like BO7’s gonna lean into nostalgia over fresh faces, giving us the old gang again.
Some folks are hyped though, really living for those classic vibes. I get it. They’re iconic. Mine too, honestly. But really, it feels desperate, like RDJ popping back into the MCU with a twist. Sure, they’re not exactly the same, so their past actions “count,” but it’s hard to shake that dejá vu feeling. Next thing you know, we’ll be growing fond of these new versions, only for the cycle to loop again. We’re all on repeat, spinning alongside Treyarch’s merry-go-round. ‘Round and ’round.
And yet, the Dark Aether narrative had such potential, with brave new ideas before it got squished by nostalgia. At least I’m holding onto hope for those bold map locales Tom Henderson spilled the beans on—like a nuked New York City—’cause otherwise, I’m stuck banking on gameplay alone.
—
