Call of Duty: Black Ops - PlayStation 5 port

Nostalgia is a strange thing. Just hearing a few notes of iconic music, seeing the familiar Treyarch logo, or hearing the phrase "The numbers, Mason" again can instantly take you back sixteen years. This is exactly what Activision is building on for the return of Call of Duty: Black Ops on PlayStation 5. The problem is that, after the initial rush of emotions, the question quickly arises – is this really worth almost 40 euros?

Unfortunately, the answer is not what I had hoped for.

I won’t beat around the bush. This is not a remaster. It’s not a remake. It’s not even a seriously upgraded port. Black Ops on PS5 is practically the same game we played on PlayStation 3 back in 2010.

Of course, that’s not necessarily bad news when it comes to the game itself. The first Black Ops still has one of the best campaigns in the history of the Call of Duty series. The Cold War, the CIA, conspiracy theories, brainwashing, charismatic characters, and incredible pacing make the story just as engaging as it was sixteen years ago. Treyarch proved back then that Call of Duty could offer much more than spectacular explosions. The campaign is full of unforgettable moments that compel you to play another mission, and the finale still leaves a strong impression today. It’s no coincidence that Black Ops is often mentioned when players discuss the golden age of Call of Duty.

Multiplayer also evokes special memories. Before battle passes, seasons, daily challenges, and endless cosmetic additions, it was enough to jump into Team Deathmatch, play a few matches, and simply have fun. That simplicity feels almost refreshing today. The Zombies mode has aged well too. It’s rich enough to provide hours of entertainment, yet it’s not bogged down by the complex mechanics that later became the hallmark of the series. If you’ve ever wanted to experience Zombies in its purest form, Black Ops is still one of the best places to start.

Unfortunately, all the positives the game offers come from 2010.

When it comes to the port itself, it’s hard to find justification for its price. Visual improvements are almost non-existent. The game runs at 1080p resolution and maintains the same 60 frames per second as it did over a decade ago. To be fair, it looks quite a bit nicer than on PlayStation 3. But that’s it for improvements. There’s no support for 120 FPS, no FOV slider, no utilization of DualSense features, no new content, and not even basic quality-of-life improvements that we expect from such re-releases today.

Even more frustrating is the fact that not all content is included in the base purchase. Multiplayer and Zombies DLC maps are sold separately through the Season Pass, which raises the total price to that of a brand new AAA game. Additionally, the Wager mode has been removed, as well as the ability to review played matches and save them in Theater mode. That hurts the most, as I learned to play properly through that mode, watching played matches from the perspective of opponents who would wipe the floor with us.

Honestly, it’s very hard to justify the price that Activision is asking for this port. Especially when we look at what studios like Nightdive, Capcom, or Microsoft have done with their remasters in recent years. Today, a remaster is no longer just a higher resolution. We expect a modernized user interface, improved textures, additional accessibility options, better performance, and content that justifies the re-release. Black Ops on PS5 offers almost none of that.

And that's precisely why it leaves a bitter taste. Not because it's a bad game – far from it. On the contrary, it's one of the best Call of Duty titles ever made. The problem is that Activision is asking players a premium price for a product that has seen an absolute minimum of effort put into it. The only silver lining regarding the price is the 50% discount for PlayStation Plus subscribers, both for the game and for the Season Pass. Still, that should have been the base price, but nostalgia is something that can be easily monetized today.

As a long-time fan of the series, it's hard for me to write this. Black Ops deserves to be rediscovered by a new generation of players. Its campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies have left an indelible mark in the history of video games. But it also deserves a release that will honor that legacy.

This, unfortunately, is not that release.