With Infinity Ward taking center stage in theCall of Dutyfranchise for the past few years, it is no wonder that other development studios are coming back into the fold. Sledgehammer Games are reportedly taking the helm of the IP’s 2023 release, with Treyarch also being reported to take control of 2024’s franchise installment.
While it is of course exciting to seeCall of Dutyreturning to more diverse development, there are many mistakes and pitfalls from past releases that Treyarch should learn from. In particular,Black Ops 3had a campaign that was notorious for its confusing themes that went against the grain of what the franchise usually explores. While this is not inherently a bad thing, there are clear lessons thatBlack Ops 3in particular can teach Treyarch and its mystery 2024CoDtitle.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Complex Story
2015’sBlack Ops 3was a bold step forwardfor the iconic sub-franchise ofCall of Duty. The release largely did away with the preceding storylines of the first twoBlack Opsgames, instead opting for a deeply futuristic setting with an entirely new set of characters.
Like 2014’sAdvanced Warfare, a lot ofBlack Ops 3’s main themes revolved around cybernetic enhancement in futuristic combat.Black Ops 3arguably took these themes a step further, going as far to have these enhancements extend to entering the mind of the player character and interacting with other characters through this.
A huge portion ofBlack Ops 3’s story revolves around an AI virus named Corvus that has the ability to hack into the digital neural interface, or DNI, of enhanced soldiers. This literally takes the battle into the mind of the player character, leading to confusing and eccentric sequences where reality shifts and bends at every turn. While the campaign ofBlack Ops 3is undoubtedly ambitious and interesting, the mind-bending sequences that make up a large portion of the narrative led to it being labeled as confusing and therefore forgettable in some spaces.
Treyarch’s 2024 Call of Duty and Black Ops 3
Of course, not a lot is currently known about Treyarch’s 2024 title, with a lot of discussion currently circulating aroundSledgehammer Games' rumoredModern Warfare 3. This has not stopped leaks and rumors from circulating about 2024’s title, which may indicate that Treyarch is going back to a classicBlack Opsfeel for its next release.
Thanks to files mined fromWarzone Mobile, it is rumored thatCoD2024 will be set during the 1990s, specifically involving the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia. This would do away with the futuristic elements of otherBlack Opstitles by necessity, likely leading to something more in-line with the Cold War setting of the originalBOand the more recentBlack Ops: Cold War.
It is true thatBlack Opshas always centered around themes of confusion and warped reality, yet the technical and futuristic way in whichBlack Ops 3approached this may have been too far. If the rumored setting ofCoD2024 holds any weight, then Treyarch would be wise to keep its themes much more grounded in reality. A move away from futuristic settings would keep to the classic feel of theBlack Opsfranchise, while allowing Treyarch to tell a story with all-new characters without feeling too much of a departure from what made theBlack Opstitles successful to begin with.
A newCall of Dutyis in development.
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