For a series known for virtually non-stop shooting, it\u2019s surprising how much time you spend in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War\u2019s single-player campaign with your weapons holstered. Certainly more than any other game in the franchise\u2019s 17-year history. But whether it\u2019s walking around your safehouse and getting to know your covert ops crew or sneaking around KGB headquarters as a Russian double agent trying to figure out a way to smuggle your American friends into the ultra-secure building, the latest COD puts that quiet time to good use. Sure, it\u2019s got plenty of loud parts too \u2013 there are high-speed shootouts, rooftop chases, and assassination missions \u2013 you know, the usual stuff. But this time around, it reaches its peak without any weapons drawn.
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\nBlack Ops Cold War really sells its, um, black ops Cold War setting well. You\u2019ll see \u201880s fashion, plenty of CRT TVs, and a whole lot of smoking indoors. It\u2019s authentic! Even better, I love how your choices from when you fill out your character\u2019s psych profile actually affect gameplay. Your codename is always \u201cBell,\u201d but you can choose your own background and personality traits \u2013 and that last one manifests as multiplayer-style perks, such as faster reloading speeds or increased bullet damage dealt. You can even pick your own name\u2026 unless you\u2019re me, for some reason?