The post-launch life of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is still in full swing, with fresh content consistently being added to the game to add some needed variety to its core experience. For the title's core multiplayer, in-game seasons cause a lot of buzz for the added maps, weapons, modes, and events that they usually bring, with Season Three of Black Ops 6 recently launching on April 2.
While Season Three of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has drawn attention in many ways, such as through its massive Warzone changes, the season also saw the introduction of a remastered version of the Firing Range map to the project, with some high expectations surrounding it. Despite the huge reputation that Firing Range has, some fans have already been vocal about how the graphical and gameplay changes for the map's latest version are too hard to ignore.
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Black Ops 6's Reliance on Remasters is Causing Some Friction
Despite the massively successful launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the launch multiplayer map pool of the title was quite divisive, with some fans taking issue with the alleged lack of traditional three-lane structure and a variety of sizes within its launch experiences. The post-launch seasons of Black Ops 6 have had to address these claims, with Treyarch having introduced remastered versions of classic Black Ops maps that have stood the test of time to strengthen the game's map pool.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reportedly had the most successful launch month in the franchise's history, being a huge victory for Treyarch that now requires a lot of post-launch maintenance.
Other than perhaps Nuketown, Firing Range stands as one of the most iconic maps throughout the entire Black Ops franchise, having appeared in the original Black Ops as well as Black Ops 3 and 4. Black Ops 6 recently carried forward this tradition with the launch of its third season, with Firing Range once again being a staple core map for players to enjoy. This understandably caused a lot of anticipation, though some players seemingly think that the map is too different from the original form that fans first experienced in 2010.
While the original Firing Range had a gritty and sand-swept aesthetic, Black Ops 6's version of the iconic location has opted for a more sleek and concrete look. While this could be seen as a logical way to bring Firing Range up to speed with Black Ops 6's more modern setting compared to the original Black Ops, this sticking point is only compounded by the vastly different movement mechanics that Black Ops 6 possesses.
The Stark Gameplay Differences of Modern CoD Always Make it Difficult for Map Remasters to Thrive
One of the most distinct features of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is its brand-new omnimovement system, which completely changes core movement by introducing sideways and backwards sprinting and diving mechanics. This has leaned heavily into CoD's new label as a movement shooter, adding a completely different dynamic to classic experiences like Firing Range by altering the way in which players can interact with the map, as well as its pace of play.
Of course, all of Firing Range's variants over the years have been unique in their own way, with Black Ops 2 famously remaking the map as Studio, completely changing the map's style while maintaining its layout. It seems important in this way that Treyarch goes out of its way to make remastered maps still feel fresh within the context of Black Ops 6's setting and gameplay differences, and while this has been done with Firing Range while still honoring the original, it seems as if any minor changes to such iconic maps are always going to be quite divisive.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- FPS
