Call of Duty: Black Ops 3: Everything you need to know

Zombies, Multiplayer, Campaign and more explained

Virtually reality: a still from the forthcoming sequel to the bestselling 2012 game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is just around the corner, so below is everything you need to know about one of 2015’s biggest releases, including information about the campaign, multiplayer, zombies and the special editions you can buy.

What is Call of Duty: Black Ops 3?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is the third entry in the Black Ops arm of the hugely-popular Call of Duty franchise. Black Ops is developed by Treyarch, the team also responsible for 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War.

Black Ops 3 is set 40 years after Black Ops 2 in a 21st century Cold War with a huge focus on military technology.

What is the release date for Black Ops 3?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 launches on November 6 on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

What is Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s gameplay like?

Continuing the trend of near-future warfare, players will control soldiers with cybernetic limbs and other technological augmentations, including EMP pulses, the ability to hack enemy bots and even command a swarm of insect-like robots.

The trailer below gives an insight into what fans can expect from gameplay:

Call of Duty’s campaign is no longer single player

The campaign for Black Ops 3 is no longer limited to a single player experience, but opened up to four-player online co-op. Two players can also team up locally in split-screen.

As a result of this, missions have more open battlefields with fewer narrow corridors. Early gameplay footage shows players in open expanses, with the choice of taken on various groups of enemies however they see fit.

The campaign’s missions can be completed in any order

Another consequence of four-player co-op is that every mission of Black Ops 3’s campaign is unlocked from the beginning. You don’t have to complete the first mission to unlock the second, and can even skip straight to the game’s conclusion, should you wish.

The main intention of this is to allow players to join up with friends online even if they are further in the game. Players on mission five can join friends on mission seven.

Another bonus of this is that players can skip to the next mission if they find themselves stuck in a particularly troublesome level.

You can play as a woman in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 campaign

The script for the campaign is said to be gender-neutral, meaning players can choose whether to play as a man or a woman.

Multiplayer customisation is available in the campaign, too

The unlock system that popularised Call of Duty’s multiplayer has made its way into the campaign. Players can choose weapon loadouts at the start of each mission, and unique character abilities catered around certain play styles.

There’s no Campaign on PS3 or Xbox 360

If all of the above sounds very exciting to you, then don’t buy Black Ops 3 on PS3 or Xbox 360, as neither format has the campaign. Activision is starting to make the stark transition to the latest generation of consoles, with old-gen lacking several key features, and campaign is the biggest omission.

Multiplayer now has characters called ‘Specialists’

As well as ‘Create-a-Class’, you’ll also now have to choose a character, or ‘Specialist’. Each Specialist has a unique weapon and ability. Battery, for example, has the Kinetic Armour ability, which allows her to deflect bullets which hit the body for a short period of time. Ruin’s unique weapons are Gravity Spikes, which can be slammed to the ground and kill enemies in the immediate vicinity.

Traversal will have a big impact in multiplayer

Treyarch will take Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s movement mechanics one step further in Black Ops 3, with wall-running, jump boosts and other systems playing a big part in multiplayer. Players will also be able to swim and get involved in underwater shoot-outs, too.

Does Black Ops 3 have a Season Pass?

Yes and no. Call of Duty does have a Season Pass, but it’s only available on PS4, Xbox One and PC for £35.

Activision has remained vague as to the exact reasons why the pass is unavailable for Xbox 360 and PS3, but in a statement released to VideoGamer.com, it seems some downloadable content will only be available on next-gen consoles:

“Season Pass will be available only on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC platforms. Availability of individual DLC packs for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms may vary. More information will be announced at a later date.”

PS4 players get Black Ops 3 multiplayer DLC first

PlayStation platforms will receive Call of Duty DLC ahead of Xbox for the first time in the series.

Previously, Microsoft had a deal in place so that DLC came first to Xbox platforms, but now that deal has switched to Sony, so if you’re desperate to get your hands on the latest content as soon as it launches, you’re going to need to buy Call of Duty on PS4 this year.

Call of Duty Zombies is back

Zombies mode is back and bigger than ever. Set in the 1940s, the mode includes an entire narrative set in the city of Morg. The mode will also include its own XP and progression system.

The team has also hired four A-list actors to lend their likeness and voices to the characters in the mode: Ron Perlman, Jeff Goldblum, Heather Graham and Neil McDonough.

Does Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 have any pre-order bonuses?

Yes. Fans who pre-order Black Ops 3 will get access to fan-favourite map Nuketown, reimagined in 2065.

What about Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 special editions?

There are three collector’s editions for Black Ops 3 - Digital Deluxe, Hardened and Juggernog.

The Digital Deluxe edition includes the game, the Season Pass, ‘The Giant’ in-game Zombies map, and two weapon personlisation packs.

The Hardened Edition includes ‘The Giant’ in-game Zombies map, a steelbook case for the game, limited edition specialist concept art cards, the official soundtrack and two weapon personalisation packs.

The Juggernog edition includes all items included in the two above editions plus a “perk-a-cola” coaster set with custom tin and a Juggernog mini-fridge.