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If you’d told me a year ago that a bizarre GameCube spinoff would receive a sequel on Nintendo’s follow-up to the Switch, I’m not sure I’d believe you. That’s right, Kirby Air Riders – a racing game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai's Sora Ltd. – is finally here on Nintendo Switch 2, a whole 22 years after its predecessor entered the fray.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: November 20, 2025

Although Kirby Air Riders feels like a surprise release so early in the Nintendo Switch 2’s life, I’m actually delighted to see it glide onto the console. It's essentially a fusion of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros, combining intense races with chaotic combat. But can it live up to the quality we’ve come to expect from those two legendary series?

Well, I’ve played solo, raced online, and even battled it out in local multiplayer. I’ve also spent hours on the game’s single-player campaign, customizing my machines and unlocking new characters. So, can this oddball racer outpace some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games? I’ve got a lot of thoughts – largely positive ones, thankfully. But I won’t make you wait any longer…here are my final thoughts on the whirlwind gaming experience that is Kirby Air Riders.

Smash on wheels

(Image credit: Nintendo)

From the very second I fired up Kirby Air Riders on my Nintendo Switch 2, I could only think of one thing: Super Smash Bros.

Sure, Masahiro Sakurai is the creator of Kirby, but he also birthed this legendary fighting game series, which has its influence deeply infused into Kirby Air Riders’ DNA. Every single aspect – from the music, through to the menus and the unhinged gameplay – has Sakurai’s fingerprints all over it. But that’s not a bad thing.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I adored defeating enemies until I had enough juice to unleash Bandana Waddle Dee’s mighty spike attack special. Slashing my rival riders left, right, and center felt supremely satisfying. Sorry King Dedede, the crown is mine.

For anyone who played Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the UI will feel like an old friend. The look of different options, sound design when making selections, and simple layout of menus is almost identical to what you’d find in that game. It's easy to use, fun to interact with, and a visual treat.

It's a similar story on the music front, too. The jazzy, catchy menu theme feels very Smash-like, and the broad, varied selection of tracks, which includes everything from grandiose orchestral arrangements through to funk-infused head boppers, is seriously intoxicating.

Even if you jump into a race in the Air Ride mode, you may feel as if the game’s aesthetic feels noticeably close to Sakurai’s previous work. The character models and quirky animations, zany design of the machines – which are the vehicles you use to race on – and vibrant, color-filled environments hammer home that this game is essentially Smash on wheels. And I love that.

Keeping it simple?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Now let’s get into the meat of things and talk about gameplay. On the face of it, Kirby Air Riders is outrageously simple – especially compared to some of the best racing games. Your machine will automatically accelerate, and all you have to do is steer and hold down the B button to drift and obtain power-ups, like Fighter or Cutter abilities. Sure, the Y button allows each rider to occasionally use a special move, and you can waggle the left stick to do a spin attack, but that covers the vast majority of things.

Although the controls are incredibly easy to learn – especially thanks to a concise Lessons mode – it genuinely takes time to master them and understand how to get the upper hand over tricky opponents.

Drifting will considerably slow you, and requires more precision than you’d need in Mario Kart World. And in the main racing mode – Air Ride – you’ll need to tail opponents to get a boost before attacking. Speaking of, you’ll need to hold B to use a lot of power-ups, which will, in turn, slow you down. Sometimes, trading off speed can feel very rewarding, whereas other times, you’ll wish you left King Dedede alone (for once) and just kept powering ahead. Poor penguin. The need to consider trade-offs during high-speed races adds a nice dollop of challenge, and feels intelligently thought out – I applaud how the developers fostered a balanced approach in this regard.

On top of this, you’ll need to ensure that your character and machine loadout are suited to your playstyle. Personally, I liked having a solid amount of control on tight corners, and also enjoyed using a vehicle with enough lift to soar across corners. I didn’t want to be too light, though, so I found myself combining Bandana Waddle Dee (who should have been in Smash Ultimate) with the Vampire Star.

On the subject of characters, it did surprise me how varied and large the roster was, considering the limitations of a Kirby-only cast. There’s a fun set of riders from right across the series’ rich history as well as color variants, which I had a wonderful time sifting through. The number of machines is admirable, too, so there’s plenty of experimentation available to the player.

One area that I felt could be improved, though, was the course selection. The tracks themselves are solid. Some, like Waveflow Waters and Crystalline Fissure, felt like real visual spectacles and had me entranced in the on-screen action. However, I did wish that there were a few more alternate routes to explore, and the fact that there are just 18 courses – nine of which are retro inclusions – may end up feeling repetitive in the long run.

(Image credit: Nintendo)Let the chaos commence

I’ve mainly spoken about Air Ride so far, which I’ve had great fun with overall. Timing the perfect drift, battering my opponents, and gliding past them on the finish line is very rewarding, and I can see myself coming back for a number of races against friends in the coming weeks and months.

But what made a lot of people fall in love with 2003’s Kirby Air Ride was the City Trial mode. Here, you have to collect a range of items to boost your machine – think speed, defense, and HP increases – before clashing against rivals in a brief minigame.

City Trial is back, and this time it's even crazier. I found myself constantly switching machines, mashing up CPUs, and even fighting event bosses to get some juicy power-ups. I have to admit, this mode is good fun, especially when playing multiplayer. I trialled this mode against other gaming journalists at Nintendo’s UK HQ, and it really did bring out my competitive streak – the scrappy, intense nature of the mode is certainly enticing.

Still, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that City Trial is kinda lop-sided. I would spend five minutes powering up my machine, raring to crush my adversaries. But then, in a matter of seconds, the showdown minigame would be over. One example is a target game, where you glide into a numbered panel to score points. You get two attempts at scoring points, and then it's game over. This felt highly anticlimactic, and a significant portion of the minigames finished up too swiftly for my liking.

It should also be noted that I often found my character to be totally out of control after the first few minutes of powering up. This was pretty funny for the most part, and I did have a giggle while careening into my foes with next to no control. Having said that, this could leave me feeling a little City Trial’d out after a couple of rounds – the chaos is exciting, but perhaps meant to be enjoyed in bursts.

Luckily, there were a few other modes to try out when I was done with City Trials and Air Ride. There’s Top Ride, which is a birds-eye view racing mode that uses smaller, more basic courses. The more limited nature of Top Ride meant that I wasn’t returning to it much, but the concept is executed well.

Perhaps more interestingly, there’s a solo campaign with an actual story, called Road Trip – it's almost reminiscent of the Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In Road Trip, you’ll continuously float down a road and get to pick from a variety of mini games to boost your level and progress the narrative. Typically, you can select one of three minigames, which keeps things decently varied.

Every now and then, you’ll engage in boss fights and get to view cutscenes about a lifeform named Zorah, which crash-lands onto the planet Popstar. The story didn’t really grip me or make me want to ride solo for hours on end, but it's a decent lil’ extra to break things up a bit. I’ll mainly stick to playing the Air Ride of City Trial modes online – either ranked or in quick play – if I don’t have friends around to play with, though.

(Image credit: Nintendo)Coming to the finish line

Even though I wasn’t completely bowled over by Road Trip, I still found plenty of value in playing on my own. That’s largely thanks to a checklist system, which runs across the Air Ride, Top Ride, City Trial, and Road Trip modes. As you achieve different objectives, you’ll unlock new characters, machines, and customizable pieces.

And this leads me to something that I really loved about my time with Kirby Air Riders – the sheer amount of personalization on offer. You can customize machines with stickers, attachments, and patterns, personalize your license, which other players can view online, and even tailor controls to your own liking.

The possibilities feel endless, and the volume of unlockables made me really want to complete challenges on the checklist. That feeling I got when completing a technically difficult objective was exhilarating and was a particular highlight of my Air Riders experience.

So, in the end, I really did find a lot of things to love about Kirby Air Riders. Sure, it may not have the variety of Mario Kart or be quite as addictive as Super Smash Bros., but it merges its sources of inspiration pretty effectively. Visually, this game is great – colors really pop and frame rate is pretty consistent despite some insane on-screen action. It matches that with a bombastic soundtrack and playful cast of characters, which adds a whole lot of personality to the Air Riders experience.

Yes, the short minigames in City Trial could feel a touch anticlimactic, but the mode did still offer some truly chaotic laugh-out-loud moments. Meanwhile, the standard Air Ride mode was a blast to play online, and gradually mastering the game’s simple yet surprisingly deep mechanics was a real joy. All in all, Smash on wheels may not be perfect, but it certainly supplies the frenetic fun it promises.

Should you play Kirby Air Riders?

(Image credit: Nintendo)Play it if...

You’re a fan of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.
If you enjoy these two chaotic Nintendo series, then I’m almost certain you’ll have some fun with Kirby Air Riders. Sure, it's a racer, but you’ll have to beat up your opponents in both the Air Ride and City Trial modes to get the edge. This title also has a fantastic, head-bopping soundtrack and exciting visual presentation, so you’re sure to find something to love here.

You’re the competitive type
There are so many ways to compete against friends, family, and strangers in Kirby Air Riders. There’s split-screen multiplayer for local matches, or online play – both ranked and casual – that you can get stuck in. Whether you want to get one over on your buddy or boost your ‘Global Win Power’ via ranked mode, there’s something for you.

Don't play it if...

You want an engaging single player mode
Although I had fun riding solo by completing checklist items and unlocking new content, I didn’t find the Road Trip mode to be massively engaging. The narrative is pretty simple, which is fine for a game like this, just make sure you temper your expectations if you’re seeking an engrossing solo adventure.

You’re expecting a Mario Kart-sized tracklist or character roster
There are 18 courses and around 20 characters to choose from in Kirby Air Riders. While I appreciate the limitations of an all-Kirby cast, I would’ve liked to have seen more maps to race on – especially as Mario Kart World has 32 different tracks. Maybe we’ll get more in the future, though.

Accessibility features

Kudos to everyone involved with accessibility on the Kirby Air Riders development team, because there really are a lot of options to discover here. There are visual options like the ability to adjust brightness or text size, apply different color filters, and adjust HUD.

But there’s also an extensive camera customization menu, which enables you to adapt the field of vision, camera distance, sensitivity, and more. You can even adjust the severity of visual effects or remap controls to your liking, making for a brilliantly customizable user experience.

How I reviewed Kirby Air Riders

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I spent more than 15 hours playing Kirby Air Riders solo and online via Nintendo Switch 2, during which time I exhausted every mode available. In order to play local multiplayer, I took a trip to Nintendo’s UK HQ, where I got a preview of the game and was able to duke it out against fellow gaming journalists and content creators.

Predominantly, I played Kirby Air Riders with my Nintendo Switch 2 docked, connected up to my Sky Glass Gen 2 television and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. I also played in handheld mode, though, and while doing so, I listened to in-game audio with my Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless headphones.

More generally, I’ve been a Nintendo Switch 2 owner from launch and have been playing Nintendo games for the best part of two decades. Here at TechRadar, I’ve also reviewed a range of Nintendo Switch 2 titles, like the bizarre mouse control bonanza Drag x Drive, and the unforgettable adventure that is Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.

First reviewed November 2025

ByteSIM is an eSIM provider that provides internet connectivity for travelers. Its services work across all continents, from the U.S.A. to Switzerland, New Zealand, Thailand, Egypt, China, and more.

Founded in 2021 and based in Hong Kong, ByteSIM has quickly grown into one of the most popular eSIM providers worldwide.

But what makes it a popular option? What are its pros and cons, and is it the best choice for you? This review will answer these questions. Read on to learn what ByteSIM offers and whether it’s ideal for you.

ByteSIM: Plans and pricing

ByteSIM offers flexible pricing based on your selected data volume and plan duration. Pricing also varies across countries, with some countries being noticeably costlier than others.

Prices start from $2.90 for 500 MB for 1 day. For $21, you can get 500 MB per day for 30 days, totaling 15 GB. 1 GB daily for 30 days costs $28, 2 GB daily costs $50, 3 GB daily costs $67, and 10 GB daily costs $100 for the same 30 days.

Instead of paying for a specific amount of data per day, you can choose a total data package upfront from 3 GB to 50 GB. For reference, a 3 GB 15-day plan costs $6 and a 50 GB 30-day plan costs $50.

ByteSIM also offers unlimited data (with a fair usage policy) for prices ranging from $12 for 3 days to $63 for 30 days.

Its pricing structure seems convoluted, but it is actually easy to understand. ByteSIM lets you choose the amount of data (500 MB to 50 GB, or unlimited) and the number of days it is valid for. Prices vary widely according to your choice.

Overall, ByteSIM’s prices are friendly on high-data packages (10 GB upwards) but aren’t the best on the smaller sub-10 GB plans.

Region

Data Amount

Validity

Price

United States

Unlimited

30 days

$69.90

UK

Unlimited

30 days

$43.90

Europe

Unlimited

30 days

$74.90

Japan

Unlimited

30 days

$74.90

Turkey

Unlimited

30 days

$65

ByteSIM: Features

ByteSIM’s standout features include:

Unlimited data

An unlimited data plan is included among ByteSIM’s offerings. However, as with telecom networks, unlimited data doesn’t literally mean what it says.

Instead, there’s a fair usage policy limiting how much data you can consume before the browsing speed gets throttled. This data cap varies depending on the underlying network.

ByteSIM works with different telecom networks in each country, but you can always verify the data cap before buying your plan.

Regional plans

(Image credit: ByteSIM)

Like many eSIM providers, ByteSIM offers regional plans that unlock network connectivity across multiple countries with a single eSIM.

For example, the Asia plan provides coverage in 21 countries, including Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.

If you plan to visit multiple Asian countries, you should choose the Asia plan, as it’s more affordable compared to paying for a new plan in each country you visit.

Unlimited hotspot

With your ByteSIM data allowance, you can use your smartphone as a hotspot without limits. For example, you can share data with friends during your trip or connect your PC to the internet from your smartphone.

Many eSIM providers restrict how much data you can use in hotspot mode, but ByteSIM has no restrictions.

ByteSIM: Installation

Installing your ByteSIM eSIM starts with heading to www.ByteSIM.com or downloading the ByteSIM app from the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS).

On the app or website, you can view all plans offered by ByteSIM, choose your desired plan and duration, and see the corresponding price. Enter your personal details, including your email address, and pay for your plan.

ByteSIM will confirm the payment and send a unique QR code to your email address. Scan the QR code to initiate eSIM activation —the on-screen instructions will guide you.

With ByteSIM's step-by-step instructions, the installation process doesn’t take long to complete. If you need help, you can consult ByteSIM’s FAQs page and blog or contact the support team.

ByteSIM’s mobile app isn’t compulsory for installing your eSIM, but it makes the process smoother. After activating your eSIM, you can monitor data usage from this app or top up data if needed.

ByteSIM: Coverage and speed

ByteSIM offers eSIM coverage in 200+ regions, or virtually all countries where it’s possible. Whether traveling across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, South America, or Oceania, you’ll find a suitable eSIM package on ByteSIM.

This widespread coverage is one of the main reasons for ByteSIM’s popularity, particularly its regional plans that offer data coverage across multiple countries via a single eSIM.

You can access 5G connectivity with ByteSIM if it's available in your location. As a ByteSIM user, you’re dependent on local telecoms infrastructure in the country you visit, meaning speeds can vary.

In urban areas, 5G connectivity is more accessible but can be unavailable in rural areas. If 5G is unavailable, you’ll be switched, 4G or LTE.

Some countries have more robust 5G infrastructure than others, with examples including South Korea, the U.S., China, Switzerland, and Denmark. If visiting these countries, you’re more likely to enjoy 5G connectivity with ByteSIM.

ByteSIM: Support

(Image credit: ByteSIM)

For direct help, you can contact ByteSIM’s support team via email and WhatsApp. You can also dial the telephone support line during working hours, Monday to Friday.

Before seeking direct support, you can first check ByteSIM’s official FAQs page. This page has answers to routine issues users face, from device compatibility to installing eSIMs and troubleshooting slow connections.

Along with the FAQs page, ByteSIM’s official blog contains guides on selecting and installing its eSIMs.

Both the FAQs page and blog sections provide ample self-help resources. ByteSIM provides decent support resources on par with most eSIM providers I’ve tested.

ByteSIM: Final verdict

ByteSIM is a major contender in the eSIM market. It offers flexible eSIM plans for short or long foreign trips and provides reliable internet connectivity.

It’s not the most affordable option, nor does it have the best customer support, but it provides sufficient network coverage in virtually every region. We recommend ByteSIM for your foreign trips, although there are other eSIM options that you can take a look at.

ByteSIM: FAQsDoes ByteSIM offer 5G connectivity?

Yes, ByteSIM provides 5G connectivity for eSIM users, but availability depends on the local telecoms network in the country you visit.

Can I top up my ByteSIM eSIM?

Yes, you can recharge your data plans from the ByteSIM app.

Can I use my phone as a hotspot with ByteSIM?

ByteSIM lets you run your phone as a hotspot with no restrictions.

Playing the co-op campaign of first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 feels like diving into season 13, episode 21 of a low-budget network TV show with no prior context.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Release date: November 14, 2025

Set ten years after the events of 2012’s Black Ops 2, it opens with returning hero David Mason heading to the coastal city-state of Avalon with his squad to track down the source of a sinister broadcast purportedly from deceased terrorist Raul Menendez.

Your first mission involves infiltrating the high-tech headquarters of The Guild, a futuristic tech company that’s the apparent source of the video, and right from the get-go, it’s obvious that corners have been cut.

Cutscenes seem a little cheaper than usual, with awkward animations and juvenile, stilted dialogue that’s nowhere near the cinematic espionage excellence of last year’s Black Ops 6.

Back to the future

(Image credit: Activision)

The pacing is also far too abrupt, front-loaded with big exposition dumps that propel the plot forward at a frankly overwhelming clip.

Early on, the team is exposed to a hallucinogenic red gas, with most sequences taking place inside a dream-like haze. There are some striking visuals, like a fractured memory of Menendez’s Nicaraguan compound or an impossibly twisted L.A. Highway, though they mostly boil down to mowing down waves of reskinned enemies from the Zombies mode and then taking on overly tanky boss fights.

Each mission is structured like a raid from an MMO (massively multiplayer online game), a la Destiny 2; the antithesis of the highly scripted, set-piece driven action that has made previous campaigns so great. In the real world, a handful of missions take place in Avalon with a semi-open-world structure reminiscent of the widely disliked open combat missions of 2023’s Modern Warfare 3.

(Image credit: Activision)

The map, originally designed for Warzone, is far too large, so you end up having to trudge your way between different objectives.

A few special abilities, like a super jump or a grapple hook that allow you to quickly gain momentum and deploy a wingsuit, provide a welcome, faster method of traversal, but are ultimately a solution to a problem that a Call of Duty campaign should have never suffered from in the first place.

It’s also hard to shake the fact that most of Avalon doesn't really fit in with the rest of the 2035 setting. This is most apparent when you reach an area that first appeared in Black Ops 6 as the Skyline multiplayer map. The rooftop apartment is entirely unchanged from its depiction in that game, which was set more than four decades prior in 1991.

The only real setting that seems suitably futuristic is a segment in the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, in which you play as an entirely different team of characters for no apparent reason, jumping between rooftops using your wall-jump - a new move for Black Ops 7. It’s a clear highlight despite the jarring new faces, and it’s sad that there aren't more moments with tightly designed parkour like this throughout.

Warzone woes

(Image credit: Activision)

As with the setting of Avalon, a significant number of mechanics in the co-op campaign feel ripped right out of Warzone.

There are weapon boxes littered around the world so that you can gear up, replenishable armour plates protect you from hits, and weapons have different rarity levels that you can upgrade as you go at designated stations. The user interface is indistinguishable too; there are no checkpoints to save your progress within missions, and you can’t even pause the game if you want to take a break.

Despite all of this, I certainly didn’t hate playing through the campaign. It’s nowhere near as boring as the sloppy story in the aforementioned Modern Warfare 3, namely as a result of its co-op. With a friend or three in tow, it all becomes absolutely hilarious.

(Image credit: Activision)

The writing is rough across the board, so ripe for moments of inadvertent comedy like a ludicrous dream sequence in which you fight a giant version of Harper - one of the playable characters and returning face from Black Ops 2 - or when the main baddie is defeated by an anti-tank missile to the face, only to reappear completely fine mere seconds later.

After you finish the campaign, you’re unleashed into the extraction-shooter-like Endgame, and it’s surprisingly quite a lot of fun.

Dropping into a gas-filled Avalon with countless other players, it has you completing mini-challenges to level up your ‘Combat Rating’ and unlock special perks that do everything from massively boost your firing speed to causing a burst of electricity that stuns enemies every time you reload. You’re working on a strict time limit, and if you’re killed before you can reach an extraction point, you lose all of your progress, so it’s inherently very high stakes and reminiscent of a roguelike in the best of ways.

The map is split into multiple difficulty areas, and progressing through each one is very satisfying. It all culminates in a very challenging boss fight that requires you to team up with other players on the server, an enjoyable moment of collaboration that’s a great little send-off.

In addition to quickly levelling up your weapons and gear for use in other modes, beating the boss with multiple characters rewards you with some great-looking skins, giving you a genuine reason to come back and replay it.

The format is also clearly ripe for expansion, and I’m intrigued to see what kind of additions will come to the Endgame throughout the year.

Place, Japan

(Image credit: Activision)

On the multiplayer front, Black Ops 7 fares much better. Building on the incredibly strong foundations laid with Black Ops 6, this is comfortably one of the most engaging multiplayer offerings yet. The maps, a bit of a weak point last year, are all absolutely fantastic, and there are loads of them to master. The ones set in Japan in particular look simply stunning, with gorgeous details and impressive lighting that conveys a brilliant atmosphere.

Best bit

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 7 offers a new multiplayer Skirmish mode that features 40 players on massive maps. It’s a pleasant change of pace compared to the usual small-scale environments in the Black Ops series and channels some of what makes Battlefield 6 great.

Small maps like Blackheart, Homestead, and Cortex flow wonderfully and don’t suffer from awkward spawn locations. The work especially well with the hectic new Overload game mode, which has two teams clashing for possession of a bomb-like device that needs to be placed in specific locations to score.

The map themes themselves are brilliantly varied, too, with some evocative concepts that I wish had been explored in the campaign. Scar, for example, is set in a distant Alaskan village that’s being torn apart by attacking robots, while Colossus has you exploring the rusted wreckage of the once beautiful resort that was memorably destroyed in Black Ops 2.

The wall jump adds another dimension to traversal, augmenting the existing Omnimovement system (which allows you to sprint in any direction) by giving more skilled players the opportunity to hop above the heads of enemies on vertical routes that require multiple tricky jumps to cross.

(Image credit: Activision)

Gear Overclocking from Advanced Warfare is back, too, meaning that your most used equipment can be upgraded with new abilities to increase its effectiveness. This pairs nicely with Weapon Prestige, where you can reset your weapon level in exchange for special attachments and exclusive camos, and ensures that, unlike past releases, you’re not going to run out of levels to grind any time soon.

The guns themselves are all very satisfying to use and well-balanced. Assault rifles and SMGs are definitely the most versatile and popular options, though sniper rifles and marksman rifles are still very viable given their incredible damage output, and shotguns such as the fully automatic Akita absolutely dominate at close range.

With a deluge of new maps set to arrive in Season One and the imminent addition of the classic Nuketown, this is shaping up to be one of the greatest years of multiplayer Call of Duty yet.

Arcade action

(Image credit: Activision)

Like multiplayer, Zombies builds on everything that worked in its Black Ops 6 iteration.

There’s one Round-Based map at launch, and it’s absolutely massive, featuring an upgradeable truck to help you get around. There are heavy references to the legendary TranZit map from Black Ops 2, including some returning areas that have been lovingly recreated and incorporated seamlessly.

It continues the long-running and nigh-impenetrable storyline that’s been going all the way since World at War, with a brand new main quest that requires multiple hidden steps to complete. Long-time Zombies fans will absolutely love it, but if chasing esoteric easter eggs isn’t your speed, there’s a more basic Survival mode that’s perfect for unwinding with friends as you mow down waves of the undead.

This is in addition to Dead Ops Arcade 4, a light-hearted top-down challenge mode that has you running through small combat arenas with retro twin-stick controls, trying to last for as long as possible. This isn’t the deepest mode by any means, but it’s an enjoyable diversion and well worth trying for a handful of runs.

With all of this said, it should be obvious whether Black Ops 7 is for you.

If you’re primarily invested in the multiplayer or Zombies, then you’re going to have a fantastic time - the maps are great and it’s hard to overstate just how refined and polished the minute-to-minute action here feels. The co-op campaign is a very different story, though, and a big miss despite the strong Endgame.

Should I play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7?

(Image credit: Activision)Play it if…

You’re after some fantastic multiplayer
The multiplayer is fantastic in Black Ops 7. It’s fast-paced, and new mechanics like wall jumping work well. The lineup of maps is also great this year.

You’re a big Zombies fan
The first Zombies map is a hit too. Its huge scale is impressive, and die-hard fans will love working their way through the challenging main quest. For everyone else, the Survival mode and Dead Ops Arcade 4 are a blast.

You live for a good grind
In addition to the usual overall Prestige grind, Black Ops 7 has Gear Overclocking with new upgrades to unlock and Weapon Prestige, ensuring that you won’t run out of things to level any time soon.

Don’t play it if…

You’re expecting a proper Black Ops 2 follow up
The campaign here can be funny, but it's ultimately a mess and not the sequel that Black Ops 2 deserved. If you really care about that game’s story, then you should give this sequel a miss.

Accessibility features

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has a good number of accessibility features.

The UI features a number of reliability options, including the ability to increase subtitle size, adjust background color, adjust the size of text in menus, and fully customize the colors of important information. The multiplayer HUD can also be edited to your liking and made significantly larger if required.

There are multiple control layouts to choose from, with presets for simplified controls on controller and settings to reduce the need for lots of motion. On both console and PC, you can choose to play the game with either a controller or keyboard and mouse.

How I reviewed Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

I played more than 30 hours of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for this review, including roughly 12 hours in both the campaign and Endgame in solo and co-op and the rest of that time in the other modes.

I played on PC using a 5070 Ti-powered model from retailer Scan. It features a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I Gaming Wifi motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Nvidia 5070 Ti manufactured by Asus.

This setup allowed me to play the game smoothly on custom graphics settings at 1080p with everything set to either Ultra or High. For peripherals, I relied on a Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro mouse and Cherry XTRFY K5V2 keyboard in addition to an Astro A20 X PC gaming headset for audio.

In addition to playing a lot after its public launch, my time with the game included roughly a day of early access. I evaluated the game against previous Call of Duty releases, namely Black Ops 6 and other recent entries like Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops Cold War.

First reviewed October-November 2024