Call of Duty: Black Ops III's Beta Blasts Exclusively onto PS4 Next Month

It's no secret

by Robert Ramsey Thu 9th Jul 2015

Activision's partnership with Sony regarding Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which was revealed during E3 2015, came as a big shock to many. The mega publisher announced that it was actually switching sides to promote one of gaming's biggest franchises on PlayStation, and along with timed exclusive downloadable content, part of the deal is that PS4 players get the game's beta first.

Right on cue, Treyarch Studios - the upcoming shooter's developer - has stated on Twitter that the beta will begin next month, on the 19th August. You can nab a place in it by pre-ordering the release.

Are you boost-jumping into this one, or are you sitting out the next Call of Duty? Mow us down in the comments section below.

[source twitter.com, via gematsu.com]

Robert (or Rob if you're lazy) has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, he's played 'em all — a little too much, some might say.

1
Splat
Thu 9th Jul 2015

I haven't put any real time in to a COD game since the first Black Ops. I don't like how those games have got all futuristic. That said I might give this a chance.

I wouldn't mind haven't at least one COD game this gen.

2
JasonBeckerFan
Thu 9th Jul 2015

Not for me. I played up until Blops II, but I've always been a Battlefield player. My mate brought Ghosts round and I hated it. It felt like the game was aiming for me and pulling a lot. I hate shooters that hold your hand, and my first port of call is Options/Aim Assist/Off. I think they make COD games that way to make players feel more skilled than they are. Even my beloved BF is getting that way, as after BFBC2 they slung noob assisting gadgets at every entry in the franchise. If you asked half the BF players around now to dart an Apache spawn killing your team (remember Pablo? I loved tagging and bagging that idiot) they just simply wouldn't be able to hit it.

Sorry for the rant, but nope, not buying another COD Skinner box.

3
Victor_Meldrew
Thu 9th Jul 2015

I'll stick with Destiny, I'll be buying star wars battlefield, the division and doom. No room for CoD

4
BAMozzy
Thu 9th Jul 2015

I have my CoD:BO3 pre-ordered and have registered for the Beta. I know CoD has had a rocky ride over the past couple of years but in general I enjoy them. Not many games give you as much content for the amount of money a CoD game costs. A good and often fun - if not particularly original campaign. This years also has a 4 player co-op campaign. A good MP (although I wasn't particularly a fan of AW's) that has quite a few game modes and a separate co-op mode - this year its Zombies. Treyarch's first next gen CoD and first with the new 3yr development cycle too. In my opinion Treyarch are the best CoD developers so looking forward to seeing what they bring.

5
WanderingBullet
Thu 9th Jul 2015

Does the Beta let you test out the co-op portion or PVP only?

6
BAMozzy
Thu 9th Jul 2015

@WanderingBullet Its expected to be just the PvP element - a few maps, modes, Specialists and some of the options for your custom class.

7
WanderingBullet
Thu 9th Jul 2015

Ah, the only reason that I'm slightly interested in Black Ops III is because of the co-op campaign. Guess I'll wait to see if they'll show more co-op clips before deciding.

8
BAMozzy
Thu 9th Jul 2015

@WanderingBullet There has been several clips of the 4 player co-op campaign although I personally prefer to play Solo at least in the first instance. I prefer to go at my own pace, seek out the intel etc.

I am really looking forward to today's 'Zombie' reveal. From a co-op perspective, this appeals far more than the co-op campaign.

From a PvP perspective, I really enjoyed BO2, even Ghosts to a degree but couldn't get into AW because of the exo-suit. I know BO3 has some similarities but it seems that it still favours boots on the ground warfare and the extra movement is more about getting into the action quicker. Map design also seems to be returning to a more traditional 3 lane system. It looks like it could well be a return to form for CoD with enough changes to make it feel different to all other games in the franchise too. I also have SW:BF on pre-order so my MP shooter based gaming is catered for.

9
WanderingBullet
Thu 9th Jul 2015

@BAMozzy Thanks, I'll check them out.

Btw, is the Zombie mode a DLC?

10
BAMozzy
Thu 9th Jul 2015

@WanderingBullet
This the video of the campaign they showed at E3. Obviously you don't see all 4 screens when you play...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_wR5pvhwDI

This is an extra official CoD video of the co-op campaign...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYY7A2xbnNs

Both actual PS4 footage.

Zombies is usually on the disc - at least 1-2 maps are. DLC usually includes an extra 'Zombie' map along with the 4 MP maps.....