Call of Duty: Black Ops ports remind gamers ‘how good we had it’ as crucial era awaits

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 arrives in October, and with it, a brand-new story never explored in the series, and no doubt, tight first-person shooter action, a cinematic presentation, lush visuals, and an abundance of content to keep us busy for months on end.

Before the next Call of Duty graces us with its presence, ports of the beloved Black Ops (2010) and Black Ops II (2012) were released on the PlayStation Store for PS5 and PS4 on July 7, 2026.

While nostalgic fans no doubt enjoyed these ports, after all, both Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II still retain timeless FPS gameplay and fantastic single–player campaigns that still hold up today, they weren't without some criticism.

As straight-up ports without an overhaul, they include no post-launch DLC, and some players have complained that some cheaters are ruining the multiplayer experience. Sadly, the latter is nothing new with multiplayer games, even for the most recently released.

READ MORE: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 announces free beta as new era hopes to win back players

OG Call of Duty: Black Ops is one of the best in the series!

“Say what you will about the ports, but Black Ops has reminded me how good we had it,” said Redditor Weaponised__Autism. “Replaying the original has only reinforced how good we had it back then. Nostalgia be damned.”

“It's not nostalgia. If nothing else comes from these ports, it's the vindication of the people saying for years that the games from 2007-2012 were just better than anything that came after them,” explained Mission-Club-3976. “The games were designed and produced to be good games, rather than to maximise player engagement to optimise the chances of said player to spend extra money on monetisation.”

“It feels really good to play again and be reminded that the companies used to put thought and effort into the maps,” added Ckenty89.

“Black Ops was my first COD. I was late to the party, but my mate showed me Zombies, and that brought me to it. No COD since has replicated the same feeling for me,” replied Striking_Spinach_376.

If you do feel aggrieved by the £34.99/$39.99 price for each full game, and £25.99/$29.99 for each season pass, then you might be pleased to know that PlayStation Plus subscribers currently get a 50% discount until August 6, 2026.

How do the classic Black Ops games compare to BO7?

“It might feel like I’m bashing on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, but it genuinely comes from a place of love for the series. Aside from the traditional multiplayer, which is its strongest asset, and a fun but currently scarce Zombies mode, it’s one of the most disappointing entries in the series, largely caused by its lacklustre story campaign,” I said in my review.

Activision will be well aware of the criticism that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 faced, and the same with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. So it will be interesting to see if MW4 can get the series back on track, because as proven in Black Ops 6, this series can still knock it out of the park. Will the next entry be make-or-break for the series? Only time will tell.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will launch on October 23 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.