#9: Mods Give You Limited-Time Perks To Enhance Your Abilities
Mods are a unique addition to Blackout. They’re essentially limited-time perks you can use in your inventory menu. Using one will give you a bonus special ability — Iron-Lung lets you breathe underwater, for example. Others, like Mobility let you run longer and faster. They take a little bit of time to apply (about as long as a healing item) and don’t last for long, but they can give you an edge in combat.
I don’t know what all the mods do yet — one called “Paranoia” has me very, very interested. Right now, I haven’t found any mods that were incredibly useful to me. I’m sure, under the right circumstances, a mod might be a life-or-death tool you can use to break a stalemate. I don’t fully understand why mods weren’t included yet. They’re an experiment I want to learn more about.
#10: Rocket Launchers & Sniper Rifles Are Very Rare, As They Should Be
After hours and hours of play, I was never killed with a Sniper Rifle. I don’t even know if I was shot at with a Sniper Rifle. That’s a good thing, even if the Sniper Rifles I did find looked incredibly powerful. These long-range tools of destruction are rare, and they don’t come with a Sniper Scope — you’ll have to find one yourself.
Hilariously, Rocket Launchers are in Blackout. They’re the perfect weapon to destroy heavy trucks loading a full team in Quads. The Rocket Launcher is even more rare than the Sniper Rifle, and I was only ever able to find one in the Shooting Range area, right in the middle — maybe they’re a common Supply Drop?
#11: Your Inventory Is Split Between The Quick-Select Menu & Inventory Screen
The menu system works fast. By tapped [Up] on the D-Pad, you can open your quick-select menu and swap different grenades or gadgets to [L1] or [R1]. You can also use mods from this menu. If you want to switch weapon upgrades or drop items, you’ll need to open the main menu screen. Just tap [Options] and you can easily swap upgrades or ditch useless junk.
There are multiple different healing items, and for most of your run, you’ll probably want to keep a stack of healing in your [L1] slot. Switching items quickly takes some practice on console. The system works well, and keeps things from getting too complicated — you never need to swap armor in the inventory, and any weapons you’re holding will automatically equip upgrades when you pick them up.
#12: Search Carefully To Find Upgraded Gold Guns, Or Hidden Supply Drops
Massive chests that are full of useful items appear in Blackout in the form of Supply Drops. It’s all very familiar, but there is a twist to the formula. You can actually locate hidden Supply Drops around the map. Search in secret areas like the attics of random houses and you might find a Supply Drop filled with the best gear in the game.
Along with rare Supply Drops, you can also find Gold Weapons. Most weapons have a white outline, but some rare weapons will have a gold / yellow outline instead. These weapons come with a full compliment of upgrades already installed.
#13: Check Out The Options To Auto-Mute, Use Color-Blind Mode & More
The options menu might be a worthwhile place for you. Depending on your needs, there are options that can help the gameplay experience immensely — Color-Blind Mode will slightly alter the colors used in-game to help those with eyesight limitations tell the difference between the different icons. You can also switch on an “Auto-Mute” that automatically mutes all players in the game that aren’t in your party.
If you’re sick of those annoying Multiplayer character quotes, you can mute those too. Don’t worry, it won’t affect manual multiplayer call-outs.
In the Beta, the “Content Filter” is oddly disabled in the Options menu. If you want to disable graphic content, you can still do that — just open any other Option tab and press [R1] to tab over to the “Content Filter” section.
#14: Communication With Your Team Is Essential, Duh
If you’re playing with a team, communication is absolutely essential. Because you’re stuck in FPS mode, there’s no easy way to spy your enemies before they see you. The only way to know where (and when) opponents are coming for you is to use all your senses — and that includes your team. If you see someone running over the ridge, you’ll want to call them out. Let everyone know what’s up. Did someone just sneak up behind you and blast you? Let them know it wasn’t a sniper.
Staying in close communication with your team is the best way to survive. Keep your communication efficient, don’t just talk about whatever if you’re really playing competitively. When it comes to the PS4, most players just won’t talk — but, they might still be listening. Lead your team and don’t be an asshole, and you’ll be surprised what those strangers on the other side can do.
#15: You Can Shoot Through Walls, So Watch Where You Hide
Walls aren’t the best protection in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Blackout continues the long tradition of thin walls — most weapons will shoot straight through doors or household walls. Shacks won’t protect you, even if they’re great at obscuring your enemies’ vision. If you’re being shot at, don’t just duck behind a doorframe. Stay away from that window!
If you’re the one with the heavy machine gun, don’t stop shooting just because your opponent ducked around the corner. If you’ve got ammo to spare, just keep shooting and you can put that sucker down while they’re trying to heal.
#16: The Map Is Full Of Secret Zombies Weapons
See those blue lights in the distance? That’s a Mystery Box, and the Mystery Box hides superior Wonder Weapons like the Raygun or the double-barreled Zweihander. You can even fight the undead menace yourself — killing AI zombies will spawn useful loot, including even more Wonder Weapons. Zombies only seem to appear near Mystery Box locations, so keep an eye out if you’re approaching a blue light. You might get jumped by a hungry corpse while you’re carefully scanning the environment.
