Can't wait for the next Call of Duty? Controller burning a hole in your coffee table? The Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 multiplayer has begun, so you can jump right in!
GameSpot reports the PlayStation 4 players get to jump in first, thanks to the exclusivity deal Sony has with Activision, and the beta runs August 19 through the 23 on PlayStation 4. Xbox One and PC fans can get their hands on it August 26-30.
If you preordered a copy of the game ahead of its release, you're going to be guaranteed a spot in the beta. You can also seek out some of the giveaways going on online, where you can win several different
The last public beta I personally took place in was the Call of Duty: World at War beta, which was actually one of the reasons I became interested in that particular entry to start with. It felt quite intimate, if you can describe this type of game with that word, and I came to know the only maps in the beta quite well. Friendships were forged, and decisions were made. I had a blast testing out the game backthen with others who got in, and it was an exciting time.
I'm a big proponent for closed betas. The smaller sample size (when that applies, anyway) allows for a more controlled group. In fact, I would have preferred that this particular beta had been conducted with a group of something other than players who had simply preordered, but at the very least there's going to be a test group to work out some of the kinks that may have alternatively made it into the final product.
If you decide you want to be a part of the beta, it'll include three different modes and seven different maps to choose from. There could be more sprinkled in later on, but that's enough to start with, especially since this is Call of Duty we're talking about -- there's plenty DLC to go around for everyone!
It's not feasible, of course, for every project to be given this type of TLC during its creation, but with the Call of Duty pedigree, you expect a little more from the brand than a slapped-together mode with little testing. I'll be throwing my hat into the ring myself for this particular entry, especially since it's been so long since I gave it a try. I've been waiting for the game that could take the place of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in my heart, with its near-perfect multiplayer and the maps that etched themselves into my heart, but it just hasn't come yet. I'm thinking nothing will ever replace it as the quintessential multiplayer game in my book, but I'm certainly open to trying new things.
