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5 Reasons to Play Xbox One Black Ops 3 Beta

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The PS4 Black Ops 3 Beta is coming to an end which means that the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta for Xbox One is about to begin. With the release on the horizon, here are a few reasons why we think you should play the Xbox Black Ops 3 Beta ahead of the game’s release.

Last week, Treyarch released its first Call of Duty Black Ops 3 beta. Instead of Microsoft getting first dibs, the company released the game’s release beta for the PlayStation 4. Over the weekend, Treyarch actually extended the PS4 Black Ops 3 beta so that gamers could continue testing the game ahead of its November release date.

Now it’s Microsoft’s turn and tomorrow Treyarch should release the codes that will allow Xbox One users to download the game ahead of the Xbox Black Ops 3 release on Wednesday.

If you pre-order a copy of Black Ops 3 for Xbox One, you will be invited to the upcoming Black Ops 3 beta period. Once you get your promotional code, you’ll need to head to the Call of Duty website to input that code so that you’re prepared for the Xbox Call of Duty release.

Exciting Black Ops 3 Release Details - 7

Like many of you, I pre-ordered Call of Duty Black Ops 3 for Xbox One though it wasn’t to play the beta. I’ve been playing Call of Duty since Call of Duty 1 so I typically just order ahead of time knowing that I’ll be playing it on day one. The beta is just an added bonus.

In fact, I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to try the Black Ops 3 beta. I like surprises and I don’t like problems. The PS4 Call of Duty faced tons of issues from bugs to server errors and my guess is that the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta will be plagued with its own set of problems.

That said, I’ve decided to give the Xbox beta a shot and here I want to relay some reasons why I think you should play the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta to those of you that are currently on the fence.

You Play With Friends

The first reason to try the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta is if you play Call of Duty with a group of people.

I’ve been playing Call of Duty with the same five people for many years now and all of us knew (months ago) that we’d be buying Black Ops 3 for Xbox. We’ve been looking for an excuse to play something other than Call of Duty Advanced Warfare and this beta gives us the perfect excuse to take a break and get familiar with the next game both as individuals and as a team.

Call of Duty Black Ops 3 beta details - 4

Playing Call of Duty with my friends, and my brothers, is some of the most fun I have playing video games and from what I’ve seen, Black Ops 3 has a chance to be an excellent addition to the Call of Duty family.

So if Call of Duty serves as a social outlet or you just want to play with your team to test things out and gather feedback about the game, I suggest playing the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta. It’s not the full game but it’s a nice distraction and should help to hold you over until the fall.

To Get Familiar with Gameplay

I’m playing the Call of Duty Black Ops 3 beta to play with friends and family but I’m also playing it to learn more about the game’s weapons, maps and game modes.

The Xbox Black Ops 3 beta won’t include the whole game but Treyarch stuffed a ton of content into the PS4 beta so I’m expecting nothing less from the Xbox beta.

First, I want to get familiar with the weapons. While I do like using a wide-range of weapons, there are usually two or three that become my go-tos. While there will probably be changes to the balance of these guns, I can get some initial leads just by trying out the game ahead of its release.

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Multiplayer Beta_20150819093648

Picking out a few guns, default or otherwise, might allow me to level up a little faster in the fall. The game becomes much better once you have access to all of the gear so leveling is going to be extremely important. The Xbox Black Ops 3 should start with a level 28 cap and you will be able to create classes with different guns and gadgets.

I also want to get familiar with the maps. Knowing the maps and specific spots is essential to doing well in Call of Duty and playing the beta will give you a head start over those who aren’t interested in playing the early version of the game.

The PS4 beta came with three maps including Hunted, Combine and Evac and I’m going to use a ton of trial and error during the beta to figure out the best routes to take and best places to hide.

That all plays into the modes. The PS4 Black Ops 3 beta featured:

  • Team Deathmatch
  • Hardpoint
  • Demolition
  • Domination
  • Kill Confirmed
  • Capture the Flag
  • Search and Destroy

We mainly play Search and Destroy and the beta will allow myself, and my team, to get familiar with the bomb sites. And that will give us leverage over players and other teams that decided to skip the beta.

Practice Movement

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare introduced a jet pack that completely changed the way combatants move in the Call of Duty universe. Some people hate it. I love when Activision and its developer partners throw new wrinkles into the game’s combat. It helps to keep the game fresh.

Treyarch is adding a few wrinkles of its own:

  • Thrust Jumps: Press and hold to add additional verticality to your jump. If you press and hold for a short duration, you’ll gain extra air but won’t fully deplete your power meter; if you press and hold for a longer beat, you’ll gain maximum verticality but fully drain your power meter. You can also feather the button for a bit of extra distance.
  • Power Slide: While running, you can press the button to slide into or out of combat at a high velocity.
  • Wall Run: Jump onto a wall at an angle to initiate a Wall Run. Your gun is always ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Thrust isn’t the same as jetpack and wall running is a completely new element to movement. Both are going to be extremely important to my success, and your success, in Call of Duty Black Ops 3.

Movement is one of the keys to being good at first person shooters. If your movements aren’t fast and fluid, be prepared to die a lot. If you don’t want to die a ton in Black Ops 3, both at the start and in the weeks after release, you might want to try the beta and get used to these new forms of movement.

If you can start mastering these moves now, you’re going to be in much better shape when the game arrives in November.

Learn More About Specialists

Black Ops 3 is going to introduce a completely new element called Specialists. Each comes with its own “distinctive personality, look, voice, weapons, and abilities.”Depending on who you select, you’ll gain access to unique weapons and abilities that could change the course of your team’s match.

The PS4 Black Ops 3 beta included these specialists on day one and I highly recommend getting familiar with them now so that you’re prepared for November:

  • Battery: Battery operates ahead of the front lines. Her War Machine fires salvos of bouncing grenades, while her Kinetic Armor can deflect enemy bullets when active… though she remains vulnerable to headshots and non-bullet damage.
  • Ruin: A reckless infantry soldier who prefers to surprise his enemies. He rushes into battle with his Overdrive ability, and can deliver a devastating shockwave with his Gravity Spikes.
  • Outrider: A hunter-tracker who stalks her prey from afar before moving in for the kill. Use her Vision Pulse ability to reveal the location of nearby enemies or her Sparrow compound bow with its deadly explosive bolts.
  • Prophet: Prefers to disrupt opponents’ tactics before moving in for the kill. His Tempest is a charge-shot weapon that delivers chain electricity to all nearby enemies. He can confuse enemies with his Glitch ability, which flashes him back to a previous position.
  • Seraph: Known for extreme focus and discipline in combat. Her high-caliber Annihilator revolver fires powerful rounds with increased bullet penetration taking out enemies with one shot. She’s also able to earn Scorestreaks more quickly using her Combat Focus ability, which triggers a brief bonus multiplier.
  • Nomad: Prefers to turn the environment against his enemies. Case in point: His H.I.V.E. weapon, which deploys trap pods filled with deadly nano-drones. When near death, Nomad can recover using his Rejack ability.

Try them out and decide which ones you like and don’t like. And if you play with friends or a team, you might want to try out which combinations work best.

To Help Fix Black Ops 3 Problems

And finally, you should play the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta because it’s going to help Treyarch squash Black Ops 3 problems before the game’s release.

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Multiplayer Beta_20150819093812

While you should use the beta to play with friends and get comfortable with the game’s many changes, you should also report issues with the game so that the developer can get to work on improvements ahead of the game’s release in November. The beta should help cut down on day one server issues and annoying bugs that hamper the overall quality of the game.

Will it eradicate them all? Probably not but the more people that stress test this game ahead of release the better. If you play the Xbox Black Ops 3 beta, make sure you report bugs and issues as you see them.

Xbox One Black Ops 3 Beta: 10 Things to Try

Try Out Each Specialist

Try Out Each Specialist

Black Ops 3 is going to be introducing several new elements to the Call of Duty franchise. One of the biggest is the addition of Specialists. Specialists come with their own look but more importantly, they come with unique weapons and abilities. 

Here's the breakdown of the Specialist classes that you'll most likely encounter during the Xbox One Black Ops 3 beta:

Battery: Battery operates ahead of the front lines. Her War Machine fires salvos of bouncing grenades, while her Kinetic Armor can deflect enemy bullets when active… though she remains vulnerable to headshots and non-bullet damage.

Ruin: A reckless infantry soldier who prefers to surprise his enemies. He rushes into battle with his Overdrive ability, and can deliver a devastating shockwave with his Gravity Spikes.

Outrider: A hunter-tracker who stalks her prey from afar before moving in for the kill. Use her Vision Pulse ability to reveal the location of nearby enemies or her Sparrow compound bow with its deadly explosive bolts.

Prophet: Prefers to disrupt opponents’ tactics before moving in for the kill. His Tempest is a charge-shot weapon that delivers chain electricity to all nearby enemies. He can confuse enemies with his Glitch ability, which flashes him back to a previous position.

Seraph: Known for extreme focus and discipline in combat. Her high-caliber Annihilator revolver fires powerful rounds with increased bullet penetration taking out enemies with one shot. She’s also able to earn Scorestreaks more quickly using her Combat Focus ability, which triggers a brief bonus multiplier.

Nomad: Prefers to turn the environment against his enemies. Case in point: His H.I.V.E. weapon, which deploys trap pods filled with deadly nano-drones. When near death, Nomad can recover using his Rejack ability.

You'll want to try out each Specialist so that you develop a comfort level with one or more of them. There's a good chance that one will fit your style better than the other so you'll want to use the beta to do a bit of experimentation.

In order to really dig in though you'll need to play as each one. As you level up, you'll gain unlock tokens that allow you to access new weapons and abilities. So, give each a shot and that way, you'll be better prepared for the public release in November. 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Terrence Grizzly Wells

    08/25/2015 at 2:03 pm

    You should edit that they also got 2 more game modes before the end of the Beta, Uplink and the new mode Safeguard.

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