FPS fans around the world are familiar with this time of season, as it has classically signified yet another Call of Duty game year after year.

This year, however, Activision has graced us with the third entry into their "Black Ops" franchise developed by Treyarch.

The series has been criticized in the past for its redundant style of gameplay and inability to reinvent itself, yet it's their tried and tested formula that has kept the franchise strong for so long. Just how well does "Call of Duty: Black Ops 3" hold up against its predecessors?

Gamespot

Gamespot found that the game played it safe this time around and offered nothing new to the long-running franchise.

"Black Ops III's narrative doesn't support the campaign in any meaningful way. It tells an incomprehensible story about AI ascendancy and the moral grays of a hyper-connected future, raising intriguing questions but never bothering to answer them. At the end of it all, after hours of soulless shooting and unremarkable storytelling, Black Ops III delivered its nebulous twist, and I didn't dwell on it. In its undead modes, and the first 10 hours of multiplayer, it excels. But in its campaign, it merely crawls forward. Black Ops III doesn't offer anything remarkable to the series, but does just enough to maintain the Call of Duty status quo."

Game Informer

Game Informer praises the game for excelling in its varietal experience for a wide array of gamers.

"Despite a campaign that struggles with occasional mundane shootouts that bring the out-of-this-world story down to earth, the overall Call of Duty: Black Ops III package is incredibly strong, with something for everyone. Whether you're into traditional multiplayer mayhem or zombie survival, you've got lots of choices that are fun solo and even better with friends."

Giant Bomb

Giant Bomb feels that some of the game's mechanical changes bog it down, however it still may appeal to gamers with its many new modes and features.

"Stuff. This game has a ton of stuff in it. The modes are there, they're many, and they're relatively diverse for a Call of Duty game. On paper, it might be the biggest Call of Duty package yet. But the devil's in the details here, and various changes made to multiplayer feel like more wheel-spinning from a series that's had a little too much wheel-spinning over the last few years. The movement options are nice, but I'd rather play this game with the movement controls found in last year's game. Perhaps some pockets of the still-large Call of Duty fanbase will enjoy different parts of it more than I did, but as I add it all up, Black Ops III is a pretty even mix of positive and negatives. It's OK."

Polygon

Polygon expresses the game's inability to move the series forward despite its new features and gameplay modes.

"At its heart, Black Ops 3's multiplayer is still very much Treyarch's take on Call of Duty. This means it's fun - Call of Duty and Black Ops found a basis for solid, competitive multiplayer that worked almost a decade ago, and it still resonates here and there. But I'm surprised by how familiar, how recognizable it all feels, which is even more disappointingly the case with its campaign. Black Ops 3's biggest point of recommendation may be the breadth of content there, and that's a valid point of view. But Treyarch doesn't meaningfully move the series forward here."