Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War may not be the latest Call of Duty, but after a few years of shaky fan reception to new releases, many players find themselves gravitating back to the most recent Treyarch-led offering. With a gripping campaign and multiplayer that remains delightfully faithful to Call of Duty titles of years past, it's no surprise that the game remains popular even a few years after its release.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War campaign is one of the best that fans have received for some time. For those looking to replay it, or go back and try it out for the first time, creating a character will be the first task. Of course, in this processs, aesthetics are only the beginning. Psychological profile attributes can have a huge impact on a character's success in the story, and choosing the right ones will often depend on playstyle. Here are some that sit a head above the others.
10 Impatient
- Effect: Hip firing is more accurate while moving.
Impatient will be particularly effective on players with a more run-and-gun style of play. But even for slower-paced gameplay, the ability to deal effective damage while on the move can be a useful addition to any playthrough.
In a campaign that will often require quick decision-making and thinking on the move, being able to deal with enemies at the same time can be crucial. This attribute effectively acts like a permanent laser-sight attachment, which is often underrated in itself.
9 Tormented
- Effect: The player can carry two more pieces of offensive and tactical equipment.
Another underrated attribute to add to a character is Tormented, which allows for the carrying of a lot more equipment. This is a well-rounded perk that can suit just about any playstyle, but falls down the list somewhat as most players will likely be using weapons far more than equipment.
That being said, being able to cycle tactical and lethal equipment has the potential to turn just about any fight in a player's favor, especially when outnumbered. It's a great attribute to pick up alongside another offensive or defensive option.
8 Lone Wolf
- Effect: Initial sprint boost duration 3x.
Lone Wolf is an attribute that can easily slip in under the radar, as it doesn't provide any combat stats. However, the burst of speed it can provide is not something to be ignored. In a run-and-gun style, it can give players a chance to duck between cover much more easily, or get into close quarters with enemies in the blink of an eye.
Equally, in a sticky situation, it can be the difference maker in putting adequate distance between a character and a threat, making it a versatile option worth consideration.
7 Relentless
- Effect: Rate of Fire Increased by 25%
It can be hard to immediately understand how well fire rate can transfer into hard combat stats, but a higher rate of fire, given decent accuracy, translates almost exactly into higher damage on most weapons. Particularly on fully automatic weapons, it can provide a great upfront burst of damage to finish off enemies before they have a chance to return fire.
On semi-auto weapons such as rifles, it can make it much easier to deal effective damage quickly from range. This attribute only drops this far down the list because to make full use of it, players will need even better accuracy than usual.
6 Methodical
- Effect: Weapon kick reduced by 25%
Another psychological profile attribute acting like a permanent weapon attachment, Methodical will be much like having a permanent foregrip on any weapon a player chooses to use, vastly improving accuracy. As a result, this is a great pickup alongside Relentless, as both will be used more effectively.
25% reduction may seem like a small buff, but it can make a surprising difference to ease of weapon handling. Over long ranges, it will make shots far easier to land, especially with fully automatic weapons.
5 Aggressive Behavior
- Effect: Reloading speed increased by 50%
Decreasing downtime in combat is one of the most valuable additions a player can have at their disposal, and a massive reduction of 50% on reload speed accomplishes this better than almost anything else available in the game.
The Black Ops Cold War campaign will often have players dealing with swarms of enemies, which can rarely be dealt with one magazine. Reloading quickly to get back in the action will significantly reduce time under threat and get players up and rolling very quickly.
4 Paranoid
- Effect: Aiming speed increased by 100%
Paranoid is perhaps the most underrated attribute on the list. It will cut a player's ADS time in half, a feature that many will dismiss but is invaluable in combat. Skilled Call of Duty players will find themselves switching between ADS and hip-fire constantly, and decreasing the time this takes by a huge factor makes it much more effective.
Shots fired while ADS will be much more accurate, but hip fire allows much faster movement. Being able to fully utilize both with limited downtime in between allows players to deal effective damage faster and be ready for any scenario.
3 Calm Under Pressure
- Effect: Pain flinch reduced by 90%
Remember the Toughness perk from Call of Duty titles of years past? Calm Under Pressure is just as good if not better. It allows players to keep steady while aiming and taking damage, which otherwise can be a serious task since the perk was removed.
The nostalgia element for veteran players alone makes this attribute one of the best, but flinch reduction is a perk most players undervalued until it was removed from the franchise a few years prior. Paired with an attribute like Methodical, anyone will find themselves with laser-like aim in no time.
2 Survivor
- Effect: Health increased by 25%
One of the few defensive psychological profile attributes available, and certainly the best, is Survivor, providing a 25% increase in health points. In a campaign where bullets and explosives are constantly flying, being able to tank a few more hits is invaluable regardless of playstyle.
Pairing this with perks like Calm Under Pressure or Aggressive Positioning can be a great way to improve an aggressive style of play, turning a character into a very durable but dynamic operator. It can also be used with the next perk on the list for a good mix of both worlds.
1 Violent Tendencies
- Effect: Bullet damage increased by 25%
In this case, the most straightforward and obvious attribute is also probably the best available. A buff to bullet damage is a huge perk for any player, as it will account for almost all the damage needed to be dealt throughout the course of the campaign.
Violent Tendencies is an attribute that will transcend any playstyle, and pair perfectly with almost any other perk on this list to provide a serious increase in raw power. Pairing it with Relentless, with good aim, can make even SMGs feel like a shotgun up close, dealing massive damage in the blink of an eye.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.