Just like the real-world events on which it's based, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has many secrets and conspiracies hidden within.
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The looming threat of nuclear war is bound to yield some mystery. This direct sequel, as game developer Treyarch puts it, answers some questions that fans of the original Black Ops had while also asking many more. Many players still haven't found the ever-elusive and mysterious pieces of dialogue, lore, and story that are scattered throughout the game's multiplayer, campaign, and Zombies modes. This is a disclaimer that there are potential spoilers for Black Ops: Cold War as well as Black Ops 2 in this list.
10 Change In Voices
While not as secretive as the other entries on this list, there is something hidden about some of the characters in Black Ops: Cold War's campaign. The voice actors of Alex Mason and Jason Hudson are actually different in this game than in the previous Black Ops games. Appearing in Black Ops 1, 2, and 4, Alex Mason was voiced by actor Sam Worthington. In Black Ops: Cold War, Chris Payne Gilbert voices the formerly brainwashed CIA agent. Previously, Ed Harris voiced Special Agent Jason Hudson, and in the latest Black Ops entry, Piotr Michael voices him.
9 TV Flicker
There are quite a few secrets dispersed throughout CIA safe house E9 where players will be in between missions. Some of which they may not even come across if there are not as investigative. For example in the safe house, there is a red room in which photographs taken by the players and other secret agents are developed. In the darkest corner of the room, there is a TV that is turned off. However, the TV will flicker on and off in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. This is meant to be foreshadowing for revelations later on in the story.
8 Private Eyes
It is found out later in the story that the character of which players take control known as Bell is brainwashed in a secret CIA experiment headed by Russell Adler.
Bell is essentially the brainchild of Adler and his pursuit of Perseus. This revelation provides context as to the consistent desire of Adler to bring Bell on missions. It would make sense that Adler would keep a close eye on Bell. If the player is quick enough, they can see Adler stealthily peeking at Bell while he is in the red room of the CIA safe house.
7 Videospiel
Throughout the game, players can come across multiple arcade cabinets that display classic Activision games. Players can actually play these games. After that specific mission, though, there is no other perceivable way to play those games. In the CIA safe house, there is a locked gate that is unlocked by looking around the building for evidence of the combination to the lock. Successfully unlocking the gate brings players to a secret side room in the safe house. This side room also has an arcade cabinet, but what makes this one different is that it allows players to play every other arcade game that they have come across so far.
6 Personal Computer
The video arcade cabinet is not the only secret in the locked side room of the CIA safe house. Turning to the right of the cabinet brings players to a small personal computer hidden away from the rest of the safe house. Players can interact with this computer and in doing so will reveal that this computer operates in exactly the same way as the one hidden in the main menu of Black Ops 1. Looking closer, the login on the computer appears to be Mason's. It has many functions similar to the one in the first Black Ops such as playing Zork and other text-based RPGs.
5 Signal Phrase
In the penultimate mission of the campaign, it is disclosed that Bell was brainwashed by Adler. Just like in Bioshock, Bell is controlled by a signal phrase that is revealed to have been used throughout the entirety of the game: "We've Got A Job To Do."
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Adler is the only one seen using this signal phrase, so it is assumed that Adler's voice paired with those six words is the trigger for Bell's mind control. What makes it so secretive is the subtlety of the phrase. As a soldier and the player, this phrase doesn't raise any eyebrows.
4 Viva Menendez
Raul Menendez is the main antagonist in Black Ops 2. He also makes an appearance in Black Ops 4 and is mentioned briefly in Black Ops 3.
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Although he does not make an appearance in Black Ops: Cold War, Menendez is referenced in the Multiplayer mode. In the Multiplayer map, Cartel, there is a house in the corner of the map that if pinged is referred to as the Menendez House. Going inside reveals many family photos of the Menendez family. In the corner of the house is a single picture of the infamous man himself.
3 The Red Door
In the same mission Break on Through, the progression of the mission is centered around a red door. This is one of the only times throughout the entire game that this door is referenced or seen. There is only one other instance in which players will see this red door. Players will breach through this red door towards the end of the mission, Fracture Jaw. However, most players on their first playthrough of the campaign will not take notice of the out-of-place location of the door given that there is nothing overt about its presence.
2 Nightmares
Players essentially progress through the entirety of the mission Break on Through by making choices on whether or not they listen to Adler's instructions. One choice presented to players is whether or not they will enter a cave. The alternative option is going through a trap door below a statue. Descending down the trap door, players fall into a network of tunnels used by North Vietnamese soldiers. Eventually, the tunnels will lead to a very dark cavern where players will hear nothing but scary growls and whispers. The growls will grow louder, and soon the player will be attacked by zombies.
1 Adler Clones
Regardless of the choices that players make in Break on Through, the game will bring players back to the beginning of the mission but under slightly different circumstances. For example, the setting or time of day of the mission may change or the weaponry that the player spawns in with may change. The objective is still the same: kill the enemies in the area. During the first two times that the players are here, the enemies are North Vietnamese soldiers. Upon the third redo, the enemies are a bunch of clones of Russell Adler which can be comforting or unsettling depending one looks at it.
NEXT: 5 Things We Love About Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (& 5 Things We Don't)