COVERT military action, secret Government plots to overthrow dictators, conspiracies and redacted documents.

There are a lot of things you might think of when you hear the word 'black ops' but probably not robots and super-soldiers.

The immensely popular Call of Duty returns with Black Ops III which features a plot to uncover every CIA operation in the world.

But, set in 2065, this is the furthest the first-person shooter series has gone from its Second World War roots.

And that is saying something considering the previous game, Advanced Warfare, had players leaping around in an exoskeleton.

As well as the usual 'run and gun' gameplay, Black Ops III introduces a bit of cyber warfare.

So there are a range of powers you can develop from frying the circuit boards of enemy robots to make them explode to unleashing a swarm of bee-like 'nanobots' to attack soldiers.

It feels like a cross between the futuristic aesthetic of Deus Ex and the chaos of Bioshock

Treyarch, Black Ops' California-based developer, also appears to be a fan of the multiplayer shooter Titanfall as the ability to run along walls and shimmy up ledges has been lifted from it.

This is particularly useful in the game's polished and highly competitive multiplayer mode where many players will spend most of their time.

Black Ops III also introduces underwater combat which is used to great effect on one of the missions.

If you prefer the authentic war games that the teams behind Call of Duty used to make then this might not be for you.

But it is one of Call of Duty's best campaigns in recent years with missions that are long, sprawling and varied as well as intense and challenging.

The only let downs are the frustrating checkpoint system which often means you have to do a lot of backtracking when you die.

And the ability to change your loadouts on the go is actually counterproductive, pulling you out of the immersive experience.

RATING: 7.5/10

DAVID MORGAN