Black Ops had missions that were set during the Vietnam War, and some of them have borrowed heavily from the classic war movie, Apocalypse Now.

Black Ops Cold War is set during the early-to-mid 1980s of the Cold War, beginning 13 years after the events of Black Ops. Its story centers around a pursuit of the alleged Soviet spy Perseus, whose stated goal is to subvert the United States and tilt the balance of power toward the Soviet Union.