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Call of Duty: Black Ops II Review
Game Emblems
The Good
Black Ops 2 multiplayer and campaign is nothing new, but Zombies' still packs a punch.
A sinister villain, some tough choices, and a new kind of multiplayer arena invigorate the reliably intense action in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
The Good
- Great campaign scripting
- Story choices are often tough and encourage replay
- League play offers a new stage for the familiar multiplayer combat.
The Bad
- Zombies mode is stagnant
- New codcasting tool is hamstrung.
Jetpacks with rigid wings. Gloves that can adhere to any surface and support your body weight. Advertisements that feature your face when you walk by. The campaign in Call of Duty: Black Ops II has some interesting ideas about the future of technology, but what about the future of this massively popular shooter series? On the one hand, Black Ops II introduces new mission types and dramatic decision points that liven up the campaign, as well as a league play option that represents a fundamental shift in the franchise's hallowed multiplayer mode. On the other hand, the campaign hits the same satisfying rhythms, the multiplayer captures the same frenetic intensity, and the cooperative zombies mode delivers the same stale undead-massacring action. Caught between striving for the future and remaining rooted in the past, Black Ops II finds solid footing, providing another great ride on the Call of Duty rollercoaster.
The ride starts off a bit rough as Black Ops II makes good on its pre-campaign warning of graphic content. Two early scenes linger on people burning alive, and while one ends up contributing to character development, the other is just gratuitous. Later cutscenes don't flinch from depicting gory violence, though of all the unpleasant sights you see throughout the story, the playful (and not at all gory) post-credits video might be the most appalling.
Fortunately, the campaign boasts an engaging story and a lot of entertaining action. It features the lead characters from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops, and though it references events from the past, a clear narrative thread emerges that is easy to follow. You jump between two time periods: the present, which is the year 2025, and the past, which spans about a decade during the Cold War. The narrative reflections of the elderly Frank Woods (a protagonist from Black Ops) weave these two timelines together, but the character that truly drives the story is the villain, Raul Menendez. During the Cold War missions, you follow Menendez's origin story and rise to power. In the 2025 missions, you desperately try to avert his catastrophic master plan. This parallel character development is deftly handled, infusing your missions with undercurrents of curiosity and urgency.
Things get even more intense when you are asked to make a choice. Press one button to kill a target, the other to let him live. The conditions of each choice vary and there are only a few of them, but even when you aren't responding to a prompt, you might be making a choice in a dramatic moment that will have consequences later. The main course of the campaign remains constant, but these decisions do affect the fate of some key characters. A few of these moments are sure to give you pause, adding some welcome weight to the proceedings, and there's a handy story rewind feature that lets you play earlier levels in order to see how different paths play out. There are also mission-specific challenges that give you ancillary goals to complete while you do so, further increasing the replay incentive.
You can also see some variance in the available strike missions, which are a new type of campaign level. These stages put you in a squad of soldiers and drones, and then let you choose which asset to control at any given time. Defending installations against enemy assault, escorting a convoy, and rescuing a hostage are some of the endeavors you might undertake. Though you have a team at your command, strike missions are still all about you gunning down foes. Your AI allies are only good at slightly hindering your enemies, so you end up doing the heavy lifting yourself, often while tracking activity on multiple fronts and hopping around to deal with advancing enemies. Having to consider the bigger picture is a nice change of pace for a series that has mostly involved just shooting what's in front of you, and these missions are a welcome shot in the arm for the familiar campaign pacing.
Of course, familiar as it may be, that pacing is still great. The campaign ebbs and flows as you move through a variety of diverse, detailed environments using an array of powerful weaponry to dispatch your foes, occasionally hopping into a jet or on to a horse for a short jaunt, or manning a missile turret to tame a swarm of hostile drones. A few neat gadgets and surprising gameplay moments satisfy the novelty quotient, but you still get the lingering feeling that you've done this all before. The new strike missions, dramatic decision points, and memorable villain help keep this concern at bay, however, and this fiesty, enjoyable romp is more enticing to replay than other recent Call of Duty campaigns.
Black Ops II's competitive multiplayer has seen some changes as well, notably in the way you equip yourself before going into battle. The COD points system from Black Ops has been ditched in favor of a new token system that still affords you some control over the order in which you unlock new weapons and gear. The more interesting change is the new loadout system, which gives you ten points to play with and assigns a single point to every element of your loadout (guns, attachments, perks, lethal and tactical items). It offers a bit of flexibility if, say, you don't use a sidearm much but could really use an extra perk, and the new wild cards allow some limited creativity. Put one of these in your loadout, and you can go into battle with two well-equipped primary weapons, or you can load up on perks and bring just a knife and your wits.
These are two extreme examples, but tweaking your loadouts with the gear you've chosen to unlock still confers a sense of getting more powerful and better equipped for combat. These are still the fast and deadly battlefields that have drawn millions of players for years. Positioning and reflexes are king, firefights are over in the blink of an eye, and success is rewarded with deadly equipment and satisfying experience gains. New gear, new weapons, and new score streak rewards are sprinkled throughout, offering new martial capabilities and strategic wrinkles. Traditional gametypes and a few rule-bending party games all offer familiar frenetic fun, but one new mode of play holds the potential to really shake things up.
By
Chris Watters, Editor
With his Apple IIGS as the spark and his neighbor's NES the fuel, Chris Watters' passion for gaming caught fire early. Years later, you can find him aiming down virtual sights, traipsing through fantastical lands, and striving to be grossly incandescent while desperately avoiding sunburns.
940 comments
COD... They now have zombies and aren't scared to add any other pop culture 'in thing' to get more sales and distract from the fact that this franchise has not changed since it left WW2 behind. It only gets the scores it does because it is mainstream. Anyone who plays COD is a casual gamer at best and is the reason real gamers can't have nice things. Hate away COD fans! You poor, brainwashed sub-gamers.
People that say Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is boring just suck at the game. Online Multiplayer is amazing. This is the most fun i've had in years playing video games. Black ops 2 is the only game i ever play now. Highly addictive multiplayer and prestige leveling up system. If you do not own this game buy it now. DLC maps are great too(Grind, Mirage, Downhill, Hydro). Don't listen to the Bo2 haters that have no skill. Nothing better than drinking beers killing angry try hards.
3 Like @antpm Even though its on the same engine, the lighting, color and attention to detail is much better then Mw3 bland design.
2 Like Zombies is now terrible. The last good map was Shangri-La. World at War remains superior.
and yet resident evil 6 got 4.5/10 :/
i still might give this game a go, there is a deal on steam at present
1 Like If you bought this game you are dumb, you are probably console scumbag and you are probably a sports fan. If you are a fan of the call of duty francise i want you to burn alive.
1 Like @fluffy_puppy666 I want to take a time machine and stop your parents from conceiving you. you piece of trash
4 Like @fluffy_puppy666 This irracional show of rage does not help your point mate. I don't like Call of Duty too, but speak this way and you are not better then those "dumb, sports fans" that you are addressing to.
Storyline is fine. Good background strategy. Needs to make plot less confusing though. Then again, weapons enhancements just awesome. Great game! Graphics improvement needed. Too stagnant from the other COD games.
All in all, good game, 8/10.
I'm new to console gaming add me Thrash Emperor for XboxLive and Thrash_Emperor for the PSN.
2 Like Same shit different year......Seriously why do people even bother reviewing this shit.
COD wanted 2 do Sth creative. So they stole ideas from Brink (the Colossus), MGS (taking down a Hind D with a stinger), Batman (grappling hook)... Seriously! Is it really this hard 2 come up with a creative idea?!
@proceeder you honestly think that MGS was the first to introduce the thought of taking down a Hind D with a stinger? And that a grappling was invented in the story of batman?
what is this sad environment you live in that is so deprived common sense?
2 Like One thing I don't understand is why familiarity in a COD game is now such a huge issue in Bops2 but wasn't for MW3 (I'm speaking for the reviews, not people's opinions). Seriously, MW3 was nearly IDENTICAL to MW2. The interface, graphics, and content were all straight from the last game. Spec Ops was the same gig which made it less fun to play, and hell the game even had the same dramatic slow-mo reaching your pistol at the last second ending sequence! No attempt at creativity whatsoever. Oh, and the multiplayer maps were HORRIBLY designed, especially for TDM. Bops2 isn't mind blowing, but it's definitely a nice sequel to Bops1. New theme with lots of effort put into detail, new campaign style with multiple endings, new multiplayer mode, new loadout selection in multiplayer etc. I just think Treyarch deserves some credit for making an effort to put out a solid sequel and give players a game with some cool new stuff in it to enjoy. It's certainly more respectable than Infinity Ward's recycled profit grabber from last year that somehow scored higher.
The hitmarkers in the campaign ruined the immersion of the game for me. The whole cinematic experience i loved COD for, was destroyed and diminished to a cheap arcade game with an X showing up wherever i hit an enemy. Treyarch's beautiful blood and gore effects are enough to know I hit an enemy. Hitmarkers showing up with the sniper are especially retarded. Please give us a patch to turn off hitmarkers in the story mode, leave hitmarkers for online mp. My biggest complaint is each level in the story is only 5 minutes worth of gameplay and the rest cut scenes, was this game made for non-gamers only?
1 Like damn!this game is boooorrrrriiiiinnngggggg!!!! the graphics sucked like **** so did the gameplay! ......
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@RTHKI @Dredcrumb9 now it's even worse though. Before it was a nice looking arcade game, now it looks fake and cheap with he stupid X showing up everytime I make a hit in the campaign. Visible hitmarkers should be left for Multiplayer.
this game is not bad but simply could be so much better
u were in hurry or sth guys?future missions sax,Past is good just like bo1
This game is pretty awesome.. But I don't have anymore live.. so no more leveling up and stuff for me unless someone has any trials they would like to give me.. It would be very appreciated a lot.. thanks have fun gaming everyone. My xbl gt is RebelChick84.. :)
1 Like Well i'm reading over at IGN that this game didn't even beat the sales of MW 3. So much for all the "record breaking pre orders" and all the rest of the hype and BS. Fact is this COD crap is dying on a vine because NOTHING new comes out of it. Same graphics (crapola) as they have been for years, same game engine, same everything.Deserves a 6 at best (and that what users pretty gave it).
The game is too old for this day and age. It needs a MAJOR upgrade. MUCH better graphics, a story line that goes beyond the 16 year old age group, and a total new game engine.
Make no mistake, the game still "sells" but the end is coming. At the same time, other Gaming Companies have to make sure they STOP using this awful game as a "model" for their own. I see too many games dumbing down graphics and gameplay to give you the same stagnant experience. Arcade shooting.They are failing.
We need to go back to "back to the future" to quality games, and away from cheap made products hyping it all up in advertising (that's become the status quo for many Game Producers these days). This company makes fortunes. They could go to brand new game engines, and give the public a much better made and more innovating game.
@jagdedge124 But it did beat MW3... it grossed over $500 million in its first 24 hrs and is now the biggest entertainment launch of all time. Anyways, completely agree with your last paragraph. Sad to see the big game companies act like they don't have the budget to go all out on major titles anymore (especially EA). They do, but they like money and awards better.
I thought it was awesome they have the drones, bots, and other electronic war machines in the game, however it bummed me out you could rarly use the stuff at all. And what was with the switching between first person, and 8th person shooter? Stupid!
Why the F**** you review this piece of crap and not Far Cry 3 ? Is getting and average of 9.0 score across all websites ......I hope this is nothing to do with that sexism article you girls writed the other day....
1 Like For all you saying the game should be rated a 5, think of it this way: essentially COD is a sports franchise. How may people go out every year and pay for essentially the same game with marginal changes/improvements? Would I do that? No I personally don't see the value, but many people do. With that in mind, I personally believe that it deserves an 8 simply for not screwing up, but no more unless it brings somethhing substantial to the franchise.
All the Call of Duty releases should be expansion packs for $20 nothing new just reselling the same game for gullible kids and making millions.
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@percuvius2 did you actually played it or your like all the other that just played it couple of hours? all games are like that all are fans in one level or another doesnt matter the game, the only that really changes are the maps and weapons, doesnt matter its halo, cod, counter strike, battlefield, etc. So halo people still be loving most halo games, same as COD ones (i talk about most of the people will do that)
1 Like Holy cow if you like to play the single player campaigns and not just a multiplayer junkie, blops2 campaign is indescribably good. I am as jaded a cod critic as anyone out there but even I have to admit the SP has set a completely new bar. Way way way up there
@philMcCrevis Each level in the story is only 5 minutes worth of gameplay....the rest cut scenes. The campaign now has hit markers(b4 only in multiplayer), so now we have to see an annoying X pop up on the screen whenever we hit an enemy to take away from the cinematic experience and immersion of the game, and also I feel to insult my intelligence. treyarch's beautiful blood and gore effects are enough to know I killed an enemy, the hitmarkers almost totally ruined the experience.
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Black Ops 2 Gameplay with Commentary http://www.thestrongestthereis.com/tsti-podcast-38-part-2-behold-the-blackops
2 Like They really need to design the multiplayer maps better. They haven't been good since MW4.
well cod is know for its tight close quarter action mechanics and that is what I expect from all its sequels and any sequel with a cod name should have these tried and tested mechanics ,also it is about war and soldiers in a near real fictitious world so any call of duty game which doesn't have this is not really a call of duty game .if I were to develop a sequel I would put all the winning elements in it which made the last one successful , even if it feels like a continuation or expansion. if I were to make a world of warcraft type game , I cant truly call it call of duty. and just because they are shooters , they are definitely not the same , yes it does get boring at time , but it also is kick ass fun. the developers do try and experiment with each edition but like I said "a shooter will be a shooter" don't know why no one makes an issue about other series of games , I personally enjoy playing cod "drop in droop out style" its an awesome time killer.
this was my view on COD.period
1 Like (but seriously, probably going to play this local with a friend who buys these games for all of about a couple weeks before we move on to something else)
1 Like Ahhh yes another waaaay overrated COD game. Look at the "user score" average. 6.2. That's about right. COD is too outdated. Graphics are too old, the weapons sound awful the list goes on. An Arcade Shooter (not at all a war game) but one that needs MAJOR polishing and work on most everything given the times. Thank god for adolescents and their generous parents.
I've been coming to GameSpot for over 11 years now, and I am quite dumbfounded that this game would be awarded an 8.0. My experience at GameSpot tells me this is not the game that would receive anything below an 8.5 at the very worst, when you take into consideration the features of this game versus its issues, and the way GameSpot reviews titles. Often times I am able to correctly guess what the score is before I even access the review page just from the summary line (A sinister villain, some tough choices, and a new kind of multiplayer arena invigorate the reliably intense action in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.) In this case I would have immediately predicted "9.0". It is highly probable that Chris Watters harbors some anti-Call of Duty sentiment that factored somewhat into the review score, while trying best to retain neutrality.
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@percuvius2 @NicAgent and comes from the guy that loves to play a game with easier aiming when the character have perfect pulse doesnt matter if they shooting him. I know what im talking i play well cod and halo games.
1 Like @NicAgent This is an absolutely great game but it is TOO familiar. They have not innovated enough with each iteration to continue earning 9s over and over. His scoring is well justified but your dumbfounded state of mind will pass. Just sit down with a warm glass of milk and relax you'll be fine
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II
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- Publisher(s): Activision
- Developer(s): Treyarch
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: M
COD: Black Ops II Navigation
