CallofDuty:BlackOps II is certainly one of the most anticipated titles of 2013.New Campaign,the same multiplayer COD fans love with noticeable changes for the better.Zombies is back with a new mode. The Campaign which has some differences that were not in previous in CallofDuty titles,for example you are now able to choose your weapons prior to starting a mission.Also now certain choices you make during the campaign dictate whether a event may happen of not.The campaign storyline takes place both in the future as well the past,a few characters of the predecessor make a return.Though the new additions to the campaign aren't anything really innovative they do make the campaign less linear.By the way difficulty settings are better balanced so you don't ever feel like the game is being unfair or cheap even if you are playing through the single player on Veteran Difficulty as you may when playing the predecessors. The multiplayer has been redefine quite a bit with the new pick ten system,which allows players to pick an interchangeable combination of 10 perks,weapons and equipment for custom classes.Also killstreaks have been replaced by score streaks which those score streaks are earned from points that not only come kills but assists and capturing the objectives etc.The higher or more desirable score streak rewards are definitely more difficult to earn,none of which are overpowered or match ending but they definitely reward skill.There are some technical issues is that mainly effect the multiplayer gameplay of BlackOps II such as lag compensation,lag switching that is poorly addressed and the worst one of all is hit detection.I have never experienced hit detection so bad in a game ever particulary a CallofDuty game at that.On numerous occasions I have aim down sights and shoot enemy players at point blank range multiple times with out getting any damage on the enemy nor a single hit marker.In a handful of those situations that happened I have been killed when I should have been the one to get a kill which I figure out by watching the killcams of my death.Lag compensation is definitely goes hand and hand with the poor hit detection and lag switching is poorly addressed by the game switching to a new host which can definitely throw off intensity of match because gameplay has to be halted for the game to find a new host.When the game can not find a new you just get kicked out the match all together. BlackOps II's multiplayer fourmula is still in entirety much the same previous games in the series with changes.The Zombies mode has a new game type which allow 8 players compete against each other in surviving waves of zombies in two teams of four.There are three Zombie maps on disk which you would think is good right?Wrong the three Zombie maps that came with the game are terrible in a way that just seems gimmicky especially when comes to maps design,which can make playing Zombies quite frustrating and petty.So Zombies seems to be watered down in terms of the fun factor if you're were to compare to how it was in the original BlackOps. The match save record feature could have been way better,I feel that if I can upload a 2 minute Gameplay clip directly to YouTube right from the game itself I should be able to upload a recording of a whole match to YouTube from the game itself.Having to still need Gameplay Capture hardware really defeats the purpose of the match save record feature.Audio in CallofDuty BlackOps are good,the visuals on the other hand are Mediocre which I really can't understand why. Overall CallofDuty:BlackOps II is an entertaing First-PersonShooter,with a decent single player Campaign.As previously stated Multiplayer fourmula remains pretty much the same as its predecessor but the changes that were made definitely are noticeable there are no longer a high reliance on killstreaks so gameplay is more gun on gun which is great though technical issues negate balancing to some degree.Zombie mode is stale,Subpar Visuals which may brother you because of the fact there are older COD games that look better.I recommend renting this game first or waiting on a price before purchasing this game.
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