While the core gameplay remains same as COD:MW2, new game modes and killstreak rewards spices things up... a little.
The campaign mode takes you to various breathtaking locales and tells an intriguing story. You play as Mason, an ex-black op soldier, who is undergoing interrogation. Each level is a piece of Mason's memory of past missions. The story comes together like a jig-saw puzzle. Some player might be surprised by how differently the storytelling has changed from MW1, MW2 and COD: World at War, where stories are told from multiple perspectives through crisp and clear mission briefings. This new form of storytelling is new to the series. While refreshing, the storytelling might not suit every player's taste. Aside from the campaign, the new combat training mode offers players some good practice for the brutal online multiplay but feels somewhat unnecessary since the weapons you unlock there cannot be used for the online multiplayer mode. The co-op zombie mode is fun, but it can be frustrating at first because the lighting is so dark. Unless you find the power source soon, expect to be ambushed by hordes of fast and tough zombies in dark. The point system of multiplayer mode allows players more freedom at customization and specialization in their favorite weapons and attachments but does little to encourage players to use a variety of attachments. Often times you can just find your favorite weapons and attachments from training mode, unlock and upgrade those in the online mode, and use them exclusively during all the online multiplay, unless you decide to take on the sometimes-contrived and not-so-rewarding contracts. There are new killstreak rewards, but they are too few to make the gameplay feel any different. Some "new" killstreak rewards are really just killstreak rewards recycled from MW2, for example the Valkyrie rocket is essentially a beefed up version of predator missile from MW2. Changing old perks from MW2 into new equipments in Black Ops and vise versa feels like a weak attempt to make the gameplay fresh. To name a few examples: the old scrambler perk in MW2 is now the jammer, and the old bomb shield equipment from MW2 is now the flak jacket. Besides these changes, do not expect any more surprises from Black Ops. Players of other games in this series should feel right at home (maybe too at home during too much of the gameplay).
Call of Duty: Black Ops is definitely a first person shooter worthy of continuing this famed franchise, but longtime fans of Modern Warfare series might be disappointed by how similar Black Ops is to its predecessors. If you have played MW2 and wanted more of the same, or if you have never played any games in the Modern Warfare series, then Black Ops is the perfect first person shooter for you. Otherwise, especially the players of MW2, you might want to wait for a while (for the $65 price to turn into $30 or $20) before getting Black Ops.