Less Pew Pew more QQ!
Yes, so I finally got Black Ops as a present from my best friend, and I've been playing it a lot. I beat the campaign with him in a few hours, and I also have played quite a bit of the Zombie modes. I have only played around eight hours on online multiplayer, but I'm finding it to be very different from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's online.
Gameplay
This game has the same controls as Modern Warfare 2. There are plenty of new guns, as well as some great old ones. The guns are different, but still fun to use. If you have played past Call of Duty games, you will know what to expect, as Black Ops doesn`t bring much new to the table in terms of gameplay, unfortunately.
Graphics
The graphics in the story mode are a bit above average quality, but the multiplayer graphics are awful. On my first round, I noticed the difference from Modern Warfare 2, and it is a big down-grade. The main problem is that the textures are off and it looks like Counter-Strike: Source on medium or low graphics at times.
Sound
The sound-effects are as great as ever, and the voice-acting is some of the best on the PlayStation 3. The only problem with the sound-effects is in split-screen online, you can`t tell where the noises are coming from, which is actually a big problem online.
Story
The newer Call of Duty games have started to stray from the paths of wars and more onto taking down one or two villains. In Black Ops you're after one villain, a very annoying Russian one (Not Makarov). The story seems very weird and unrealistic, which is strange for a game that's trying to be as realistic as possible. You play as a soldier named Mason, and you team up with numerous allies such as Weaver, Hudson, and Reznov. You should pay attention to the story, even if you don't really care for the story in Call of Duty games, because it's actually quite interesting, and if you miss a cut-scene, you will have trouble understanding the rest of the game. The ending is truly brilliant and makes the story both interesting and memorable.
Multiplayer
They did some stuff really right in Black Ops, but they also screwed up a lot. The killstreaks are way over-powered, and too easy to get and enemies seem to take more enemies to kill. However, the customization options are amazing. There is literally ten times as much customization as Modern Warfare 2, but the graphics are not even close to being as good. The shading looks great, but the textures look awful. There are only 50 levels to earn, but 15 Prestiges.
Longevity
This one will probably last you about as long, if not longer, than Modern Warfare 2. The campaign will take you anywhere from 4-16 hours, depending on what difficulty you play on. The zombie modes and Zorg will keep you busy for a long time, if you enjoy zombie games. The online multiplayer will keep you busy for hundreds of hours, or until the next Call of Duty game comes out.
The Verdict
Pros:
• Awesome maps
• The new guns are fun to use
• The campaign is really fun
• Neat story
• Lots of customization in multiplayer
Cons:
• Graphical down-grade
• Over-powered killstreaks
Gameplay: 8.8
Graphics: 5.0
Sound: 9.0
Story: 8.0
Multiplayer: 9.5
Longevity: 9.5
Although Black Ops doesn`t bring much new to the Call of Duty formula, it compiles almost everything we loved from the previous games.
8.3/10