An exhilarant campaign and fun MP experience guaranty you will find pleasure and excitement in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
As the tradition wants it, the single player campaign is short (Steam clocks me at 6 hours on hard difficulty) but packed with action. There is no filler, and for the first time since I can remember, there was such pungent variety in mission settings that I once remember thinking "I'm impressed". From the icy white Arctic to the lush jungles of Laos and Vietnam, the levels are extremely detailed and diverse. We are still mandated to several scripted sequences, but unlike MOH, some of them are REALLY cool and they add to the dramatic narrative of the game. The story makes little sense at first, but as the plot unfolds, you get to connect the dots and it grows on you.
The major improvement (over the already good MW2) is noticeable in the storytelling department. Thanks to memorable and superb voice acting by Ed Harris, Sam Worthington and Gary Oldman to name only these three, Black Op's extravagant story is made believable and sucks you in for its short duration.
The destructible environment does its job in providing a touch of realism, but the detailed gore of exploded bodies and limbs has reached a new level in the COD series. Character animations are fluid, guns are wonderfully textured and the environment is very detailed. Unlike some, I did not have any issues with weird textures popping up on my 5870HD. I did get some sound issues, but whether that is hardware or software related still needs to be elucidated.
The plot itself, while not revolutionary, is definitely the freshest of the series. Very much like MW2, the ending provides closure and satisfaction so that when the credits roll, in spite of its short length, you feel content with your experience. I want to underline Sam Worthington's performance as Captain Mason especially, as he was not only believable but the character felt organic because of him. His humanity transpired through you as you played, luring you in that much deeper.
The gameplay is as excellent as its predecessors. The beginning of the last mission is so satisfactory that I replayed it at least six times just for the cool value. Just when you start getting bored at the repetitive action, Black Ops puts you in a chopper, a spying plane or a boat while you speed through explosions, guns blazing. Some of the sequences can be extremely satisfactory and pleasant. The linearity can be dull at times, but it is offset by dramatic action and the overall cinematic feel of the entire campaign just trumps any little defects you might find along the way.
Once the short but exciting campaign is over, you get introduced (hilariously) to a "Zombie" gameplay mode. Clearly inspired by the likes of Left 4 Dead (there's even an homage to it), it's an original addition. As long as you can summon your sense of humor, you'll appreciate it for what it is: stupid old fun.
The multiplayer is great. The addition of a currency system rendered the level grinding obsolete. The ability to purchase upgrades in the order you see fit (rather than grind it) feels fresh. Again, it not new or revolutionary as it has been done in other games (even shooters) before, but it's a step in the right direction.
If it matters, I do not own MW2. Last year, I refused to purchase it, because I found the 59.99$ (or 64.99$ retail) price point unfair and ridiculous. I ended up borrowing a copy to play the exhilarant campaign, but barely scraped the MP. While I did not pay full price for BO, I feel like it would still have been worth it, a feeling I would not have shared for MW2. Take it with a grain of salt, but BO is definitely superior to Modern Warfare 2. Black Ops has superior storytelling, level design and a better plot.
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| GAMEPLAY | 8.5
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While not revolutionary, Black Ops is fun. The addition of some new weapons, like the crossbow and its exploding bolts, is refreshing. I've come to expect less from shooters since the new trend is to release a new one each year. Let's face it: there's just so much you can change. The tweaks are minimal, but they are a step in the right direction. The currency system implemented in MP has somehow made that part of COD more addictive than it used to be before.
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| VISUALS | 9.0
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Wonderful graphics with rich textures and a destructible environment. I was disappointed by the vehicle design (their models feel less polished than the rest of the game), but the overall look of Black Ops is fantastic. I especially loved the jungle levels, as they looked so lush and alive that I felt like I could almost smell the humid air and feel the dirt under my feet.
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| SOUND | 9.0
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Brilliant voice acting by talented actors, coupled with top notch sound effects.
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| PRESENTATION | 9.5
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There is no doubt that the production value of Black Ops is extremely high. While short, the campaign is original and fresh. It's a new take on the shooter genre, which usually uses the same rehashed scenarios. There's no doubt the overall experience felt that much better because of the voice acting (I know I've mentioned it five times, but it really is wonderful), but BO feels polished and detailed. Guns recoil, limbs explode, controls are smooth and the levels are varied and highly detailed. I was disappointed with the cut scenes, but since photorealistic CGI is extremely expensive to produce, I'd much rather see that money go in the audio or gameplay department, which it obviously did.
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| LASTING VALUE | 9.0
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Following the tradition, the campaign is short but is guaranteed to make your adrenal glands function at high capacity. A Zombie mode, new MP modes and a currency system will keep you playing for a long time. Because the levels are so diverse compared to monotone MP experiences the likes of MOH (or even MW2) provided, you'll get to enjoy the map rotations.
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| CONCLUSION
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If you've been disappointed by Medal of Honor and feel a little burned out on Modern Warfare 2 or Battlefield: Bad Company 2, rest assured that Black Ops feels sufficiently fresh to be worthy of your time. It provides six hours of ridiculously fun single player time and a multiplayer experience that will remind you why you enjoy the FPS genre. Add on top of its high production value the superb voice acting and good diversity in map designs, anyone who harbors some love for the FPS genre in his or her heart will find pleasure and excitement in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
FINAL MARK: 9/10
Superb