Call of Duty: Black Ops Game Review

The Call of Duty franchise has grown ridiculously fast over the past few years into the Hollywood blockbuster game we know and love. The game which truly addicted fans to the series was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It took the series from a World War II setting into the modern battlefields we see on the news every day. Treyarch's latest instalment to the franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops, has had fans anticipating something big and although it doesn't do anything really new or unique, it provides fans with yet another COD experience.

You begin the campaign as Alex Manson, a soldier who is being interrogated for information he can't remember. You play through Manson's memories in search of the information. The story has some twists which will catch you off guard, the middle does seem to loose track but unlike Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops gives you the big finale you would expect. The story is definitely the strong point this time around which is quite a welcomed surprise.

Disappointingly the AI for both friendly soldiers and enemies is poor and can become quite frustrating after playing through the campaign. At times enemies would stand still and stare at me, and my own allies would shoot at random thing's like a rock or empty car. There are far too many flaws and bugs for such a big-name title like COD. The Battle of Khe Sanh doesn't even explain what you have to do and even misdirects you. It's poor to see such a sloppy final product.

Despite these faults there is finally a story here in a COD game which actually matters, characters are well thought out, Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, and Gary Oldman really nail their respective characters. The twists make this feel like a Hollywood war movie and the plot rarely disappoints.

The real reason people play a Call of Duty game though, is the multiplayer. The first-person shooter multiplayer has been perfected with this franchise and that's why the fans keep coming back for more. Call of Duty: Black Ops is almost identical to Modern Warfare 2 with a few slight changes. The biggest change is the addition of CoD Points. Earning experience points and levelling up now handles macro stuff like unlocking more custom class slots, Create-A-Class, new modes to play, and the availability of certain weapons and bonuses for "purchase." Everything else (Weapons, Perks, Killstreak bonuses, Emblems) is bought with CoD points.

The whole system feels overwhelming at first, especially for any new-comers. Once you get used to it it's quite fun and rewarding. When you level up you're handed 1,000 CoD points to spend however you please. This system allows players to sculpt who they are and how they play and really does a great job of making each player have their own individuality on the battlefield. The only disappointing aspect i found is that once you have bought something, there is no going back. It would have been nice to sell weapons you don't want any more for a cheaper price to other users but without the ability to sell it does make each weapon harder to unlock i guess.

The new Wager Match modes are designed to highlight the importance of CoD points. These modes can be fun but nothing like the level of enjoyment i got when playing either of the Modern Warfare games. Most people will likely miss the traditional levelling mechanic but i personally think a big change is needed to hold interest in a franchise which is beginning to get repetitive. My favourite mode was "One in the Trigger" a mode in which everyone has only one bullet and if you miss the only way to kill is with a melee attack, if you do shoot someone then you get another bullet. This mode was allot of fun and requires allot of accuracy, patience, and skill. The standard modes such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Headquarters are all here and great for levelling up. If you do hit 50 then Prestige Mode is back with more challenges to make it feel rewarding and worthwhile. There is nothing really new or unique to give fans that "WOW!" feeling, but if you are a fan of the CoD franchise you will likely have fun with the new maps and CoD points.

The CoD points also add a higher level of customisation to Black Ops. Not only can you customisation you're title and emblem, but you can write you're clan tag on you're weapon, change the colour and look of you're targeting reticule and much more. Everything you customize on you're character will cost valuable CoD points, so make sure you really want it before you purchase it.

Once you are in a game you will notice the level design is well thought out, with dynamic elements that change each time you play. Firing Range, for example, puts target dummies in different locations each time you load a map to keep the game feeling fresh. Nuke Town (My Favourite) has parts for every style of player, Snipers have their little hideouts to rain down fire, Campers will have various locations to hold down, and the other players will have lots of closed and open areas to run around like kids on Ritalin.

The new perks are fun but there is no tactical nuke to be found. My personal favourite is the RC Car and although it's slightly overpowered, I'm sure it will provide the most fun for fans of the series. It's a blast chasing someone around with a little remote control car-bomb and watching them jump as they realise there life is about to be taken from them, by a toy. Veteran CoD players might not like this addition as it only takes three kills to earn the RC Car and I'm sure there will be times when this perk will be abused.

 All of this multiplayer action can be captured with Black Ops new theater system, players can cut out embarrassing deaths, clip together killstreaks and show all this to friends. I don't personally spend any of my time in Theater Mode, but i hope others do because it's a great new addition to the franchise. The disappointing aspect is that you must upload videos to CallofDuty.com, rather than YouTube or Facebook which would have been more convenient.

Since the game has only just launched this might not be too much of a concern, but allot of lobby's have kicked me out or failed to connect. There are a few problems and this is surprising but will likely be cleared up within the first few weeks.

Outside of the competitive multiplayer, there's also the return of the incredibly popular Nazi Zombies Mode which fans loved in World at War. It's clear Treyarch understood what the fans enjoyed and made the effort to expand on it while still retaining that frantic fun and tense experience we loved the first time around.

In Black Ops there are three types of Nazi Zombies, the first is pretty standard and will have you defending an old theater. The second is the best by far, placing players in the shoes of either JFK, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon, or Robert McNamara. It's hilarious at times to run around as one of these guys and so far it's the most fun i have had with Call of Duty: Black Ops. These first two modes are fun and the gimmick of the famous people to control will entertain fans for a while, but they are nothing new or unique to the franchise. The third version of Nazi Zombies however is astonishing, I'm not going to spoil it for you but just know, there will be a big surprise.

The visuals help enhance the fast paced frantic action and stay fairly solid throughout the whole game. There are moments when textures take too long to load and glitches with dead body's appear but not enough to cause any frustration. Framerate is solid throughout as long as you don't play in 3D, the 3D technology causes the framerate to drop and visuals look less impressive. The whole game looks like a Hollywood movie with constant explosions and action going on. It's very unlikely you will want to play in 3D because it just doesn't work well.

Overall Call of Duty: Black Ops improves on some things, but not enough to make it anything unique. The game has a decent story and definitely the best of any CoD game so far. The game looks great in most areas and the traditional CoD gameplay which has been so successful is back and just as good as ever. The new perks and additions to the game will provide fans who are getting bored of the franchise with something new to hold their interest for a while. The game is sadly not anything really unique compared to the other games and if you are expecting something big you might come away feeling disappointed. At the end of the day it is another CoD game and if that's all you are looking for then you will be happy.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a great game but it's nothing special 8.5/10