Review

Call of Duty: Black Ops

When it comes to the best First Person Shooters, you can’t talk about the top tier games without mentioning the Call of Duty (COD) series. It stands as a testament that a great FPS can be produced, so much so that it has even created staples within the genre. Everything, from its frenzied campaigns to its great multiplayer options, makes COD constantly a top seller. This holds true for the latest in the series, Call of Duty: Black Ops. One would think that the buggy gameplay from Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) would hinder Black Ops’ chance at drawing in millions of gamers. The fact that the previous developers, Infinity Ward, was no longer involved in its creation didn’t help matters either. Apparently, none of that seemed to matter as Black Ops easily outsold the competition. Not only did it out sell MW2, but as a complete package, it is outright a better game. That is not to say that Black Ops’ use of previous Call of Duty mechanics doesn’t play a large role in their success. It just means that coming out a year after MW2, wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

You won’t find better set pieces than MW2 (retaking a ravaged White House is still one of the most amazing moments in FPS history), but that doesn’t stop this new entry from being great. Black Ops’ campaign mode has a more cohesive story-line this time around.   It takes place during JFK’s presidency, but this retro setting doesn’t take away from the experience either. You play as a captured solider named Alex Mason. At the start of the game, Mason is being interrogated by a shadowy figure. Apparently, Mason was aware of some world changing event and has recently lost his memory. Now he finds himself strapped to a chair, receiving electric shock torture from his captor. As Mason slowly regains his memory, we are treated to playable flashbacks. These make up the majority of the game’s missions. Being that one character is driving the progression of the story this time around, it is easy to follow what’s going on. It’s an intriguing tale that will have you locked in from the very beginning. I often found my self saying “just one more level” so I could see what happened next. It doesn’t feature a twist ending ala M Knight, but it doesn’t disappoint either. As with each new entry, the campaign is defiantly worth your time.

The multiplayer components are awesome to say the least. The fact that Black Ops isn’t plagued by bugs helps it stand out from among its predecessors. The new mechanics that are introduced push it beyond what anyone could have expected from Treyarch. Even though I dislike the “rank-up-to-unlock-better-stuff” approach, this game at least makes it a little easier to stomach. So before, if reached a certain level, you got a Desert Eagle (DE). No matter what, at that particular ranking you would be awarded that pistol. Instead of getting specific set of weapons with each rank like before, you’re given currency that you can use to buy the weapons you want. You’ll still have to rank up to unlock them, but this time you have the choice of which weapon you keep. This time around, even if you unlock the DE, you can pay for a different weapon that suits your style more. This makes the feeling of being outgunned by higher ranked gamers less of an issue. Your money is used to not only buy weapons, but weapon attachments, perks, images for custom emblems and more. Your performance in matches (getting kills, disarming bombs, ect) grants you money and experience. A nice twist was the introduction of contracts. Gamers can buy different contracts and upon their completion be awarded money and/or experience. The contracts require you to succeed at feats of skill, like getting 3 kills in a row or calling multiple chopper gunners within a time limit. They range in difficulty, with the harder ones costing more to purchase and at the same time granting better rewards. This risk/reward system is not only a great way to encourage gamers to keep playing, but also delivers a more personal experience within multiplayer matches. Of course there are still the normal challenges that the series is known for. This time however, you’re given more ways to spend your time online by not being shoehorned into doing things a certain way. You can even bet your in-game currency on certain match types. Again, how you play is up to you!

The new match types of COD really stand out this year. One of my favorites is Gun Game. Its one of the new Wager Matches (the ones you bet on) that has 6 players battling it out in a free-for-all. The twist is that everyone starts out with a pistol and must move through 20 weapons before the other players. Each time you kill someone with your current weapon, the game will switch what gun you have. You’ll have to be careful; if someone knifes you you’ll drop to the previous weapon you were using. Matches can become hectic as the tension mounts, especially when multiple players are one weapon away from winning. Another match is called One in the Chamber, which starts off with each player getting one bullet. It only takes one shot to drop someone and with each kill you’re given another bullet. This is another hectic match type as each person only has 3 lives and once there gone you’re out.

Black Ops is right below Halo Reach when it comes to giving gamers different ways to wage war online. The new match types, currency system, and customizable experiences thrown on top of old staples like the original match types, leveling system, great campaign mode, and Co op options make this a must by for COD fans. There is even a way to record matches and view them with friends online. Each person in the room will have their own camera to control while the host can pause, play, rewind, and fast-forward the action. Treyarch has really out done themselves this time!