Review: Call Of Duty Black Ops 2

Howdy folks!

Much like the game series Halo, more than likely everyone has at least heard of the name "Call Of Duty" or of the Modern Warfare series. With the release of the sequel to the game changer, Black Ops 2 or better known as BLOPS has made its way onto console and PC alike, the game already 10 million plus strong. However, a fan base does not make a game great, it is what the game has to offer that marks it down in our history as something worthy of the sands of time or something you'll find in the bargin bin the next time you stop by your local electronics store. With some fans worrying that a futuristic COD game would ruin the series, many have been casting sceptical looks upon the game, until now.

One of the first things out of the gate was the improved cinematics. As a man who enjoys Campaign much more than Multiplayer, I headed straight into the game mode and was plesantly surprised. Customisation in a Campaign game is also a huge surprise as well; which guns to take, what equipment and even perks to have in-game such as accessing unavailable areas, faster reloading and being able to hold your breath longer while using a sniper. With the Campaign missions, Strike Missions also unlock as you play the campaign, which are a nice change of pace. I'll leave it at that to avoid spoiler territory but I will say this, the adding of actions have concequences, even over long periods of time, is pretty smart and fantastic. The one issue I have had so far is glitches in-game. The only two I have experienced so far are random deaths for no reason and missions failing for being unable to reach the area due to buggy AI movement. Regardless of what reasons, these are short drawbacks which take you out of the storyline, if only momentarily.
Zombies is, of course, brilliant and creative. Treyarch definitely went out of their way this time around. While the menu screen for Zombies is slightly annoying (especially when you can't find a match), the games themselves are great fun. Survival matches are much more involving this time around. For those who have yet to get the game, Survival sees 8 players in one match split into two teams. To win, all team members on one side must be downed or die and the opposite team must survive the round in order to win. This gets very dicey and can be great fun when played with a bunch of good friends. While you can still all team up together, the round you're currently on will be restarted if all team members on both sides die. This is the only true fault with the Survival mode, as this can continue on and on for ages (my record time is an hour) until you are left with nothing. After a period of time, you will respawn with no ammunition for your pistol and no money to purchase new weapons. This means certain doom, especially if you are on a higher round.
And now, right down to it - Multiplayer. With very little online connectivity issues, the Multiplayer is possibly the best in the entire COD series. Customisation of guns, their camo and equipment is quite well done. With unlock tokens given out with each level increased, selection of your class is limited down to 10 choices, including weaponry. This makes each match more important to which maps and who is playing against you. Stratergy definitely becomes important. Maps are also quite diverse; from close quarter areas to sniping long areas, each map makes each type of gamer happy. What truly makes my day is the custom gamercards. This time around, specific actions unlock different pieces for your playercard. And of course, with customisable playercards comes the more penis and naked women creations. Treyarch has thought of this and added a report system for those with "rude" playercards; even if removed, they can still be found on your Elite Server or in your Barracks setting so be warned!

While COD and Halo fans fight it out for who deserves Game Of The Year or not, Black Ops 2 has made a significant impact on the community, grossing over $500 Million in the first 24 hours, beating the Modern Warfare 3 sale records to become the most biggest entertainment launch of all time. And disregard all the hype and promotion and take it from a neutral reviewer: Whether it is Zombies, Multiplayer or the Campaign that takes your fancy, Black Ops 2 does deserve a place in your collection.
Out of 10, I give Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 an 9/10

Good Points
+ Storyline is great and diverse, actions matter
+ Zombies is greatly improved and revitalised
+ Best Multiplayer in COD Series by far
+ Customisation everywhere!? ME GUSTA
+ Stunning graphics and voice acting

Bad Points
- Campaign glitches = Sad face
- Zombie Survival mode has issues
- The-Never-Ending-Fan-War

Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 is out now for $78