I wasn't originally planning on getting this game. The intial trailers and such made it seem almost too futuristic (if that's possible) and it turned me off. I realized later that that sentiment was probably due to a couple former games that looked futuristic and cool and ended up being flops for me (Like Lost Planet IIRC).
Anyway, I was a huge fan of the Original Black Ops so I was very skeptical of how this would turn out. After playing it at a friends house I quickly realized how similar it was (gameplay wise) to the first and how much fun it was!
I ended up purchasing it after trying it out and started out with Multiplayer just fighting Bots and getting a feel for the weapons. The game mode and equipment available were both awesome. Some very imaginative new technologies put into play in the game make it fresh and fun to play despite the familiar run and gun feel.
I moved onto the Campaign and although a little over the top and cliche it is incredibly fun and definitely keeps you invested. The game alternates from flashbacks of the good old days with Mason and Woods in Afghanistan, etc.with the vietnam era weaponry, to the new locations with the futuristic weaponry. The developers did a great job switching between characters and game modes maintaining great pacing and keeping you interested the entire time. There are also new missions in game called "Strike Force" missions I believe. You have the opportunity to command different troop classes on the ground from a satelite type overwatch and you can take control of the units at any time during the game play and fight it out on the ground first person shooter style.
These type of missions, honestly, were robust enough they could be made into an entire standalone game. They were incredibly fun and difficult at the same time which was nice. There were a few different missions, the most difficult for me being a "defend the castle" type mission controlling several different classes of units defending several different key locations on a base. Of the missions I have played so far like this (3) there have also been an assault type mission and even an assassination type mission (fighting through defenses in the streets to get to a high value target).
The online multiplayer seems very seemless at this point. There are a few new game modes that are really great, the first of which being a game mode online that you play with other human controlled players along with AI controlled Bots all mixed in together. For instance the game might allow for 16 people total in the level (not sure), the teams would be 4 humans, 4 bots vs 4 humans and 4 bots. I only played a few games of that but my friend told me that it is a good way to warm up to the game and get some points.
The kill steaks btw are now point streaks which present some interesting positives and negatives. In the last game it was easy for me to keep track of how many kills I needed vs. how many I was currently at to get to a certain streak. Now, after having played a few games online it is difficult for me to tell how close I am to getting certain point streaks. There is a meter on the side showing your progress but I would really need to sit and pay attention to tell what values I was looking at, how many kills that would take, what other ways can I get points. That being said, in the last game kills you earned with kills streak "perks" did not count towards further streak (if I remember correctly) but in this game they do help your point streak total. However, if a kill is worth 100 points regularly, a kill with a point streak weapon will only be worth 25-50 which is a good way of doing it I think.
All in all, this game is fantastic. I wasn't sure if I would like it before having played it but after trying it out I realized how great it was and knew I had to have it. It is a ton of fun and has multiple ways that you can interact with others and play the game together. If you are on the fence about getting it, I would say that you will not be disappointed. (Sorry for the long review!)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Xbox 360
4.6 | 4,755 ratings
Price:
Last update: 09-05-2024
About this item
Strike Force Levels: New to the Call of Duty Franchise, strike force levels provide sandbox style game play experiences, allowing players to take command of any element of their squad at any time
Branching Story lines: Choices the player makes could mean the difference between life and death for some characters and there exists an even greater opportunity for multiple endings
Single Player Character Customization: Choose from a variety of weapons and load outs providing multiple choices for how you approach single player missions
Branching Story lines: Choices the player makes could mean the difference between life and death for some characters and there exists an even greater opportunity for multiple endings
Single Player Character Customization: Choose from a variety of weapons and load outs providing multiple choices for how you approach single player missions
Product information
| Number of Players | 1-4 |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | November 13, 2012 |
| Computer Platform | Xbox 360 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 08904130825415 |
| UPC | 047875843851 |
| ASIN | B007XVTR3K |
| Release date | November 13, 2012 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars
4,755 ratings
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #6,299 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #29 in Xbox 360 Games |
| Product Dimensions | 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches; 2.4 ounces |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Language | English |
| Rated | Mature |
| Item model number | 84385 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 2.4 ounces |
| Manufacturer | Activision |
| Date First Available | May 1, 2012 |
Top reviews from the United States
theking
Very Pleasantly Surprised
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2013andrewforbes88
A really great game that people were waiting to hate.
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2012