Call of Duty: Black Ops Review

By Mark

This November Treyarch had the opportunity to put aside the claims that they were the ‘second rate B-team’ of the Call of Duty franchise and show that they too can develop a blockbuster campaign and further refine the multiplayer action the series is known for. While this review may seem a little late, I’m here to give a straight up account of my time with the campaign and multiplayer since release so let’s get started.

The campaign element of Black Ops takes you through all sorts of twists and turns through all sorts of locations ranging from Cuba to secret locations upon snowy mountain ranges and even Vietnam. In terms of storytelling however it’s not as simple as traversing through each of these levels in a linear format, you see, as the game kicks off you control Alex Mason who wakes to find that he is strapped to a chair in a room that looks like it crawled out of the Saw films. Upon waking he is bombarded with questions about numbers, the past and all sorts of mystery; as the game progresses you play through sections of Mason’s memories the way he saw them and the way he recalls them. You do get the opportunity to play as others but these are a select few missions that help tie up the narrative.

It was clear Treyarch had to make this campaign explosive, thrilling and thoroughly entertaining for the masses however when playing the pacing is all over the place. So much so that you could almost say that instead of  having a pace it’s more like one adrenaline fuelled sprint to the finish, there’s simply no let up throughout the course of the 6 to 8 hours of the single player experience and while you could argue that this keeps you entertained it also doesn’t give you an opportunity to let much sink in. You are constantly being told names, details, places and events but never in a calm environment. For example there is one level set in Vietnam as you begin the level and gain control you are being told information about characters via Mason and the fellow who has been asking the questions; yet you have to deal with the actual gameplay and the characters in this memory yelling and shouting so it could be very easy to simply not hear the conversation. 

The other aspects such as voice work is generally pretty high in quality and the performances are delivered well and while Mason (voiced by Sam Worthington) doesn’t always sound like the American he’s meant to be he still puts in a good effort. Also with Gary Oldman reprising the role of Viktor Reznov you can’t help but be happy. Visually the game has improved in certain aspects and in particular the facial expressions and actions of the characters, this is due to the way Treyarch added motion capture performance more heavily in the same vain the Ninja Theory did with Enslaved, it makes the characters appear more natural and believable. It’s unfair to say that the campaign isn’t a fun experience as it is, but as a narrative it falls a little flat and while there is certainly room for a sequel I’d advise Treyarch work on a more coherent story. 

Reznov's Back and 400% awesome

Suffice to say however the single player is only one aspect in a three part bid to earn your affection so let’s talk multiplayer. If you’ve played any CoD game since the first Modern Warfare then you know what to expect here, it’s the same jump in easy to pick up game just more refined and tweaked. Certain changes were bigger than others, such as removing the perk ‘Stopping Power’ (increases bullet damage) which was an attempt to force people to vary up classes a little more and not let the online be filled with the same class setup everywhere. While this was a good idea I can’t help but feel it’s a bit like a double edged blade, while it does make you rethink how you play there are certain perks in this game that are clearly devastating and others that make you question why they’re in the game. 

For instance the perk ‘Ghost’ lets you become invisible on the radar meaning no one will even know where you are coming from allowing you to sneak around and play somewhat cheaply as there’s no way to level the playing field unless you use it yourself not to mention it looks ridiculous. While that perk may be very advantageous there are others like ‘Tactical Mask’ which reduces the effect of the Nova Gas grenade and while it could be helpful in rare occasions it’s much more sensible to use something like ‘Last Stand’ which allows you to survive a tad bit longer and bring your enemy down before dieing. 

Clan tags on weapons albeit not a good one

 Aside from those issues however the multiplayer still shines in its accessibility and its fun factor while playing, with additions to customising your player be it his weapon or emblem it’s all welcome. As is the ‘Theatre’ feature which players have been crying out for since CoD 4 and before, you can now save your games and replay them, take screenshots and upload clips for others to see. The way you progress through the ranks and unlock equipment has also been changed, while you still level up by playing and unlock certain weapons that doesn’t make them usable, you now have the added factor of CoD Points which act as currency for just about everything. You obtain them through playing normal match types or the new ‘Wager’ matches which allow you to take your points and lay them on the line for a bigger reward. So now let’s say at level 24 you unlock the ‘Enfield’ rifle, you would then have to spend x amount of points to actually obtain the weapon; this has been done so that you only have to buy what you want to suit how you play and it’s indeed a good idea.

The third and final aspect of Black Ops is the return of Zombie mode, and this time you can play as JFK, Nixon and a few other world leaders to fend off the hordes of the undead. There is one map available to you immediately and one unlocked upon the campaigns completion, the latter map being the far better one. Some work needs to be done on keeping you playing the mode as after a few rounds it becomes a little dry as there’s nothing new, although if Word at War was anything to go by you can expect a slew of DLC with new maps for both MP and Zombies.

Time for Zombies!

Black Ops offers three different ways to enjoy it and you’re almost certain to enjoy one at least. The campaign is fun yet inconsistent, the multiplayer is addictive yet frustrating at times and Zombies is what it was in WaW, Treyarch have definitely upped their game however and I look forward to what’s next for them as a studio.

Call of Duty: Black Ops - 8