Call of Duty: Black Ops

I can't understand why so many hate this game so much, I've been playing it off and on for months now, really enjoyed the campaign and am having great fun playing online, especially in domination mode. Perhaps it's not as good as MW2 but let's face it, not many games are, but Black Ops is still a quality game!

Okay, everyone put down your guns for 5 seconds & take a breath!.. I fear that during the "Yes it's Great" & the "No it's terrible" conflict, the game isn't able to get a fair chance. I think this is because some people are comparing Black-Ops to the Modern Warfare series. That's probably not the best thing to do as this is made by Treyarch not Infinity Ward. Therefore it's going to be more like World At War than anything else: Seeing as this was Treyarch too. I actually love this game, but then I loved World At War, which is also in my collection. Unlike Infinity Ward, Treyarch games are quite brutal. They're dark & brooding, focusing heavilly on the death, real war produces. Grenades remove limbs & big guns splatter blood all over. Hell, even the way the chemical weapons kill people sees you almost feel sorry for enemies caught in it. I think they're like Modern Warfare's vampire goth, horror movie obsessed older sister or something!

Gameplay & Storyline:
It's been said that Black-Ops lacks originality. Okay, maybe in some ways yes, but in others I think they've added a few variations here & there. During the campaign missions it's not just full on warzone as one minute your in Cuba on an assasination mission, next your trying to escape a Russian gulag & then trying to take a hill in Vietnam. The Campaign is driven by a pretty good storyline - (if maybe a little convoluted here & there) - where your character Alex Mason is being forced to relive memories about top secret missions during an elaborate interogation, trying to uncover the truth about these mysterious numbers stuck in Mason's head. The guns and the environments are all unique to the time period & help create that: "Cuban Missile Crisis" era perfectly. Also, if you feel that there's a lack of Vietnam games on the PS3, Black-Op's can give you a smidgin of satisfaction here & there. I will say that during the campaign, sometimes it's not always made clear what your trying to achieve. Often I have failed after apparently abandoning my squad because I didn't know you had to follow them on a specific route. The Russian gulag while firing the harpoon at the helicopter is a prime example of this. It says wait for the perfect moment to fire, but nothing let's you know when that is. But then again maybe I'm just dense!

Graphics & Sound:
The graphics on Black-Ops are very good. The faces of the characters show wrinkles, stubble, glints of sweat & even go someway to express genuine emotion. Obviously not exactly, your brain still tells you it's not real, but then sometimes you find yourself wondering. The environments are excellent! I was knocked back by simple things, like churned up mud at a Marine camp in Vietnam; how the water gathered in the tire tracks & footprints, looked almost real. On one mission during the campaign your sprayed by a chemical weapon which sees your character put on a Hazmat suit. During this battle your suit takes damage instead of your body, so you really have to use cover as when your hit, it doesn't regenerate. As cracks in the glass appear you really begin to worry, seeing as your surrounded by this thick orange gas that kills instantly. All this really drags your senses into the game. Sound wise, the voice acting is stellar! Gary Oldman's back as Sgt Reznov (World At War) as well as actors like Ice Cube, Ed Harris & Sam Worthington delivering superb dialogue just as it should be. It's clear a lot of effort was put into creating realistic environments.

Zombies:
Yes, they're back & better than ever. The Zombie Nazi's games on World At War were great. So much so that even people who didn't like the main game, bought it for these extra games. I will simply say, if you loved Nazi Zombies you'll love these new versions just as much!

Online Multiplayer:
Hey, it's Call Of Duty! You know what it's all about. Just more of the same great online action. Would you really want them to change it too much? Currently the map packs are still quite pricey.

My Final Thought:
Black Ops to me is a beleaguered contender. Fighting the COD fight with all the rest but always being victimised for it. "Same Old Same Old!" they say. Well, good job! I love COD games & all that familiarity is what makes them great. If like me, your a big fan of World At War, then you'll love Black-Ops. If you prefer Modern Warfare then try before you buy. However, if your one of those people who wants something totally different?... Then go purchase from a different franchise altogether!

Call Of Duty is a series that has always been arguably the best shooter series out there but its only been since its debut to the next gen consoles that its really cemented its place in the history books. World At War was a fantastic game that really captured the highs and lows of World War 2 (which has been done to death in shooters) and the Modern Warfare games breathed a different kind of life into the series.

After the success of the 2 Modern Warfare games and World At War, Treyarch announced that a new title focusing on Black Op missions in the Cold War would be released much to mixed opinions. Fortunately, Black Ops delivers.

The new setting is a welcome change from the same old same old and on the whole the game captures the setting perfectly with a wide range of story missions ranging from the Vietnam jungles to barren wastelands in the space race. Each setting is unique with different weapons and tactics ranging from stealth to all out attack which helps to make the different levels feel fresh and exciting.

The story follows Alex Mason, a special forces operative as he relives his memories whilst being interrogated by unknown men. Without ruining the story too much, anyone familiar with World At War will recognise Victor Reznov who makes a return in this game. The story isn't anything special and after the first play-through its very unlikely you will want to run through it again except to grab the trophies you missed first time around. This is a shame as with such a unique and different setting its frustrating that Treyarch didn't produce a more memorable story and a better plotline. Victor Reznov is the only real star here and that's due to the fact that fans will remember him from a previous instalment of Call Of Duty.

The graphics are stunning but to be completely honest there isn't much of a jump in detail from Modern Warfare 2 which is a bit of a let down as with all the hype, it would have been nice to see a prettier game. Although it is understandable as Treyarch didn't produce Modern Warfare 2, its understandable why some fans are disappointed with the graphics on show here which, if I'm honest, are still very very good but just not on par with expectations.

All the usual gameplay elements are on show here with the traditional controls from the series thrown in so fans can just jump straight into the action. The enemy AI is very good throughout the campaign with some truly tough parts on Veteran difficulty with the biggest problem with the gameplay is the infinite spawning enemies. For a game of this magnitude its shocking that unless you storm a room, the enemies just continue to pour into the room. This is especially frustrating during veteran difficulty where being given the option to snipe enemies from a safe distance is snubbed in place of firing blindly from cover and running into an area with the hope that your squad will move forwards.

Another area of criticism is the lack of intelligence from squad mates. It's all well and good having a "highly trained" force of operatives at your side but if they will only move forwards when you do, something is seriously wrong and with some of the tough levels later on, it would have been nice to see the computer AI slightly more intelligent and using some aggression by storming a room while you shoot from a safe distance.

The story also lacks a sense of pace with action, although spectacular, hitting you from every angle and within 3 levels you're involved in a motorcycle chase, gunning down enemies from a plane and escaping from a prison. At times it would have been nice to see a slightly more character driven area that didn't revolve around huge explosions but with the emphasis being solely on action and big set pieces, the plot and character progression takes a backseat.

The sound is brilliant though with explosions and the sound of guns really packing a punch and the atmospheric, ambient music adds to this brilliantly. The voice acting isn't anything special with the only highlight being Victor Reznov over the wooden cast.

The real meat of Call Of Duty is the online element and with tiny tweaks here and there from the previous instalments, the online game holds up as strong as ever with the, although gimmicky, brilliant wager matches which give off the illusion of a brand new game mode in which you bet in-game money. The zombie mode is also brilliant with the joy being in playing as a big team of four people and each frantically trying to help one another out. The rest of the online plays and feels exactly like the Modern Warfare games with the only disappointment being in the slightly long loading times and the constant disconnecting which has become more frequent recently.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops had a lot of promise and in some ways it doesn't live up to the massive hype and the lack of anything remotely new and exciting doesn't help its cause. This Call Of Duty is a mixed bag with on the one hand a brilliant new setting and a big emphasis on action pleasing fans and newcomers alike with something fresh and brand new. On the other hand, this just feels like an add-on to Modern Warfare with almost no difference to interface design, a slightly inferior online element and lack of imaginative flair.

There are more than 200 different shooters out there in the UK today but Black Ops will still continue to sell due to its name and the brand new setting. However, I'd recommend renting this game first to see what its like before making the plunge to buy this one. So to conclude, Black Ops is definately a huge game but the lack of imagination might put some people off which is a real shame.