Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review (Xbox 360 Version)

By Vamien McKalin | Dec 03, 2012 12:37 PM EST

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We finally got ourselves a copy of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' for the Xbox 360, and after playing for hours on an end, it is evident that Black Ops 2 is the best Call of Duty game in the history of the franchise.

'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' is not the game we expected to play and that's the reason why it is so enjoyable. Over the years, Call of Duty games haven't seen much change in its gameplay and what it offers to the player. The addition of Zombies in World of War was the biggest change but nothing came after. However, with Black Ops 2, there are so many changes, gamers may think Christmas has come early.

Here's a look at 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' in detail.

Campaign

Modern Warfare was considered as the best Call of Duty game when it came down to the campaign, and rightfully so, but that is no longer the case. Alex Mason, the main man from the previous Black Ops game, and other characters return to wreak havoc on the bad guys in Black Ops 2. The story has the player jumping between two timelines where he/she will play as Alex Mason in the past and his son David Mason in the 2025. It works surprising well, more so with Frank Woods from the first game weaving both timelines together.

The player follows the origins and rise to power of Raul Menendez. Things take a striking turn when the player is asked to make a choice that will affect what happens in story at a later time, a first in a Call of Duty game and it works. Not many of these hard choices exist in the Black Ops 2, which is a good thing since not many would like being overrun by selective game changing choices.

Due to the choice aspect, there are multiple scenarios along with multiple endings. This move makes for a great replay value to see what would have transpired if the choice to have this guy killed or not was made.

One problem we had with the campaign was regarding the available strike missions. Strike missions give one a hand of soldiers at their command, tell them what to do, and what they fail miserably at it, so at the end of the day the player will have no choice but to take things in his/her hands. It's unfortunate because strike missions have so much potential the whole experience is ruined by terrible squad AI.

Multiplayer

This is where 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' took the reins from the Modern Warfare series of game and made Black Ops the defacto Call of Duty title. Don't make the mistake jumping into Black Ops 2 expecting to have a Modern Warfare 3 like experience, disappointment is bound to sink in. Killstreaks are no more as it's all about scorestreaks now, which makes multiplayer more fun and engaging than other Call of Duty games. Due to this feature it will be apparent that many players will no longer allow a hostile UAV to roam free above, because shooting it down adds to their scorestreak.

Almost everything in Black Ops 2 gives the player points. For example, if a UAV is called in, every enemy it picks up on the map is a potential point. If a team member kills an enemy while the UAV is up, the owner gets +10 points which is pretty slick.

The main changes in Black Ops 2's multiplayer is the new loadout system that gives the player 10 points to every loadout element. This change gives the player more options when going into battle, but spend wisely for once all 10 points are used up nothing else can be added to loadout unless something is removed.

With the new loadout system, players also have the ability to jump on the battlefield with a bunch of perks and a combat knife as the only weapon. New perks and attachments can be unlocked with tokens, a replacement of the previous Black Ops point system.

Zombies

Zombie mode makes a successful return in 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2', though not much has changed. Some new missions are available; however, the end result remains the same i.e., to survive the horde. It would have been great if the Zombie mode did something new rather than working with the tried and tested formula. Considering this is what players have been doing since World of War, there needs to be some shake up.

Other things

The option to stream live gameplay to YouTube is a great addition and it works well but needs a fast Internet connection. It's a good feature for those serious Call of Duty fans who want to share their gameplay with the world.

CODclusion

'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' is the best Call of Duty game hands down, the amount of content here and the new things the game brings gives the franchise the ammunition it needed to silence detractors. However, compared to many first person shooters, 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 2' may not be the best looking in terms of graphics, but that does not take much away from the game. A constant run of 60fps is one of the main reason why the game plays so well in multiplayer.

If you're out seeking the best multiplayer shooter on the Xbox 360 for 2012, Black Ops 2 will hit all the right spots, you can't go wrong with this one.