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Review: CoD: Black Ops
Date: 11.11.2010
Posted by Fadda05NZ.
Review: Call of Duty – Black Ops
Okay so the biggest game this year has come out, and if you think it isn’t the biggest game it’s time to wake up because whether you like it or not CoD:BO is going to be a big seller. So the question is not whether this is going to be popular but does it deserve to be. Is it better than those that have gone before? Let me break it down into Multi-player and Single Player and I’ll tell you what I thought worked or didn’t and feel free to add your own comments to the bottom.
Single Player:
What I liked:
*The Story: This was completely original for the series and to be honest with you, I didn’t think the CoD writers were capable of being this creative. I thought they were stuck in the loop of making things bigger was making them better, I am pleasingly wrong in this case.
*The Main Character: While sort of going along with the story this was also a surprise as I thought it was an ambitious piece of writing and gave you the first real glimpse into a character that CoD has offered to date. It had you jumping to some other characters which didn’t work so well but I thought the main one was good.
*Settings: Some of these are excellent pieces and add to the tension. There are definitely some kill zones where the enemies have the advantage but it never feels like dumb luck to get out of the situation, as in its predecessor.
What I didn’t like:
*AI: Your support AI is absolutely terrible, really really terrible in every way you can imagine except for actually shooting at you, and the enemy AI isn’t much better but they are assisted by....
*Hit detection: which is also rubbish. 2 bursts at a head from close range with 4-5 hit noises and the enemy gets up to shoot me in the back because I was sure I had put him down..bad. Also my support AI had also just watched him get up and shoot me...also bad.
*The Story Mechanics: Follow, is a constant guide to someone you should follow to the next objective except when it still says it but they are standing still up against a wall, or when you should be following someone who is dialoguing about the plot but don’t realize it because there is no follow message and the audio volume hasn’t changed. i.e. it sounds like they are right next to you and then you turn around to see them disappearing around a corner.
*Glitches: Big rocks that are part of a hillside that are bouncing when they come into view. Getting shot straight through cover of a more solid nature, like a bus, lengthways.
Overall: Excellent single player if you can get past the slightly rough nature of the mechanics.
Mulit-player:
What I liked:
*CoD points: With these you get to buy your everything. Therefore you get to choose which perks/attachments...etc you get to unlock when with the exception being some weapons are unavailable for purchase until higher levels as are some of the other things like kill streaks..etc
*The maps: There are enough and they feel tight. Some feel very complex.
*The dive: I haven’t been able to pull it off yet but I have had it done to me and it seems like a welcome addition to your move arsenal.
*The extras: Seem so much more balanced and stripped back than MW2’s overburdened and excessive system.
*XP for support: It’s been done before but this time it feels like I am part of a team with the bonuses for assists, hopefully this will carry over to a more tactical team play type, especially with maps where the enemy can easily come up on your 6.
*Combat Training: The chance to jump into a training mode against bots with your friends. This is an excellent feature and not many games have done it or even tried it.
*Online splitscreen: The ability to have a friend over, sit on the couch, and go online and play together is excellent. Yes CoD3 did it but that was a terrible game. So other than this one the only supremely popular shooter to do it is Halo. It’s fun to play together and now you actually can so I hope this remains a staple.
What I didn’t like:
*I know there will be glitches and it’s only a matter of time before people figure them out such as the care package one. You can’t do anything about this dislike because the biggest thing to ruin Multiplayer is the players. Having trouble, my suggestion, make some CoD:BO friends who play like you and play with them as much as possible.
Overall: The best Multi-player since Modern Warfare. Time will tell if it’s better but if they can stay on top of the glitch exploiting and support it with some good quality DLC at a reasonable price (Like the Red Dead Undead Nightmare DLC) then this will be a winner and set the new standard for CoD.
Still more:
*Zombies: this comes on the disc and another piece of good fun for you and your friends. I smell LAN party with this.
*Arcade games: Get up out of that chair in the main menu and have a look around, you’ll be surprised at what you can find with a little exploring.
Summary:
I like this game. It has a lot in it that will keep me busy at home on LIVE (or PSN if you prefer) and also it has a whole lot in it for LAN nights or just having 1 or 2 friends over. Got a spouse who likes shooters but you were never able to play with her because they didn’t support split-screen, then this is your game. My Modern Warfares are gone, welcome Black Ops. Also note that Black Ops is a lot more personal and with that new style can be carried over into other combat arenas. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Black Ops 2 as Treyarch are setting themselves up for a win here.
8.5/10
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