Call of Duty: Black Ops II

 PC
User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2027 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 707 out of 2027
  2. Mixed: 415 out of 2027
  3. Negative: 905 out of 2027
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  1. Saceria
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    The single player falls short in story telling, voice acting, pace and challenge, not really worth the 4 hours spent to finish the campaign. The multiplayer is a significant improvement over Black Ops, without the lagging or stuttering avatars. Knife lunge no longer travels half a mile. The new toys (perks, attachments), and the 10-part equip system they've implemented are moderatelyThe single player falls short in story telling, voice acting, pace and challenge, not really worth the 4 hours spent to finish the campaign. The multiplayer is a significant improvement over Black Ops, without the lagging or stuttering avatars. Knife lunge no longer travels half a mile. The new toys (perks, attachments), and the 10-part equip system they've implemented are moderately amusing, and for their first time use will probably keep you entertained. But is mostly a rehash of mw2/3 and blops maps, but smaller. Many of the maps are close combat fighting, with scattered perches for range. Sadly, the age of dedi servers is over, as an Australian, I still end up getting many games internationally, when it isn't our peak playing time.
    Zombies is where Black Ops 2 really shines. If you're playing with mates, its just FUN. This is the reason you buy the game.    … Expand
  2. Ltlsiren
    Nov 19, 2012
    5
    There are some welcomed changes and fun moments in this game, but for the most part it's still a heavily scripted spunkgargleweewee.
    Some of the future missions are fun to play through. But there are still a lot of heavily scripted encounters that will screw you over if you don't do it the exact way the developers wanted you to. On top of that there are still some bugs in single player at    There are some welcomed changes and fun moments in this game, but for the most part it's still a heavily scripted spunkgargleweewee.
    Some of the future missions are fun to play through. But there are still a lot of heavily scripted encounters that will screw you over if you don't do it the exact way the developers wanted you to. On top of that there are still some bugs in single player at the moment.    … Expand
  3. Ne42
    Jan 13, 2013
    5
    Barely made through it. The game is pretty boring and the plot is weak. The modern part however is the only thing that drived me most. I guess if they eliminated "back-in-time" part completely it could be a much better game.
  4. Pureray
    Feb 25, 2013
    5
    Lawl it's ridiculous how i'm always hearing people say whenever there is a new Call of Duty game that its awesome, but whenever I go up sites like these I see terrible scores. Me personally don't hate or really enjoy playing black ops 2, I don't care about graphics, it looked pretty much the same from Bo1 which was decent. The single player was fun, I didn't care that it ended stupid, ILawl it's ridiculous how i'm always hearing people say whenever there is a new Call of Duty game that its awesome, but whenever I go up sites like these I see terrible scores. Me personally don't hate or really enjoy playing black ops 2, I don't care about graphics, it looked pretty much the same from Bo1 which was decent. The single player was fun, I didn't care that it ended stupid, I just enjoyed all the action and plots. The multiplayer I felt wasn't special so I got bored of it quickly it was like bo1. The Zombie tranzit mode has got to be the best that will keep curtain people playing bo2. Mw2 was just alot more addicting for me, now I wish they can stop making Cod games since it's pretty much over. The're other games other then Cod that people need to discover.… Expand
  5. ColGamers
    Jan 20, 2013
    5
    After 5 games with the same story, same online, same co op i am tired of the same thing every time.

    Call of dury has more then 10 games so people is getting tired of it. 5
  6. DuneRacoon
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    Was fun for a bit. Got to max prestige in two months. I hate the exclusivity crap for 360. Also I didn't like having to wait until 3AM (I'm eastern time), to play on release. I would have liked to play right after it came out. The game became very melancholy very quick.
  7. TrueTrueReview
    Apr 6, 2013
    5
    Another example of a overselling yet terrible game which allows you to die in first person, go through a boring campaign with cardboard characters, and listen to raging kids. Nothing new is produced, so stay away.
  8. 1am4critic
    Apr 8, 2013
    5
    An average game with low graphics and a horrible story. The single player is dull. Perhaps the only thing saving this game is its stable player base and competitive multiplayer. I advise all of you if you really want cod, play on console.
  9. Maxibon
    Jun 29, 2013
    5
    Exactly the same as all other Call of Duties in history. The only differences are the maps, campaign and they have put in scorestreaks. But, it doesn't take away the fact that the multiplayer in this game is actually quite good if a bit laggy at times. I like how they have put in scorestreaks so you get good stuff for actually playing the objective instead of just killing people evenExactly the same as all other Call of Duties in history. The only differences are the maps, campaign and they have put in scorestreaks. But, it doesn't take away the fact that the multiplayer in this game is actually quite good if a bit laggy at times. I like how they have put in scorestreaks so you get good stuff for actually playing the objective instead of just killing people even though that isn't the aim of that game type. Aside from the quite good multiplayer this game is terrible, the campaign lacks a good storyline and Black Ops 2 struggles to bring anything new to the table. 5/10… Expand
  10. Blackdevils696
    Jun 18, 2013
    5
    I hate how cods have progressed into a yearly title. The story line was low quality, full of plot holes, and repedetive, the only reason for this game is the multiplayer and Zombies. Even then the online gameplay is more of the same.
  11. JohnnyStephens
    Nov 1, 2013
    5
    What kind of zombies are they???? An why all this fire???? Not as good as the first one. Really bad. Don't play it if you like zombies!!! That's my advice!!!!
  12. EKS666
    Nov 1, 2013
    5
    COD Black Ops 2 is just a mediocre entry in the mediocre Call of Duty series. If this game was released as an original ip, making small changes to the storyline and multiplayer, it would have been a lot better and felt like an extremely well-made military shooter. The truth is that this is just feels like the same game as the rest of the modern COD series with extremely small tweeks, andCOD Black Ops 2 is just a mediocre entry in the mediocre Call of Duty series. If this game was released as an original ip, making small changes to the storyline and multiplayer, it would have been a lot better and felt like an extremely well-made military shooter. The truth is that this is just feels like the same game as the rest of the modern COD series with extremely small tweeks, and is an inferior choice compared to some of the other titles in the series.… Expand
  13. Pillz4111
    Sep 14, 2013
    5
    The multiplayer, is okay, I guess, well it's far more balanced than the previous games, there are no guns that are basically overpowered, perks are fine, and I liked how they turned the Sleight Of Hand perk into an attachment. But the Campaign is the reason why I rate this game a five.
  14. Hale
    Nov 1, 2013
    5
    I can't believe how much they messed up black ops 2, no pro perks, the lag is horrible, unbalanced guns, you can just use a pistol and get up to 30 kills. this game sucks because of how unbalanced it is!
  15. adyneghina
    Jan 3, 2014
    5
    Almost the same story as FIFA but at least CoD it has changes (sometimes...Story)
    Graphics are decent but not the best and multiplayer is monotonic and boring
  16. gold
    Mar 23, 2018
    5
    сюжет только на 5, а концовки хороши... Графика........ поставил настойки на максимальных, а чувство с первых минут игры разные: вроде детализированные люди, вроде не очень окружение (я ничего не имею против освещения - оно хорошее).сюжет только на 5, а концовки хороши... Графика........ поставил настойки на максимальных, а чувство с первых минут игры разные: вроде детализированные люди, вроде не очень окружение (я ничего не имею против освещения - оно хорошее).
  17. Fallconex
    May 31, 2021
    5
    The game is below average. Nice gameplay. The game is neither long nor short. The plot is somewhat weird.
  18. vahn
    Mar 7, 2013
    4
    Hated MW2. Hated MW3. I was able to try this one for a short time. Couldn't wait to get angry and start raging on how bad this series is, and so off I played. After playing for 2 days of experiencing and trying basically enough, I have to say this...it has improved. It hurts me to say, but it has few improvements over the previous games. First of, I liked how the perks are extremely fewHated MW2. Hated MW3. I was able to try this one for a short time. Couldn't wait to get angry and start raging on how bad this series is, and so off I played. After playing for 2 days of experiencing and trying basically enough, I have to say this...it has improved. It hurts me to say, but it has few improvements over the previous games. First of, I liked how the perks are extremely few and unlike the previous, which many were useless and only few were good, now we get few perks and almost none are that useful and actually work as "perks". Instead, some of the "old" perks are now some sort of "attachments" to weapons which are unlocked by using them more often, and in here we also get the levels for weapons, which is a nice addition. They tried hard to balance the game, even by limiting our perks, weapons, attachments and everything with a limit of 10...which balances things....I guess? Weapons are still rather similar but they TRIED to make them different this time and I noticed few differences while using some of them...like one would give less recoil...another would do more...but the same damage...? Arenas have improved as well: we get colors! Few, but it's so great to find more than 2 colors in an arena, without mentioning that I haven't played that many matches with campers (there were, but nothing impossible to counter). And jokes aside, they tried to make most of the arenas trying to be careful on blind corners...which unfortunely still are present, showing either that it's programming fault or their own choice. People will either think I'm joking or being serious but to be honest, the answer is just one: this game is still horrible, and that's no joke. While it has improvements over the others, it's still not worth a single cent on this game: weapons are still too similar and have the biggest fault of having no need to aim at all: just shoot and you'll kill (you might need to aim only on long distances); arenas, while cured a little more, show how graphics are HORRIBLE and simply unacceptable and while I accepted the graphics of the previous games, this one is totally unworthy of attention. And campers are still around in some arenas, so it's not fixed yet; balancing of the classes is still far from being even remotely good, letting us customize with just tons of useless perks (even if fewer than previous games) and overpowered killstreaks, which works with points instead of kills, but still can be a gamebreaker pretty easily and without letting you escape. This game is just mediocre, like the previous games, and while it may be a good purchase this time, the game is still expensive like day 1 and, in all honesty, you can spend those euros/dollars for much better games (and cheaper as well). If you ever find this game on discount (not gonna happen) you might give it a try and maybe even having fun until the next installment arrives (after that, this game literally dies). But seriously, if you want to play an arena based fps, with lots of weapons, with very low graphics, no real physics and simply fast pacing gaming....play either Quake 3 arena or Unreal tournament.… Expand
  19. rocketsoul
    Dec 2, 2012
    4
    I believe that first Black Ops was a great achievement, not in terms of graphics or something, but in terms mentality of atmosphere and game concept. That created an absolutely new idea and gave a game a new feel - a great schizophrenic experience when you play as a main hero, suffering from his broken sense of reality. Setting was also incredible - hard times all around, war is close toI believe that first Black Ops was a great achievement, not in terms of graphics or something, but in terms mentality of atmosphere and game concept. That created an absolutely new idea and gave a game a new feel - a great schizophrenic experience when you play as a main hero, suffering from his broken sense of reality. Setting was also incredible - hard times all around, war is close to us, country leaders, great countries, everything worked well. I played all of CoD games, and Black Ops was an outstanding achievement - not just fun with a gun, but fun with a brain.

    So, when i heard new Black Ops is on the way i expected that another something incredible will be delivered. And, finally....
    It delivered but there's no nothing that can be described as "delivered". It has some cloudy connections with first Black Ops, but connections are just meaningless extras - you can remove them and game will be okay with out them because, as i said, they are so cloudy so just don't make any sense. You've got some storyline that too far from words "interesting" or "involving" because storyline is way too artificial and make sense just in case you have no another new game to play (my case). Graphics-shmaphics are okay, not better than first part and sometimes looks worse than first part. Militaristic future is boring and repeatable although Afghanian mujaheddins armed with power of horses against some Soviet forces (sorry for a rhyme) are just ridicolous. Main hero is radiating brutality and postive way of thinking, but i didn't get anything interesting from a character, he's more like a robot that go down by scenario. Okay, there're some moments you'll find catchy but not too catchy to get you play again.

    Et cetere, et cetera, i can call many other silly stuff. Game isn't worth money they are asking for that, time isn't worth to spend playing, go get first part and be really happy if you didn't have a chance before.

    I gave 4 only for time i spent, but...in case another replica of that sort is on the way - i'm not going to buy it.    … Expand
  20. FarmerGeddon
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    Ok so I've already reviewed this game but after playing it solidly on multiplayer for the last 5 days (off work broken leg) I thought I'd do another. I've marked it down to 4 from five because....

    Gunplay, colision detection is appaling, you don't need to be on target just in the general area, I've been awarded headshots when I've hit players in the chest and had kills that were around    Ok so I've already reviewed this game but after playing it solidly on multiplayer for the last 5 days (off work broken leg) I thought I'd do another. I've marked it down to 4 from five because....

    Gunplay, colision detection is appaling, you don't need to be on target just in the general area, I've been awarded headshots when I've hit players in the chest and had kills that were around an arm length away from the body.
    Perks/Upgrades, really clunky and confusing (at first) some of the perks/upgrades are just not worth the bother.
    Graphics/engine, I know if a game has solid gameplay graphics should not be an issue but come on, no destructible scenery, falling off the edge of maps ? this is 2012 ffs. There should be slightly more realistic gun mechanics, pistol headshots across the map with no bullet drop ? Yeah right.. Also bullets will pass through walls made of metal but be stopped dead by walls made of wood, what gives ?
    Sound, seriously bad just seriously seriously bad.
    General stuff, just a really really disappointing game, you can get killed by something like a RCd or dragonfire and have no warning of it' approach or time to get into cover or even any idea what you've been killed by, hardcore mode isn't, switching to pistol when you've clipped out is very slow, a hell of a lot of camping spots and very little room for team based gameplay. A lot of people are saying buy BF3 it's better, yes this is true but BLops2 and BF3 are completely different games with different objective, no way could Blops2 be described as a 'realistic wargame', I'd say buy MW1 or 2 better gameplay and a hell of a lot cheaper. There are some good points though, the maps are ok, ummm thats about it really I'm struggling to think of something else good....it's a bit like the Halo series, some great maps on there but horribly slow clunky junky spunky gameplay.

    To all those giving it 0 come on, be a bit objective at least very few games are worth 0.

    Just a few words about me. Been gaming since the days of Space Invaders and Scramble, played pretty much every platform and genre out there and remeber when games were a challenge and made you think, now my old old brain is so curdled all I can do is run around and shoot people, just as well really with depthless crap like MW3 and Blops2 around.    … Expand
  21. donaramu
    Sep 19, 2019
    4
    I would say this is a copy and paste game but they changed it up a little. Yet it's the same run and gun game as always just worst in a way. I find it hard to understand why people keep buying call of duty games when all they should do is keep playing cod4 or quit playing cod altogether. After each cod they get worst and worst. and just from the user scores before my score I can see theI would say this is a copy and paste game but they changed it up a little. Yet it's the same run and gun game as always just worst in a way. I find it hard to understand why people keep buying call of duty games when all they should do is keep playing cod4 or quit playing cod altogether. After each cod they get worst and worst. and just from the user scores before my score I can see the community agrees with me... Good luck to all past cod lovers, I am one of them but with these new call of duty's I have been nothing but let down.... so in closing think about how bad MW3 was and times it by 3 and you got BO2. good luck gamers… Expand
  22. maike
    Feb 17, 2013
    4
    One of the disappointments of 2012! Poor wherever you look: graphics, sound, gameplay, story. Very little or nothing to rescue.
    The greatest damage is in the graphics. Disastrous!
    A shame, it could have been a good game.
  23. RainFall
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    Old graphics, reactionary story line full of ridiculous propaganda. The first level you're playing a white dude fighting for a pro-Apartheid group fight against those trying to eliminate apartheid. They don't say that
    ,but if you know African history it's pretty simple. There's pretty much zero immersion. They tried to put all these little things like rope swinging and bat flying in,    Old graphics, reactionary story line full of ridiculous propaganda. The first level you're playing a white dude fighting for a pro-Apartheid group fight against those trying to eliminate apartheid. They don't say that
    ,but if you know African history it's pretty simple. There's pretty much zero immersion. They tried to put all these little things like rope swinging and bat flying in, but they're stupid and cumbersome    … Expand
  24. Zaite
    Dec 8, 2012
    4
    Feels like the same old CoD all over again. Really disappointing graphics on the PC. Poor widescreen support and all for a hefty price. Wishing I didn't spend my money on this game now.
  25. Cooldude731
    Feb 2, 2013
    4
    This game isn't anything special. The graphics are okay and the engine has a nice tiny change to it. But a really bad part is no console commands. The game runs at a maximum of 60 fps, which just makes the whole game hard to play, with such low fps. The campaign is honestly, very boring. I absolutely cannot attach myself to it, no matter how much I try. The zombies was a part of the game IThis game isn't anything special. The graphics are okay and the engine has a nice tiny change to it. But a really bad part is no console commands. The game runs at a maximum of 60 fps, which just makes the whole game hard to play, with such low fps. The campaign is honestly, very boring. I absolutely cannot attach myself to it, no matter how much I try. The zombies was a part of the game I was really looking forward too. But I was actually very disappointed. Tranzit introduced a new way of playing zombies, traveling by bus to all the locations in the map. It was a good idea, but Tranzit honestly just doesn't define it will. The gameplay is very slow and boring. Then the Survival maps you get play on, are just different sections of Tranzit, so in total you get only 1 map. But the Grief mode actually is quite fun, but barely anyone plays it sooo...... The multiplayer is okay. The maps I have to admit are well done, but like mw3 there are lots of OP guns which makes the gameplay get very old FAST. They did also make entering Prestige Mode actually "Worth" it now that they tweaked it. But the multiplayer is just designed for a bunch of 10 year old kids on their little suckbox consoles.… Expand
  26. czaczaczar
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    Story is very linear & boring. Graphics isn't that impressive. It's overpriced. I see no changes in gameplay. The zombie mode is the only thing I slightly liked. I'm not into future warfare but this is just downright ridiculous. Game developers try to feed us very linear crappy games for easy money. This is why gamers resort to piracy.
  27. whatupfoo
    Nov 13, 2012
    4
    I agree wholeheartedly with the review by Division. The core problem with this game is that there is virtually no map variety. They've added plenty of new weapons, perks, and killstreaks, but without maps to use them on, the additions are wasted. I will start with the positives of this game.

    The rebalancing done to custom classes is superb. Instead of taking only the most powerful    I agree wholeheartedly with the review by Division. The core problem with this game is that there is virtually no map variety. They've added plenty of new weapons, perks, and killstreaks, but without maps to use them on, the additions are wasted. I will start with the positives of this game.

    The rebalancing done to custom classes is superb. Instead of taking only the most powerful of perks and addons (OMA/noob tube, anyone?), you are forced to decide whether you really want to forego a sidearm, attachments, or even tactical and lethal grenades if you want, for example, Marathan and Lightweight together. This allows for some interesting combinations and are a vast improvement in terms of customizing classes to suit your gameplay style. I love what they've done with this. There are now tons of killstreaks you can choose from, though I don't know the precise number. There are many new additions to the weapon lineup, and the sound is the best I've heard in a COD title to date. The CQC design, IMO, is actually superb, even if that's all the maps offer. The unfortunate thing as that's pretty much where the positives end.

    Every single map is the same, with different textures and environment. Imagine playing COD with a randomized dungeon engine like Diablo 2's. That's pretty much what BLOPS is, except I would probably prefer random layouts to the tired and uninspired designs of these maps. Every level is a close quarters combat layout. Every.single.one. Did you enjoy maps like Overgrown, Derail, or Estate that offered a mix of wide open spaces, overwatch areas, and a bit of close quarters? Well, then, don't buy this game, especially if you're a PC player, like I am. The series has been going the way of the console for a long time now, and, sadly, even Halo offers more open space maps than this title. That's depressing.

    So while there are loads of new weapons to choose from, you're pretty much pidgeonholed into picking sub-machine guns. LMGs, sniper rifles, and even rifles are now just handicaps. Aiming isn't even necessary anymore. If all you desire is quick action and rapid fire spraying with little to no tactical consideration, then this title is perfect for you. The graphics seem no better than any previous BLOPS/MW title, yet it does seem to run worse. I've run max settings on almost every COD title to date (with even older video cards), yet I've actually had to lower a couple settings on this title just to prevent hiccups from actions like aiming down the sights. I don't really notice an improvement in the graphics even on max settings. I'm sure some of the hiccups will be ironed out, though.

    The good thing is that BLOPS2 is a definite improvement over MW3. I loved every single Modern Warfare title until that game. It was a travesty. I even loved BLOPS to a lesser degree. But the bad thing is that the extremely poor map variety makes this game a chore to play. I give it a 4 only because it's better than MW3.    … Expand
  28. thecasio
    Nov 21, 2012
    4
    Every year COD creates a game using the same formula. easy game + lots of pointless rewards + lots of unlocks + super cool kill streaks = a game that will sell a **** tone of copies day 1 and keep people occupied until they release the next cod. NO support for their games, no community outreach, no intent to create a challenging game. THESE FRANCHISE MODEL NEEDS TO DIE.
  29. nonstopdisco
    Dec 20, 2012
    4
    We only buy Call of Duty for it's multiplayer, if you don't, you're insane. The Call of Duty name will be around for a long time and has really set the standard for FPS titles, but Black Ops 2 lacks, badly.. I found myself spending the first week hooked, being around low level players and enjoying the game. Now, I won't even load it and the icon is collecting dust on my desktop. This gameWe only buy Call of Duty for it's multiplayer, if you don't, you're insane. The Call of Duty name will be around for a long time and has really set the standard for FPS titles, but Black Ops 2 lacks, badly.. I found myself spending the first week hooked, being around low level players and enjoying the game. Now, I won't even load it and the icon is collecting dust on my desktop. This game is unbalanced, aggravating and extremely dull in terms of content. The maps feel cheap and there's a lot of mechanical flaws in terms of hit box detection on occasion. Overall, the population on PC has dipped, and at nights in North America it can be almost impossible to find matches for certain game modes. Black Ops 2 was just a measly disappointment.… Expand
  30. Phenixuh
    Jan 14, 2013
    4
    I am VERY disappointed at this game, it's the same trite formula with no to very little innovation. I have only played it about 5-6 hours total between single player, multilayer and zombies(which is actually okish) and wished I didn't waste $50 on this garbage. I have gone back to playing Modern Warfare 3. Multilayer is probably the part I hate the most, the maps are tiny! everyoneI am VERY disappointed at this game, it's the same trite formula with no to very little innovation. I have only played it about 5-6 hours total between single player, multilayer and zombies(which is actually okish) and wished I didn't waste $50 on this garbage. I have gone back to playing Modern Warfare 3. Multilayer is probably the part I hate the most, the maps are tiny! everyone just runs around shooting from this hip and it is cheap deaths around every corner. Zombies is the only redeeming feature of this game, it is ok, but not amazing. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THIS GAME!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
38
#38 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Dec 30, 2012
    60
    The Corn Flakes of multiplayer first-person shooters. We've been sick of eating it for some time, now. [Jan 2013, p.80, 81]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 21, 2012
    60
    Black Ops II brings evolution to the series unfortunately, the evolution that is incomplete. Only one part of the game deserves a top ranking – multiplayer. [Christmas 2012]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Dec 12, 2012
    82
    Call of Duty Black Ops II is saved by its multiplayer, as the campaign has surprisingly too many bad sections. Maybe now it's time to move on? [Dec 2012]
See all critic reviews »