Call of Duty: Black Ops II

 PlayStation 3
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1188 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 549 out of 1188
  2. Mixed: 263 out of 1188
  3. Negative: 376 out of 1188
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  1. EpicJake12
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    I'm going to divide this review up into 3 sections. 1) Campaign - 10/10. This is the best part of the game in my opinion. The story is very interesting. One really awesome new feature is that in certain parts of the game you get to choose what happens. Example: Press this to shoot him, or press that to shoot the other guy. This means that there is a variety of endings! The only thing II'm going to divide this review up into 3 sections. 1) Campaign - 10/10. This is the best part of the game in my opinion. The story is very interesting. One really awesome new feature is that in certain parts of the game you get to choose what happens. Example: Press this to shoot him, or press that to shoot the other guy. This means that there is a variety of endings! The only thing I didn't really enjoy was the Strike Force Missions, but you can skip them if you would like. Multiplayer - 6/10. Overall, the multiplayer is fun and what you would come to expect. The last CoD I had played before Black Ops II was World At War. And the multiplayer from WaW was pretty much the same from BO2, but with just a few differences. There's a new Pick 10 class system where you can pick a combination of 10 weapons, perks, attachments, lethals/tacticals, and wildcards. And the "Killstreaks" are now "Scorestreaks". Zombies - 9/10. Zombies are just like before, but better. There is a new TranZit mode, where its a huge world where you ride a bus and go to different locations to find parts to build different things. Then there is Grief, which is like regular Survival, but there are 2 teams instead of the regular 1. Last team standing wins. Now there is also custom Zombies, where you can choose different options like: which round to start on (1, 5, 10, 15, or 20), Hellhounds, headshots only, and a few others. Overall - 8/10. This is a good game, they just need to do something about the multiplayer and maybe get a better graphics engine because the engine is starting to show its age.… Expand
  2. Bamboodel
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    So I bought the game, hoping it'd be better than the last CoD I bought (MW2). A bit disappointed.

    Started playing the campaign, and what I found was an interactive movie. Gameplay is easy even on the higher difficulties where you'll only die if you think yourself Rambo and start running and gunning. The story is decent. The scripting was OK, and overall the sequences felt well played    So I bought the game, hoping it'd be better than the last CoD I bought (MW2). A bit disappointed.

    Started playing the campaign, and what I found was an interactive movie. Gameplay is easy even on the higher difficulties where you'll only die if you think yourself Rambo and start running and gunning. The story is decent. The scripting was OK, and overall the sequences felt well played out. If you want a cinematic experience, you'll get one. If you want something more, such as gameplay and replay value... this may not be your game.

    Multiplayer is the same as always, with some added stuff. It's enjoyable as long as you turn off voices or can bear being screamed at by the frequent twelve year old.
    Zombies are always a fun addition.

    Overall I don't think the game is bad, but it's nothing great either. A mediocre game in my opinion.
    And seriously : update your graphics engine, the game is starting to feel old.    … Expand
  3. soloaabid
    Mar 3, 2013
    7
    I do like this game, but the only thing keeping it alive is its on line Multiplayer experience. The campaign didn't excite me as such and the zombies well I can say that there is an improvement. Overall the game is not as bad as most people exaggerate.
  4. TheGibsonGuitar
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    I have mixed feelings about this CoD. Treyarch defenitely put a lot of effort in the multiplayer, campaign and zombies. However, it did not pay off. The biggest problem in multiplayer is STILL lag compensation and hit detection. For those of you that don't know, CoD does not have dedicated servers but picks 1 player as the host, which is far worse. It makes multiplayer a horribleI have mixed feelings about this CoD. Treyarch defenitely put a lot of effort in the multiplayer, campaign and zombies. However, it did not pay off. The biggest problem in multiplayer is STILL lag compensation and hit detection. For those of you that don't know, CoD does not have dedicated servers but picks 1 player as the host, which is far worse. It makes multiplayer a horrible experience, I have 50mb/s internet and it's still horrible. However, the perks and weapons are pretty balanced and they did a good job there.

    Then there is zombies, which is what I bought it for actually. Huge dissapointment. The tranzit mode is kind of fun, yes, but its far too complicated compared to BO1. There are no good spots to walk in circles and just shoot them up like in Der Riese or Ascension. The maps Town, Bus depot and Farm are flat out HORRIBLE. There is lava everywhere, bus depot doesn't have any perks, no wonder weapons, it's overly crowded and in Farm you can't see more than 2 meters in front of you because of all the mist. The lava sets you on fire every second. If you love WaW/BO1 zombies DO NOT BUY THIS. It's really horrible.

    The campaign is okay, just okay. It looks good but CoD has been running on the same quake engine since 2007 so this is as good as it get folks.

    Then there is the bugs. My PS3 fat keeps freezing about once per hour. I thought the patch would fix it but it didn't.

    Conclusion: Great effort. They tried and made some innovative things but they really messed up zombies and multiplayer is unplayable until certain things mentioned before are improved.

    Cheers from a loyal CoD player since 2004.    … Expand
  5. DELTA-STRIKES
    Dec 3, 2012
    6
    This has one of the best campaigns I've played for a while and I loved it soo much.
    The zombies in this is different and I'm enjoying it for the moment but its not the same as WAW or BO.
    Multi-player. Errgghh. I really want to like it but most times I just cant. It just seems that the hit boxes are just out of sync always even if connection is full, it takes to many bullets and hit    This has one of the best campaigns I've played for a while and I loved it soo much.
    The zombies in this is different and I'm enjoying it for the moment but its not the same as WAW or BO.
    Multi-player. Errgghh. I really want to like it but most times I just cant. It just seems that the hit boxes are just out of sync always even if connection is full, it takes to many bullets and hit markers to kill someone but yet when u die it seems like its only a few hits. The maps are great and I'm happy about most of them but create class is a let down. Pick 10 is ok but really stupid in another way whereas in other cods u can have up to 12 items no matter what. Pick 10 would be ok if wild cards didnt take up a slot or if there were more spots in general. Also the perk system is ruined no pro perks? what? And how they split defensive perks up into 3or4 different perks and they barely even work. I normally run a gun wih stealth perks assassin, blind eye and silences and would normally do so well, but in this u need assassin, blind eye, ghost and supressers and even then I've still been killed by people just knowing where I am and I havnt even killed them or anything, sentry guns still kill u and other score streaks. which just makes it pointless, of even trying to stealth it. it just seems that the game is designed for rushing with attacking perks and if ur not good at that ur left with camping and that doesnt seem to work either. in previous cods my kds have been around 2 now i cant even get it to go past 1.3 because treyarch have simply removed a style of playing. treyarch have done good things though with emblem editors and challenges but they done bad things aswell. they completely ruined domination which used to be a favourite game mode but now it just sucks. one of the most annyoing things ive found though is it constantly freezes in the menus. it only freezes for about 3-4 secs but it happens to often and really gets annoying, and i really hope this gets fixed    … Expand
  6. xMegaBrasil
    Jan 12, 2013
    7
    Well, I'm giving this 7. Why? Because the singleplayer is good in everything, including storyline. The multiplayer isn't unbalanced at all, you can't say it because you don't know how hard it should be to create a Shooter and balance its weapons in the first day. Treyarch is sending patches and they're working. But it's more of the old COD style, just from COD4, they can't make anythingWell, I'm giving this 7. Why? Because the singleplayer is good in everything, including storyline. The multiplayer isn't unbalanced at all, you can't say it because you don't know how hard it should be to create a Shooter and balance its weapons in the first day. Treyarch is sending patches and they're working. But it's more of the old COD style, just from COD4, they can't make anything really look like different in this game. I liked 85% of the maps, like Standoff and Carrier. People don't camp in this game AS THEY USED TO in MW3 or even in MW2. But Zombie mode is fantastic. If you find a good lobby on Tranzit, you will LOVE it. Survival really disappointed me. That's why. More than the enough.… Expand
  7. kirkkh
    Nov 28, 2012
    7
    OMG seriously, what's with all the **** conspiracy. This game is fine. It's just more COD. You get what you expect. Don't listen to these nuts. Go rent it from Redbox. It's still a good time.
  8. FreakyJP
    Nov 15, 2012
    6
    While not perfect, CoD: Blops 2 is a good improvement over CoD:MW3, but it suffers from the same mistakes the developers have made these past 6 years. Which is kind of saddening if you think about it. The singleplayer is decent and offer some little additions in comparison to the previous installments. But in the end it's still the short and forgettable rollercoaster ride you'd expect fromWhile not perfect, CoD: Blops 2 is a good improvement over CoD:MW3, but it suffers from the same mistakes the developers have made these past 6 years. Which is kind of saddening if you think about it. The singleplayer is decent and offer some little additions in comparison to the previous installments. But in the end it's still the short and forgettable rollercoaster ride you'd expect from a COD game. The graphics show little improvement and the engine really starts to feel old, even if Treyarch really tries to stretch it. The series is really getting behind on this aspect, especially compared to last year's BF3.
    The zombies mode features some nice new modes and will keep co-op lovers busy for a while, but I would have loved to see more than 3 maps in the retail game. And finally we arrive at the most important part of the game: the multiplayer. The mp gets a small overhaul with a new menu-UI and the 10-point system (which we also saw in the excellent M.A.G.). The maps look nice, with a lot of variety. All the classic Blops mp modes are back and the game offer some great features for competitive play. But in the end it remains the run-and-shoot game, with little teamwork and the same annoyances in casual games we've seen since MW2. I find it also baffling that Activision still doesn't offer us dedicated servers, resulting in lag, disconnections, connection errors, host migrations,... Let's hope we"ll see some improvements in the future, but the past has learned me to have little confidence in Activision.    … Expand
  9. sityoazzdown
    Apr 14, 2013
    7
    After playing this game for a few months, I can say it is honestly impossible to not rage at this game with all the lag and BS that goes on. Pistols are OP'd, snipers run around quickscopin. I could write a 2 page essay about the flaws of this game's multiplayer. However I still don't believe it deserves a 4, its probably still better than 90% of fps out there
  10. kris2fur
    Dec 15, 2012
    7
    Singleplayer was pretty good interesting ending choice but still good. The multiple endings leaved much to be desired but it still worked. While somehow I believe most players hated the mode where you change between individual units, I actually found it a refreshing change. The slight changes to multiplayer were good too. IMO there is no way this game could score less than a 6/10 but thereSingleplayer was pretty good interesting ending choice but still good. The multiple endings leaved much to be desired but it still worked. While somehow I believe most players hated the mode where you change between individual units, I actually found it a refreshing change. The slight changes to multiplayer were good too. IMO there is no way this game could score less than a 6/10 but there are always going to be haters and as they say haters gonna hate. Voice acting and cinematics A+ as you would expect from this title.… Expand
  11. julius98
    Dec 31, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I understand all the bad reviews for this game. The multiplayer mode is what people buy this game for, or the Zombies mode. But I think most people don't really understand this game, and therefore think of it as a bad game. The new class setup for Black Ops 2 is a massive improvement from earlier games. Instead of just being leveling up for the sake of leveling up, it actually feels like it does have a point, and the point is obvious. When you level up, you both unlock more weapons and you get tokens you can use to be able to use these weapons. because there are only 55 levels, and you earn one token per level, you will not unlock everything in the game, which is a great thing. The main complaint that many people have with this game is the difficulty. The hit box for this game might seem a bit small compared to other games, but there is a reason for it. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the most complex and advanced tactical game out there right now. Because of the way that the class setup is made, the room for improvement is big, and you have endless of possibilities when it comes to customization. Every player has a role in Black Ops 2, and you'd be a fool not to realize yours. With a wide range of Score Streaks that are stackable with each other, tactics is very important here. Example: If your team is mainly consisting of people reaching for the objective, you can make their life easier by taking out enemies from a distance using Sniper Rifles, if you are one of the charging people, you can use smoke bombs and thermal sight to see through the smoke to capture flags more easily. You can also make good use of the perk system and wildcards to make the perfect assassin. Because of the point system and the wildcards, you can choose to discard all your weapons, put your points into wildcards and receive twice as many perks. With several perks for advanced movement, and a knife you become a deadly opponent. What I am trying to say is that, the multiplayer in itself is worth the $100 it costs for this game in Norway, and that the Single-player and the Zombies mode makes it even more so. The Zombies mode is good as usual, but not as good as Black Ops'. The Zombie maps are interestingly designed, but feels empty and sometimes quite boring. The single-player is good. It's not as boring as Black Ops, but not as good as Modern Warfare 2. Don't expect a good story, but the weapons are cool. The theme for Black Ops 2 is the future, and that is very apparent in the weapons. Some are very futuristic both in looks and in how they work (like the Kap-40) while others look like normal ones. The game is not quite like Halo in terms of the futuristic looks, but it is noticeable in both the maps and weapons. Overall this is a must buy game for all fans of shooters and Sci-fi, as it provides many many hours of fun.… Expand
  12. chujfugh
    Jan 27, 2013
    7
    I don't see why people hate this game so much. It's certainly not a bad game, but it's certainly not a great game. The story and the general themes seem quite racist, with every non-white character (apart from Tony Todd) betraying the pure, hard working white characters seems racist, as the idea of killing white people will make Treyarch run for their safety blanket. But the story seemsI don't see why people hate this game so much. It's certainly not a bad game, but it's certainly not a great game. The story and the general themes seem quite racist, with every non-white character (apart from Tony Todd) betraying the pure, hard working white characters seems racist, as the idea of killing white people will make Treyarch run for their safety blanket. But the story seems like it has some deeper meanings, as it has room for exploring the theme of unmanned military and how it greatly effects war, but most of the time it just wants you to lose yourself in shooty action xenophoby-fun. The bog-standard shooting remains intact and the level design has been changed up from 'run down this corridor, kill the under-privileged' to 'go down these optional, slightly non-linear paths and kill the under-privileged whilst also being able to optionally man turrets and drones'. The choices have been fleshed out pretty well too, even though they are made fully explicit. I like how you can choose to shoot Tony Todd in the head or shoot him in the leg, but if you wait long enough the black guy will just knock him out for you. That's pretty neat. I like how the choices effect your future game, and it a great new take on a series established as being a linear conveyor-belt of linear linearity. The strike force missions are definitely the best part about the game and are heavily replayable, I just wish there were more of them. But I cannot praise competence as if it's excellence, as there have been more meaningful shooters that have come out this year that are generally more risky. Black Ops 2 is by all means safe, it doesn't try to challenge the player mentally, but is above average which is surprising because all other COD campaigns have been bog-standard at best. Overall, it's a refreshing game, and if you're a fan of multi-player shooters or zombie games, this is a must play. It's pretty much 3 passable games in one, and for $60, what more could you ask for?… Expand
  13. Tokyochuchu
    Jan 31, 2013
    6
    I was looking forward to Black Ops II because of the single player campaign. The new story choices, sci-fi overtones and the new tactical RTS elements looked intriguing. Unfortunately, the campaign turned out to be lackluster. Sure, there was the odd occasional mission that was special (such as the one where you body glide off a cliff) but it was mostly just linear shooting galleries. ItI was looking forward to Black Ops II because of the single player campaign. The new story choices, sci-fi overtones and the new tactical RTS elements looked intriguing. Unfortunately, the campaign turned out to be lackluster. Sure, there was the odd occasional mission that was special (such as the one where you body glide off a cliff) but it was mostly just linear shooting galleries. It was a far cry from the fun of Modern Warfare 2's highpoint. The new RTS missions are also laughably simplistic. They just don't seem to work very well. The multiplayer is solid but unspectacular. The best part of the suite is the fact that you're rarely overwhelmed by scorestreak attacks. There's nothing more frustrating than being relentlessly hounded by helicopters for the duration of an entire match! Sadly, the maps are too small and boxed in. This negates any real strategy and results in a reflex heavy twitch-shooter where players dart about like they're competing in a marathon. Basically speaking, Call of Duty: Black Ops II has sank from promising to disappointing.… Expand
  14. CursedKnight187
    Jul 7, 2013
    7
    I have to give it to Treyarch, they seem to make the more bearable versions of this highly iterative franchise. This year Black Ops II admittedly has a better campaign than its predecessors. The choice element is a little fresh but isn't implemented all that well, but the missions were fun enough to keep me advancing, even if I did end up tiring of the story. The multiplayer is as slick asI have to give it to Treyarch, they seem to make the more bearable versions of this highly iterative franchise. This year Black Ops II admittedly has a better campaign than its predecessors. The choice element is a little fresh but isn't implemented all that well, but the missions were fun enough to keep me advancing, even if I did end up tiring of the story. The multiplayer is as slick as ever, but it really doesn't add all that much. Zombies is perhaps innovated most in this title, but it still feels a little weary with age. Its a good game, but Activision should really pack their bags now and leave on this one, because even though this game is decent, it is not going to save this franchise from an inevitable end.… Expand
  15. WSMcCready
    Dec 17, 2012
    6
    This is not a bad game, not in the slightest, though nor is it a great one. There are however a number of fundamental issues that can make this a very frustrating and jarring experience, and sadly all too often this can prove to be the rule rather than the exception. Multiplayer suffers from largely mediocre map design, whereby CQC is clearly given clear preference and prominence, and mapsThis is not a bad game, not in the slightest, though nor is it a great one. There are however a number of fundamental issues that can make this a very frustrating and jarring experience, and sadly all too often this can prove to be the rule rather than the exception. Multiplayer suffers from largely mediocre map design, whereby CQC is clearly given clear preference and prominence, and maps are not just predictable (3 largely symmetrical routes in most maps), but encourage a relentless, unsubtle, tactless pace and momentum that quickly leaves an unsatisfying taste, especially for those who like a more strategic approach to at least be possible. If this were the only issue, then it could be attributed largely to personal taste (if you prefer run and gun, frenetic, twitch based, 10 second bursts of gaming, it might well be for you), but the fundamentals of this type of close combat, twitch reaction shooter are severely undermined when things such as lag, dropping frame rate, and very poor hit detection become not a rare annoyance, but a frequent (often debilitating) hindrance. For a game of this type, that feeling of randomness (both when you do well, and when you're being pummelled), create an extremely dispiriting, frustrating, and occasionally enraging experience. When you add to this the inconsistent balancing of matches, the persistent connection issues, poor balancing of scorestreaks and weapons, these feelings just exacerbate the sensation that this activity you undertake to relax is all too often anything but. Overall a game like this hinges on a feeling of personal culpability or achievement, and far too often it feels as though you are the victim or beneficiary of factors completely out of your control, that is just not acceptable in a competitive online game like this.
    I speak here primarily of the Multiplayer mode, mainly because it's the mode most will play most, but furthermore because sadly both the zombie mode and the campaign just feel a little lacklustre and stale, more a distraction than modes you'll be eager to commit much time to.

    I have no biases against the COD franchise, I racked up over 15 days of play time over the past year on MW3, and have played for just over 2 days on BO2 thus far. But these nagging annoyances have become too much to deal with for me personally. There is undoubtedly fun to be had playing this game, but be very aware of the severe issues you will probably have to deal with should you decide to purchase it.    … Expand
  16. Sebas236
    Apr 5, 2014
    5
    Story: 7 out of 10 Graphics: 8 out of 10 Gameplay: 8 out of 10 Fun: 5 out of 10 Controls: 9 out of 10 Ease to Learn: 8 out of 10
    Length: 7 out of 10
    Re-play: 7.5 out of 10
    Audio: 8 out of 10
    Bugs/Glitches: not much
  17. Snidzz
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    Campaign is decent in comparison to other CoDs but still pretty mediocre. Multiplayer maps are also mediocre, and the game has some serious technical problems. The weapon balance is excellent, however, but in typical Treyarch fashion, there is very little variety among the weapons. Generally not enough recoil on them either. Zombies is actually a lot worse than it was in WaW and BO, butCampaign is decent in comparison to other CoDs but still pretty mediocre. Multiplayer maps are also mediocre, and the game has some serious technical problems. The weapon balance is excellent, however, but in typical Treyarch fashion, there is very little variety among the weapons. Generally not enough recoil on them either. Zombies is actually a lot worse than it was in WaW and BO, but still playable. The game is decent overall, but it lacks in innovation and change, as we have come to expect from Call of Duty titles. Overall, very meh.… Expand
  18. TheWalrus2000
    Mar 25, 2013
    5
    It's not bad but the Over-popular and overrated Black oops 2 doesn't give the entertainment awesome video games need. Fans(or should I say lunatics) will not be pleased.
  19. gamer2013
    Jan 9, 2013
    7
    Firstly the game has amazing graphics , a great ( but short) campaign 8/10 zombies is not that good not enough maps and they are small 6/10 multiplayer is fun but the ps3 keeps freezing not that different from previos cods mw3 might have been a better game if you dont care for zombies because of the great survival mode overall a decent game a must buy for COD freaks but not neccessary ifFirstly the game has amazing graphics , a great ( but short) campaign 8/10 zombies is not that good not enough maps and they are small 6/10 multiplayer is fun but the ps3 keeps freezing not that different from previos cods mw3 might have been a better game if you dont care for zombies because of the great survival mode overall a decent game a must buy for COD freaks but not neccessary if you own MW3… Expand
  20. DemonicSoul
    Sep 15, 2013
    6
    Story: Black Ops 2 's setting takes place in 2 parts. One takes place in 2025, the other takes place after the 1st Black Ops (cold war). The game features characters returning from the 1st Black Ops, and new characters for the future missions. All the voice acting in the campaign is great, and the game's villain is good. The biggest surprise though is that the story is Actually great. It'sStory: Black Ops 2 's setting takes place in 2 parts. One takes place in 2025, the other takes place after the 1st Black Ops (cold war). The game features characters returning from the 1st Black Ops, and new characters for the future missions. All the voice acting in the campaign is great, and the game's villain is good. The biggest surprise though is that the story is Actually great. It's not like MW2 and 3 where you're fighting Russians, it's actually different and you get to learn the backstory of the plot in the past sections and see how those events affect the future and the villain's plan. Rating: 9

    Gameplay: Treyarch added some new features to the single player to give it some replay value. They added challenges, player choices, strike force missions (suck), and the biggest addition to me is the create-a-class. Now you can choose your own loadout for each mission and not have to deal with whatever the game gives you. However, the A.I is still dumb and the campaign is sadly only 4.5 hours long. Rating: 8

    Graphics: I will say the graphics are the best CoD graphics I've ever seen, but that's not saying much. Rating: 7

    Music: The main theme by Trent Reznor is great, but the rest of the soundtrack isn't memorable. Rating: 5

    Multiplayer: Since almost everyone buys CoD for the multiplayer, this section might be the most important section of all, and I have a lot of stuff to say about the MP. In my opinion, the most important thing in an FPS multiplayer is balance, which this game is LACKING. After the 1st week, the community started to notice some guns that did better than most of the guns. Some examples are: PDW-57 and MSMC (slightly nerfed), AN-94 (still overpowered after a ton of patches), FAL (gun's even banned in League play), R870-MCS (still extremely overpowered and I hate this shotgun), LMGs with Target Finder (LMGs already have low recoil, now Treyarch basically gave them an aimbot), C4s with the FAST HANDS perk (you're telling me a soldier can pull a C4 out of his ass and throw it in half a second and detonate it using his mind?), DEXTERITY perk (especially annoying with shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, and quickdraw attachment), and quickscoping is back (great. P.S sarcasm). The maps here are BAD. Where as in MW2 and the 1st Black Ops, the maps were pretty good, now 90% of these BO2 maps are uninspired, mostly small (SMGs dominate AGAIN), almost no good spots where snipers (not quickscopers) and LMGs can perch up and support their team, and most of these maps have the same overused 3 lane layout (1 path in the middle, 2 in the sides). Lag compensation also returns being more annoying than ever. This game also has an UNPATCHABLE audio bug that mutes all game sounds and replaces it with this weird helicopter like sound that's exclusive to PS3 users (I think). But the MP did do some things right (mostly in customization). They improved on the already great emblem editor, they added League Play (for any of you try hards out there), improved theater mode, and added new and unique camos for your gun (most are in microtransactions). But these cons FAR outweigh the pros, and for someone who loved BO1's MP, I'm extremely disappointed. Rating: 4

    Zombies: I'm a big zombies fan, and I was MORE disappointed with the zombies than the multiplayer (although Treyarch redeemed themselves with the DLC). the 1st map we got (Tranzit) was TERRIBLE. 85% of the map was covered in fog (which ruins exploration), the lava on the floor made exploration even worse. The map also had denizens (MOST ANNOYING ENEMY EVER), the "new crew" isn't funny, the Easter egg sucks, the map is WAY too huge for 4 players, and some of the perks (PHD Flopper, Deadshot Daiquri, and Mule Kick) weren't even on this map. One thing Tranzit added was Double Tap 2.0 (increased damage and made D.T more useful). The other launch gamemodes aren't as good either. Survival is just normal zombies on small maps (WAY too small for 4 players), and Grief was just wasted potential. The idea of having 4 V 4 on zombies where you have to troll the enemy team into defeat sounded cool, but ended up being just 8 players playing on the survival maps because you don't get much options on how to affect the enemy team's chance of survival (knifing and zombie meat. That's it). The only other things that Treyarch did that was good was add theater mode into zombies, and add solo leaderboards. But I still think Treyarch took a step backwards from moon with tranzit. Rating: 4

    Overall: BO2 was a HUGE disappointment to me when compared to the 1st Black Ops. Improved campaign, BROKEN MP, and disappointing zombies makes this game the 3rd worse CoD in my opinion. Overall rating:6    … Expand
  21. Silent_Frank
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    COD. A series which has been around for a while. Gets alot of love and hate. I'm not a fan of COD so I wasn't exactly being so "I CAN'T WAIT!" I got hold of the game when I seen it for 40 bucks. Jumping into the campaign, I realized amazing graphics in the cutscenes. I also seen Treyarch attempting to make it fresh, with story decisions and stuff like that. The campaign is simple, shootCOD. A series which has been around for a while. Gets alot of love and hate. I'm not a fan of COD so I wasn't exactly being so "I CAN'T WAIT!" I got hold of the game when I seen it for 40 bucks. Jumping into the campaign, I realized amazing graphics in the cutscenes. I also seen Treyarch attempting to make it fresh, with story decisions and stuff like that. The campaign is simple, shoot shoot, strategy strategy, shoot shoot decision decision, repeat. Zombies still remains at the top of the food chain (no pun intended) with new characters, a system with all maps in one game mode and a bank. Multiplayer is the same, with your diamond camos. This isn't bad, as I admit I spent alot of time on the multiplayer. If you like FPS games then buy this. If you dont, then play this somewhere else and see how it is. 7/10.… Expand
  22. jonblair
    Apr 25, 2013
    5
    "All in all it's just another brick in the wall..."
  23. Tom_green_day
    Apr 27, 2013
    7
    While definitely not as good as the previous Black Ops, this game is undeniably more polished and functional. They've taken out things people hated like second chance, and added in some interesting things like the MMS to multiplayer. Single player is your average CoD campaign- pretty bland. Zombies mode is less fun but is a step away from previous levels and is more challenging. It justWhile definitely not as good as the previous Black Ops, this game is undeniably more polished and functional. They've taken out things people hated like second chance, and added in some interesting things like the MMS to multiplayer. Single player is your average CoD campaign- pretty bland. Zombies mode is less fun but is a step away from previous levels and is more challenging. It just isn't as fun.
    The Strike Force missions are fun though. I feel people who compain CoD never changes aren't looking at it objectively.    … Expand
  24. iamTylerDurden
    Jun 9, 2013
    6
    HONESTLY IT DOES HURT THE GAME INDUSTRY THAT THESE REDUNDANT COD GAMES SELL 30MIL COPPIES EACH. People buy 20-30mil copies of CoD and miss out on truly unique games like metro 2033 or the darkness 2 and these are in the same genre they are FPS's and damn good too. How many people can say they truly bought call of duty black ops AND Metro 2033 Not many if any and at least metro is an FPSHONESTLY IT DOES HURT THE GAME INDUSTRY THAT THESE REDUNDANT COD GAMES SELL 30MIL COPPIES EACH. People buy 20-30mil copies of CoD and miss out on truly unique games like metro 2033 or the darkness 2 and these are in the same genre they are FPS's and damn good too. How many people can say they truly bought call of duty black ops AND Metro 2033 Not many if any and at least metro is an FPS too. Can anyone say black op2 was actually pound for pound better than Deus Ex H.R.? Now i don't always agree with critics but even they thought deus ex was much better than black ops2 and look how deus ex sells maybe 2 million including pc and Call of doody black oops2 sells 10 times that on xbox alone. Even worse a great immersive FPS with ten times the heart and story Metro 2033 sells under 500,000 copies, yes it sold in the ball park of four hundred thousand copies...shameful that a quality game like that sells all together less than what CoD sells in one day. Is this because CoD blows ops2 is soooooo much better than metro....? NO, it is not but brain washed sheep buy the same game with the same engine in it with the same graphics every single year, they just change the name or put a creative (1),(2),or (3) next to it and the lambs come running to shell out 60$ instead of getting a truly unique experience and maybe having some taste or style or any uniqueness of your own. Even a mega hit multiplatform game that in my opinion might be the best of all time the vaunted "Fallout 3" pales in comparison with around 8mil sold while each CoD game more than triples those sales. Can even a CoD fan name any CoD game that even comes close to being as great as Fallout 3....wait i forgot to say that modernwarfare 2 doesn't count........just kidding that would be too cruel because that is what you were gonna say right CoD fanboy you original gamer you, and i bet you play CoD on your XBOX too how original and i bet you don't even play the 4hr campaign do you? All you 14yr olds and 40yr olds alike just grab a slim jim, take a swig of Monster if you are 14 and of course Budweiser if you are 40 and start on that CoD multiplayer with all that great story and non repetitive MP gameplay, of course you do this while waiting in anticipation for bungie's next sterile, super unique( i.e. halo 3 odst) game. Oh wait bungie is actually doing something good now (i.e. Destiny) so i guess 343 or whatever their name is will be copy and pasting a new label on the same old halo game, but at least halo doesnt come out twice a year. Good luck on not being as good as Battlefield 4 Call of Doody Ghosts (scary ghosts) but hey there are enough dumb people out there so you will outsell them even with last gen graphics and the same exact engine as model warfare. Greedy, Greedy Activision shoveling crap and calling it caviar when will you stop buying it.… Expand
  25. RcKDrUmm3R
    Jun 22, 2013
    7
    The campaign is what's to be expected from a Call of Duty game even though I felt the past installment was way more exciting. The multiplayer is just as addicting and fun as it has been in the past. Upgrades and unlock ables keep you going like normal.
  26. Replika83
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    Let's be honest here. COD4: Modern Warfare was great, new, exciting, fun to play, etc... World at War was a nice attempt to stay in WW II. MW 2 started to become a copy with some extra's, but still ok and since then it all went down in a massive downfall. Come'on, what is the difference between CoD: MW 2, COD: BO, CoD MW 3 and apparently CoD BO II? Nothing, except the environment. TheyLet's be honest here. COD4: Modern Warfare was great, new, exciting, fun to play, etc... World at War was a nice attempt to stay in WW II. MW 2 started to become a copy with some extra's, but still ok and since then it all went down in a massive downfall. Come'on, what is the difference between CoD: MW 2, COD: BO, CoD MW 3 and apparently CoD BO II? Nothing, except the environment. They were allready re-using the same game for 3 years now....
    Seriously, anyone who bought the game and is complaining about it that it isn't new, should smack themselfs in the head. It's what was to be expected... What did you think? Quick cash for the developers and you just gave it to them. Probably half of the complainers now will be buying CoD MW 4 too :-)    … Expand
  27. DoctorBuitoni
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    In my modest opinion, this game is a big meh. Graphics are pretty bad if we take as a reference some other games as Battlefield 3 or Uncharted. Enemy IA is as bad as usual. The campaign, as far as I've played it, looks a bit forced an unbeliveable, bringing back characters just because they felt like doing it, but this may be as well due to the huge dissapointment that the graphicsIn my modest opinion, this game is a big meh. Graphics are pretty bad if we take as a reference some other games as Battlefield 3 or Uncharted. Enemy IA is as bad as usual. The campaign, as far as I've played it, looks a bit forced an unbeliveable, bringing back characters just because they felt like doing it, but this may be as well due to the huge dissapointment that the graphics provoqued on me. Seriously. They are unworthy for a late 2012 game. But there are some features that I liked: the option to change the equalizer is interesting, and also, at least in Spanish version, the sound has been greatly improved since BO (where it was terrible, with big changes of volume between cinematics and gameplay and even missing cinematic sounds). I enjoyed, too, being able to choose my pickup before some missions, making it more customizable than previous CoD games.

    Obviously the strong point of the game is the multiplayer. But the multiplayer is very similar to the BO1 multiplayer. I felt like there were no innovation, excepting the killstreaks, which are pretty cool, and the way to get them (instead of a certain number of kills, you have to get a certain amount of points. For example, if you make more headshots, you will have the streaks faster). I really liked this feature, since it feels a bit innovative and easier but not too easy.

    The maps, despite of the graphics (altough in multiplayer I understand a non-greatness in this aspect) and since I always praise post-apocalyptic dystopian scenarios, are amusing, beautiful and well designed. The spawns are OK, much better than in MW3.

    The weapons are a mix between BO1 and MW3; different names but identical functionality and usage. There aren't very OP weapons, but they insist to maintain the akimbos in some weapons. The sound of the weapons is, as the spawn, OK but much better than in MW3, and they look good.

    In the aspect of customization, it is a stereotypical MW, but with some differences which make it feels refreshed. For example, you can customize a class with 10 "objects" at most. "objects" include weapons, weapon sights, grenades and perks like marathon and stuff.

    They kept the cinema mode. This is just great if you want to watch and edit videos, a really good feature as it was on BO1.

    TL;DR: A good game; not innovative in some aspects but it tries to refresh the way you play, pretty **** graphics and a meh campaign. 7/10 and not worth 65    … Expand
  28. ChaoticEcllipse
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    Better than MW3 but still a mess. The campaign is somewhat decent and the create a class system is a breath of fresh air however it's all for naught as they have made aiming down the sight pointless. SMG weapons now have a huge accuracy making all other weapons obsolete and ruining any fun to be had. The maps had potential but where ruined by placement of barrels and random cover nearBetter than MW3 but still a mess. The campaign is somewhat decent and the create a class system is a breath of fresh air however it's all for naught as they have made aiming down the sight pointless. SMG weapons now have a huge accuracy making all other weapons obsolete and ruining any fun to be had. The maps had potential but where ruined by placement of barrels and random cover near doorways and alleys to make sure that camping is encouraged. The only thing worse than the game is it's community who are presently "Learning the maps" by hiding behind every doorway and wall with an SMG to smite you down with an instant kill. The game is having a lot of connection problems on PS3, it's community are cancer and the game is generally broken. I suggest waiting until the masses trade it back in as they do every year to get it cheaper. This game is worth £20.… Expand
  29. AndyP96
    Nov 21, 2012
    7
    I was pleasantly surprised, most of all with the story. Written by David Goyer, one of the screenwriters of The Dark Knight Rises, it makes a nice change for the laughable cliche-ridden plots of the Modern Warfare games that feels ripped from a Michael Bay movie. With Black Ops II's campaign, the story takes us into the future where the US is heavily reliant on robotic technology to defendI was pleasantly surprised, most of all with the story. Written by David Goyer, one of the screenwriters of The Dark Knight Rises, it makes a nice change for the laughable cliche-ridden plots of the Modern Warfare games that feels ripped from a Michael Bay movie. With Black Ops II's campaign, the story takes us into the future where the US is heavily reliant on robotic technology to defend themselves. The villain inevitably takes control of the technology and turns it against them, and while this might not seem like a completely original story, the characters and exciting plot moments make up for it. Raul Menendez is a very cool, memorable villain and the soldiers have more personality. There are choices that change the course of the story which are pretty cool, making you more than just a triggerman saving the world. There are challenges now that add longevity to the short campaign. Multiplayer is almost identical to the other Call of Duty games, so don't expect to be enthralled by it if your not already a fan. Tranzit is basically an updated Zombies mode with more objectives than just surviving waves of zombies, making it more fun to play. All in all Call of Duty: Black Ops II is refreshing. Treyarch are trying new things here with what was becoming a very monotonous franchise and making it fun to play again. Despite this, the length of the campaign leaves more to be desired and the multiplayer is largely the same so Black Ops probably won't convert new fans, but it will change the way Call Of Duty games are made and has restored hope for this annualised franchise that was quite frankly outstaying its welcome in my book.… Expand
  30. jflyin123
    Nov 30, 2012
    7
    This was a classic case of "damned if you do damned if you don't" for treyarch. the cod series has needed a change for a while now, but if you change it too much you anger your core fan base and lose money. Black Ops II does a good but not great job at finding the middle between these two. Though it is nice to be able to create your own class in the campaign often times if you are playingThis was a classic case of "damned if you do damned if you don't" for treyarch. the cod series has needed a change for a while now, but if you change it too much you anger your core fan base and lose money. Black Ops II does a good but not great job at finding the middle between these two. Though it is nice to be able to create your own class in the campaign often times if you are playing on a harder difficulty it adds an annoying additional challenge if you dont use the gun or sight that the game recommends. it is also very cool that there are a couple decisions that you make that can mildly change the outcome of the ending. other than these it's just your typical run n gun cod campaign. the multiplayer is the most dissapointing thing about this game in my opinion, mostly because activison/treyarch obviously ignored the backlash they got from lag compensation in MW3 as it had made a return and its very frustrating. as far as gameplay i feel they made the game far to friendly to people who use SMG's/ shotguns (even though it benefits my play style) because of how the maps are designed. there seems to be many ways to get into every window/building and this hurts objective based game players because there is NO way to really controll the map/spawns. that's not to say there aren't good things about multiplayer. the new points system for create a class allows for players to play much better to their playstyle. but mainly the spawns and lag need to be fixed before i can say the multiplayer is good. now the two reasons this game gets a 7/10 from me is 1. because im trying to balance the score more from the butthurt battlefield fanboys that come on here and give the game a 0/10 without even playing it, and the morons who give the game a 0/10 because "it's the same thing every year!" even though you have the option to look at gameplay before you buy the game (shocking right?), or you could use your brain and realize that the game is a SERIES and its not going to have a groundbreaking change when each one has to be developed in less than 2 years time.

    And 2. the zombies mode is absoloutly amazing. if you are a fan of zombies this game is worth the $60. if you aren't a fan of zombies and are buying the game only for the multiplayer my opinion is to stay away. at least untill the lag/spawns get fixed (but don't hold your breath on that).    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PS3 Game of 2012
5
#5 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
9
#9 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Play UK
    Jan 12, 2013
    80
    One of the most complete, albeit shaky, packages the series has ever seen. [Issue#226, p.68]
  2. Armchair Empire
    Jan 3, 2013
    90
    While the campaign length is fairly standard of past iterations of the series, it's worth multiple playthroughs and the multiplayer offers endless hours of fun and enjoyment; whether it's slaying zombies or facing off against other players in a wide range of multiplayer modes with an endless number of loadout combinations.
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  3. PSM3 Magazine UK
    Dec 23, 2012
    78
    Worth checking out for online and the sci-fi novelty value alone. [Jan 2013, p.95]
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