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6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1459 Ratings

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  1. Dec 19, 2010
    7
    The verdict is in and Black Ops is in line with previous Treyarch second rate disappointments. Zombies? BFD. Give me awesome action and gameplay any day and for that you gotta go to Infinity Ward. That said, the Campaign mode is quite good here, so I'll give 'em points for that.
  2. Nov 15, 2010
    7
    Well I dont think I have much right to write a review but since I have played the game, I will. When I rented it I went stright for the mulitplayer,and something I loved from the start was the split screen online. Dont know if others had it but that is something I always loved in Halo. It is very fast paced, which leaves the shotgun and sniper rifle pointless. Since the maps were prettyWell I dont think I have much right to write a review but since I have played the game, I will. When I rented it I went stright for the mulitplayer,and something I loved from the start was the split screen online. Dont know if others had it but that is something I always loved in Halo. It is very fast paced, which leaves the shotgun and sniper rifle pointless. Since the maps were pretty small (some) enemies would spawn next to you, in front of you, just around the corner and every other inconvienent spot you can think of. The guns all seem pretty similar, as I never found one i really cared for. The tomahawk was my favorite all around weapon since killing someone with it is BA. Single player lost its split screen ability so i skipped it and zombies was like a very watered down L4D. But that multiplayer, even as I write this I am thinking about it, though I must admit, it was a awesome game, but even just from watching Modern Wafrefare, I felt cheated. Not much seemed different and I feel it could have been a 40 dollar expansion. Fun game, awesome time but I will certainly be sticking to Bad Company 2. Expand
  3. Nov 13, 2010
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Single Player
    Overall good but short. way short, finished in about 5hours of playing over two days. I do run a lot but dang! MW2 took me at least almost a week. levels for the most part are beautiful but very linear. lot less open compared to MW2 which had that even if linear in design i still felt like i could explore and replay in a way different way, black ops no so much. the story was great and was probably the best in the series, but the levels that went with it felt anti climactic. the way they told the story in memories was part of this reason, right when something big was happening at the end of the level it would just fade out and i would be left thinking "and it was just getting awesome." side things were less and not as fun, no climbing up ice walls or sliding down a rope upside down to stab a guy. sling shot was nice but was way early in the game and very easy and short. vehicles were good but definitely not as fun as the ones in MW2. Pacing was off though, a whole lot of action and a whole let down in things that set up the coming battles. swimming ten feet in nam wasn't as cool as riding a torpedo sub thing up to the bottom of an oil rig. Graphics were outstanding other than a cut scene with the SR-71. that scene in particular looked like a HD plane in flying in N64/PS1 space. but other than that minor complaint coming from a 3d artist the levels were great. the jungles were lush and the lighting was fantastic. swinging lamps with dynamic lighting being bounced around while the building shook from explosions really added to the feel. Sound was great with voice acting spot on, minus my personal thoughts of every time going "haha that's Ice Cube and the avatar guy" so overall fun and a good game but by no means i think did it live up to it's hype. glad i'm not a camper, i mean the ones who set up tents outside stores.

    which brings me to multiplayer
    Overall great. and different. i could spend all day comparing it to MW2 but i will due my best to only compare the things i noticed the most. yes kill streaks are harder to get which makes them more satisfying to get. but also a little less fun on the operating end. but a whole lot less annoying on the receiving end. at least i can shoot down that heli or that dog in the face. overall balance seems great with a couple stand out guns but you can just go buy it so no worries. customization is fun but i wish camo and reticles weren't all available once you unlock them. it makes the coolest camo way less of a badge of honor to sport. emblems are better at this but still lacking that, yeah i did that and got this and more just oh look what i bought. face paint as far as leveling up and getting more is the best at this i feel and facepaint is fun but wish it was more for gun stuff or more perks or something that effected the gameplay a bit more. the wager matches are a blast and a good change of pace when you are tired of core matches but the disconnected feel makes me not play them too often. yeah you get money but i get way more money just palying a couple good games of domination or HQ. now overall the game feels less hectic in multiplayer. something i kind of liked in MW2, it felt like war. this feels like an older multiplayer experience in actual gameplay. i want a good size nam battle going on online not the lack of jungle in the jungle level. the levels are varied and ok but overall feel very boxed. like i said feels like a dated multiplayer experience. now i am enjoying how it does have it's own unique feel and gameplay but i wouldn't say it stands out as the best. in my tops it might be around 6th or 7th. maybe lower i'd really have to think about that. non the less am enjoying it and playing it a lot mostly because it is new but i feel its staying power will fade with things like bloodlines coming out and next year with things like dead space 2, killzone 3, etc etc. so i give a 7 overall for both single and multiplayer. both get a pass but by no means are they on the honor roll
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  4. Nov 10, 2010
    7
    The customization is great... Otherwise its just a 60$ carbon copy of MW2 with antiquated weapons. The really could have tried a little harder but with the popularity of the last title I guess they really didn't have to.
  5. Jan 17, 2011
    7
    This is my second CoD game after CoD 1. I have only played the multi-player games and I love it. I don't y ppl are rating it so low.
  6. Nov 9, 2010
    7
    Call of duty: Black Ops was one of the most hyped games known to the gaming community. But when i play this game it reminds me of another version of World at War. When I play this game i still see the crappy graphics that COD5 had. Sadly this game did not live up to the "excitement" that was created when it came out. On the positive side, it is a new game and yes there are someCall of duty: Black Ops was one of the most hyped games known to the gaming community. But when i play this game it reminds me of another version of World at War. When I play this game i still see the crappy graphics that COD5 had. Sadly this game did not live up to the "excitement" that was created when it came out. On the positive side, it is a new game and yes there are some positives. No more quick-scoping,, painkiller, and painkiller. The weapons are changed around for the good. And the kill streaks do not stack on top of each other to encourage campers. It is nice to see a new game on the market and it unites the gaming community. I still have faith, only time will tell how this game turns out. Expand
  7. Nov 9, 2010
    7
    This review is solely based on the mutiplayer aspect of the game since Im expecting the solo campaign to be much of a muchness in terms of call of duty, ive never really been blown away or bored into sleep with the campaign modes on any cod games before, feature wise the game brings a lot to the table, in fact I dont even know where to begin, features everywhere, not to sure about theThis review is solely based on the mutiplayer aspect of the game since Im expecting the solo campaign to be much of a muchness in terms of call of duty, ive never really been blown away or bored into sleep with the campaign modes on any cod games before, feature wise the game brings a lot to the table, in fact I dont even know where to begin, features everywhere, not to sure about the credit system where you win credits to buy features but well see, map wise there is a good variety of them and from what ive seen all provide exactly what youd expect from cod multiplayer games which is intense in your face mayhem, be it from a distance, down an alley or right up shotgunned in your face :) what i feel does however let the game down is the graphics, yet again treyarch dont seem to be able to provide a cod game with polished graphics, mw2 was far superior in that department, it really spoiled the experience for me. The zombie mode made me laugh the most, as soon as it starts, nazi flags in front of you that look so blocky it reminds me of the old wolfenstein games from the 90's. All in all though a half decent effort that wont dissapoint if your into cod games... if your not expecting mw2 with new features that is... Expand
  8. Dec 13, 2010
    7
    After playing this game since release, I know feel I am ready to voice my opinions on this release. As is my standard way with any COD release, I play the campaign first just to get it out of the way. This is not why we buy this series its the online we want. However the offline campaign tends to give you an general overview of the production. The first thing that struck me was the drop inAfter playing this game since release, I know feel I am ready to voice my opinions on this release. As is my standard way with any COD release, I play the campaign first just to get it out of the way. This is not why we buy this series its the online we want. However the offline campaign tends to give you an general overview of the production. The first thing that struck me was the drop in graphical quality from MW2, which I finally put down to a poor selection for the colour palette used in the majority of stages. The campaign for me dragged in the first half and just took to long for what play and content there was, the final half was completed easily in an hour which gave the feeling of the final production being rushed. But any Call Of Duty game will always be judged on its online game play. First impressions were good, but it soon starts to feel like MW2 with new maps and the levels with the still very poor colours are still there which lets it down. A good feature is that you can vote to replay or play the next map or random selection, this has meant I have been able to avoid the levels which are graphical unimpressive. The major down side of the online, connection problems, host problems, servers not being available or going down which is extremely annoying when you want to get a good evening of gaming in. Now, for the what I think is the pure genius revolution of this game over MW2 - Combat Training. This option is absolutely fantastic and redeems this game! Server problems, host problems, connection issues when playing online? No problem, fire up Combat Training and play bots on your favourite map. I actually enjoy this more than real online play, its so satisfying and more addictive than the real thing. To sum up, its overall a good game let down by a rushed and confusing campaign mode, and poor hosting online. Combat Training saves the day but once I reach the top rank once I will have had enough. I will then be back to Medal of Honor and COD4, with a cheeky visit for Combat Training every now and again. Expand
  9. Nov 10, 2010
    7
    This a fun game. It lacks the proper sound effects and graphics of this generation. I've put in a few hours of each the campaign and multiplayer. Unfortunately, the online playing was lagging and did not make it a fun experience. I have high hopes for this game, once it runs as smooth as MW2. The sound effects really kill me and caused me not to rate it as a 9.

    Think of it as an add-on
    This a fun game. It lacks the proper sound effects and graphics of this generation. I've put in a few hours of each the campaign and multiplayer. Unfortunately, the online playing was lagging and did not make it a fun experience. I have high hopes for this game, once it runs as smooth as MW2. The sound effects really kill me and caused me not to rate it as a 9.

    Think of it as an add-on to MW. If you're like me, addicted to MW2, then you will probably like this game.
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  10. Nov 10, 2010
    7
    The gaming industry journalism is at it's lowest these days. A game like this having so many 100% is completely ridiculous.

    Con 1 - AI is incredibly stupid. 2 - Physic system is completely inconsistent. Enemie shot dead fall trought walls or barricades ?! 3 - Veteran mode is completely ridiculous. 4 - Online experience is still a dodging grenade simulator like Modern warf 2 5 -
    The gaming industry journalism is at it's lowest these days. A game like this having so many 100% is completely ridiculous.

    Con
    1 - AI is incredibly stupid.
    2 - Physic system is completely inconsistent. Enemie shot dead fall trought walls or barricades ?!
    3 - Veteran mode is completely ridiculous. 4 - Online experience is still a dodging grenade simulator like Modern warf 2
    5 - Small maps
    6 - Already cheaters on day one ...

    Pro
    1 - Zombie mode
    2 - Graphics
    3 - Acting
    4 - Weapons

    Very good challenger to whom who want to take time and give a try is Medal of Honor and Bad company 2
    Specially Bad company 2 seem to be lightyear in front of Call of duty Black Ops.
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  11. Nov 10, 2010
    7
    An honest review, the single player is entertaining, but still a hectic mess. The story is a simplistic, generic conspiracy theory that never fully makes sense. The cinematics are wild and over the top and way to frequent. There is no downtime during the game, you are constantly blowing up helicopters, escaping avalanches, and other ridiculous events. The AI is unintelligent and neverAn honest review, the single player is entertaining, but still a hectic mess. The story is a simplistic, generic conspiracy theory that never fully makes sense. The cinematics are wild and over the top and way to frequent. There is no downtime during the game, you are constantly blowing up helicopters, escaping avalanches, and other ridiculous events. The AI is unintelligent and never feels real. The objectives are often vague and hard to trigger. This single player campaign is far inferior to Modern Ware and it's sequel.

    The multiplayer is nearly identical to the Modern Warfare series with a few additions. I found the money system and the wager gametypes to be a blast. They can be frustrating if you lose! The majority of the new maps are excellent with a couple that were tedious to navigate and play.

    Overall, if you loved the single player campaigns that Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 had, like I did, you will not find those same campaigns here. If you loved the Multiplayer of the Modern Warfare games, you will enjoy the multiplayer for this game.
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  12. Jan 21, 2011
    7
    This game, simply put, isn't worth the money. If you have MW2, keep it, you'll be playing it soon. I have seen so many glitches it's unbelievable... I once watched a replay of me sneaking up on someone shooting him, having him turn around and shoot me in the foot and i died... thats quite the game... As for the single player... its mediocre at best... easily passable. The maps are bad...This game, simply put, isn't worth the money. If you have MW2, keep it, you'll be playing it soon. I have seen so many glitches it's unbelievable... I once watched a replay of me sneaking up on someone shooting him, having him turn around and shoot me in the foot and i died... thats quite the game... As for the single player... its mediocre at best... easily passable. The maps are bad... you still need to level to unlock guns... where here i thought that we would be able to buy them... COD points are basically useless, a pointless mechanic added to the game. Most of the guns are crap compared to the ones you unlock later. For example, the AK47 and the Commando are far superior to any other assault rifle, putting you at a great disadvantage until your level 38... of 50. The killstreaks are garbage and will get you the odd kill here and there but realistically are useless. The list goes on... save yourself the headache and $60, forget about this game and just wait for MW3... Expand
  13. Nov 11, 2010
    7
    So the IW fanboys hate it? Who cares? If you wanna play MW2 again, then this isn't the game. The story is unusual, yet interesting (if a bit predictable, like all COD games have been), the new multiplayer tweaks make it a lot more fun, and overall it's a pretty decent game. If you're gonna pass it up just because the IW fanboys hated it, then you might miss out on a great game. Try it forSo the IW fanboys hate it? Who cares? If you wanna play MW2 again, then this isn't the game. The story is unusual, yet interesting (if a bit predictable, like all COD games have been), the new multiplayer tweaks make it a lot more fun, and overall it's a pretty decent game. If you're gonna pass it up just because the IW fanboys hated it, then you might miss out on a great game. Try it for yourself first, before you listen to all the haters. I'm not saying this game is a 10, by no means is it so, but overall, it's not the most offensive and terribly put together game in the world like many are saying. The engine still needs to be updated, which it hasn't been for years now, and the graphics could use a little polish. As for clunky controls, I didn't think they were really any worse than any of the other COD games and that meant they worked just fine for me. Maybe I'm too old for all those fast-twitch, trigger-happy kiddos out there. The cash bit and buying your upgrades and goodies for multiplayer works out awesome, and it levels the playing field a lot, no more of the overpowered guys picking on the newbs. If you can build a strategy, then you can succeed in the trenches, which may be another reason the haters are so abundant: they like the system where they got to be king all the time. I loved MW2, I like Black Ops, I think it deserves a solid 7, that's just my opinion, what the heck do I know? Expand
  14. Nov 11, 2010
    7
    The multiplayer is balanced and made the emphasis on gunplay but the maps are pretty bad and huge with plenty of hiding spots (you'll constantly be shot from the sides when traveling unlike MW2 where maps weren't so open) and everyone is silent. It's not bad, it's very fun, but it's not worthy of the hype. The engine is showing it's age, the graphics are plain and a step down from MW2 andThe multiplayer is balanced and made the emphasis on gunplay but the maps are pretty bad and huge with plenty of hiding spots (you'll constantly be shot from the sides when traveling unlike MW2 where maps weren't so open) and everyone is silent. It's not bad, it's very fun, but it's not worthy of the hype. The engine is showing it's age, the graphics are plain and a step down from MW2 and the action is slower. Still a blast, but COD needs innovation fast. Expand
  15. Nov 11, 2010
    7
    I wish I could give Black Ops a higher mark for all the new features, but it's dropped too many old ones. Split Screen, for example, used to seem like an actual game mode. Now it's basically a practice mode. You can't even edit the gameplay options. The new online multiplayer features are pretty fun and interesting, but COD was one of the last FPS series to have a good split screen and nowI wish I could give Black Ops a higher mark for all the new features, but it's dropped too many old ones. Split Screen, for example, used to seem like an actual game mode. Now it's basically a practice mode. You can't even edit the gameplay options. The new online multiplayer features are pretty fun and interesting, but COD was one of the last FPS series to have a good split screen and now so many features are ignored. Another problem with the game are all the bugs and glitches. If they could fix a lot of them then maybe BO would be better, but Treyarch pretty much killed off all fun in split screen mode with this game and hopefully it will be made better next year. Expand
  16. Dec 26, 2010
    7
    Ive always been a fan of treyarch releases. I enjoy their games being that tupically they are more balanced. Though this game fixes alot of the game-breaking elements introduced into MW2 (not a tall mountain to climb as many know) it fails to come anywhere near COD4 and WaW. Treyarch made some much needed adjustments and removed alot of the frustrating elements that outright ruined MW2.Ive always been a fan of treyarch releases. I enjoy their games being that tupically they are more balanced. Though this game fixes alot of the game-breaking elements introduced into MW2 (not a tall mountain to climb as many know) it fails to come anywhere near COD4 and WaW. Treyarch made some much needed adjustments and removed alot of the frustrating elements that outright ruined MW2. Sadly they played it TOO safe and in the end made a bland game. I was very happy to see the unholy trinity of martyrdom, juggernaut, and stopping power removed completely. This could have been enough to make the online leaps and bounds more playable than MW2 but, put simply, the included perks are boring, recycled, and unimaginative. It was also refreshing to see Treyarch practice some sanity by removing dual-wielded shotguns (really Infinity Ward? REALLY??) and issuing major nerfs (handicaps) to the grenade launcher and assault rifles. Hit detection is as abysmal as any cod game so cant count them off there. the weapons are incredibly balanced each with a relatively different play-type leading to more diverse games where not everyone is using the same thing (I'm talking to you famas, m16, SCAR, .50cal, dual rangers). It was nice to see more than one semi-auto rifle but they are much too weak to compete in a fully automatic world. Another issue is snipers were pretty much written out when it came to map design and balancing. Sniper rifles are difficult at best and just dont pack enough punch to be useful. Sniper Players may find themselves snagging some assists but thats only if they can post up long enough to pick off ignorant and unaware players before getting gun down from behind by a newly spawned player. That brings me to BO's next downfall. The spawning is abysmal. You can game confidently knowing that you will have enemy players spawning behind you. around you, and sometimes even right next to you. Very frustrating when you journey to a quiet corner of a map to drop a carepackage or other dropped killstreak. There is a complete absence of a "front" so be prepared to scramble, keep moving, and watch your back (even if it placed securely onto the edge of the map). Moving to the customization. its safe to say Treyarch was intentionally vague and misleading on the amount of customization. im sure i was only one of many that were disappointed to see that you could not, in fact, change many aspects of your character. It was nice, however to see perks actually affect the way the character looks (ghost, flak jacket, lightweight, etc). Though some may be sold on adding a happyface to their reticle or sculpting male genitalia out of the hundreds of playercard symbols provided, one could not help be feel how absolutely superfluous it all was when there were guns, perks, and killstreaks to buy. The campaign was solid. it didnt break any ground but it was no more superior or inferior to the last 3 COD campaigns. Most dont purchase Cod for the campaign so i wont go into it The crown jewel that has come to be associated with Treyarch releases is the acclaimed Nazi Zombies. Treyarch has outdone itself again with much more complex maps and even 2 separate "storylines" You have the ww2 cast of characters from WaW and a new cast of which i will not disclose. The new cast is hilarious and the voice actors are excellent. Its much more challenging. Zombies fall out of the ceiling, leap through windows instead of climb, and there is even a new very dangerous breed of zombie of which ill let you discover for yourslelf. The mystery box moves much more often (averaging 4-5 uses before whisking off to a less defendable room). Treyarch also included a competitive top-down arcade zombie killer that is amazingly fun and good for hours of replay with up to a team of 4. Overall the game is solid and offers an amazing amount of content in terms of maps, zombies, killstreaks(trust that if this had been an infinity ward release you would be shelling out some extra dosh for alot of it). Though it seeks to fix what mw2 broke it just doesnt offer enough NEW items to make people drop MW2, and WaW to make the $60 switch. See you in two years treyarch, better luck next time. Expand
  17. Nov 15, 2010
    7
    Although Call of Duty Black Ops is a fun game for its fans and FPS fans i feel that some gamers will be disappointed with the lack of changes that Treyarch has done with this game. The game sticks to the standard formula that anyone who has played a Call of Duty since Modern Warfare will know, both in the campaign and the multi player. Although the disk has tons and tons of contentAlthough Call of Duty Black Ops is a fun game for its fans and FPS fans i feel that some gamers will be disappointed with the lack of changes that Treyarch has done with this game. The game sticks to the standard formula that anyone who has played a Call of Duty since Modern Warfare will know, both in the campaign and the multi player. Although the disk has tons and tons of content (Zombies, Online, Offline) it will soon wear thin, its still a very fun game and always will be but how long can Activision keep on pushing out these FPS before gamers become tired of them and start craving something more or just different from the game industry Expand
  18. Dec 10, 2010
    7
    The game is good but the game have a big network problem in multiplayer game. Solo game is good too I like the story. Most interesting part we can play 2 peoples on the same tv in slip screen in multiplayer online mode!
  19. Dec 25, 2010
    7
    A game just like the others. Not a great improvement just the same sort of repetitve gameplay. Theater was a much needed improvement. The money system was cool too. Although a lot of multiplayer mess-ups (especially PS3). Some much needed updates hopefully are in line. All in all same game but still fun.
  20. Dec 29, 2010
    7
    this is defintley the worst call of duty therss been both modern warfares looked good and the guns looked good they didnt have great campaogns but had amazing online play it was fast and frantic, cod 5 had a very good co-op campaign and zombies and the online was ok not great.
    Black ops has none of this campaogn is ok but once youve done it youve done it the zombies i dont like the maps
    this is defintley the worst call of duty therss been both modern warfares looked good and the guns looked good they didnt have great campaogns but had amazing online play it was fast and frantic, cod 5 had a very good co-op campaign and zombies and the online was ok not great.
    Black ops has none of this campaogn is ok but once youve done it youve done it the zombies i dont like the maps and the online is shocking maps are bad the buying is pointless and the online gameplay is bad activision should stick with infity ward even if they are a bit dodgey
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  21. Jan 6, 2011
    7
    Black Ops isn't a perfect game. It was like the opposite of MW2. Mw2 had a bad campaign but made up for its addicting multiplayer. Black Ops had an awesome campaign. I loved the campaign it was interesting, fun and the story was awesome. But for other players its all about the MULTIPLAYER. The multiplayer wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. The added cool stuff likeBlack Ops isn't a perfect game. It was like the opposite of MW2. Mw2 had a bad campaign but made up for its addicting multiplayer. Black Ops had an awesome campaign. I loved the campaign it was interesting, fun and the story was awesome. But for other players its all about the MULTIPLAYER. The multiplayer wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. The added cool stuff like wager matches and money but it felt different. The "feel" of the online was different. I wasn't as fun and as exciting as Mw2's. Campaign was awesome. Zombies was good. Multiplayer was just okay. Expand
  22. Feb 16, 2011
    7
    Like usual Treyarch cannot seem to make an epic game like IW. Don't get me wrong, Black Ops is a lot of fun, but it's NO MW2. The campaign is fun and entertaining, I like the extra zombie levels, but honestly I buy call of duty games for the online play. Guns: The guns really piss me off in this game. They're about 5 good primary weapons, and the rest are simply turd. THIS IS NOT HOW OTHERLike usual Treyarch cannot seem to make an epic game like IW. Don't get me wrong, Black Ops is a lot of fun, but it's NO MW2. The campaign is fun and entertaining, I like the extra zombie levels, but honestly I buy call of duty games for the online play. Guns: The guns really piss me off in this game. They're about 5 good primary weapons, and the rest are simply turd. THIS IS NOT HOW OTHER CALL OF DUTY GAMES ARE OR SHOULD BE! In MW2 EVERY GUN (except maybe the vector) is awesome in some way. That's what I love, i get sick of always playing with the same gun, and Treyarch doesn't give you much choice on this one. The gun customization is cool in this game ,but it seems like Treyarch spent too much time with bells and whistles instead of the actual gameplay. Maps: Mediocre- The only REALLY good ones are Nuketown and Firing Range

    Perks: I gotta say, the perks in this game were done really well. I'm a BIG fan of the CHALLENGES for PRO perks, they make it hard and interesting, so having a Pro perk is actually something special. Killstreaks: I think they did a good job here as well. Nothing is TOO overpowered, some suck, and some are awesome like it should be. I LOVE the dogs, my fav killsteak of any call of duty.
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  23. Mar 15, 2011
    7
    i like the features, being able to play 2 players online is awesome and the theater is way cool. honestly i like the guns being balanced much better in black ops than MW2, however the maps just are not as much fun.
  24. Aug 24, 2011
    7
    i thought this game was allright i did not love it and i did not hate it but first i must ask why are so many ppl addicted to this game yes it is a good game to play online and it is fun but so is bad company and medal of honor and they dont have as big of a following that cod does. now ill get onto my review as always with this kind of game you buy it for the online play any one who buysi thought this game was allright i did not love it and i did not hate it but first i must ask why are so many ppl addicted to this game yes it is a good game to play online and it is fun but so is bad company and medal of honor and they dont have as big of a following that cod does. now ill get onto my review as always with this kind of game you buy it for the online play any one who buys these games for the campaign is an idiot especially this game because i was struggling to even get through the story it was so boring i would play one mission get sick of the story then go play online or play a different game entirely but it does have a nice twist at the end which i did not see coming which is rare these days with games. the online on the otherhand is pretty good but if you are just starting to play you will get really frustrated with the skill level of everyone else and it will take you a little bit to actually get any good at this game. this game has good graphics good sounds good online play a boring story that you have to force yourself to play and i dont understand why so many people like zombies there is no point you dont level up it is just trying to survive for the sake of it there is absolutly no point. Expand
  25. May 23, 2011
    7
    Black ops is by far the worst Call of Duty since CoD3. Then again, the Call of Duty franchise is known for quality, and this game is still pretty damn good. The Single Player campaign has a decent story made to look better with its unorthodox delivery. To a degree, ESPECIALLY on the first 8 or so missions, it succeeds. However it can tend to get tiresome. The multiplayer is like a mixBlack ops is by far the worst Call of Duty since CoD3. Then again, the Call of Duty franchise is known for quality, and this game is still pretty damn good. The Single Player campaign has a decent story made to look better with its unorthodox delivery. To a degree, ESPECIALLY on the first 8 or so missions, it succeeds. However it can tend to get tiresome. The multiplayer is like a mix between W@W and MW2, but worse. It had great balance (at the cost of a usable SMG), fun killstreaks (that you can't KSwhore like in MW2), and some nice weapons and maps, but it feels less like fun and more like trying to be addictive. Expand
  26. Jan 13, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright, I'm not going to bore you with an unnecessarily long review. So, I'll just get straight to the point: Call of Duty Black Ops is a good game. It's not perfect but it's not a failure either. It's just a good first person shooter made for people who like first person shooters. This one follows the Modern Warfare formula by stepping away from the past several WW2-era renditions in the CoD series...sort of. The missions take place during various time periods in the 1960s and 70s, including the Cold War, The Vietnam war and others.

    Gameplay is pretty standard. If you've played previous CoD games, you'll know how to run through all the controls pretty quickly. The campaign mode is a little short but I suppose that's been a staple of most of the recent CoD games. Multi-player is pretty comprehensive and customizable. You can customize your characters and weapons, even repaint guns, add clan tags, camo, secondary functions, and abilities, etc. Its easy to level up by playing with bots but your progress won't count when you play in live multi-player deathmatches. Black-Ops has off-line and on-line multi-player and supports 4-player splitscreen, and includes the Zombies game that first appeared in a past CoD game. However...there is no offline or online campaign co-op. That to me is a disappointment.

    There is also one major technological gripe that I have which I think many people have over looked: The game supports 720p HD....not 1080P....and that means if you're like me and have a 1080p tv, you will not be playing in full screen. This only affects co-op/split-screen modes. If you're playing locally with a few friends, you'll notice that Black Ops compensates for this by putting black bars on either side of the screen, thus shrinking down the gameplay screen and making everything smaller. Now that 90% of the world have 1080 HD tvs, this seems like a stupid oversight which I hope can be patched in an update but I'm not holding my breath.

    Sound is great- gunshots and vehicle sounds are excellent. You really feel like you're in a war zone. Textures could have been improved. Some of the guns look like cartoons. Overall, if you want a good shooter, get this game. It remains to be seen whether multi-player will survive or continue to be supported now that Cod Modern Warfare 3 is out.
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  27. Sep 2, 2011
    7
    Why all the 0 scores? lol. Its above average but compared to mw2 its nothing new or original. A games hype can make or break it... it made this but it was a broken affair waiting to happen... mw3 needs to pull out something amazing to keep it on top but i doubt its aged engine will throw us anything fresh. its a good enough game though... there are many worse out there. the online mode isWhy all the 0 scores? lol. Its above average but compared to mw2 its nothing new or original. A games hype can make or break it... it made this but it was a broken affair waiting to happen... mw3 needs to pull out something amazing to keep it on top but i doubt its aged engine will throw us anything fresh. its a good enough game though... there are many worse out there. the online mode is addictive but its also bomb this and bomb that. zombie is its standout mode? fresh lol Expand
  28. Nov 8, 2011
    7
    My friend had a PS3, so I played "COD: BO" in his house. I played every console there is for Black Ops (except for the DS and Wii), and I could conclude that the PS3 version was slightly better than the PC and Xbox version. The controls are smoother and the frame rates rarely drop. However, its the Play Station that makes up these points; the game itself is a solid copycat of MW2.
  29. Jan 30, 2012
    7
    While I did not enjoy this game as much as Modern Warfare 2, I feel compelled to write a review after playing Modern Warfare 3. Yes, Black Ops has its flaws, but after playing Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer I wish I would have saved my money and kept Black Ops. It took all of the good parts of World at War and Modern Warfare 2 and melted them together into an exciting multiplayer. TheWhile I did not enjoy this game as much as Modern Warfare 2, I feel compelled to write a review after playing Modern Warfare 3. Yes, Black Ops has its flaws, but after playing Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer I wish I would have saved my money and kept Black Ops. It took all of the good parts of World at War and Modern Warfare 2 and melted them together into an exciting multiplayer. The theater feature is pretty cool, and its actually functional, unlike Modern Warfare 3. If you own this game and are thinking about trading up to Modern Warfare 3, don't make the same mistake as me. Keep Black Ops and you'll enjoy it much more. Expand
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 58
  2. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Jan 25, 2011
    90
    Call of Duty: Black Ops still represents one hell of a hefty package. It's bursting with hundreds of hours of entertainment that caters to every conceivable configuration of gamer out there, be they an adversarial gamer, a co-op connoisseur or a staunch offline soloist. [January 2011 p60]
  2. Jan 18, 2011
    70
    By dint of obstinacy, Treyarch delivers probably its best with Black Ops Call of Duty to date - but probably not the best in the saga.
  3. Jan 16, 2011
    90
    There are more highlights in the first two missions of Black Ops, then in Medal of Honor. The requirements of Treyarch seemed to be better, than in the past few years. They made an interesting setting. In addition, there's a nice zombie mode and an overwhelming multiplayer. No doubt, this is Treyarchs best Call of Duty ever!