Call of Duty: Black Ops

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1459 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 835 out of 1459
  2. Mixed: 357 out of 1459
  3. Negative: 267 out of 1459
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  1. ThomasJ
    Feb 21, 2011
    6
    I'll admit, I'm not the biggest COD fan (aside from the first which was awesome). Don't get me wrong, these games are fairly enjoyable in the run-around-gunning-fools stakes, but my problem with them (and with Black Ops in particular) is that they are interlaced with some overly cliche story and characters impossible to empathise with. Now it's true that when the bullets are flying yourI'll admit, I'm not the biggest COD fan (aside from the first which was awesome). Don't get me wrong, these games are fairly enjoyable in the run-around-gunning-fools stakes, but my problem with them (and with Black Ops in particular) is that they are interlaced with some overly cliche story and characters impossible to empathise with. Now it's true that when the bullets are flying your chances of sharing a moment with a character is pretty limited, but at the least you should care whether they live or die. Or at least notice - I barely noticed when your in-game buddies kicked the bucket. I suppose it's a fundamental problem I have with alot of FPS games these days. When I want a compelling story I'll play an action/adventure or an RPG. When I play a FPS I want to shoot sh*t up. I don't want to be hit over the head with some clunky conspiratorial "Oh we're on the brink of war...again" story. Treyarch bombard the player with a blurry, slideshow of random images that are more conducive to giving a gamer epilepsy than immersing them in any worthwhile story. Maybe the problem is that they're just taking themselves too seriously - I yearn for the days of Doom and Wolfenstein = There's aliens/nazis in that off-planet/overseas base/castle now go shoot them with incredibly lethal weapons! That's all I need to know, I don't need much more than that. Isn't that why people play FPS? I must be in the minority. Anyway, this long diatribe's purpose is basically to say I thought the story was just an irritating distraction that took me away from the action when I was really starting to feel gung-ho.

    As far as gameplay mechanics go, Black Ops is functional but nothing flash. In truth, it's not really much of an improvement over World At War. I experienced fatal glitches a couple of times when I went prone and my player refused to turn around or even get back up and another occasion where an enemy just literally pops out of thin air in a manner that would be more appropriate in a Harry Potter film (which in Veteran results in a rapid death). Your AI companions are just downright mentally handicapped. I've lost count of the number of times a friendly companion (like the Vietnamese hill section) has just completely ignored an approaching enemy who couldn't be more obvious if he was naked, and I've ended up with a knife in the head. Again another flaw that remains from the World At War era. Likewise the enemy AI are a six-pack short of a case - I mean in this day and age it's not impossible to introduce AI that can attempt to outwit you with flanking tactics and smoke grenades, etc. Call of Duty are just serving up a production line of moving targets without attempting to try and serve up anything interesting. Though I suppose with the money Treyarch/Infinity Ward are raking in, why change something that people are buying in droves? The graphics are pretty sub-par compared to MW2, and for me, it becomes more noticeable purely because the story isn't overly engaging. The combat is decent enough though, that it isn't a huge issue for me. On a plus note, I completely love the explosion/shock-wave effects of the grenades and a fair few of the weapons have a satisfying kick. And though I have extremely limited knowledge of weapon sounds, they sound pretty meaty. I haven't played enough of the multiplayer or Dead Ops Arcade as of yet, so I can't give a completely accurate review of it. From my limited glances at it, it's not too bad though. The wager matches certainly spice things up for the better, particularly One in The Chamber. The real multiplayer fun for me, however, is Zombies! Everybody loves zombies (even in this undead-saturated games market) and though not much of an improvement over it's previous iteration, it's still plenty entertaining enough.

    All in all, this is still a must purchase for the hordes of incomprehensible teenage COD fanboys and mindless casual gamers. For the rest of us that are still discerning gamers that demand something ingenious and special to give a game a 9 or 10 this is something to rent, get on the cheap, or just ignore completely. You won't be missing anything that will change your life.    … Expand
  2. Thief
    Mar 3, 2011
    6
    While it is a good game and fun to play at times, it is still just the same old thing over and over. I know I'm late to the party in writing a review, but I have had more time with it than most of the other critics here. I find the experience to be a bit laggy, with bugs and exploits that have yet to be fixed since release. Host migration is a joke, usually just dropping everyone back toWhile it is a good game and fun to play at times, it is still just the same old thing over and over. I know I'm late to the party in writing a review, but I have had more time with it than most of the other critics here. I find the experience to be a bit laggy, with bugs and exploits that have yet to be fixed since release. Host migration is a joke, usually just dropping everyone back to the menu because some little kid did not want a loss on his stats. Several exploits have also yet to be fixed. There is one in particular that allows the constant and ever present use of Tactical Mask Pro's ability to see enemies you have stunned through walls. It gives what is essentially x-ray vision, or Hacker Pro that shows players rather than equipment. The sniping has improved to a nice balance from the blink and you die MW2 quickscoping, and the stunted accuracy it had when the game was released. The only real complaint I have is that reporting a player for anything other than drawing a racist emblem is useless. They have no way to check for your use of profanity (like it matters in an M rated game), and people who take advantage of lag-switching or Perk-Hacking exploits go completely unpunished. If you want to have fun in this game, you will have to learn to hack your system and start camping.… Expand
  3. Mike_D
    Mar 9, 2011
    6
    Black Ops is a good game but I really wouldn't say it's a great game. I really enjoyed MW2 but I really don't feel that Black Ops is quite as good. I'm more of a fan of the single player experience when I play COD games and I believe this one to be lacking a good story and doesn't compel me to want more. I Know that most players play for the multi-player but for me that isn't why I play COD.
  4. crossland
    Apr 5, 2011
    6
    It promised so much but failed, in short, to deliver.
    there are moments where it seems you're playing CoD5 and the basis of buying weapons and perks with points just ruins the point of unlocking them. the guns and weapons encourage camping and too often games are disconnected or lagg out.
    for me, the games take about 5 minutes to join. and with only a handful of good maps the wait is not    It promised so much but failed, in short, to deliver.
    there are moments where it seems you're playing CoD5 and the basis of buying weapons and perks with points just ruins the point of unlocking them. the guns and weapons encourage camping and too often games are disconnected or lagg out.
    for me, the games take about 5 minutes to join. and with only a handful of good maps the wait is not worth it.
    the zombies mode restores a little faith in the brand with some cracking tactical gameplay and genuine fun and panic at times.    … Expand
  5. Chandley54
    May 12, 2011
    6
    Well... I find this game hard to rate... on one hand, there is the undeniably amazing multiplayer, which has pretty much everything you could ever want from a first person shooter, satisfying co-operative online, the ability to play split screen with a mate AND be online at the same time (which might make it harder to actually kill people, but makes it ten times more satisfying when youWell... I find this game hard to rate... on one hand, there is the undeniably amazing multiplayer, which has pretty much everything you could ever want from a first person shooter, satisfying co-operative online, the ability to play split screen with a mate AND be online at the same time (which might make it harder to actually kill people, but makes it ten times more satisfying when you can both celebrate actually doing well! or mock each other for being rubbish) as well as a truly great zombie mode that you can try and fight your way through together (although why there isn't any 4 player split screen on zombie mode I don't know). On the other hand... there's the single player campaign, which is one of the most dull and tedious story lines I've ever attempted to play, it seems they couldn't be bothered to actually hire anyone to write a decent story, so chose some famous historical figure that was pretty undeniably a bad guy and everyone hates, and then stuck some generic 'flash back of what happened' storyline over the top of a bland game... so... my current view may be skewed slightly by the lack of playstation network at the moment, but I'm going to have to give this game a 6/10... multiplayer gets a solid 9.5/10 but the single player is just appalling. And if you can have co-op online, why not co-op campaign?!?! Maybe that would save some credit, but sadly only a 3.5/10 for the dull drab single player experience.… Expand
  6. Brooks
    Jun 15, 2011
    6
    Call-of-Duty was a great, fun game at first, in the weeks to come it did not bring much joy.
  7. kitsoon
    Aug 25, 2011
    6
    I played the story mode for like 20 minutes before I couldn't take its terribleness anymore. Multiplayer mode is pretty fun though. Same with Zombies.
  8. illage2
    Sep 26, 2011
    6
    I was really disapointed in Black Ops. It's the same game as last year with minor tweaks to multiplayer. The campaign was as usual stale and boring, and multiplayer is riddled with cheaters and hackers. The "Report a Player" system is abused way too much.

    Graphics have not changed since Call of Duty 4. The only thing keeping the game afloat is the Zombies mode, I do think they are very    I was really disapointed in Black Ops. It's the same game as last year with minor tweaks to multiplayer. The campaign was as usual stale and boring, and multiplayer is riddled with cheaters and hackers. The "Report a Player" system is abused way too much.

    Graphics have not changed since Call of Duty 4. The only thing keeping the game afloat is the Zombies mode, I do think they are very entertaining.
    However the new map packs cost 11.49GBP each, which makes them the most expensive DLC to date.

    Treyarch need to start upping the graphics and make the game much better.

    In multiplayer the grenades do nothing, even when they are directly in front of the player.    … Expand
  9. Unknown22
    Dec 17, 2011
    6
    This game is overall ok. Cod needs a new engine. They are still using the same assets for previous cods.

    The single player was bad. Multiplayer was meh, but the zombies are amazing.
  10. Interlobby
    Nov 6, 2011
    6
    Black Ops had a pretty compelling story, but the problem I felt with it was that the ending just made me go "Meh." Now don't go me wrong, along with the addictive zombies and a fairly good multiplayer, Black Ops can have you hooked on the screen for hours, but small things like server issues and small annoyance I find within the spawning systems and such, Black Ops comes of a justBlack Ops had a pretty compelling story, but the problem I felt with it was that the ending just made me go "Meh." Now don't go me wrong, along with the addictive zombies and a fairly good multiplayer, Black Ops can have you hooked on the screen for hours, but small things like server issues and small annoyance I find within the spawning systems and such, Black Ops comes of a just medicore. Not that bad or that great just all in all, decent.… Expand
  11. ReviewCritic
    Dec 29, 2011
    6
    COD: Black Ops is overall pretty good. I am an up-to-date movie critic and I am starting to do the games I own on PS3. The multiplayer was O.K., the setup took a while to get used to. The zombies was very addicting and fun. Then, the campaign. Any negative reviews for this game are because of the campaign! It was horrible! In every mission, there is about 12 minutes of talking, and only 3COD: Black Ops is overall pretty good. I am an up-to-date movie critic and I am starting to do the games I own on PS3. The multiplayer was O.K., the setup took a while to get used to. The zombies was very addicting and fun. Then, the campaign. Any negative reviews for this game are because of the campaign! It was horrible! In every mission, there is about 12 minutes of talking, and only 3 minutes of playing! The storyline was also screwed up and didn't make sense.… Expand
  12. Daveman
    Jul 5, 2020
    6
    Cliff notes for people that don't want to hear the same old "OMG COD IS THE SAME GAME EVERY YEAR WAH WAH" ****

    The Good: Engrossing, suspenseful campaign. Good graphics for its time. Great gun balance and variety for the most part. Zombie mode is fun with friends. First time with theatre mode. Creating your own emblem is far superior than MW series. The Bad: Pistols are pathetically    Cliff notes for people that don't want to hear the same old "OMG COD IS THE SAME GAME EVERY YEAR WAH WAH" ****

    The Good: Engrossing, suspenseful campaign. Good graphics for its time. Great gun balance and variety for the most part. Zombie mode is fun with friends. First time with theatre mode. Creating your own emblem is far superior than MW series.

    The Bad: Pistols are pathetically weak. Red dot and holographic sights are cloudy (wtf? they're supposed to make aiming easier). Frame rate choppy at times, which is a trade off for the slightly better graphics. Theatre mode may be part of the reason why the game is glitchy.

    Overall: Single player was amazing. A little more polish to multiplayer and this game would've been a masterpiece.    … Expand
  13. savagejoe444
    Jun 8, 2013
    6
    Not bad, but I think they could've done better with this one. The story is okay, but I didn't care for it. The graphics are pretty good at least. Multiplayer is decent, but I question the 'class selection' in this game; in game currency only works in GTA, not much in CoD MP. I do give props to Treyarch for being original with this game, but I still think IW makes better CoD games than them.
  14. Elucidate
    Aug 17, 2013
    6
    Especially with new features such as the excellent theatre mode, Black Ops is great fun for any first-person shooter fan. There are, however, noticeable technical problems that hinder the game from being a truly astounding sequel...
  15. SJ-ULTI-Reiews
    Sep 27, 2013
    6
    let me start off by saying this game has a decent story mode, like MW2 it seems things happen in this game just because they can. The zombies mode is good but gets really boring once youve seen all the bland maps, none of them pop out at you and seem that interesting, the multiplayer is decent. This game dosint entertain me and make me care about the characters. Their is no characterlet me start off by saying this game has a decent story mode, like MW2 it seems things happen in this game just because they can. The zombies mode is good but gets really boring once youve seen all the bland maps, none of them pop out at you and seem that interesting, the multiplayer is decent. This game dosint entertain me and make me care about the characters. Their is no character developement. This is an okay game at best and should only be purchased for $10 or less.… Expand
  16. Krizuwe
    Nov 19, 2013
    6
    La verdad un juego bastante decepcionante y que deja muchísimo que desear, la saga esta claramente sobre explotada, año tras año el mismo juego, con la misma mecánica y todo igual, solo cambia un poco los escenarios y eso y ya esta, no merece la pena gastarte 75 euros por un juego sobre explotado si ya tienes el del año anterior, compralo cuando baje a 20 euros...porque si no seria tirarLa verdad un juego bastante decepcionante y que deja muchísimo que desear, la saga esta claramente sobre explotada, año tras año el mismo juego, con la misma mecánica y todo igual, solo cambia un poco los escenarios y eso y ya esta, no merece la pena gastarte 75 euros por un juego sobre explotado si ya tienes el del año anterior, compralo cuando baje a 20 euros...porque si no seria tirar el dinero.… Expand
  17. angrylouis
    Mar 19, 2014
    6
    now before i review this i have one thing to say i like call of duty but i am not in love with it so any call of duty fans don't read this are they gone good lets get in with it now the plot i enjoyed but problems what they put in with it one why when interrogated he talks but when your playing he never says anything number 2 can we please not have this retarded enemy and alli ai letsnow before i review this i have one thing to say i like call of duty but i am not in love with it so any call of duty fans don't read this are they gone good lets get in with it now the plot i enjoyed but problems what they put in with it one why when interrogated he talks but when your playing he never says anything number 2 can we please not have this retarded enemy and alli ai lets start with enemy ai don't just hold your trigger for 30 seconds till you have to reload that supprisibliy takes longer then you and they cant even do cover i can see they foreheads and it works to kill them or they stand in the open for me to flank them and now lets talk about a lli ai they have one side conversations and when there fighting they shoot at the sky and most of them can't lip sync alright and now multi player i just have one or two problems with it there are too many perk abilities to get just if you get 4 kills what and skills are pointless and the zombie mode was good… Expand
  18. fijiboy
    Apr 20, 2014
    6
    people say that all cod games are the same and for the most part, they're right, same mechanics, and same kind of gameplay and what not, but its fun, so I don't mind that they're the same. the one thing that are different about the games is the campaign. black ops campaign is pretty fun. I liked certain missions a lot and others not so much, but for the most part, its pretty solid, and thepeople say that all cod games are the same and for the most part, they're right, same mechanics, and same kind of gameplay and what not, but its fun, so I don't mind that they're the same. the one thing that are different about the games is the campaign. black ops campaign is pretty fun. I liked certain missions a lot and others not so much, but for the most part, its pretty solid, and the multiplayer is fun and addictive. Repetitive, yes, but fun? also yes. its not a game where I feel that I have gained an experience from, but It is a fun game… Expand
  19. chrisd19844
    Dec 2, 2015
    6
    COD black ops is your typical brainless fps, which it does well if you like senseless plots and not a lot of other mechanics in your shooters. Personally I like games with more substance (such as Wolfenstein New Order and Killzone 2 which are both masterpieces) but once in awhile it's okay to have a game like COD. The graphics aren't very good for the year it came out though, it stillCOD black ops is your typical brainless fps, which it does well if you like senseless plots and not a lot of other mechanics in your shooters. Personally I like games with more substance (such as Wolfenstein New Order and Killzone 2 which are both masterpieces) but once in awhile it's okay to have a game like COD. The graphics aren't very good for the year it came out though, it still looks like Modern Warfare from 2007 - I expected at least some improvement. I think MW is actually better game though besides coming out 5 years before. Black ops does have some good action in it though and the addition of the zombies and a fun multiplayer mode earns it some extra points. The one thing I detest about COD games is how enemies continuously respawn - the developers are aware this doesn't mimic real life aren't they? Nonetheless I can see why a lot of 15-year-olds idolize the series, there really isn't a lot of thinking or challenge involved in playing these games.… Expand
  20. Schism78
    Jul 23, 2018
    6
    A more or less decent game, with an addictive multiplayer for its time and a zombie mode that is already classic.
    It's ok for the year that came out, i don't dislike it.
  21. Berik
    Nov 1, 2020
    6
    By many referred to as 'The best Call of Duty', i'd call it 'where it all started to go down hill.' Black Ops came out in 2010, being made after World at War. It is also a canon sequel to World at War, though in my head i fiercely try to forget that. World at War was a fantastic WWII game that showed the inhumane conditions of the war, and the gruesome fighting all the way to theBy many referred to as 'The best Call of Duty', i'd call it 'where it all started to go down hill.' Black Ops came out in 2010, being made after World at War. It is also a canon sequel to World at War, though in my head i fiercely try to forget that. World at War was a fantastic WWII game that showed the inhumane conditions of the war, and the gruesome fighting all the way to the Reichstagg. Black Ops then walked in, and took a big dump on it.

    Story:
    I can only speak for this myself, but i hate stories that involve Amnesia, brain washing or fake psychedelic effects. The protagonist is brain washed by the Russians to kill the president of the US, and somehow Viktor Reznov is also capable of brainwashing to intervene?? I guess his profession before the war was psychology or something... So dumb. Oh, and the story prefers to use exotic locations instead of the plot as a direction for the story, which I consider the way to go if you have no writing talent.

    Gameplay:
    Call of duty. Shoot, kill, run, spam grenades. Hardened is the best balance of difficulty to play on, Veteran is freaking torture. There are a few little additions like jumping and landing on your belly, and some unrealistic futuristic weapons.

    Graphics:
    Awful. I was offended by the incredibly dissapointing graphics compared to Modern Warfare and MW2. Hell, even World at War looked better to me. The colors looked blurred out, like someone painted it without trying to stay inside the lines. Treyarch seemed to use graphics that were outdated by years already.

    Technical state:
    In 2010, the game was definitely not done. Every time I would start the game, it would ask to calibrate the screen and brightness over and over. Online matches were rampant with hackers, so the only way to have a fair and satisfying match was to play against bots.

    A disappointment overal, but just good enough to be average. I give this game a 6/10.    … Expand
  22. magcakpro
    Mar 13, 2011
    5
    The single player mode is a mess. They tried to be innovative with all of the back-flashes through interrogation, but it just became a clutter. Next, the zombie game could have used a little more explanation. The World at War zombie game was simple enough. You are in a room, there are zombie, don't die. Now their are a dozen rooms with all kinds of things to purchase, turn on, etc. AThe single player mode is a mess. They tried to be innovative with all of the back-flashes through interrogation, but it just became a clutter. Next, the zombie game could have used a little more explanation. The World at War zombie game was simple enough. You are in a room, there are zombie, don't die. Now their are a dozen rooms with all kinds of things to purchase, turn on, etc. A little tutorial probably would have saved this and there would be no complaint. Finally the multi-player ... actually no complaints there, it is a lot of fun.… Expand
  23. ArkonBlade
    Nov 10, 2010
    5
    now i liked COD4 as for COD WAW ...eh.. COD MW2 bleck . i was not expecting much of any thing from this game and its pretty much what i got . the graphics do look pretty good . controls are solid . there are some new things for multiplayer . thats about it . the story mode is still far to short with retarded AI enimys who come out in infinite waves . the online is pretty much been therenow i liked COD4 as for COD WAW ...eh.. COD MW2 bleck . i was not expecting much of any thing from this game and its pretty much what i got . the graphics do look pretty good . controls are solid . there are some new things for multiplayer . thats about it . the story mode is still far to short with retarded AI enimys who come out in infinite waves . the online is pretty much been there done that (YAWN) even though they slightly improved it with the credit system itsstill the same old run around like a chicken with your head cut off and shoot every thing that moved much like the bizzilion other online FPS games . treyarch takes no chances to try to wow you they just slightly add a few new things slap a new name on the case and there you go. die hard COD fans im sure will suck this up like a pig in a crap pile . if you where getting bored with COD and was hoping this game would revitilize your love for this game keep on waiting.… Expand
  24. drewezbreezee
    Nov 9, 2010
    5
    ACTIVISION JUST STOP BEFORE U RUIN IT look i debated whether i would look at metacritic reviews because mw fanboys are going to proclaim it great anyway..irregardless..so this is my 2 cents.... its a good game why a 5 because if you have played mw2, bfbc2, WaW, hell crash cammandos got offline bots, halo got theatre, WaW got zombies, bfbc2 got vehicles...recycled waw zombie maps..... thisACTIVISION JUST STOP BEFORE U RUIN IT look i debated whether i would look at metacritic reviews because mw fanboys are going to proclaim it great anyway..irregardless..so this is my 2 cents.... its a good game why a 5 because if you have played mw2, bfbc2, WaW, hell crash cammandos got offline bots, halo got theatre, WaW got zombies, bfbc2 got vehicles...recycled waw zombie maps..... this game is just those games on 1 disc....i expect a different story and some add ons..because its new anyway....BUT ALL OF THIS IS RECYCLED...if u are new to the genre THIS is a great 65 dollar purchase because u get a little of everything. personally i am disappointed as not much ORIGINAL wuz added. sorry black ops u shouldn't have released until u came with something more...ps. their starting on the next cod...uggghhh... i vote cod/anal rape/every year...as long as we keep buying it...they are not motivated to creative use of a good liscense.......and if got very little DONT BOTHER ...ahem... medal of honor....super ps. bfbc vietnam u have been warned...here is why im angry...other than being an annual basketball/football update with a few new stats and mechanics, if u have or have played, some of the other games u already played this. WaW gave zombies, mw gave us a new era, bf destructible environments and vehicles, mw2 great multiplayer...black ops currency to buy wot i already was getting its just a different way to unlock...W T F!!! FURTHERMORE this game is meant for teens, college kids people who stay in the house and only play cod...i got a life and a job and other games...so i suck because im working and u playing but i should continue to spend my money so u can ALWAYS BE AHEAD AND ALWAYS WIN. NO! I didnt ask u to revolutionize but black ops is a 18 oz steak with 16 oz of fat on it. IM NOT DOING THIS NEXT YEAR. mw2 is still king at least if u win its because u were faster and better not because u played longer and got game given developer made stuff. UR VISION on this game is slight.… Expand
  25. EricGagnon
    Nov 14, 2010
    5
    Graphics: They wanted a game running at 60 FPS, so it's not a big surprise that the graphics are not really amazing. It's OK.

    Sounds: I played Black Ops right after playing MOH and let me tell you, the sounds in COD:BO are FAR behind. Every gun sound in Black Ops sounds just like a Nailgun. And the music is terrible as well. Singleplayer: What I hated the most about the single player is    Graphics: They wanted a game running at 60 FPS, so it's not a big surprise that the graphics are not really amazing. It's OK.

    Sounds: I played Black Ops right after playing MOH and let me tell you, the sounds in COD:BO are FAR behind. Every gun sound in Black Ops sounds just like a Nailgun. And the music is terrible as well.

    Singleplayer: What I hated the most about the single player is closely related to how I play FPS games in general. I tend to stay back a bit and eliminate ennemies BEFORE rushing in a room full of enemies. The problem is that the flow of ennemies never ends and you can easily spend 20 minutes trying to clean a corridor before you realize that. Maybe if my buddies would rush in after some time (like Halo:Reach for instance) or if there was any sound indications (like MOH) it would have worked just fine. Multiplayer: Nothing new. Really. "Wager Match" is probably the best addition to the multiplayer. Should you buy it: If you have MW2, not really. In fact, if you do have doubts about the game (and that's probably why you're reading this right now), maybe you should try it before purchasing it.    … Expand
  26. randomstupid
    Nov 9, 2010
    5
    Underwhelming... a lot of cool new content but it feels crammed in. The graphic design is cheap & not clear, game play not as vibrant as MW2. Feels more of an arcade shoot-em-up then MW2 does.
  27. Verus76
    Nov 9, 2010
    5
    Treyarch is the poor mans call of duty maker.

    The game despite using the same graphics engine as the butter smooth running mw2 stutters and suffers from bad framerates, The campaign is a horrible missmatch of playing for a minute then watching a horrible in game graphics fmw then playing for a minute then.. well you know what.

    Leave call of duty to infinity ward please.
  28. jstevo
    Nov 10, 2010
    5
    The single player lives up to the Call of Duty high end gameplay with smart AI and stunning visuals. However, the multiplayer, in comparison to Modern Warfare 2 is substandard and certainly a step back in terms of overall enjoyment, entertainment and sense of achievement. A bizarre new "COD Points" system is hard to understand and will confuse first timers. The graphics in Multiplayer toThe single player lives up to the Call of Duty high end gameplay with smart AI and stunning visuals. However, the multiplayer, in comparison to Modern Warfare 2 is substandard and certainly a step back in terms of overall enjoyment, entertainment and sense of achievement. A bizarre new "COD Points" system is hard to understand and will confuse first timers. The graphics in Multiplayer to me were pretty dreadful. Were talking the latest and greatest COD on a HD 1080p Samsung and it felt like i was playing World at War on a CRT. Certainly does not live up to the hype.… Expand
  29. Zebanash
    Nov 10, 2010
    5
    Well, before i take out my Like MW2 but... stamp, oh who we kidding, this is just MW2 with RC cars!
    Honestly though, the gameplay is almost an exact replica of MW2, just including a few different or reworked weapons. However, i do applaud Treyarch for implementing the new system for getting attatchments, i do prefer the money system as opposed to trying to get 40 headshots just to unlock    Well, before i take out my Like MW2 but... stamp, oh who we kidding, this is just MW2 with RC cars!
    Honestly though, the gameplay is almost an exact replica of MW2, just including a few different or reworked weapons. However, i do applaud Treyarch for implementing the new system for getting attatchments, i do prefer the money system as opposed to trying to get 40 headshots just to unlock a certain attatchment. The Contract system is ingenius, causing players to have new challenges in which to keep gameplay active. Chopper kill streaks, something i've never enjoyed since MW came out, still seem annoying and incredibly overpowered, nothing like spawning and dying over and over again while trying to shoot your launcher to destroy it. The default Rocket launcher only comes with one bullet, so save using scavenger or dying your SOL destroying any killstreaks that will rape you over and over. The fact that Ghost/Cold blooded doesnt prevent you from being invisible from AI controlled choppers causes an eye twitch that can only be defined as "unhealthy". Launch day was ripe with lag and bugs, and from everyone i've been speaking to it seems to frame chop at the worst of times.

    Anyone noticed that the spawn AI in this game is abysmally horrible? Spawn zones are incredibly random and poorly chosen, often sticking you within view of multiple enemies or spawning you at the same time within spitting distance of the other team. The change back to dedicated servers has made my pants incredibly happy, giving you an excellent choice of what gameplay you'd enjoy playing, however more information to view the server is something i'd like to see implemented, does the server play a mix of game modes? where is it located, whats the IP? it seems the console join command doesnt work. you can't join a friend on a server that is alread in progress, he has to send you the invite otherwise you have to manually find the server in the browser. The ability to make parties is gone, which is something i'd like to see put back in to make it easier to join/find matches with a group of friends.

    Overall it will be a decently solid game if they fix the lag and spawn issues but not the greatest thing since sliced bread. I paid my peices of silver and plan to enjoy it, however i'm dissapointed with the end product and makes me believe that treyarch is going to need a few well placed staff changes in their programming and balancing departments before i'll consider them a "worthy developer"    … Expand
  30. ninjavovo
    Nov 10, 2010
    5
    The game has gained so much expectations because of previous success of the COD series,but I think Black Ops was definitely a major disappointment for me.

    The game suffered from very serious graphic lags in both SP and MP on my PC,which can run Modern Warfare 2 at maximum setting without any problem. Even the intro movie and all the video clips between levels lag. In multilayer games, the    The game has gained so much expectations because of previous success of the COD series,but I think Black Ops was definitely a major disappointment for me.

    The game suffered from very serious graphic lags in both SP and MP on my PC,which can run Modern Warfare 2 at maximum setting without any problem. Even the intro movie and all the video clips between levels lag. In multilayer games, the graphics also lag so bad that I find sniper rifles almost useless. Disabling demo recording might help a little bit, but the lag is still quite an issue.

    The sound effects of Black Ops is terrible. In MP games, the weapons sounded like fireworks and the flash bangs make a really weird sound when you throw them.In-game voices sounds very retarded. Sometimes your own footsteps sound like someone walking behind you.The announcements from radio sounded like cheap ass recording too.

    MP maps are ridiculously CQB-focused.

    In-game texts look so ugly that it looked like some cheap ass rip-off of MW2

    When you hit shift to start sprinting,you can't stop sprinting by hitting shift again.You have to stop moving or wait till stamina runs out.

    The way characters move are much less realistic than MW2. It made the game seemed like CS.

    One tiny but retarded thing is that when you change the resolution,no matter which arrow you click,the resolution will always change in ascending order.

    There are also issues with connections as a lot of official servers are very unstable.

    The perks have been rearranged into different categories,and the categories didnt make much sense.

    The COD point was a good idea and I liked the new modes in wager match. just wish they had it in MW2. After a little while i realized that COD points are just worthless, since they are so easy to earn in ranked games and there's no point of gambling in wager matches at all.

    Anyways the above were my major complaints. Overall the gameplay experience is terrible compared to MW2. I'd say its a very average shooter, and because of being overhyped, my score of this game drops from average to bad.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS3 Game of 2010
4
#4 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2010
19
#19 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 58
  3. 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. Gamekult
    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.
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  3. Cynamite
    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!
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