Call of Duty: Black Ops II

 Xbox 360
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2684 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,148 out of 2684
  2. Mixed: 497 out of 2684
  3. Negative: 1,039 out of 2684
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  1. alpha-and-omega
    Jun 2, 2013
    3
    The sniping has gotten out of control and they don't seem to be in touch with the community. Guns are unbalanced and the mp maps are not very good. They need to release a new COD every two years just to give the devs more time to polish and maybe even a beta. Pumping out a new COD every year is a lot to ask.
  2. callumjsouth
    Dec 7, 2014
    6
    The return of zombies mode helps this instalment beat last year's disappointing MW3. It is however little consolation as Black Ops 2 now marks two Call of Duty games in a row that have not been up to scratch.
  3. AJCk19
    Aug 7, 2021
    6
    The zombie mode in this is fun, especially if you are with a squad. That knows what they are doing. Other than that, the rest of it is cookie cutter military shooter. And can get really repetitive.
  4. Dastrados
    Jun 14, 2013
    6
    SP was fun, Zombies is ok. only the dlc maps are fun) Tranzit is pretty bad. MP is boring as hell, I preferred MW3 MP and that says something. Get it for the zombies but don't expect anything amazing.
  5. iddqd4
    Jan 19, 2018
    7
    Номер восемь в моем топе игр из серии Call of Duty.
  6. AcePhoenix007
    Mar 29, 2014
    10
    While I absolutely hated the multiplayer and thought it was really bad, the campaign is what really stood out to me. The campaign was really good, and I mean REALLY good. The World at War/Black Ops storyline overall is really good and has a great story to it. For Black Ops II, the cutscenes were great, story was great, gameplay was OK, weapons were quite good, characters were beyond great,While I absolutely hated the multiplayer and thought it was really bad, the campaign is what really stood out to me. The campaign was really good, and I mean REALLY good. The World at War/Black Ops storyline overall is really good and has a great story to it. For Black Ops II, the cutscenes were great, story was great, gameplay was OK, weapons were quite good, characters were beyond great, and I liked how it switched off missions from the Mason/Woods era to the 2025 era at times. The campaign is unforgettable and is great like almost all of the other Call of Duty campaigns. The addition of player-choice decisions to decide which ending you'd get and what could happen mid-story is a new feature that I really liked. For instance, killing this person and then getting a story-affecting result and something that could affect the ending. Really liked that. And after the campaign has been complete, you can see Old Woods, Menendez, and Avenged Sevenfold play a new song together, with some Black Ops II characters in the audience, which was an absolutely amazing and epic spectacle to witness. The multiplayer wasn't enjoyable (almost at all), and the Zombies mode wasn't good, except for its DLC, but the campaign was very enjoyable. The multiplayer gets a 3, but the campaign gets a solid 10. So I'll give it a 6, which seems fair, sort of. I wouldn't necessarily buy Black Ops II, but rather rent it to play its amazing campaign.… Expand
  7. Andremax
    Sep 10, 2018
    7
    Maybe the best Online for COD series, what maybe is the principal goal for COD series, because this, story is left behind, even because this one is common and has nothing of interesting. It's only a game to play with friends and online and past the time having fun.
  8. ZAVGreviews
    Oct 11, 2013
    6
    Call of Duty is kind of like the bowling of the video game world. It's a game that you play with you're friends when you're bored and you want to chat but you want to do something while you're talking. It's also a game series that can be taken seriously to the point of rage and starting clans to compete with other hardcore CoD players. That's really all CoD games are meant to be now a daysCall of Duty is kind of like the bowling of the video game world. It's a game that you play with you're friends when you're bored and you want to chat but you want to do something while you're talking. It's also a game series that can be taken seriously to the point of rage and starting clans to compete with other hardcore CoD players. That's really all CoD games are meant to be now a days and the real question is does the newest cod game have enough new features to keep players interested. CoD Black Ops 2 is marginally better than Modern Warfare 3 with a fairer gun distribution between levels and better map design. Black Ops 2 for the most part also seems to have a decent internet connection for multiplayer. Zombies mode is also back, and it's still the same survive as many rounds as you can mode CoD players love even though I feel that the zombies mode in BO2 is a bit too story focused and the maps aren't nearly as creative. Campaign mode is, well, campaign mode. You go through an assortment of different missions to reach the goal, even though you can choose your equipment before each round it's still just your classic CoD campaign mode. The CoD series is meant to be a game series that is set to get a fresh code of paint every year so CoD fans can mindlessly shoot away with their friends with better graphics and new guns. There's not a whole lot of innovation trying to be made because, hey, why fix what's not broken? All the innovation is put into the campaign mode which nobody notices because CoD haters are too busy about how similar the multiplayer is to the last CoD game. Just judge the CoD series on the game it is, not what it could be because the formula stays the same for a reason, as a CoD game Black Ops 2 gets the job done just fine for anyone who wants that "new" CoD game.… Expand
  9. joao1198pedro
    Nov 28, 2013
    3
    it seems that every call of duty released more it became useless,this game is another useless thing in the history of call of duty.Activision should stop doing it.
  10. maskedman
    Nov 5, 2013
    5
    After a year I decided to finally review this game. And man, it took some consideration
    On one hand you have a really well polished cod game, with a great zombie mode (that requires DLC to fully enjoy) and the same old multiplayer. Oh and maybe the campaign, if you're into dark psychopath stories.
    Then we have the darker aspects of the game, the hit detection, overpowered guns, host    After a year I decided to finally review this game. And man, it took some consideration
    On one hand you have a really well polished cod game, with a great zombie mode (that requires DLC to fully enjoy) and the same old multiplayer. Oh and maybe the campaign, if you're into dark psychopath stories.
    Then we have the darker aspects of the game, the hit detection, overpowered guns, host migration, boring tri-lane maps and the silly graphics.
    **** it, I try to find something positive about this game other than Zombies, but I just can't.
    Been playing Call of Duty regularly since Modern Warfare 2 and have invested considerable time into every cod, maybe apart from WaW. It's the same rehashed game, but it's the best rehashed game out there. The main thing that keeps CoD on edge to me, is its 60 fps. And if not for that, it would be outnumbered by Battlefield in every single way imaginable.
    But this game doesn't deserve a 0 either, but it sure as hell doesn't deserve a 10.
    5 is a nice middle ground, for a game that's the same old thing since Cod 4.    … Expand
  11. name3509
    Nov 6, 2013
    8
    I found a good game but its graphics are not that surprising. the game is very addictive but gets very repetitive (in my opinion) and so I did not give a 10 is that it is always the same game the campaign is very original but very short and the multiplayer is stopped or the buildings not destroyed even throw grenades 1000 nothing happens and the arms personalisacion is very poor so II found a good game but its graphics are not that surprising. the game is very addictive but gets very repetitive (in my opinion) and so I did not give a 10 is that it is always the same game the campaign is very original but very short and the multiplayer is stopped or the buildings not destroyed even throw grenades 1000 nothing happens and the arms personalisacion is very poor so I recommend is: 1: more interactive maps such as opening a door or activate a pump that is in the map 2: that looks more like if it were a real fight because it seems like a paintball war planes put roaming the map, random explosions on stage. 3: more weapons personalisacion: what I mean I mean more accessories and you can paint your gun hand. Is it worth buying? If only for the multiplayer campaign is perfect but it is to throw a few hours to play (This is traduce in google translator)… Expand
  12. SomeGamer
    Nov 8, 2013
    8
    When Black Ops 2 came out in Nov. 2012, I remember watching a Youtube video where Tmartn was doing his review of the game and said “This is Black Ops 2?” over and over again during his commentary. One couldn’t help feeling a bit underwhelmed going into the game after all the hype about its new “pick ten” system that was going on pre-release. I believe that people were finally startingWhen Black Ops 2 came out in Nov. 2012, I remember watching a Youtube video where Tmartn was doing his review of the game and said “This is Black Ops 2?” over and over again during his commentary. One couldn’t help feeling a bit underwhelmed going into the game after all the hype about its new “pick ten” system that was going on pre-release. I believe that people were finally starting to realize that Call of Duty would never shock the world again like it did with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, even though you heard the same arguments over and over again after the release of each of the franchises subsequent installments, one still held on to hope that the next game would be groundbreaking. After playing Black Ops 2 (multiplayer) for a year now, I can tell you with confidence that this is a quality game. It never lived up to the hype that gave it, at the time, record breaking sales figures, but the game managed to hold its own regardless of these unrealistic expectations. Here are some reasons to like it:
    1. You can run and gun! I can’t say this with enough excitement because campers will be shot in this game. The fact that the perk which lets players stay off the map, does not work if they are camping, is fantastic.
    2. The pick ten system: Yes, it works, and it is a lot of fun.
    3. Playing the objective is rewarded: I really liked playing domination because it was a thrill and lay on the B flag while people were shooting at me. If I got the cap, I also got two points towards my kill streak instead of one like in Infinity Ward games. If I killed someone while on the objective, I also got two points towards my next kill streak. Thus, more and more people were playing the objective instead of trying to be slayers. Which bring me to my next point…
    4. The Scorestreak is better than the Pointstreak system: Each kill streak was worth a certain a number of points that a player earns through doing things in the game. For instance, a UAV is worth around 400 points. If you shoot down a UAV, you get 50 points, which is applied to the 400. Hence, you do not need to just kill stuff to get points toward your streaks. Assists are worth about half a kill which also apply and playing the objectives are more rewarding than ever before.
    5. Small maps: You will be thankful for these maps after playing Call of Duty Ghosts. You can get on ton of kills on just about any map, and the action never stops. Regardless of what people say, the game rewards skill. Anyone can get a kill but only the best take home the leaderboard time and time again.
    6. Score per minute is easily tracked: The game shifts the focus from KDR to SPM. I would keep an eye on my SPM after each match, trying just a bit harder the next game to get that number up a point as soon as I could. This leads to faster gameplay and less camping.
    But the game is not without its flaws which are as follows:
    1. Quick Scoping is easier than ever: After playing the game for a few months, I started noticing that more and more players were opting to “quick scope.” Toward the end of the season, it seemed that every match I was placed in was against a clan of “quick-scopers.” Kids were more interested in trying to get “quad feeds” with their sniper rifles than actually trying to play objectives. I can almost say that this wrecked the game (but didn’t) because swagger was taking precedence over substance.
    2. You are still put into the worst games that the server could possibly find: Ever wanted to be placed into a match where you are losing 150-36, and half your team rage-quit because the other team has nine thousand kill streaks circling the air? Treyarch still think you do (but so does IW). I am a proponent for making enemies forfeit an easier option to come by, rather than punish people who were not responsible for the mess they just joined. If half a team leaves, there is usually a reason for it, so just give the winning team a “W” and move on.
    3. Killstreaks are still OP: I can’t tell you how many times I was on a streak and some stupid hunter killer got me. You shouldn’t have to waste a perk to protect you from a low level kill streak.
    So all in all, I would have to say that Black Ops two was a fun multiplayer experience, probably the best one since Cod4. I am not even going to compare the two games though because it is never fair to compare something to the original idea that started it all. However, Blops2 is a fun, fast paced action game that will keep you busy for hundreds of hours. 8/10 Great game.    … Expand
  13. Ghostlymatter
    Dec 15, 2013
    8
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II has a mixture of pros and cons. It has a well thought out campaign with the all the original characters included, but the way they put the storyline into order makes the campaign a bit confusing in the first half unless you pay attention. They have added new weapons for the campaign and multiplayer, and not to mention a fully customizable load out for yourCall of Duty: Black Ops II has a mixture of pros and cons. It has a well thought out campaign with the all the original characters included, but the way they put the storyline into order makes the campaign a bit confusing in the first half unless you pay attention. They have added new weapons for the campaign and multiplayer, and not to mention a fully customizable load out for your weaponry selection.

    The multiplayer is good, it does not lag as much as the original Black Ops, and it has a lot more matchmaking categories as well. They have also added a few more kill streaks and perks. Your load out selection and customization in multiplayer is available but you NEED TO PLAY the game to unlock the customization options. The only real problem I have is that in multiplayer, you will encounter situations where you are killed, BUT when you are killed sometimes in the killcam the player does not shoot you, sometime they shoot past you but yet still kill you.

    The map graphics, textures, meshes, layouts, etc. are on the medium scale, they are not the best but they are good. The weapon models however are amazing they have very well done textures, etc. The sound quality is just above medium quality, the game sound better through a gaming headset.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops II deserves a better feedback; it is actually an okay game. I give it an 8/10. I also give Activision and Treyarch credit for trying to make a sequel to the original, they did ok.    … Expand
  14. pewpewpanda
    Nov 15, 2013
    6
    I'm going to start this positively. It's a fun casual game to play for semi-long intervals, be it campaign or multiplayer. The campaign: The artwork is not GTAV or Shadow Of The Colossus good, but still amazing. It's bright and jumpy, unlike most CODs. The campaign has seen the debut of moral chooses, that permit 3 endings. These ending are wellish thought-out, with some minor flaws. ThisI'm going to start this positively. It's a fun casual game to play for semi-long intervals, be it campaign or multiplayer. The campaign: The artwork is not GTAV or Shadow Of The Colossus good, but still amazing. It's bright and jumpy, unlike most CODs. The campaign has seen the debut of moral chooses, that permit 3 endings. These ending are wellish thought-out, with some minor flaws. This campaign is incredibly easy, and fairly stereotypical, it feels more like a point-roughly-at-the-enemy-and-click game. It has an OK amount of levels, and I haven't found any bugs, which I find surprising. Now, the multiplayer. Re-textured and partially re-animated MW2 but worse. The snipers feel OP as crap, the SMGs are almost dominant, LMGs are middle of the pack and the ARs are at the bottom. Only 1 shotgun is good, 1 is overpower, and 2 are The C4 is massively over-abused. It's basically the same thing as BO1 but retextured and made worse. I give this game a fairly goodish 69.7.… Expand
  15. simonhead
    Nov 17, 2013
    7
    The weapons are pretty good. But it seems like they are just way to freaked out about getting Raul Menendez. Well, it's better compared to ghosts. Plus the way that these characters act make no freakin sense.
  16. Jarza
    Nov 20, 2013
    6
    Another year, another action game for 12-year-olds.

    The singleplayer is a basic CoD 4-hour-long experience. New changes include custom classes and player choices. The choices you make changes how the game ends. And that's about it. While the singleplayer isn't that bad (I'm not saying it's good either), the multiplayer is just utter garbage. The balance between weapons is horrible,    Another year, another action game for 12-year-olds.

    The singleplayer is a basic CoD 4-hour-long experience. New changes include custom classes and player choices. The choices you make changes how the game ends. And that's about it.

    While the singleplayer isn't that bad (I'm not saying it's good either), the multiplayer is just utter garbage.
    The balance between weapons is horrible, the constant lagging even with low ping makes the game unplayable, and there's almost nothing new compared to MW3. I guess it's safe to say that BO2 multiplayer is the worst CoD multiplayer of all time.

    Now here's the best part of the game: Zombies!
    This game would've received a 4 from me if they didn't include our smelly, screaming friends in the game.
    The map, Green Run, is a giant map. That's why you travel around it by bus. There's also an easter egg "mission" to complete.    … Expand
  17. fnandlm96
    Jan 7, 2014
    4
    It's pretty much MW3, but with a slick, James Bond-esque theme instead of the dull military theme of the last cod. Damage is still wildly inconsistent, sniper rifles dominate the game, and spawning is still as bad as ever. The campaign is dull and boring-why make a new cold war when there's still so much of the real Cold War left unexplored?
  18. CriticalMedic
    Dec 13, 2013
    8
    I gave this title a 8 because it has awesome replay value. I come home sometimes and go online for a quick match and it puts a smile on my face every time. I have been playing call of duty titles for probably over 15 years and they have come along way. This will not disappoint someone looking to PWN Noobs on the daily. However I must say I don't particularly care for the single player gameI gave this title a 8 because it has awesome replay value. I come home sometimes and go online for a quick match and it puts a smile on my face every time. I have been playing call of duty titles for probably over 15 years and they have come along way. This will not disappoint someone looking to PWN Noobs on the daily. However I must say I don't particularly care for the single player game and story line. That's why it doesn't get a 10.… Expand
  19. ITZZZPERRY
    Dec 26, 2013
    9
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II is almost three games in one, with some decent add-on content available as well. The campaign is refreshing, multiplayer innovative, and zombies experimentive. The campaign has multiple endings, making each playthrough feel unique. The multiplayer is fun with new weapons, maps, and the pick-10 system. Zombies is now a hit-or-miss experience. You'll either fall inCall of Duty: Black Ops II is almost three games in one, with some decent add-on content available as well. The campaign is refreshing, multiplayer innovative, and zombies experimentive. The campaign has multiple endings, making each playthrough feel unique. The multiplayer is fun with new weapons, maps, and the pick-10 system. Zombies is now a hit-or-miss experience. You'll either fall in love with tranzit, or absolutely hate it. The dlc for this game is also very well done. Nuketown 2025 and all other maps are a blast to play on. The same can't be said for the zombies dlc. Nuketown zombies is a fun, yet flawed experience due to its randomization. The first dlc map for zombies, Die Rise, is terrible. Buried and the Alcatraz map, on the other hand, are the two best zombies maps in the game, both offering fun and addictive experiences. Origins, the final dlc zombies map, is best described as a let down. Sure, the fan favorite characters have returned, but the map is not fun to play on. The boss is annoying, the map layout irritating, and the giant robots just plain strange. These issues aside, this is a surprisingly good call of duty.… Expand
  20. Martman
    Dec 17, 2013
    9
    First of all, don't listen to all the haters. In my opinion, giving a 0 to a decent shooter is very childish...get a life! We all know what to expect with COD, FIFA, NBA etc.. I understand that some people have had enough of the repetition, but the concept is still great imo. They have some great impovements in the online experience and the extinction game mode is a great addition. IFirst of all, don't listen to all the haters. In my opinion, giving a 0 to a decent shooter is very childish...get a life! We all know what to expect with COD, FIFA, NBA etc.. I understand that some people have had enough of the repetition, but the concept is still great imo. They have some great impovements in the online experience and the extinction game mode is a great addition. I have to say that I have bought a couple of COD games in the past (MW1 en MW2 World at War) and I think this game is better in terms of graphics and gameplay. The single player is good, but not something special. The multiplayer works perfectly and is really enjoyable. A lot of people complain about the maps and about camping, but I do not agree with these comments. In the beginning, you will not be as good as some players, because you really have to get to know the surroundings. At the moment, I have a K-D ratio near 2.0 and I run like a rabbit (if you move well and look at the right spots, you will beat the campers easily). As your experience growths over time, you will also kill more people in the big maps. I also think that the killstreaks are not too powerful, which is a good thing. You can have a lot of strategies due to the large variety of perks, weapons and killstreaks and you can play with several characters in different outfits!… Expand
  21. wegie125
    Jun 28, 2016
    10
    I feel that this game was actually one of the few call of duties that was actually something new and fun. This was by far the most I have ever played a call of duty game and still to this day I sometimes go back and play the zombies mode. I just love the atmosphere this game provides.
  22. mishabridun
    Jan 9, 2014
    9
    A compelling story, amazing multiplayer, and a creative new Zombie mode, This is by far one of the best in the series. The campaign has many different time periods and a big variety of missions, The Multiplayer is completely reinvented with new guns, class systems, and killstreaks. The Zombie mode is very fun and has a new addition "Tranzit" If you are a COD fan and want somethingA compelling story, amazing multiplayer, and a creative new Zombie mode, This is by far one of the best in the series. The campaign has many different time periods and a big variety of missions, The Multiplayer is completely reinvented with new guns, class systems, and killstreaks. The Zombie mode is very fun and has a new addition "Tranzit" If you are a COD fan and want something extremely fun and are looking for a refreshing new game then look no further!… Expand
  23. demolisher7778
    Oct 20, 2014
    8
    Zombies: Zombies in Black Ops II is just as good if not better than the zombies in Black Ops 1. It has a great story, new and cool looking guns (except the Jet Gun), and great maps (except Tranzit). I would give the Zombies portion a 9.5/10.

    Multiplayer: First of all, such a huge improvement over the Multiplayer and Campaign in BO1. The campaign in this game is ok and the multiplayer is    Zombies: Zombies in Black Ops II is just as good if not better than the zombies in Black Ops 1. It has a great story, new and cool looking guns (except the Jet Gun), and great maps (except Tranzit). I would give the Zombies portion a 9.5/10.

    Multiplayer: First of all, such a huge improvement over the Multiplayer and Campaign in BO1. The campaign in this game is ok and the multiplayer is actually fun to play but can get boring for some. Multiplayer and Campaign gets a 6.5/10    … Expand
  24. MattG_123
    Dec 31, 2013
    7
    Better than MW3. The multiplayer is more fun, and the futuristic weapons and ideas really seem to work, the zombies remains mostly the same, adds a few small things, and the single player is just decent. Don't expect much different from the basic CoD formula with this one, decent game.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops II gets a 7.7/10.
  25. graberr
    Jan 1, 2014
    7
    Would much rather play this game over ghosts. I thought this game had issues til ghost came along. Fresh breathe of air after switching discs. This cod game has a much better multiplayer unless you're a camper, then feel free to play ghosts and never come back
  26. GTArocks
    Jan 26, 2014
    6
    Acceptable but not great. Graphics are good but not as good as Battlefield and Crysis. The campaign follows WOW and BO but is a bit of an improvement. I am quite disappointed in the Zombies mode as it could use improvement. The multiplayer is pretty good, especially the League Play despite all the little dumb 7-13 year olds shouting through the microphone.
  27. guitarguy001
    Jan 9, 2014
    5
    I think my review of this game sums up what the Call of Duty franchise is but in one word, uninspired. This game is just nothing new at all and it brings nothing new to the world of first-person shooters. It's saving grace is it's local multiplayer (Zombies especially) but it's just not enough to save this game from being just.....uninspired and lazy.
  28. BronzeWaffles
    Feb 13, 2014
    9
    I personally think that BO2 was one of the best Call of Duty's out there right now. I didn't buy the game, I borrowed it, but I played the living **** out of the game and really enjoyed it, it's FAR SUPERIOR THAN GHOSTS. I know you guys will probably **** murder me for saying this, but I do think that this is a good Call of Duty despite the fact that there was a steaming pile of **** thatI personally think that BO2 was one of the best Call of Duty's out there right now. I didn't buy the game, I borrowed it, but I played the living **** out of the game and really enjoyed it, it's FAR SUPERIOR THAN GHOSTS. I know you guys will probably **** murder me for saying this, but I do think that this is a good Call of Duty despite the fact that there was a steaming pile of **** that was MW3. BO2 gave us some choice in the campaign and it was really cool to see the story play out a different way than some other person. Multiplayer actually introduced some new mechanics, the Pick 10 system, new modes, and FAR BETTER MAPS. Lastly, you get the final piece of the puzzle, which is Zombies. I truly don't know what to say about this mode, it's funny, it's hard, and it's just plain addicting. Zombies has never been this fun and I hope that the next Treyarch game will be just as good as this one. Treyarch actually **** listens to the community and unlike the new Infinity Ward, THEY CARE ABOUT THE PC GAMERS. End of review, this game, to my surprise, delivered a good experience compared to Ghosts and MW3, Treyarch is actually making the best of CoD now.… Expand
  29. BobbyM747
    Apr 15, 2015
    7
    This might be the one call of duty game I still play. I don't know what it is about the game, but its very addictive and fun compared to ghosts and advanced warfare. Target Finder is a downside for multiplayer though, and the entire "quickscope" community.
  30. HaloFever
    Jul 17, 2014
    7
    The Call of Duty series needs another refresh. I very much enjoyed the convoluted spy thriller / psychological drama that was "Black Ops". I did not enjoy the mess of the story in the sequel. When the game ended, I felt like vomiting, but you can't regurgitate memories.

    Despite the future setting, the game play is familiar Call of Duty. Shoot waves of enemies until you get to the check    The Call of Duty series needs another refresh. I very much enjoyed the convoluted spy thriller / psychological drama that was "Black Ops". I did not enjoy the mess of the story in the sequel. When the game ended, I felt like vomiting, but you can't regurgitate memories.

    Despite the future setting, the game play is familiar Call of Duty. Shoot waves of enemies until you get to the check point, hide until you health returns. They even added another "follow me while I whisper" psuedo stealth mission. Every use of future gear is brief, such as climbing gloves or a wing suit, and there is little sense that any of these gadgets provide any advantage in warfare or any advantage over current tech. One weapon, a gun with an x-ray scope that can shoot through walls, stands out, but you can only use it in two missions.

    The game further deepens the terribleness, with "Strike Missions". These RTS missions are tacked on and unfortunately necessary to achieve the "best" ending. (Though even the best ending will make you nauseous, I assure you). I have plenty of time wasters, I want to play a game with a narrative!

    The biggest disappointment is the perfunctory multiplayer. How is the multiplayer any different than the prior 5 years worth of Call of Duty multiplayer? You have new maps and some new weapons, but everything else is exactly the same. Then of course the multiplayer experience for new players is hampered by the perks system. To keep a competitive advantage, you really have to buy the game on day one and keep playing it religiously until the next release, which you have to buy on day one. For anyone picking up the game later, like me, multiplayer is unbalanced and less fun. Plus, unless you buy a map pack, the few bundled maps become old rather quickly.

    The best "Black Ops 2" has going for it is the high product value. The game plays well and multiplayer can be a fun experience. Some of the scenes are also memorable, just not enough of them for what should be the pinnacle of AAA shooters.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 73
  3. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. Xbox World Australia
    Jan 22, 2013
    80
    This is not to say it's a bad game, it's just not different enough from previous Call of Duty titles. The story isn't memorable, the maps and weapons aren't any different to what we've previously experienced, the gameplay is near identical to previous games, and when it's not identical it falls flat and fails to impress.
    Read full review
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Jan 19, 2013
    80
    It's fun, and an indication that Treyarch is willing to explore ideas that Infinity Ward has thus far ignored. [Issue#93, p.74]
  3. DailyGame
    Jan 7, 2013
    95
    If the original Black Ops was Treyarch's coming-out party, then Black Ops 2 is the studio's affirmation that their COD expertise was no flash in the pan. If you're one of the 16 people who hasn't played this gem yet, go buy it now. Conversely, if you're among those who bought the game but hasn't ventured into the single-player campaign (yes, it happens), there's a great narrative and divergent gameplay awaiting your experimentation, so check it out.
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