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. tylerdurden516
    Nov 29, 2012
    9
    I hated MW3. Everytime i heard someone mention COD I proudly explained i was done with that game, and would never buy another. Black Ops 2 made me eat my words. The first black ops was decent, but treyarch was trying to put a different style on the game. Since Infinity Ward lost the creators of COD (along with 2/3 of the studio who followed them to Respawn Studios) treyarch wasn't afraidI hated MW3. Everytime i heard someone mention COD I proudly explained i was done with that game, and would never buy another. Black Ops 2 made me eat my words. The first black ops was decent, but treyarch was trying to put a different style on the game. Since Infinity Ward lost the creators of COD (along with 2/3 of the studio who followed them to Respawn Studios) treyarch wasn't afraid this rime to embrace the good things MW got right, and they knocked it out of the park. They brought it back to the gunplay. The perks are balanced perfectly and never feel like MW2 where there were so many bots flying around that it hurt the gameplay. The maps are all very well designed and interesting, something i think MW3 completely missed. Theres no game-breaking perks like one man army, or the MOAB, and they FINALLY made killstreaks SCOREstreaks, so when I'm running to get objectives i can finally rack up some rewards. Speaking of scorestreaks, there is such a variety in this game that matches never feel the same like previous COD games. In 20 hours of play I've only had dogs called once, and the HK storm once. It's not like MW2 where some 12 year old and a friend are teaming up just so they can cheat-win a nuke every couple games. They didn't reinvent the wheel for black ops 2, they just made the best COD thats come out since the 1st Modern Warfare.… Expand
  2. feliciafan89
    Nov 19, 2012
    2
    Coming this winter, from the folks who just can't take a hint, it's Call of Duty: Black Ops II! The multiplayer is exactly the same as before, yet somehow been made worse than before! The morons over at Activision and Treyarch have somehow taken the laziest kind of FPS on the market, and become the Beavis and Butthead of it. I'm sorry, but I'm tired of being handed the exact same thingComing this winter, from the folks who just can't take a hint, it's Call of Duty: Black Ops II! The multiplayer is exactly the same as before, yet somehow been made worse than before! The morons over at Activision and Treyarch have somehow taken the laziest kind of FPS on the market, and become the Beavis and Butthead of it. I'm sorry, but I'm tired of being handed the exact same thing every year that's somehow progressively worse each time. With Ghost only unlockable at the last level, it's frontline-on-frontline, with little or no chance of flanking or stealth. This is what happens when a game company caters to whiny little kids and those with an IQ lower than 40 who know nothing except the traditional Ulysses S. Grant cavalry charge that's been failing AI enemies since the 90's. But now it's somehow mandated. Run and gun, or die trying. There is no other option now. These are the same people who complain about campers, in a series that already has a wide array of tools for weeding out campers. Flashbangs, grenades, launchers of both kinds, and -- god forbid -- actually CHECKING your corners. I do it all the time. But now, those of us who genuinely want to use flanking and stealth just get left in the dust. The game also feels like it was geared only towards people who've been around long enough, so I can't see how anyone new to the FPS genre would enjoy this game. To its credit, the campaign is somewhat passable, as you can actually pick your loadout before each mission. But once again, the campaign was too short, and I beat it in under a day. This is a series where multiplayer is the main focus. Here's one player who's selling the game back for a full refund before the receipt expires, probably the last chance I'm giving Call of Duty.… Expand
  3. Jhahn505
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    10/10. I have owned every call of duty since the original modern warfare. This is the best cod game to date and ill tell you why.

    Up to black ops 2, the original call of duty modern warfare was the best, modern warfare 3 being the worst. Honestly I was very hesitant in buying black ops 2 because modern warfare 3 was awful. I find it funny people criticize others for jumping on the    10/10. I have owned every call of duty since the original modern warfare. This is the best cod game to date and ill tell you why.

    Up to black ops 2, the original call of duty modern warfare was the best, modern warfare 3 being the worst.

    Honestly I was very hesitant in buying black ops 2 because modern warfare 3 was awful. I find it funny people criticize others for jumping on the cod bandwagon every year but then haters give the game a review without 0 score review without even playing it! You are the one in a bandwagon!

    Here's why Black Ops 2 multiplayer is the best:
    -Best graphics
    -AMAZING gun sound effects
    -Intuitive and easy to use menus/options
    -Best map designs (opposite of MW3's maps)
    -Better gun balance than even MW3
    -Customization (32 layer playercard, camo on knives, ect)
    -Pick 10 system lets you be any type of player you want -Tough restrictions on hackers (permanent IP ban)
    -Zombies mode is a blast. My GF hates video games but plays this with me
    -TONS of new weapons attachments (pick 10 system lets you have 3 on primary)
    -Prestige mode does not reset weapons
    -league play actually ranks you against players of your skill level
    -COD tv gives you way more opportunities to get sponsored
    -in depth stat tracking right from the game

    Overall it's just fun! It's a game that I love playing and honestly don't care if people don't like it    … Expand
  4. tastybowl
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    just awful! Treyarch seem to mess up whenever they get the chance. I used to really enjoy playing call of duty but Treyarch keep on churning rubbish out. They know people will buy into the call of duty franchise so seem to make little effort to make them even better. Why not change the whole FPS genre again. Mix it up. Using the same engines as years gone by. Come on Treyarch, make somejust awful! Treyarch seem to mess up whenever they get the chance. I used to really enjoy playing call of duty but Treyarch keep on churning rubbish out. They know people will buy into the call of duty franchise so seem to make little effort to make them even better. Why not change the whole FPS genre again. Mix it up. Using the same engines as years gone by. Come on Treyarch, make some effort! At least MW3 was playable.… Expand
  5. PowZee
    Nov 17, 2012
    10
    This time around I believe Treyarch has come out of the shadows of Infinity Ward. They deserve great COD fan respect and the highest accolades ever for the well thought out fine tuning they have brought us with COD Black Ops II. It is incredibly fun to play, most especially the multiplayer. It's the best COD multiplayer experience to date and one big reason why is the refinement of theThis time around I believe Treyarch has come out of the shadows of Infinity Ward. They deserve great COD fan respect and the highest accolades ever for the well thought out fine tuning they have brought us with COD Black Ops II. It is incredibly fun to play, most especially the multiplayer. It's the best COD multiplayer experience to date and one big reason why is the refinement of the perk system and the emphasis on teamwork and it's relation to gaining xp, scoring higher, and winning matches. This makes the objective based mp games better than ever. The realistic graphics beautifully go beyond what I thought was possible for the Xbox 360 to handle. Splendid job Treyarch!… Expand
  6. Virtro
    Apr 29, 2013
    4
    Black Ops 2 is just another copy/paste/edit game. You search for a terrorist, surprise? Not so much. The gunplay is once again the same as it always has been. Just point and shoot and nothing interesting to mix in between. The multiplayer is just as tedious considering its nothing but more hard work for no rewards besides guns and stuff.

    Lets face it, its a bandwagon that is milking the    Black Ops 2 is just another copy/paste/edit game. You search for a terrorist, surprise? Not so much. The gunplay is once again the same as it always has been. Just point and shoot and nothing interesting to mix in between. The multiplayer is just as tedious considering its nothing but more hard work for no rewards besides guns and stuff.

    Lets face it, its a bandwagon that is milking the gamers dry of good money they could be spending on a brighter game. Call of duty isn't worth it anymore people, so why not play something more fresh?    … Expand
  7. Johng4
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    Why the hell is the user score for this game so low, if you guys dont like call of duty anymore then dont buy it. The fact is this game sold millions of copies because it is a good game, and heres why. The campaign in this game is fantsastic and it feels a lot different from the other cod campaigns. Now you make your own decisions that affect the outcome of your story and its a blast toWhy the hell is the user score for this game so low, if you guys dont like call of duty anymore then dont buy it. The fact is this game sold millions of copies because it is a good game, and heres why. The campaign in this game is fantsastic and it feels a lot different from the other cod campaigns. Now you make your own decisions that affect the outcome of your story and its a blast to play. The multiplayer isnt that different but now theres a new pick ten system in which you pick your guns and perks and each item is worth one point and you get up to ten points. I didnt really like it because it does limit you to what you can choose. And zombies is fantastic if you loved in black ops 1 then your going to die when you see what theyve done here im not gonna spoil it youll be shocked to see how much effort theyve put into zombies. This is by far the best cod yet and knock mw3 out of the park(mw3 sucked) do yourself a favor and buy this game its more than worth the price.… Expand
  8. BeAwesomeOne
    Apr 26, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gosh, I hate this game. Never mind the fact that this is same game as the other games and have same multiplayer like other games from this franchise (only with different HUD), my biggest problem is that this game shouldn't be a sequel! I mean sure, you play as Mason half of the game but the other half is a futuristic FPS. WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH FIRST BLACK OPS?! To be fair, future part of this game has some pretty good features such as camouflage, sticky gloves, that let you climb a rock mountain and sky diving section. Sadly this happen only one or two time in this game. Anyway I don't understand a point of playing both Mason's campaign and future campaign, if Black Ops 2 only contains a Mason's campaign then that's will be fine. Only resemblance in future in BO2 is Woods... that's it!

    In other words this game will be better if they focus mostly about Mason storyline rather than on future soldiers one. If Activision wants to make a futuristic FPS in Call Of Duty, that's fine. But please don't put Black Ops name on it. Called it, I don't know, Futuristic War or something.    … Expand
  9. Riflenator1234
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    This game does not deserve the user rating it currently has. Don't listen to the user reviews. They are simply a bunch of angry nerds (I use the term nerd loosely.) that were going to rage no matter how good the game was and haven't actually played the game. This game is very enjoyable and is certainly an improvement upon last year's MW3.
  10. TheKemosabi
    Apr 10, 2013
    0
    If you played a Call of Duty game before, then you've played this game aleady. The creaters seem to have no intrest in taking a few years to invest time and money in order to innovate something that feels fresh. But then again why would they? lol If I knew all I had to do was slap a new skin on an old game in order to make billions upon billions of dollars, I would do the same.
  11. TheLivingVirus
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    First thing: I bet 1000 bucks that not even the half of all the red reviewers have even played Black Ops 2 and still write that there is nothing new or changed compared to MW2. I played MW3 and Battlefield 3 last year and enjoyed both of them equally. I cant get all the hate on Black Ops 2.
    Everyone shouted out for innovations and new ideas and Treyarch delivered them. A non-linear    First thing: I bet 1000 bucks that not even the half of all the red reviewers have even played Black Ops 2 and still write that there is nothing new or changed compared to MW2. I played MW3 and Battlefield 3 last year and enjoyed both of them equally. I cant get all the hate on Black Ops 2.
    Everyone shouted out for innovations and new ideas and Treyarch delivered them. A non-linear storymode, all-new zombies, completely overhauled multiplayer with new perk- and prestige system and still everyone says that there is nothing new.
    The graphics are not really uptodate but they are far better than in every other CoD with new lightning effects. Why would you need a new engine anyway? Was there such a huge difference beetween the Frostbite 1 and Frostbite 2 engine except the advertisment for new bashing material on CoD? No! The graphics of Battlefield 3 on the consoles were horrible and even MW3 delivered a smoother (if it was better is a matter of opinion) experience with 60 FPS. But MW3 didnt made ANYTHING new. Nothing. It made it even worse with support killstreaks and stuff like this and got ratings way higher than Black Ops 2.

    Black Ops 2 is way more than a simple Call of Duty. Its the (last) try of a great development team to make the Call of Duty franchise fresh and feel good again. MW3 was a shame in playability online with all the Akimbo and Assassin noobs but Black Ops 2 made good with its multiplayer to be fair. The connection may not be the best everytime but its not that bad. Like in every game you have good and bad rounds.

    All I can say is that most of the haters here are just BF fanboys. This ratings should all go to Modern Warfare 3 and even the press bashes on Black Ops 2 for not being original what I cant understand. Its doing the best job possible on making a shooter feel fresh and Treyarch gets spitted in the face like this? I can see Modern Warfare 4 in the future with the same sh**play like Modern Warfare 3 and it will get 90+ again from everyone because it makes everything better and has nice Coop. That's a joke such as all the 0.0 ratings. They don't make any sense at all. If you played (and I mean not only 2 matches online and the first three missions in the story) Black Ops 2 you know that it just can't get 0.0. In my eyes Treyarch did an amazing job on make Call of Duty feel fresh. After disappointments this year like Medal of Honor or some other mediocre games I can just say that Black Ops 2 is with Dishonored and XCOM one of my Game of the Year. Period.    … Expand
  12. InboardPG
    Nov 24, 2012
    2
    This will be an entirely multiplayer-based review! I can't believe I spend 60 bucks on this pile of garbage. Lag returns in the game, worse than ever. I don't remember having this much lag since using Internet Explorer on a Windows XP. Hit detection is just as worse, you can literally be shot around walls! The weapons are all crap except all the SMG's are all overpowered. The maps areThis will be an entirely multiplayer-based review! I can't believe I spend 60 bucks on this pile of garbage. Lag returns in the game, worse than ever. I don't remember having this much lag since using Internet Explorer on a Windows XP. Hit detection is just as worse, you can literally be shot around walls! The weapons are all crap except all the SMG's are all overpowered. The maps are for campers and headglitchers. Killstreaks are overpowered ONCE AGAIN. (eg. Hunter killer drone, A.G.R, Lighting Strike, etc.) The graphics are crap, not so surprising for a 7 year old engine. Zombies is only fun with friends, because solo play is impossible. This game is also very noob-friendly. (MMS, Target Finder, RC-XD, No recoil weapons) I can't stress this enough, this game is garbage. The only good thing in this trash can is the campaign. Good story, good explosions, but you don't really know the enemy you are up against.… Expand
  13. Big-Sweed
    Nov 13, 2012
    6
    Please just hear me out on this, first of, people are overreacting, it's not a terrible game.

    The campaign claims to be different, but really these strike force missions that would change the course of your campaign don't, cool idea but poorly executed. The campaign is still a on rails roller-coaster which I'd only recommend dor tasteless "gamers". The story is filled with plot-holes,    Please just hear me out on this, first of, people are overreacting, it's not a terrible game.

    The campaign claims to be different, but really these strike force missions that would change the course of your campaign don't, cool idea but poorly executed. The campaign is still a on rails roller-coaster which I'd only recommend dor tasteless "gamers". The story is filled with plot-holes, brain-dead people won't have a problem with this, but I did.

    Multi-player can be addictive, and although Treyarch actually tried to make it feel a bit fresh, it falls somewhat short. It's no doubt an improvement over previous call of duty games, perhaps the best since WaW, or Cod4, but that doesn't mean much anymore. It basically feels like cod with a new hud, slightly improved graphics, and although there's more game-modes it's not enough to make this worth $60. Zombies have so much potential, but lazy map design, and a refusal to improve, makes the zombie mode (although fun) a half assed experience. Too bad because it really has a potential to be one of the best zombie games with all the revenue and funding over the years.

    The game isn't **** like the nay-sayers call it, but it's not worth it compared to all other great games, and the fact that BO2 will be a forgotten entry full with hackers next year.    … Expand
  14. StarElite
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    BEST GAME EVER! The graphics look incredible, the campaign is the best FPS campaign yet, zombies returns and is better than ever, loved it, the multiplayer is incredibly different in this game with the whole 'pick 10' style which I loved, being set in the future is awesome, I love the new guns/attachments, overall, just the best FPS ever, love it so much
  15. truthaboutgames
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    One of the best Call of Duties the franchise has ever seen!.

    The story is great , the set pieces are in the right places to keep you interested, the multiple choices you can make during the story really make a huge difference to previous CoD games, the fact you can change your load out for each chapter (which the inventory of choices increases as you progress so if you replay the story    One of the best Call of Duties the franchise has ever seen!.

    The story is great , the set pieces are in the right places to keep you interested, the multiple choices you can make during the story really make a huge difference to previous CoD games, the fact you can change your load out for each chapter (which the inventory of choices increases as you progress so if you replay the story you have more to choose from) makes it even better.Then the intertwined special missions change it up a bit too with squad control kinda like ghost recon games.

    The multi-player is a lot of fun the maps are diverse and have some many paths to take it keeps it interesting, the guns are varied and the customisation of your individual loadouts are good, and one of the things that got me to give this CoD a chance was the fact A.I bots are back so i can play with my son offline and still have a lot of fun.

    For anyone jaded by the franchise after the disappointing MW3, give this game a go its definitely a vast improvement and will get you hooked again.    … Expand
  16. steakosaurrus
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    So i am not some kind of COD fan boy or anything but i do believe games should be reviewed based on what they are. I cant take any of these people giving this game a 0 seriously because no game unless completely unplayable deserves a 0 regardless of how much you don't like like the franchise as a whole. I was not the biggest MW3 fan but when it comes to modern military shooters BO2 offersSo i am not some kind of COD fan boy or anything but i do believe games should be reviewed based on what they are. I cant take any of these people giving this game a 0 seriously because no game unless completely unplayable deserves a 0 regardless of how much you don't like like the franchise as a whole. I was not the biggest MW3 fan but when it comes to modern military shooters BO2 offers the best story by far and yes i understand the engine and graphics are a bit outdated but the game is still a solid offering with a zombie/ multiplayer experience that rivals any other console shooters at the present. But for all the people blatantly just throwing a 0 at this game because it's COD is a bit sad, grow up and review a game on its pros and cons and not on the title of the franchise.… Expand
  17. Jonex
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Some seriously delusional people giving user reviews here. I personally really enjoy Black Ops 2. The campaign isn't the strongest, but it's far from the weakest in the COD series. The Zombies and multiplayer more than justify the retail price. You'll be playing this for months, I know I will.
  18. quasar44
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    If there were no other Call of Duty games, gamers would be raving about Black Ops II. DONT LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO GIVES THIS GAME A score of 0. They either wanted BOII to be completely different than all previous Call of Duty games or they're just people who complain about everything in life.
  19. spinbotlv1
    Nov 15, 2012
    1
    the real score and the real quality of this game is around 4. But I give 1 against treyach and activision mentality. well, regarding the quality of the game, what I can say is : the game is outdated with indecent graphycs a boring story, stupid characters and a sp campaign structured on stupid, fast ride and mindless mission on rails that lasts 5 hours. If you are searching for a solid fpsthe real score and the real quality of this game is around 4. But I give 1 against treyach and activision mentality. well, regarding the quality of the game, what I can say is : the game is outdated with indecent graphycs a boring story, stupid characters and a sp campaign structured on stupid, fast ride and mindless mission on rails that lasts 5 hours. If you are searching for a solid fps well structured in single player campaign, with an open world or sandbox missions or freeroaming DON'T BUY COD Blackops2, DON'T waste your money or rent it for a day and wait for farcry3 release or go out and buy the best fps yet available of this year: borderlands 2. The single player campiagn is only an excuse to sell this game at 60 bucks, but in reality the lenght is like a dlc of the previous Cod:black ops. Cod: Blops2 is only for fanboys multiplayer addicted, but warning because the multiplayer mode isn't perfect and has actually connection issues.… Expand
  20. radimarzio
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    This game really surprised me. It's so good to see that the makers didn't sit over the old formula and still work to find new ways to put people on the battlefield and still feel like it's something they didn't pass before. The campaign has a good story, with a high mature level of violence,with a very convincing storytelling that, even with all the future stuff, can make we recognize theThis game really surprised me. It's so good to see that the makers didn't sit over the old formula and still work to find new ways to put people on the battlefield and still feel like it's something they didn't pass before. The campaign has a good story, with a high mature level of violence,with a very convincing storytelling that, even with all the future stuff, can make we recognize the nature of the environment. Multiplayer rocks as always and the zombie mode is even larger than before. Enjoying every moment with friends!… Expand
  21. Generallee109
    Nov 15, 2012
    1
    I'm a 34 y/o guy that is a huge of shooters but if you think this is an improvement, you are nucking futs! The graphics are terrible and they borrowed the color scheme from Serious Sam. Multiplayer is king these days and the pick 10 system does not redefine this title. The levels are small, easily campable and just plain dull and boring. I give it 1 for how smooth it feels but couldI'm a 34 y/o guy that is a huge of shooters but if you think this is an improvement, you are nucking futs! The graphics are terrible and they borrowed the color scheme from Serious Sam. Multiplayer is king these days and the pick 10 system does not redefine this title. The levels are small, easily campable and just plain dull and boring. I give it 1 for how smooth it feels but could not shake the feeling like I was getting killed when I clearly had the upper hand in gun battles. I've already lost interest here after 2 days of trying to give it a chance. I hate HALO but i'm trading in BO2 in for it today.… Expand
  22. JoePeli
    Nov 16, 2012
    8
    It is a really solid COD game. The campaign was really good and not like any other COD game before. Zombies are awesome! The multiplayer could be better, but it is still pretty solid. Many won't agree with me on this, but this is probably the best COD game ever! However, it is still a COD game, same engine, pretty much same graphics etc. Especially the multiplayer still plays the same,It is a really solid COD game. The campaign was really good and not like any other COD game before. Zombies are awesome! The multiplayer could be better, but it is still pretty solid. Many won't agree with me on this, but this is probably the best COD game ever! However, it is still a COD game, same engine, pretty much same graphics etc. Especially the multiplayer still plays the same, which is not exactly a bad thing (for me anyway) and most importantly, the online community is huge!
    I'm really enjoying this game...It's impossible to give this game a negative rating, should be a 6 at the lowest!    … Expand
  23. GrazerMagic
    Nov 17, 2012
    2
    The campaign was terrible, which was what I expected. The multiplayer was terrible, which was what I expected.

    I WAS however looking forward to zombies, with Treyarch's promise of a whole plate of maps, and its own campaign. Unfortunately they didn't seem to want to follow through with that promise, as there is absolutely no campaign to speak of, a sickingly boring 'easter egg', and    The campaign was terrible, which was what I expected. The multiplayer was terrible, which was what I expected.

    I WAS however looking forward to zombies, with Treyarch's promise of a whole plate of maps, and its own campaign.

    Unfortunately they didn't seem to want to follow through with that promise, as there is absolutely no campaign to speak of, a sickingly boring 'easter egg', and only ONE zombie map, not including the day one DLC.

    This is ass.    … Expand
  24. Dreagthe
    Nov 17, 2012
    3
    Well once again, Treyarch refuses to fix even one of the issues that makes anyone that respects and plays any sort of first person shooter cringe. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a disgusting mess of a game. It features a grand total of four different spawn points per game, a shallow thoughtless campaign, rehashed graphics from 2010, and hit markers that are once again dysfunctional. I reallyWell once again, Treyarch refuses to fix even one of the issues that makes anyone that respects and plays any sort of first person shooter cringe. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a disgusting mess of a game. It features a grand total of four different spawn points per game, a shallow thoughtless campaign, rehashed graphics from 2010, and hit markers that are once again dysfunctional. I really need to stop giving this franchise chances, because they don't even try anymore. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.… Expand
  25. GrimmBro
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    This is quite simply the best Call of Duty (CoD) yet. With a campaign that has a good storyline with memorable characters; there is a want to play the game to the end not just simply to complete it but to enjoy the experience. Multiplayer is of course just as good as all the predecessors and has a new loadout system which allows for extra customisation. Levelling remains largely the sameThis is quite simply the best Call of Duty (CoD) yet. With a campaign that has a good storyline with memorable characters; there is a want to play the game to the end not just simply to complete it but to enjoy the experience. Multiplayer is of course just as good as all the predecessors and has a new loadout system which allows for extra customisation. Levelling remains largely the same and could maybe do with some sort overhaul. Zombies is a an added extra and gives you something else to do if you are waiting for friends for multiplayer or just fancy a bit of horror. Not sure why people complain about the CoD; it does the games industry wonders.… Expand
  26. Thatuserguy
    Nov 18, 2012
    8
    Black Ops 2 was a rather favorable game. Black Ops' campaign was a sort of short and sweet type of ordeal, while Black Ops 2's is longer and more in depth. Your actions control the outcome of the story, as do missions being failed or completed successfully. You also get to customize your loadout before each mission rather than the game just handing you weapons and expecting you to useBlack Ops 2 was a rather favorable game. Black Ops' campaign was a sort of short and sweet type of ordeal, while Black Ops 2's is longer and more in depth. Your actions control the outcome of the story, as do missions being failed or completed successfully. You also get to customize your loadout before each mission rather than the game just handing you weapons and expecting you to use them, really allowing you to tailor it to the experience in which you wish to play. Small modifiers also exist to help enhance this, such as an ability that lets your bullets do more damage, or an ability that lets you gain access to otherwise unreachable parts of the campaign that give you weapons, ammo, and other such things. There were plenty of surprises and plot twists that were much different than what I expected, and let me tell you, the campaign is hardly one where you're exclusively boots on the ground the entire time: there's plenty of interesting other experiences thrown in there, such as piloting a jet, controlling a drone, or driving a car.

    Multiplayer is the main part that dragged this game's score down. Is it fun to play? Oh yeah, definitely. They brought back all the gamemodes from the original Black Ops, and even added a few, such as kill confirmed. So what's the issue? Mainly, maps and loadout customization. The maps not so much, but there definitely is some reason to complain. The maps don't have any interactable pieces with them, and something about their designs just no longer carries the magic of Black Ops' maps as well as Black Ops did. If you sit and look at some of the maps though, you get an almost deja vu feeling, because some of them seem to be based off of maps from Black Ops in design. As for the loadouts, they just aren't as fulfilling as far as customization as the original Black Ops' loadout system was. Rather than earning money from matches that may be used to buy weapons, attachments, perks, and all that other stuff, you instead now unlock them based on weapon usage and ranking up, sadly similar to the Modern Warfare series' design. Where as in Black Ops you had a main weapon, one or two attachments for it and a skin and custom crosshair, a secondary, one or two attachments for it, equipment, one or two lethal and tactical grenades, and 3 perks that may be pro or not; due to the pick ten system, you can now only have ten or less of those. You might have a primary with two attachments, 3 perks, a modifier allowing you to have two lethal grenades, two lethal grenades, and a single tactical grenade, and that's all you get; you can't have a secondary or second tactical grenade. It was a cool concept on paper, but actually playing with it, it really limits your experience. To add on to that, pro perks no longer even exist, and neither do equipment or crosshair customization. Getting your emblem and clan tag on your weapon also requires "weapon prestiges," which I can only assume means getting rid of every attachment and such for your weapon and starting over. So what happens if after you get them, you don't like that weapon any more? Oh well, all that hard work is down the drain, and you better find a new weapon to get working at to get that same stuff. Generally, the pick ten system and the whole system of customizing your loadout and weapons just does more to ruin the experience, than it does help it; the old system was much better. It's not all bad though. The emblem creator was overhauled, and the game is still fun to play regardless of the previously mentioned issues.

    I haven't touched zombies yet except for a couple of minutes, but they made some radical changes that I can already tell will make things quite fun, especially with a few friends to tag along, so if you were a fan of zombies in the original Black Ops, you'll probably enjoy Black Ops 2's even more.

    Overall, Treyarch took some interesting design choices that makes Black Ops 2 feel both familiar, and different. If you liked Black Ops and weren't particularly a major fan of MW3, you're more than likely to enjoy this game quite thoroughly, at least for a little while anyways.    … Expand
  27. Vandral007
    Nov 25, 2012
    7
    I can't help but laugh at half of these reviews for this game. They are either "Call of Duty Sucks Trolololol" or "Call of Duty is bestest game evah for 1337 haxorz like me!" Ignore both these schools of thought, and try to judge the game under your own merits. Black Ops 2 does what it does very well. All of the CoD's since Modern Warfare have. Is it the best game ever, or even in theI can't help but laugh at half of these reviews for this game. They are either "Call of Duty Sucks Trolololol" or "Call of Duty is bestest game evah for 1337 haxorz like me!" Ignore both these schools of thought, and try to judge the game under your own merits. Black Ops 2 does what it does very well. All of the CoD's since Modern Warfare have. Is it the best game ever, or even in the franchise? No, it isn't, but that doesn't make it a terrible game. What the game actually is is slightly above average. Complaints from both lovers and haters are valid. The campaign is woefully short, but lets be honest, few people actually buy this game for the singleplayer campaign. I'll still mention it though, because with all of the talent behind it, it feels kind of like a let down. I was far more engrossed by Black Ops 1's story than I was with this poor man's Red Dawn. The jarring cuts from past/present/future really hurt the narrative flow, leaving the story feeling disjointed, and really doesn't allow you to actually care about any of the characters you're controlling. The zombie feature has been improved, but not to the point where I see myself playing it again in a week or so (I never really cared for the zombie features in any of the CoD's. They're not bad, just not my cup of tea.) So the real reason people buy CoD: Multiplayer. And it works. The formula still has the magic first inspired by the original Modern Warfare, albiet a formula thats beggining to grow a little tired. The maps are for the most part well designed, if a little small and stifiling to guy who's been playing a lot of BF3 and Halo 4 online. But these smaller maps are designed with close quarters combat in mind. If you think the maps are to small, simply adjust your loadout. Graphically (and here's where I sound like a hater) the game is an abysmal mess. Four years ago these graphics would have been jaw dropping, but minor enhancements to an aging game engine can only do so much. The complaints about the sound design seem to be legit for the most part, and I will say that I never experienced any performance issues online or off. The graphics are just... aged. Not what you'd expect for a game in a series that makes more money than God. Overall, Black Ops 2 is a good game, if tired and stilted. I think this is the last time Activision should be allowed to charge $60 for it until they do something groundbreaking and radical. Worth the money (moreso than MW3), but it's hard to say how long it will keep you.… Expand
  28. RSiNNAL999
    Dec 1, 2012
    3
    There are so many FUNDAMENTAL COD multi-player mainstays that treyarch has just thrown out the window it's unbelievable! The problem is that they messed around with things that did NOT need to be touched. Here are some examples. Assault rifles are basically useless now, sub machine guns and pistols are RIDICULOUSLY Overpowered!! Ballistic knives have taken the place of the regular knife,There are so many FUNDAMENTAL COD multi-player mainstays that treyarch has just thrown out the window it's unbelievable! The problem is that they messed around with things that did NOT need to be touched. Here are some examples. Assault rifles are basically useless now, sub machine guns and pistols are RIDICULOUSLY Overpowered!! Ballistic knives have taken the place of the regular knife, as in when you use them they have a kill radius that the regular knife used to have. It's almost laughable how bad the regular knife is now, numerous times I've been DIRECTLY behind an enemy and pressed knife, and I somehow fly right past them, ending up right in front of them... Anyone that's played COD is used to the knife reacting a certian way, up close and personal, when you turn a corner and there's an enemy right there, we've both flown past eachother where one or the other would have gotten the kill in previous games. It's just annoying that something as SIMPLE as the knife, treyarch HAD to screw up! The pick 10 is good in theory, my problem with it is that it taxes you for EVERYTHING you would normally just get, and creates this false illusion of juggling. Perks, have been comletely destroyed, no upgrading your perks, I do like the fact that those that use Ghost have to be moving for it to work, but it DOES NOT work! I've been running with it, and enemies will spin around and kill me the second a UAV goes up. The rest of the perks have been dumbed down to laughable levels, some are completely pointless, as in the one that makes you immune to EMP and Counter UAV. I get that they're trying to make things a bit more even, but to just junk a lot of what made COD fun, is just disapointing. To top it off, there are times when Perks just don't work at all!!! I've been running Engineer, and run into a Claymore, been shot by a stealth chopper when using Blind eye, saw myself in a kill camera with my name and red redicle when running Cold blooded MW3 introduced Kill Confirmed, you got 50 points for a kill and 100 for collecting the tag, and if your teammate collected it, you both got 100, this was a little unfair, but treyarch has completely RUINED this mode! In their infinite wisdom, they decided that the teammate still gets 100 but you only get 25, well this is just great for NO SKILL, CAN'T BUY A KILL BUMS that wait for you to do all the work, then run out in front of you to collect your kill tags, just to obstruct your view, then get both of you killed so the enemy gets 2 kill tags unstead of a 25 point kill deny. It doesn't matter anymore what your kill to death is, or how much you help out your team, these No talent D-bags have 6 kills and 25 deaths but are at the very top of the leaderboard, In points per minute. It's a real shame, it just takes the fun out of it. At least with MW3, there was incentive to get the tags, but in BO2, team work goes right out the window! They could fix this by making it fair, as in 50 points each for a collected kill, would balance this, or even make it so another teammate can only collect your kill tags IF YOU'RE DEAD. Very simple for a game that pulls in 500 MILLION dollars on it's FIRST DAY!!! Spawns have NOT been fixed, they're just as bad, and maybe Worse than ever. NUMEROUS times I spawn only to immediately be knifed in the back by some douche running around with ballistic knives, or sniped, or shot. Sometimes this happens a few times a match. And this brings me to the one of the biggest problems with this game, BLOWOUTS, there's very few games I play where it's close and it's competative! It's either my team's blowingout the other, or vice versa. It's Frustrating, when the spawns work against you constantly, where I spawn into a lightning strike, or a hellstorm missle, then I spawn into a group of enemies, then I spawin into a hunterkiller drone or rxd! It's enough to make ANYBODY want to break something! The balance is GONE! In MW3, nearly Every game was close! It was fun, and even though there where a few cheap deaths, it made up for it by giving you a cheap kill every now and again. Black Ops 2 is like a refferee that makes bad call after bad call for one side, I'll admit, I don't have a problem with it when it's my team that's benifiting from it, but it takes the wind out of the sails RIGHT QUICK when you have to deal with this Garbage, match after match after match!!! Also I have noticed that the more I've prestiged, the worse my spawns are, I'm now level 30 prestige 3, well ahead of most players, but it just keeps getting worse, a lot of the above mentioned cheap deaths are recent. Maybe this is Treyarchs way of "Balancing" the fact I'm ahead and have unlocked some better weapons, I don't know for sure, but it's pretty Lame!… Expand
  29. zakster01
    Dec 2, 2012
    3
    A singleplayer campaign so nonsensical that it almost feels like it was developed by Hideo Kojima. The difference being that none of the Metal Gear Solid games were as lack luster as this. There's nothing new in terms of game play mechanics. The whole thing is essentially a rehash of the previous games. Did you enjoy the multiplayer in the first Black Ops? Then you'll enjoy the multiplayerA singleplayer campaign so nonsensical that it almost feels like it was developed by Hideo Kojima. The difference being that none of the Metal Gear Solid games were as lack luster as this. There's nothing new in terms of game play mechanics. The whole thing is essentially a rehash of the previous games. Did you enjoy the multiplayer in the first Black Ops? Then you'll enjoy the multiplayer in this, because nothing of major significance has changed. In fact, it's so similar that it suffers from some of the same bugs as the old Black Ops (e.g. texture popin at the beginning of a match), and it looks like they may have reused a bunch of the textures. This isn't worth $60. Save your money.… Expand
  30. Iceman9725
    Dec 13, 2012
    3
    Horrible spawn system in multiplayer has ruined any chance at this game being good for me. I only play for the multiplayer and the spawning was tolerable in other games, but it is just abysmal in this one. There are some great new additions to multiplayer, but they are not enjoyable when you are spawning and getting shot in the back after taking 2 steps. I have always been a fan of DutyHorrible spawn system in multiplayer has ruined any chance at this game being good for me. I only play for the multiplayer and the spawning was tolerable in other games, but it is just abysmal in this one. There are some great new additions to multiplayer, but they are not enjoyable when you are spawning and getting shot in the back after taking 2 steps. I have always been a fan of Duty and the first one to step up and defend it, but this year's game is very disappointing for me. Hopefully these bugs can be worked out next year or in a future patch, until then, 3/10.… Expand
  31. CritcGamer
    Jan 10, 2013
    10
    people need to stop stayin that b-ops 2 sucks. The game is freakin awsome. From the awsome graphics, to the (in my opinion) more solid gameplay. There are some maps to be loved, even though there is a tedios one that i tend to even leave the lobby for ( cough cough, express, ) it is an extremily exeptional game that all fans of the series should enjoy. There also is one thing that i shouldpeople need to stop stayin that b-ops 2 sucks. The game is freakin awsome. From the awsome graphics, to the (in my opinion) more solid gameplay. There are some maps to be loved, even though there is a tedios one that i tend to even leave the lobby for ( cough cough, express, ) it is an extremily exeptional game that all fans of the series should enjoy. There also is one thing that i should mention abought zombies... i dindnt like it as much as i did in the first black ops. I personally am not eally a zombies fan in the first place, but the only map i really enjoyed was transit. Anyway this is a great game so get it .… Expand
  32. PsychoticSnivy
    Jan 16, 2013
    3
    Quite potentially the best CoD after a long time!...That's not saying much, unfortunately. I made the major mistake of purchasing this game. however, I'm not jumping on the hate bandwagon. I've played the game up to level 52, played the campaign, and multiplayer, and after all of this time, I think it's time I give it a fair review.
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II, is the newest installment in    Quite potentially the best CoD after a long time!...That's not saying much, unfortunately. I made the major mistake of purchasing this game. however, I'm not jumping on the hate bandwagon. I've played the game up to level 52, played the campaign, and multiplayer, and after all of this time, I think it's time I give it a fair review.
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II, is the newest installment in the call of duty series. However, it's not at all a new game. It does not DESERVE the title, "New game". It is the exact same engine from every other cod since cod 4, and the guns are also the same. They may look different, but it's still not different at all. Exact same. Just different stats. The balance is awful, and sad. It's incredibly unfortunate. The series lasted decently for a while. CoD 4 and 5 were good. But that's it. The classics were too. But the series since has taken a drop. nothing to see here. Don't even waste your time.    … Expand
  33. SomeRandomGuy94
    Jan 22, 2013
    1
    Well, what can you really say about this damn series?... Not much, they have such a simple and effective cash grabbing formula for these games every year. All they do is make sure they show how "new" and "improved" their next game is, and hype it to oblivion. But when you get the game, you realize it is nothing new, and they just sucked your wallet dry. I also have to mention that theWell, what can you really say about this damn series?... Not much, they have such a simple and effective cash grabbing formula for these games every year. All they do is make sure they show how "new" and "improved" their next game is, and hype it to oblivion. But when you get the game, you realize it is nothing new, and they just sucked your wallet dry. I also have to mention that the developers cannot take criticism, and will hold comments for approval just to make sure the no one says anything bad about their precious game. They probably masturbate to a picture of David Vonderhaar everyday.… Expand
  34. Vyolyn
    Feb 9, 2013
    3
    Activision has road this horse into the ground, hired a necromancer, brought said horse back from the dead, and then put said horse down with a double barreled shotgun. To me, video games is an art form; an art form that the video game community is still trying to perfect. When the constant success of poorly designed games such as the Call of Duty franchise, whom of witch offers noActivision has road this horse into the ground, hired a necromancer, brought said horse back from the dead, and then put said horse down with a double barreled shotgun. To me, video games is an art form; an art form that the video game community is still trying to perfect. When the constant success of poorly designed games such as the Call of Duty franchise, whom of witch offers no artistic value or educational thought, will continue to reflect badly upon the gaming world as a whole. With poorly thought out story, the same graphic engine since the fourth Call of Duty, and sub-par mechanics I feel as if Call of Duty is a black market on the face of the artistic gaming community that needs to be erased indefinitely.… Expand
  35. RealCritical
    Aug 25, 2013
    0
    Pay for the same game since MW2! I hope these stuping people who is buying every year the same game dies or goes to hell right now, and when the "Ghosts" game releases it will be the same, shiit as hell!!!
  36. RagingCanadian
    Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Okay when Modern Warfare 3 came out it ruined the franchise. I mean I'm not a huge fan of Call of Duty I prefer Halo and Gears of War. When I got Black Ops 1 I thought it was pretty good they did a good job, the multiplayer was balanced which is what I look for in multiplayer games. So when Black Ops 2 came out I gave it the benefit of the doubt but when I played it I was more thanOkay when Modern Warfare 3 came out it ruined the franchise. I mean I'm not a huge fan of Call of Duty I prefer Halo and Gears of War. When I got Black Ops 1 I thought it was pretty good they did a good job, the multiplayer was balanced which is what I look for in multiplayer games. So when Black Ops 2 came out I gave it the benefit of the doubt but when I played it I was more than disappointed. For multiplayer they took Black Ops 1 and combined it with Modern Warfare 3, that combination just doesn't work. Its like putting Fruit Loops on crap. Zombies was good but if you want a good zombie apocalypse game get ArmA II: Combined Operations for PC and download DayZ. I will make a promise to the people that watch this if they make a Black Ops 3 i will dedicate my life to destroying every copy.… Expand
  37. richmorehave
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    Don't believe the lame low scores.
    This is the first shooter that REWARDS the guys that play the objectives!
    Now in score it shows the guys that NEVER go for a base or defend it. And everybody can see the selfish guys on the team, the guy with 40 kills and who do nothing to help the TEAM win the GAME'S Objective. So that is why the little kids don't like the game. It REWARDS the guys    Don't believe the lame low scores.
    This is the first shooter that REWARDS the guys that play the objectives!
    Now in score it shows the guys that NEVER go for a base or defend it.
    And everybody can see the selfish guys on the team, the guy with 40 kills and who do nothing to help the TEAM win the GAME'S Objective. So that is why the little kids don't like the game.
    It REWARDS the guys that are contributing to the TEAM
    And in OBJECTIVE multiplayer game, more games should REWARD the TEAM PLAYER who dies helping the team and not the Rambo who could care less whether the TEAM wins or loses.
    Now if you just want to run around and just get kills, play MW3. I wish Battlefield 3 would have done this, REWARD the TEAM PLAYER and not the RAMBO.    … Expand
  38. scbane
    Mar 28, 2013
    3
    How I felt playing the game? after the excitement of the new car smell of new maps wore off, and after yet anothe blockbuster game releasing dlc that should have come with the game like a week after launch, i found myself looking at the screen wondering which cod I was playing. Cod MW was my favorite game of all time. still prefer it and mw2 over blops and mw3. Waw was my favorite treyarchHow I felt playing the game? after the excitement of the new car smell of new maps wore off, and after yet anothe blockbuster game releasing dlc that should have come with the game like a week after launch, i found myself looking at the screen wondering which cod I was playing. Cod MW was my favorite game of all time. still prefer it and mw2 over blops and mw3. Waw was my favorite treyarch game ever...ZOMBIES! then blops zombies, which were ok but overdone and too frantic. My complaints? Same game as blops and mw3 with a little polish tossed in. persistent server problems, aged graphics, still fast scoping auto aim, ridiculously accurate weapons, lack of ANY FEEL OF INVENTIVENESS. How many people want to watch the same tv show, just with different characters, every time they watch tv? Same plot, same clothes,etc. I read reviews by others rating 9 or 10. Have to be fanboys defending a dying franchise or paid reviewers. If it werent for the ok zombie play, I already would have taken my copy of Blops II back to gamestop to trade in.… Expand
  39. NewVegasGod
    Apr 11, 2013
    1
    They need to learn that they can only re-release the same game so many times before people start to take notice.

    There's nothing wrong with the CoD formula (except a rather short and mediocre campaign, but Black Ops 2 did a little better at that aspect) it's just that they keep release game after game, year after year, barely changing anything. And they're releasing another this year.    They need to learn that they can only re-release the same game so many times before people start to take notice.

    There's nothing wrong with the CoD formula (except a rather short and mediocre campaign, but Black Ops 2 did a little better at that aspect) it's just that they keep release game after game, year after year, barely changing anything. And they're releasing another this year. It needs to stop. Now.    … Expand
  40. Enforcer122
    Apr 16, 2013
    4
    Man, this was really disappointing. I can see what they were trying to do, and I respect that and understand it. But I just couldn't get in to this game. The campaign was very poor, zombies was an improvement but still not great and the multi player was more of the same. The campaign like I said, was the poorest I've played in COD history. I was just utterly confused throughout and it wasMan, this was really disappointing. I can see what they were trying to do, and I respect that and understand it. But I just couldn't get in to this game. The campaign was very poor, zombies was an improvement but still not great and the multi player was more of the same. The campaign like I said, was the poorest I've played in COD history. I was just utterly confused throughout and it was a pain to play at times.… Expand
  41. shakilndtht
    May 2, 2013
    10
    black ops is fit for buying purpose and deserves the rating it gets. the graphics are excellent and when you play it has a smooth game play. this game is very very popular and well known.
  42. mafiaalexpt
    Nov 15, 2012
    6
    I Put the Game in Xbox360, and i installed, the menus are bad, i play the entire campaign and is ok , the multiplayer the same that the others cod´s, the campaign zombies is the best , but a game AAA with a campaign ok is not good, this game is a flop and the worst cod in 5 years.
  43. PEDRO_PLANTAIN
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    Mehhhh.....I usually only buy the mw series of fps but i tried something new this time. I've only played the multiplayer so far and its underwhelming. It sounds like a game from the 90's and i doesnt look that special. The only reason i didnt give it a 2 or 3 is become of the score streaks and the customization....i'll give it till my 1st prestige. if it doesnt grow on me, im getting rid of it.
  44. Harryhausen
    Mar 22, 2013
    2
    This game is, by far, the worst call of duty EVER (and i've been playing this franchise since call of duty 2). the graphics are outdated, the story sucks (as always), the graphics are outdated and the story sucks.

    by the way, the graphics are outdated and the story sucks.
  45. DoubleNegativ
    Feb 13, 2013
    5
    I'm not going to complain about the game being the same as last years (it works for sports game and no one says a thing). This game has a bunch of flaws. Ever since COD1 there's been a horrible hit box. You can miss a person completely and kill them or shot a person in the knees and get a head shot. If the hit box was more accurate like the previous games I wouldn't have an issue with this game.
  46. droidean
    Nov 17, 2012
    5
    From an avid COD fan that has enjoyed every iteration of the series up to date (besides MW2) this game is a huge disappointment to me. I am truly saddened and shocked at Treyarch's porous decision making while developing this game. The zombies is at its best, and a very addicting part of the game, and i can't speak to to the single-player because I don't care for it. The multiplayer isFrom an avid COD fan that has enjoyed every iteration of the series up to date (besides MW2) this game is a huge disappointment to me. I am truly saddened and shocked at Treyarch's porous decision making while developing this game. The zombies is at its best, and a very addicting part of the game, and i can't speak to to the single-player because I don't care for it. The multiplayer is where the game falls. The maps are horribly designed and a campers heaven, there are numerous and countless boxes/crates/cars/barrels to hide behind. The maps are designed like duel fort fields that lack the flow of previous COD games. The weapons are not fun to use and poorly designed. The MP gameplay in general feels sluggish and clunky, every game I have played (even on the smaller, more fast paced maps) is significantly slower and longer than games of previous COD games (they lack excitement). The hitmarker noise is reduced and the reward text is white and hard to see, this may seem like a small deal but those are thing you have to see constantly and when killing someone just isn't very satisfying then the game just isn't too much fun. Statistics are essentially missing as all your combat record tells you is how long you've played, how many kills you have, and your K:D ratio. No death count or any of the numerous fun statistics that were in nearly every other COD. The only reason I give this game a 5 is because of zombies and perhaps you might enjoy the camping playstyle. But in general, STAY AWAY.… Expand
  47. DarrkHawk
    Dec 27, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Another year and all is the same with the Call of Duty franchise and I eventually gave up and rented it. 9 games now how the infamous "Call of Duty" title and this one is by far the worst. Campaign wise, the story is a very poor follow on from the half decent Black Ops. With the "past and future" story completely dominating the game which makes the flow of the game just fall apart. The level layout, objectives and story progress are literally the same as of the previous 5 games. Maybe next year we will get a bit of variety? The only real change to this game is the stolen aspects from other games that treyarch have tried to bind with this game, but failing to make it work. The futuristic aspect of this game is clearly taken from that of the crisis series and abilities are just a rip off of the ever more popular halo series. It is nice that treyarch are trying but their QA team needs to step in and stop such creations. The whole feel of the games just isn't the feel that Call of Duty once had (Call of Duty 4). The multiplayer aspect is certainly nothing new. The EXACT same feel, the EXACT same flow, the EXACT same server quality, the EXACT same unbalancing and the same poorly designed maps. This games multiplayer actually got me asking the question "why is Call of Duty so popular?". The reason I came up with, slap this title on any other game and it will sell just as well. People see those 3 infamous words and immediately want in. Pre-teens nag their parents for these games to fit in with the crows (despite the 18 certificate), Teenagers want the game for an easy game to yell abuse and annoyances down the microphone. Adults buy the game because of its annual tradition and the gaming season. These are the only reasons I feel that keeps the CoD title alive. The one redeeming feature I thought would help this game is the infamous zombies. Loved by many since world at war and by far the greatest part of the Call of Duty series. However, even this falls short. Zombies is about endurance and having fun. So why have treyarch started interpreting stories into this. Sure, It can be fun to search and unlock the story but it is just not necessary. Keep zombies the fast paced endurance game it once was. I can safely say I am glad I didn't pay full retail for this game. Even the £8 i paid for rental is too much of a loss. I could have bought a lovely pair of socks and be more satisfied (and have some change for a snack). Call of Duty, you are kept alive by the bandwagon that your name of created.… Expand
  48. Ripred49
    Nov 14, 2012
    1
    My problem with the Call of Duty games is they have a ton of potential. A TON of potential. This was really well exposed with CoD 4, when the series took a turn from crappy usual WWII shooter to fantastic Modern shooter.

    I don't care how much Black Ops II has improved from Black Ops or MW3. With the amount of feedback and ideas they get from the community, this game should look nothing    My problem with the Call of Duty games is they have a ton of potential. A TON of potential. This was really well exposed with CoD 4, when the series took a turn from crappy usual WWII shooter to fantastic Modern shooter.

    I don't care how much Black Ops II has improved from Black Ops or MW3. With the amount of feedback and ideas they get from the community, this game should look nothing like the previous two.

    This game has so much potential if the devs just listened to the community and actually worked on the game. People think the Pick 10 system is different. All it does it let you chose double on certain things and nothing on other things. Barely any different.    … Expand
  49. Beermonger7
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    I have been playing Black Ops 2 on and off since its release. It's my go to COD game. The maps are varied, the classes are extremely customizable. The season pass was well worth the money. The damage system is to my liking. Nothing seems overly cheap to me. I have played the F outta this game and will continue to play it until its death. You can have your ghosts and advanced warfare.I have been playing Black Ops 2 on and off since its release. It's my go to COD game. The maps are varied, the classes are extremely customizable. The season pass was well worth the money. The damage system is to my liking. Nothing seems overly cheap to me. I have played the F outta this game and will continue to play it until its death. You can have your ghosts and advanced warfare. Honestly its COD. It realeases every single year, find one that you like and have fun.… Expand
  50. Allthegoodones
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Preamble be damned, here are the facts as i see them for BO2: Single Player
    Gameplay = 8/10.
    As solid as any COD game before but nothing revolutionary. Thats not necessarily a bad thing but its not a great thing either. Pacing = 8/10. As good, if not better than MW1 which remains the benchmark for all COD    Preamble be damned, here are the facts as i see them for BO2: Single Player
    Gameplay = 8/10.
    As solid as any COD game before but nothing revolutionary. Thats not necessarily a bad thing but its not a great thing either. Pacing = 8/10. As good, if not better than MW1 which remains the benchmark for all COD games. Would have easily been better if not for the RTS tinged strike force missions that feels too tacked on and are more a chore than a joy to play. Story = 9/10.
    By Story i mean every storytelling aspect of the campaign, such as character development, plot, twists and turns etc, and this is primarily where BO2 surpasses every other iteration of COD so far. This game possess a good story that has been told really well and anyone missing a good SP experience is sure to enjoy it. Graphics: 9/10. Simply spectacular on my 360 on a 42" Panasonic LCD. Looks better and runs smoother than almost every other shooter i've played on the 360. Sound Design: 7/10. Some guns sound fantastic, other not so much. Black, from the original xbox remains the benchmark of what guns in a game ought to sound like and COD doesn't quite hit that high note but its still just as serviceable as any other COD game. The music is actually not up to par with other COD games but since most of the time its drowned out by gunfire anyway, doesn't really make much of a difference. Dialogues are a mixed bag of sorts but mostly decent. So over all, its far superior to MW3 and as far as the SP part goes, better than every other COD game ever. Haven't played MP yet so i will refrain from making any assumptions about it but judging from how much better Treayarch's last attempt was than IW's latest, I'm willing to bet BO2 will blow MW3 out of the water. Bottom line is that whether you love it or hate it, if you like shooters you are going to buy it. And no matter how much you hate Activision you will still enjoy this COD game from time to time. Fortunately, the enjoying bit is far more frequent than it has been for a while and the disappointment bit is not even in the same continent as it was with MW3. So yeah all in all, it may not be a revolution as most critics are hyping it up to be but its better than MW3 and perhaps even as much fun as MW1, and to be honest, that's more than i expected. It's worth the price tag and the time you will spend playing it so stop acting like this video game was somehow supposed to make your life worth living and posting needlessly negative scores for it, just treat the damn game like a game and go play it.    … Expand
  51. Ordish
    Apr 16, 2013
    9
    After being very disappointed with MW3, I was hesitant to put my money back in the COD franchise. I am glad that I did. Black Ops 2 has been a very solid and enjoyable experience. I love the level of customization for load outs and that above all else, sets this game apart from the rest of the COD titles.
  52. PlayerReview
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    It used to be Infinity Ward would make a CoD title and update the assets (CoD1,2,MW1,MW2). Then, while they worked on the next "real" iteration, Treyarch (started doing the original CoD expansion packs) would make a filler (CoD3,WaW,BO) and they would use IW's assets and add some crazy innovation (like vehicles in CoD3 and zombies in WaW). Unfortunately, the founders of Infinity Ward (CampIt used to be Infinity Ward would make a CoD title and update the assets (CoD1,2,MW1,MW2). Then, while they worked on the next "real" iteration, Treyarch (started doing the original CoD expansion packs) would make a filler (CoD3,WaW,BO) and they would use IW's assets and add some crazy innovation (like vehicles in CoD3 and zombies in WaW). Unfortunately, the founders of Infinity Ward (Camp and Zampanella) left the project/were fired (insubordination) before MW3 was done and half of their employees left with them to form Respawn Entertainment. The Infinity Ward that was left was just a shell of the company it had been, which is why they brought in other developers to finish MW3 (Treyarch included (primarily for the MP aspect)). Respawn Entertainment, Infinity Ward and Activision have basically spent the last several years just suing each other left and right over the IP (royalties, rights to make new games, competition). Bottom line is that Treyarch is still doing what they've always done, but they flounder without the assets/tools (game engine/graphics/mechanics) that the franchise founders created for them. Treyarch doesn't know how to make new tools, so they have had to use the same ones over and over since MW2 (many would say MW1).

    And... that's why we can't have nice things.    … Expand
  53. ShowBaggs
    Feb 12, 2013
    9
    Revamped MP and a host of new features makes this the best since COD4. The scorestreaks stops the kill whoring and returns the game to a fair playing field. The only let down is the sniping/quickscoping. It's too easy for any idiot to pick up and 'snipe'. Apart from that, EXCELLENT.
  54. 98jeepxj
    Feb 27, 2013
    1
    I really wanted to like this game, but it feels so half assed. Every game since Call of Duty MW2 have been the exact same thing. Why can`t Treyarch and Sledgehammer realize there is no need to have 20 overpowered kill streaks. Go back to basic COD 4, UAV, Airstrike, and Chopper, they work a lot better. Pistols are hideously over powered and quick scoping runs rampant. Please make the nextI really wanted to like this game, but it feels so half assed. Every game since Call of Duty MW2 have been the exact same thing. Why can`t Treyarch and Sledgehammer realize there is no need to have 20 overpowered kill streaks. Go back to basic COD 4, UAV, Airstrike, and Chopper, they work a lot better. Pistols are hideously over powered and quick scoping runs rampant. Please make the next Call of Duty something original and not just a copy of last years game with an updated campaign that takes 2 hours to finish and a couple new multiplayer maps. This game is basically Call of Duty Black Ops 1.5. It really should have been an paid downloadable update to the first black ops, not a completely new release.… Expand
  55. Loldude12
    Dec 6, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After having a go at this game, I was begging for it not to as a major flop as Modern Warfare 3, unfortunately, it is and it will, no matter what. The good things about the game is that zombies are back and it fun, grief and tranzit make useful features of the game, and that's it! Now we can resume to the negatives, the campaign is a joke, now I have been a victim of some very crappy games with a humiliating plot line, I can now forgive some of these games, the way to get an ending is very confusing, 5 endings in total to give you an alternative. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!! I will rant on the best ending, first of all, we do not have a clarified idea of why Karma is now famous, secondly, Farid could've been shot in the arm or leg while taking the bullet, so that pretty much was confusing, and the very stupid twists involved, it's good and all that the Mason's reunite, but there was a major lack of substance involved. Now I will go with the multiplayer, where can I start? The guns are very overpowered, hackers are still there, but 'action' is being put in force, my Nuketown map is not there, even though I unfortunately wasted my hard saved money to test the game and bought it BRAND NEW! The pick 10 needs to be cleaned up, as they need to balance the guns to make it a stress free game. Now, the zombies. Although I said I enjoyed the mode, it needs improvements, the AI are brain-dead just like in campaign, some guns are underpowered and need to be improved and the maps are too small to be roaming in, either way if you opened or not opened all of the doors. Overall, it is a flawed game which needs to have a major improvement to keep up with shooters such as Halo 4, Medal of Honor, Battlefield and Borderlands.… Expand
  56. OnAnarchy
    Apr 22, 2013
    3
    I play it frequently, because it's like cocaine in video game form. It numbs your mind, but doesn't do much else. I've come across far too many bad glitches and crashes that it renders the game almost unplayable. In hardcore, you get kicked (and placed on 'probation') if you kill your teammate too many times. Most often it's because they are stupid as hell or they die in unavoidableI play it frequently, because it's like cocaine in video game form. It numbs your mind, but doesn't do much else. I've come across far too many bad glitches and crashes that it renders the game almost unplayable. In hardcore, you get kicked (and placed on 'probation') if you kill your teammate too many times. Most often it's because they are stupid as hell or they die in unavoidable ways. I've seen weapons fail to spawn in classes (leaving you with no primary weapon), 7 (sometimes 8) players to a team in 6v6 matches, and spawns so bad you die instantaneously on maps way too large for that to happen. I feel like Activision has turned it's back on their fans; it's not about the quality, only the money. Save your time and play some indie games or stuff by less autocratic developers. Support the people who still make good games.… Expand
  57. CyberEagle_1x
    Nov 16, 2012
    6
    I have seen the haters say it
  58. armstrong2805
    Feb 23, 2013
    1
    POS black ops clone. new character models and "scorestreaks" thats it. Its a copy and pasted piece of garbage. Another horrible campaign, which is yet another waste of disc space. Latency and Lag compensation is prevalent throughout your entire mulitplayer experience. Including the inconsistency of good lobbies. No dedicated servers yet again. And finally its copy and pasted hit detection.POS black ops clone. new character models and "scorestreaks" thats it. Its a copy and pasted piece of garbage. Another horrible campaign, which is yet another waste of disc space. Latency and Lag compensation is prevalent throughout your entire mulitplayer experience. Including the inconsistency of good lobbies. No dedicated servers yet again. And finally its copy and pasted hit detection. Overall the game is a piss poor excuse a FPS.… Expand
  59. crazywaffle124
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    Let's be honest, its not a bad game. Its a pretty good game. But with year after year of recycled multiplayer, we want to see a little more. Compare the difference between battlefield 2 and battlefield 3, and you see what call of duty should be doing.
  60. szchifo
    Nov 16, 2012
    3
    ok so its that time of year once again where we all have our fingers crossed hoping this iteration of the annual franchise will once again blow our minds just as it did in 2007.

    I remember first playing the beta of COD4 with my mates way back in the day and how it all made us come together on xbox perhaps for the first time and share great stories about how we did this and that.    ok so its that time of year once again where we all have our fingers crossed hoping this iteration of the annual franchise will once again blow our minds just as it did in 2007.

    I remember first playing the beta of COD4 with my mates way back in the day and how it all made us come together on xbox perhaps for the first time and share great stories about how we did this and that.

    Sadly very few of my friends still play COD due to its present stale nature and its with regret that that I shall be giving this game a low score.

    Activision just hasn't done enough to keep my interest and I still look back at COD4 as a golden era of gaming where the bar was truly raised in terms of next gen gaming.

    Perhaps were in need of a new system? I dunno...all I know if that playing this felt stale and really no different to what ive been playing for the past five years.

    If you like cod fine but if youre like me and expect more for your money then I would avoid getting suckered and say no this year.    … Expand
  61. VelocityGamer
    Jan 16, 2013
    10
    For as long as I can remember, I was one of the many detractors of the Call of Duty series, even though I never played a single installment. There was just something about Activision
  62. xNullxF
    Nov 27, 2012
    6
  63. Gilgamesh
    Nov 16, 2012
    9
    MW3 is the easily one that should take the beating out of these two as it catered to the mindless auto aim twits. Black Ops 2 brings an actually interesting Campaign and much improved visuals. Granted some of the maps look similar to previous maps but it's a multiplayer game and why fix something that ain't broke. Sad that many people consider it a bad game instead of seeing it for whatMW3 is the easily one that should take the beating out of these two as it catered to the mindless auto aim twits. Black Ops 2 brings an actually interesting Campaign and much improved visuals. Granted some of the maps look similar to previous maps but it's a multiplayer game and why fix something that ain't broke. Sad that many people consider it a bad game instead of seeing it for what it is... an solid improvement over BO1. Simply put... anyone who gives this a 0 or 1 is not someone who's reviews are worth reading. You can't beat a game down simply because you expected something you didn't get instead of looking at the quality of what it is.… Expand
  64. TheCrtic1
    Dec 6, 2012
    1
    Call of Duty Black Ops II is just **** in a box its somewhat incomplete having 10+ updates in the past 2 months to fix glitches and such and the campaign has a bad plot that it feels like it was ignored by treyarch and the gameplay is completely broken with little to none improvements.
  65. MutatingFred
    Dec 3, 2012
    2
    Zombie mode is alright. Campaign is boring. Multiplayer sucks. Treyarch fix the spawn system on this busted game. I'm tired of spawning right in front of the enemy team.
  66. GungaChunga
    Nov 16, 2012
    5
    Though I was a bit let down by MW2 and 3, Blops1 was a great change of pace, not as gimmicky. I was hoping for a similar experience from Blops2. Campaign seemed well written but poorly executed, the Strike Force missions were a pain and the AI useless. Just broke what was left of the story's tempo. Multiplayer feels alot like MW3. The expanded create a class has a good deal of potentialThough I was a bit let down by MW2 and 3, Blops1 was a great change of pace, not as gimmicky. I was hoping for a similar experience from Blops2. Campaign seemed well written but poorly executed, the Strike Force missions were a pain and the AI useless. Just broke what was left of the story's tempo. Multiplayer feels alot like MW3. The expanded create a class has a good deal of potential but the weapons feel off and the maps a bit of a cluster f*ck. It feels like Treyarch tried to amp the game up a little too much and failed to deliver on the hype. Haven't played zombies enough to say much about that, but overall I was pretty disappointed.… Expand
  67. TannerIsGod
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    Best game of the series to date. Multiplayer is king.. graphics are awe-inspiringly gorgeous ... the game just abounds with class. I can't wait to see what these guys do on the next generation.
  68. Elgar_The_Fox
    Dec 10, 2012
    9
    What is the point of a Call of Duty game? To provide incredibly fast paced fun and excitement, of course. Flash back to the start of the series - beginning with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare; A gripping game that offered a look at current day wars rather than the typical World War II setting that was the trend for the gritty, realistic shooters of the time. Fast Forward back to presentWhat is the point of a Call of Duty game? To provide incredibly fast paced fun and excitement, of course. Flash back to the start of the series - beginning with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare; A gripping game that offered a look at current day wars rather than the typical World War II setting that was the trend for the gritty, realistic shooters of the time. Fast Forward back to present day - We have, since the time of CoD4, seen 4 other installments in the Call of Duty franchise. And we can see that, also since CoD4, the series has progressed very little, if at all. Modern Warfare 2 and 3 are the two storyline sequels to CoD4 and they decide, expending on the gritty realism and genre defining ingenuity of their predecessor, to chuck out any ounce of innovation CoD4 had. CoD4's two sequels were less sequels and more of the same game with a little cleaner plain job. Infinity Ward has time, and time again, let it's fans down by releasing the same game over and over again. Luckily, the CoD franchise has two developers to make games for it, one of course is the aforementioned Infinity Ward, the other is Treyarch. Treyarch came into the CoD franchise with Call of Duty 3, a game that desperately attempted to emulate the feel of the two previous installments, only to fail miserable and be a waste of everyone's money. Then, after CoD4, they got a second chance with their release of World at War. WaW kept to the same WWII story that previous shooters have maintained since the early 90's but unlike those shooters it brought CoD4's new and face paced multiplayer format to the table. While the execution was not as nice as CoD4's it was still enjoyable and the story was one of the best WWII stories to date. It also added the game mode that would come to define Treyarch - Zombies. Zombies was exciting, new, and, best of all, fun. It was a game mode the Call of Duty franchise needed to keep fresh. When Treyarch did their next game, Black Ops, they kept the zombies mode and fast paced multiplayer but added a number of new game modes, re-hauled the class creation, and added combat training which gave a new way to play with friends at a party. What I am trying to say is that Treyarch, unlike Infinity Ward, actually likes to come up with new and enjoyable additions to the Call of Duty series in order to make the games more exciting and rewarding for the long time players. In the brand new installment to the series Treyarch brings their innovations to a new level, adding a new look to the series as well as new Zombie modes and options, another re-haul to the class creation system, and even more fun game modes - this time mixing them into the campaign as well. Treyarch also seems to have a much better knack for storytelling than Infinity Ward because, after CoD4, Treyarch has done nothing but ruin every ounce of promise they built into the Modern Warfare story-line. Treyarch has shown that they can still come up with interesting ways of playing with the old dog that is Call of Duty. They have tightened everything from the controls to the graphics and it all just feels a lot cleaner and more thought out. If you are a fan of Call of Duty games' multiplayer format than there is plenty for you to love in Black Ops II and the game is sure to provide you with the most entertainment from a Call of Duty game since CoD4.… Expand
  69. BOSSBOLOGNA85
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    Questo gioco si merita 10 altro che! Come fate a mettere 0 e adire che fa schifo x motivi come sonoro o gameplay ecc.. siete fusi?? Questo gioco e fatto benissimo! Grafica dettagliata e al passo coi tempi armi divertenti futuristiche e ben realizzate game play sempre innovativo e quasi mai noioso! Il multiplayer e fatto benissimo piu equilibrato e nn ci sono armi troppo overpower come inQuesto gioco si merita 10 altro che! Come fate a mettere 0 e adire che fa schifo x motivi come sonoro o gameplay ecc.. siete fusi?? Questo gioco e fatto benissimo! Grafica dettagliata e al passo coi tempi armi divertenti futuristiche e ben realizzate game play sempre innovativo e quasi mai noioso! Il multiplayer e fatto benissimo piu equilibrato e nn ci sono armi troppo overpower come in mw3 anche un livello 3 puo uccidere un 1 prestigio! Molto divertente e accattivante con un bel po di novita x l aumento di livello e la personalizzazioni delle classi! Compratelo e nn date ascolto a sti buffoni che mettono voti basdi! Ma cosa volete di piu???… Expand
  70. GothamsRekining
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    I never liked Infinity Wards Modern Warfare games. If your going to make a game like Call Of Duty, you need to test the boundaries of how far you can go with the story. Modern Warfare 1-3 was like playing the same game over and over. Same story, same plot, same uninteresting characters, same gameplay. Granted, Black Ops has the same formula of FPS, but the story changes the dynamic of theI never liked Infinity Wards Modern Warfare games. If your going to make a game like Call Of Duty, you need to test the boundaries of how far you can go with the story. Modern Warfare 1-3 was like playing the same game over and over. Same story, same plot, same uninteresting characters, same gameplay. Granted, Black Ops has the same formula of FPS, but the story changes the dynamic of the gameplay and characters. Coming into Treyarch's Call Of Duty franchise, the Black Ops games have never disappointed me. With World At War set during WWII, Black Ops set during the Vietnam War/Cold War, Black Ops II brings the next chapter into the Future Cold War of 2025. The game still has the addicting gameplay that made the franchise famous, but with a twist on story and characters. From start to finish, the game keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story written by Dark Knight Trilogy writer David S. Goyer, is phenomenal. The music (which includes Academy Award Winner Trent Reznor) is as intense as it's terrifying story. The game also includes a sinister performance from it's villain, Raul Menendez. Unlike most games with simplistic evil doers, Menendez has purpose for being the most vile criminal the world has ever seen. And in many moments through out the game, you are compelled to sympathize with his plight. Multiplayer and Zombies are incredible components to an already amazing game. With a ranking system and a test in survival, both modes offer their own unique ways of entertaining gamers and friends alike. If your looking for a game that will offer many opportunities of replay value, Black Ops II is your ticket for high stakes entertainment.… Expand
  71. Ladium
    Dec 9, 2012
    8
    Good, For once, there are new features, the campaign is interresting, but there is always no dedicated servers and textures are ugly... It's fun to play it withe friends...
  72. jenwon
    Dec 22, 2012
    1
    This is probaby the worst iteration of COD. The Single player is a throw away and has added nothing to the series. MP the main reason to buy the game and it has the most problems of any COD. Its fundamentally broken since the online experience is nearly unplayable. All the issues with lag means you instantly die with one bullet, while you can unload a full clip into them and hit air.
  73. newbeastly212
    Jan 2, 2013
    5
    Campaign was fine, Zombies is great... and then you see the multiplayer..... awful multiplayer i swear you can shoot someone 30 times and they shoot you once and bam your dead. Obviously something is wrong i dont know if it has to do with lag or what but it needs fixed and unless you just like zombies and playing the campaign 300 times dont buy the game... bought it for 25 dollars and itCampaign was fine, Zombies is great... and then you see the multiplayer..... awful multiplayer i swear you can shoot someone 30 times and they shoot you once and bam your dead. Obviously something is wrong i dont know if it has to do with lag or what but it needs fixed and unless you just like zombies and playing the campaign 300 times dont buy the game... bought it for 25 dollars and it still is hardly worth it… Expand
  74. halo142356
    Jan 3, 2013
    2
    What a **** game. The target finder ruined multiplayer, and that's just the start. Target finder lets u sit in a corner and it will spot any enemies for you... litteraly sit in the corner of the map, i have done it maney times. Works great.. Also, the averege age of the ppl who play this game is 8 years old. Considering these guys have no lives they sit there for 10 hours a day and playWhat a **** game. The target finder ruined multiplayer, and that's just the start. Target finder lets u sit in a corner and it will spot any enemies for you... litteraly sit in the corner of the map, i have done it maney times. Works great.. Also, the averege age of the ppl who play this game is 8 years old. Considering these guys have no lives they sit there for 10 hours a day and play multiplayer. You have no chance against them, unless u get rid of ur life and start playing this 10 hours a day like them.. You die very fast in zombies, so i don't even bother playing that anymore. Two hits is enough to kill you, and a zombie usually does 2 hits with both hands. If they had not added juggernaut they might as well not made zombies. Also, considering your playing with 10 year olds, they often tend to quit between games, which is rly annoying. The same goes for multiplayer, which is why they constantly add ppl in the middle of a multiplayer match, which is also verry anoying. Stop wasting your money on cod, go play halo like all the big kids.… Expand
  75. Ptango-down
    Jan 16, 2013
    10
    Title: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Platform: XBOX360

    Rating: 18 Characters as settings: Black ops2 is set in the cold war in 1986 to 1989 and also in the cold war 2 in 2025. The protagonist of Black Ops Alex Mason returns as the protagonist in the cold war which leads to the primary antagonist, Raul Menendez a Nicaraguan narco-terrorist and leader of Cordis Die. In the 2025 section of    Title: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Platform: XBOX360

    Rating: 18 Characters as settings: Black ops2 is set in the cold war in 1986 to 1989 and also in the cold war 2 in 2025. The protagonist of Black Ops Alex Mason returns as the protagonist in the cold war which leads to the primary antagonist, Raul Menendez a Nicaraguan narco-terrorist and leader of Cordis Die. In the 2025 section of the story, features Alex Mason    … Expand
  76. Eggroll
    Jan 19, 2013
    10
    Another year, another COD release. This has been the tradition set by the franchise for many years now. I honestly thought BO2 was going to be another quick cash grab but in all reality, it really isn't. This game vastly improves on The previous releases MW3 and BO1. The Campaign is done well in BO2, the setting, game-play and choice system all work well together to create a familiar yetAnother year, another COD release. This has been the tradition set by the franchise for many years now. I honestly thought BO2 was going to be another quick cash grab but in all reality, it really isn't. This game vastly improves on The previous releases MW3 and BO1. The Campaign is done well in BO2, the setting, game-play and choice system all work well together to create a familiar yet different feel to the game. Zombies is a good addition to the package but feels lacking in comparison to the previous zombie modes in BO1 ans WAW. Multiplayer has been improved in some areas and worsened in others. The class set up has been improved however the Spawning, Hit detection and gun balance need to be improved. Over all this game is good, it improves upon previous releases and provides a fun experience. Whether you love Call of Duty or just come here to give the game a "0" , you cant deny that this game is an improvement on the series.… Expand
  77. Aleluis
    Jan 28, 2013
    1
    I lost my money The graphics are awful the story is horrile and idiot, withouth a good meaning...
    I think this game was for Ps2 or gameboy when I was playing...
    Horrible, negative
    The multiplayer is just annoying with many abilities in advantage for the players who unloked the good weapons and powers... but in compare to the campaign is better
    I would have buy a random game instead of this
  78. Leomedtex
    Jan 28, 2013
    10
    Pwrfect campaign the multiplayer it so good the zombies its so nice too but when call of duty will change this old engine to the cod series it will have to be change
  79. blaxout1213
    Feb 4, 2013
    1
    This game is the same thing as all the other Call of duties, but with different graphics. Maybe if they added new stuff it would get something better than a 4.4 as its score. However despite all that i did like the zombies, but not enough to bring the score up any.
  80. captainkane
    Apr 2, 2013
    6
    I’ve played a lot of shooters, but not a COD game until now. I haven’t missed much. The game offers a forgettable campaign that is more interactive movie than shooter. The story is convoluted and sloppy. It's essentially an on rails shooter with equal parts gameplay and cinematics. For us older gamers who appreciated the heydays of ID and Valve, this is a dreadful combination. Is theI’ve played a lot of shooters, but not a COD game until now. I haven’t missed much. The game offers a forgettable campaign that is more interactive movie than shooter. The story is convoluted and sloppy. It's essentially an on rails shooter with equal parts gameplay and cinematics. For us older gamers who appreciated the heydays of ID and Valve, this is a dreadful combination. Is the expeexpectation that shooters involve tons of shooting asking too much? Treyarch added RTS elements called Strikeforce missions to the series. Unfortunately, they’re half-baked additions that detract from the experience. Completing the missions affects the ending, but the ending is chaotic either way. If you want an engaging campaign, look elsewhere. Who am I kidding? COD games are known for their multiplayer experiences. The zombie mode is disappointing. The maps are cramped and dull. The zombies are dull. The gameplay is dull. It’s just plain dull. If you want zombies, pick up Left for Dead 2. The Left for Dead series sets the gold standard for zombie games and has an active online community. After all the hype surrounding the zombie mode, I’m left scratching my head asking myself: Why is this so popular? Perhaps I’m missing something. BO 2’s zombie mode demonstrates why Valve games have such long self-lives.The regular multiplayer is appreciably better. The game performs admirably on Xbox with smooth and swift action. That is the hallmark of COD games: performance. That being said, there is little innovation. The graphics are noticeably dated and almost cartoonish. The “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality of Activision is hard to justify after playing this game. It’s just another twitch finger multiplayer. The customization system is OK, but most upgrades feel useless. Also, footsteps are inaudible. Being stabbed in the back feels cheap because you literally never hear it coming. The multiplayer maps are tiny which negatively impacts gameplay. The result is an overabundance of SMG users. These guns possess absurd short to mid-range stopping power. Hip firing SMG's easily clears out rooms full of baddies. There is also an overabundance of quick scoping. Players running around with sniper rifles getting quick, close-range kills is just ridiculous. The scorestreak system is flawed as it only rewards the top 10-20% of players with the best bonuses. Since scorestreaks can be carried thru multiple rounds they are spammed during tiebreakers. The argument that the COD multiplayer is an unrealistic arcade shooter certainly applies here. You can snipe with SMG’s and get kills on the run with sniper rifles. All that said, once you master the game, it can be fun. Thankfully, combat training allows players to hone their skills without affecting their much revered stats. You can still rank up and unlock attachments for your weapons, but the round bonuses are reduced by half. The online community for COD is massive. Lobbies are always full for all game modes. If you have a fast internet connection, change your settings to only connect with players with an equally fast or faster connection. This can significantly reduce lag and bullet warping. However, the COD community is a bittersweet asset. It’s brimming with sore losers who love nothing more than to pester players for violating the “rules”. Camping and “noob toobing” are apparently grave offenses and merit harassment and name calling against those engaging in such reprehensible behaviors. Using an LMG with a target finder is also deplorable and deserves racist and homophobic taunts. The amount of harassment and name calling I’ve experienced in Black Ops 2 is unrivalled on any Xbox game I’ve play. It's nasty at times. What’s saddening is that children are just as nasty as adults. I blame parents for this. Still, Xbox and Activision do poor jobs enforcing the Code of Conduct that everyone agrees to. The general consensus in a BO 2 lobby: Reporting someone brings zero results. The notion that Xbox’s reporting system is broken fosters this behavior. Considering Xbox Live Gold is a paid service, they should do a better job censuring players. Black Ops 2 does a lot of things, but it doesn’t do anything well. The campaign is awful. The multiplayer unbalanced. And the zombie mode is just plain overhyped. Ghost Recon Future Soldier didn't receive the hype and is a excels as shooter. But Future Soldier is tough because it involves heavy tactics and teamwork which turns most players off. COD games are popular because the games are technically easy to play. This is unfortunate because there are much better games out there which are left cowering in the shadow of a subpar, overhyped behemoth.… Expand
  81. Shuggiebhoy1969
    Mar 2, 2013
    3
    I used to love black ops 2 on ps3, thought it was the beat cod game in the series, now however there seems to b something wrong, its gon as bad as the others since the new maps came out, its as though its bn hacked the same as the rest of them and them prestege crap hings did they give them out in a fire sale it seems everyone has one now. I allways leave a lobby if it has more than 3 or 4I used to love black ops 2 on ps3, thought it was the beat cod game in the series, now however there seems to b something wrong, its gon as bad as the others since the new maps came out, its as though its bn hacked the same as the rest of them and them prestege crap hings did they give them out in a fire sale it seems everyone has one now. I allways leave a lobby if it has more than 3 or 4 prestegers cos there is no point in playing ur dead bfore u respawn and snipers get a real gun in the game r u that afraid to face ppl u need to hide and pick ppl off who actualy play also them ppl that use the settings on insane speeds whats the point in playing against that u get 1 kill dead four times and since new maps came out zombies not working the only reason i downloaded the pass at £41 was to play zombies and i cant play new maps y whats the point fix the game mk it fair get rid of snipers n prestege game was brill till they tampered with it i got to 55 xp ages ago and have not presteged i think its cheating the new players y not creat a lobby just for prestegers n not allow them access to the lobbys were ppl dont want to play against the experts at the game let them fight it out together and have a room just for snipers u would soon see the sniper rifles not being used if they cant get to just sit n kill passers by get a life snipers

    Hughtrainer@hotmail.com    … Expand
  82. bradtheman123
    Mar 3, 2013
    5
    Treyarch and Activision made a wonderful game Call of Duty Black Ops 1 but also this game was really good. The whole Call of Duty series is good personally MW2 was the best.
  83. PersonFace
    Mar 16, 2013
    2
    First I'll start off with the campaign, it's alright. Not bad, but not very good either. Mainly boring. Second is the zombies. The maps are very small, the fog is horrendous, and tranzit just has a bunch of small maps together. Multiplayer.... it's very controversial. The guns sound horrible for one. The damage that each gun does is unbalanced. The maps are ok. THE COLORS ARE GREAT THOUGH!First I'll start off with the campaign, it's alright. Not bad, but not very good either. Mainly boring. Second is the zombies. The maps are very small, the fog is horrendous, and tranzit just has a bunch of small maps together. Multiplayer.... it's very controversial. The guns sound horrible for one. The damage that each gun does is unbalanced. The maps are ok. THE COLORS ARE GREAT THOUGH! The downfall of the call of duty series to me is the quake 3 engine. It's not a good system and they won't get over that. I'd say that this game needs a lot of balancing, and engine improvements.… Expand
  84. UndiyingPickle
    Mar 27, 2013
    2
    Generic and repetitive gameplay, awful campaign mode and nonsensical zombie mode make black ops 2 a game that didn't need to be release.
    So let's start by the campaign the whole six hour campaign is playing through different sections of just shooting dumb and suicidal AI that not do anything more than just be annoying then watch a non interesting not necessary cutscene and that pretty    Generic and repetitive gameplay, awful campaign mode and nonsensical zombie mode make black ops 2 a game that didn't need to be release.
    So let's start by the campaign the whole six hour campaign is playing through different sections of just shooting dumb and suicidal AI that not do anything more than just be annoying then watch a non interesting not necessary cutscene and that pretty much is all that there is.
    For multiplayer you have your basic game modes (tdm, dm, dom etc...) the new game modes are not innovative at all and are just game modes from different games plastered into this game every weapon feels exactly the same aside from the way they fire, (full auto or bust fire or semi automatic) i find myself sleeping after playing for a while.
    At last zombies is just... awful... the new so called zombie campaign is just the same survival mode but with a different name the stages feel exactly the same and is just not fun.
    the only reason why this game is getting a two and not a one or even a 0 is just because the graphics are decent and the campaign even if they are terrible have different endings and choices.
    In conclusion i wouldn't buy this game at all is completely skippable it doesn't innovate in absolutely anything and most of the copy paste ideas are just badly performed, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME.    … Expand
  85. AaronOlstead
    Apr 11, 2013
    10
    Although similar to previous CoD games, Black Ops 2 had new and exciting missions and a cliff-hanging campaign, taking the action to the next level. With new weapons, locations, and tactical exploits, I recommend this game to any gamer of the FPS genre. Not only are the graphics ideal, but they are suited for directx11 and all future OS installments. For a great time and addictingAlthough similar to previous CoD games, Black Ops 2 had new and exciting missions and a cliff-hanging campaign, taking the action to the next level. With new weapons, locations, and tactical exploits, I recommend this game to any gamer of the FPS genre. Not only are the graphics ideal, but they are suited for directx11 and all future OS installments. For a great time and addicting multiplayer, pick Black Ops 2!… Expand
  86. vintagegamer16
    Apr 19, 2013
    8
    is this a call of duty game? yes. does it play like call of duty yes! is that a bad thing? well.....in my and many others opinion...YES!! they have been using the same formula since modern warfare 1! now yes of course they have added extremly minor new features, yes i get that. the only thing this game is truly good for honestly is its zombies mode.
  87. Tomaskovic93
    Apr 25, 2013
    1
    The only thing this game is good for is being a time waster, a very expensive time waster. You pay 60 dollars for the same game you've been getting every year thinking "this one will actually be good!" but no, you get 5-7 hour single-player campaign that i'm guessing no one even plays. Call of duty is all about their multi-player which hasn't made any significant change since CoD 4.The only thing this game is good for is being a time waster, a very expensive time waster. You pay 60 dollars for the same game you've been getting every year thinking "this one will actually be good!" but no, you get 5-7 hour single-player campaign that i'm guessing no one even plays. Call of duty is all about their multi-player which hasn't made any significant change since CoD 4. Different guns with the same stats as the previous games. Do not buy it. if you want to spend 60 dollars in order to screw yourself, buy a really nice instead.… Expand
  88. NeezyBoy
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    Treyarch's Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is an excellent game. From its Past to Future storyline Campaign which has points in the story that let you pick what you will do and influence the story later in the game to the Multiplayer gameplay which now includes a mode for competitive gamers like myself. This is by far one of the better Call of Duty's I have played. Also the Zombies side of thingsTreyarch's Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is an excellent game. From its Past to Future storyline Campaign which has points in the story that let you pick what you will do and influence the story later in the game to the Multiplayer gameplay which now includes a mode for competitive gamers like myself. This is by far one of the better Call of Duty's I have played. Also the Zombies side of things returns and if you get tired of playing the campaign and multiplayer and you want to do something different you will enjoy killing herds of zombies while trying to find out what led to the outbreak in the first place.… Expand
  89. mihajlogamer
    May 11, 2013
    10
    The call of duty is my favoruite FPS serial.And this game brings a possibility to choose a one of the 5 ends.This isn't a best Cod,but it's very good because it brings lot of new things in CoD series,like a optional Strike Force missions,5 ways to end a game,two stories and more.
  90. AveryM17
    Jun 17, 2013
    7
    When it first came out, I thought of this game as an 8 out of 10. But now that I've seen Activision's horrible DLC marketing strategies such as the camo packs and the purchasable calling cards, that are flipping country flags, my opinion has changed. I loved the single player. I thought it wasn't anything spectacularly innovative but in terms of story-telling and how your choice affectsWhen it first came out, I thought of this game as an 8 out of 10. But now that I've seen Activision's horrible DLC marketing strategies such as the camo packs and the purchasable calling cards, that are flipping country flags, my opinion has changed. I loved the single player. I thought it wasn't anything spectacularly innovative but in terms of story-telling and how your choice affects the outcome of the game it was really great. I felt that the single-player was the best of all the Call of Duty's to-date, just surpassing Black Ops 1's single-player. The zombies mode felt like it was done before and better at that, but that's not saying there isn't any fun to be had here, quite the opposite actually. The implementation of easter eggs in a desirable achievement wrapping makes it all the more fun when you're plowing through hundreds of zombies with your friends. The Tranzit map was definitely blown way out of proportion at E3 and what not, saying that a bus drives you all over an entire country-side to randomized locations and a huge open-world sandbox. All of that wasn't true. It was a set course that drives you from one location after the other, and I believe there are five of them. All in the same order. Anyways, about the multiplayer. I felt that it was one of the best multiplayers of all the CoD's, but I felt that they definitely took big missteps in their marketing strategies and the actual quality of the DLC maps. All of the DLC maps except a few are literally HORRIBLE. No innovation or even attraction in any way and the strategic placement of the objects is basically non existent. Anyways, this is one of the best CoD's to date and I think that if you enjoyed MW2 and/or MW3 than you will enjoy this one.… Expand
  91. vMerq
    Jul 1, 2013
    9
    Okay, obviously this review is late and will probably be pointless by now, but here is my opinion on the entire game. Now, take note I have reached Prestige Master in Multiplayer and have beaten the story.

    Now, Black Ops 2 is certainly a change of scene within the Call of Duty universe, the story while not the best or even the most interesting will keep you fixated on your screen on    Okay, obviously this review is late and will probably be pointless by now, but here is my opinion on the entire game. Now, take note I have reached Prestige Master in Multiplayer and have beaten the story.

    Now, Black Ops 2 is certainly a change of scene within the Call of Duty universe, the story while not the best or even the most interesting will keep you fixated on your screen on the few hours it takes to beat due to the many amount of endings that could happen due to YOUR choices. Now, this was a great thing to add and I personally felt this gave the singleplayer a bit more replay value.

    Multiplayer: Well, after almost a year of playing and hitting Prestige Master (vMerqz, xbox360), here is my view, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 contains (personally) the most balanced Call of Duty experience to date, any problems I have had in the past have been fixed with the Treyarch hotfix patches that generally come out every week or two, it has gotten to the point that I am fully satisfied with what I bought. The multiplayer has a ton of replay value due to the many things you could unlock differently every prestige, however this might get boring to the general gamer and might leave you irritated considering how long it takes to get from 1 to 55.

    Zombies, Zombies, Zombies.. come a long way from World at War, running on the multiplayer engine, yet it lacks what I'd call anything interesting, however, if you're willing to fork out $15 and buy some of the recently released DLC which includes new Zombies maps, you will find that these are far more better than those released with the game and you might have a more enjoyable experience that way.    … Expand
  92. OceanicMeerkat
    Jul 2, 2013
    9
    Very well balanced. Guns, perks and equipment contain no single item that every pro player uses; in fact, you'll be surprised to find more variety amongst the best players than the mediocre. Multiplayer is more enjoyable than ever.
    The campaign, however, isn't really anything special. The choice matters, but gameplay remains the same as ever.
    Zombies is also an improved mode over Black    Very well balanced. Guns, perks and equipment contain no single item that every pro player uses; in fact, you'll be surprised to find more variety amongst the best players than the mediocre. Multiplayer is more enjoyable than ever.
    The campaign, however, isn't really anything special. The choice matters, but gameplay remains the same as ever.
    Zombies is also an improved mode over Black Ops; both graphically and in gameplay. Secrets and easter eggs will keeps fans of the mode coming back over and over.    … Expand
  93. SonicmanMW3
    Jul 18, 2013
    8
    Call of duty black ops 2 is the recent game in the series. Black ops 2 story is great for Call of duty standard's but there are problems with it. The multiplayer is better than ever with the pick 10 classes and using tokens is better than using Cod points in the original black ops. Finally the zombie mode is like the same as black ops and the modes (tranzit, gular, and survive) feel theCall of duty black ops 2 is the recent game in the series. Black ops 2 story is great for Call of duty standard's but there are problems with it. The multiplayer is better than ever with the pick 10 classes and using tokens is better than using Cod points in the original black ops. Finally the zombie mode is like the same as black ops and the modes (tranzit, gular, and survive) feel the same. Call of duty black ops 2 is great and if our a fan of the series you may enjoy it, but it doesn't beat Call of duty 4: Modern Warfare in story.… Expand
  94. Phobia
    Sep 18, 2013
    6
    Just a big disappointment. The story is nothing new and the online is broken in so many ways. As usual the story is as boring as ever and nothing exciting comes into play. The online is by far the worst of all the CoD series.
  95. Mandy22
    Nov 6, 2013
    10
    After playing Ghosts this game is gold. Plus the engine doesnt make me feel like Im playing CoD 4. CoD 2 is better than Ghosts. 10/10 for a game that works.
  96. Neilus
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Great Game, im guessing the people giving out Zero's haven't even played it. Happens every year, for some reason alot of people get offended by a popular game and a company making money, i think thats what companies are supposed to do.

    Anyway dont let these immature people deter you from buying it, lots of fun.
  97. Sidurien
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    3 words: Same Graphics Engine. Seriously, its been forever and the graphics are run off the same engine as MW4? and they expect people to believe it took 3 years to make this? lmao get real do NOT buy this game.
  98. Joeyi05
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Anyone who gave this game a zero is without a doubt just a Call of Duty hater or went online last night after they bought it and got destroyed in multiplayer. Take out your noob anger somewhere else because this game is tons of fun with extremely high replay value. Giving a zero for this game absolutely annihilates your repuation on this website and you essentially embarrassed yourself.Anyone who gave this game a zero is without a doubt just a Call of Duty hater or went online last night after they bought it and got destroyed in multiplayer. Take out your noob anger somewhere else because this game is tons of fun with extremely high replay value. Giving a zero for this game absolutely annihilates your repuation on this website and you essentially embarrassed yourself. See the rest of you guys online!… Expand
  99. The_Gooser
    Nov 15, 2012
    5
    If you are a long time fan of the Call of Duty franchise I would advise you to stay away, Call of Duty has not been the same since Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops 2 is a just another turd dropped in the toilet of FPS turds.

    Black Ops 2 is a giant mess of a game, not much has changed, and the things that were changed have very little impact on the actual gameplay/setting. Black Ops 2    If you are a long time fan of the Call of Duty franchise I would advise you to stay away, Call of Duty has not been the same since Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops 2 is a just another turd dropped in the toilet of FPS turds.

    Black Ops 2 is a giant mess of a game, not much has changed, and the things that were changed have very little impact on the actual gameplay/setting. Black Ops 2 boasts future warfare, yet I am still able to make a class based around knifing people and end up on the top of the leaderboards. The weapons have not changed much, there is very little recoil, the differences between an LMG and SMG is next to none. The best way to describe this game is if Medal of Honor and Black Ops had rough sex and this is bastard child of that one night stand. The token unlock system is nice, I enjoy sacrificing certain things for more perks, but none of that matters, because there is very little difference between the weapons. From what I have seen, once people reach a certain level, everyone choose the Microwaver thingy, and camps in a corner. I remember this game touting the fact that it is anti-camper, have you seen the blackest night shadows in the broad daylight levels, you are practically invisible. The maps are way too big, not enough players to fill the maps, and the game modes are tired/old. The achievement system compared to MW3's achievement system is like comparing a mongoloid to Einstein. Play this game if you enjoy looking at or making emblems of chick's buttholes, because that is all the craze with the kids these days.    … Expand
  100. ChrisTB
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    "CoD. . . CoD never changes." I'm disgusted to see how many more of these Treyarch is willing to release. I can't fathom the amount of people going out there and buying one CoD after the next, only to expect the same gameplay, graphics etc. Changing the gun sounds, tweaking their engine, and adding new guns won't satisfy any FPS player looking for something innovative. I'm saving my money"CoD. . . CoD never changes." I'm disgusted to see how many more of these Treyarch is willing to release. I can't fathom the amount of people going out there and buying one CoD after the next, only to expect the same gameplay, graphics etc. Changing the gun sounds, tweaking their engine, and adding new guns won't satisfy any FPS player looking for something innovative. I'm saving my money for a team who's patient on their release dates, and as no game is ever finished when released, the Dice team puts more effort into their games than the CoD franchise ever will, I'm putting my bets on BF4, and until it comes out, I'll be playing BF3.… 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

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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.
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  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.
    Read full review
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