Call of Duty: Black Ops

 Xbox 360
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 89
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 89
  3. Negative: 0 out of 89
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  1. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    Jan 30, 2011
    72
    A short campaign which is never spectacular and never very clever, but always solid enough. [Feb 2011, p.99]
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  2. Gamekult
    Jan 18, 2011
    70
    By dint of obstinacy, Treyarch delivers probably its best with Black Ops Call of Duty to date - but probably not the best in the saga.
  3. Gamer.no
    Jan 11, 2011
    70
    Call of Duty: Black Ops has a solid and fun multiplayer, and the best story in a Call of Duty-game yet. Despite this, it has got issues with arbitrary and unnecessary design. It isn´t as tight as its predecessor, and unless you are either not a fan of singleplayer story, og just plain tired of the multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2, the latter is still the better game.
  5. Edge Magazine
    Dec 23, 2010
    70
    It feels more like a yearly update than a sequel, a new campaign with old multiplayer. The game isn't distinct from its predecessors in any important way, and fatigue sets in quicker than before. [Jan 2011, p.94]
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  6. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 23, 2010
    70
    When it's good, Black Ops shows the world that Treyarch is far more than just the B-team. [Issue#66, p.70]
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  7. The Escapist
    Dec 16, 2010
    60
    There are games that deserve to be relegated to the bargain bin, or played when there's simply nothing else on the shelf. This is one of them. It's not broken, it's just bad.

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2010
3
#3 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2010
28
#28 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2010

User Reviews

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User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1770 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 966 out of 1770
  2. Mixed: 419 out of 1770
  3. Negative: 385 out of 1770
  1. ColdSpike
    Nov 10, 2010
    4
    Meh. Stuck on Rebirth Island in a loop. Standing behind the Russki he says I've been spotted and he just stands there and I'm looking aroundMeh. Stuck on Rebirth Island in a loop. Standing behind the Russki he says I've been spotted and he just stands there and I'm looking around trying to see who spotted me, and trying to figure where all of the bullets are coming from.

    If I don't hit the marks that the developers say I should I die. I REALLY hate having to play a level over and over, and over, and over, from the start because I didn't jump fast enough, or read the BS directions about hitting X to deploy the parachute. BO is more frustrating than fun. Once I complete it I won't be replaying the campaign, and since I don't have Gold Live multi player is out. If the Zombies game sucks I'll be selling it back to Gamestop.    … Full Review »
  2. HydroWarDaddy
    Nov 9, 2010
    10
    This is by far the most complete and deep gaming experience in history. The balance in the multi-player maps and weapons will be imitated andThis is by far the most complete and deep gaming experience in history. The balance in the multi-player maps and weapons will be imitated and praised for years to come. This is the BEST game ever.… Full Review »
  3. msherry9
    Mar 26, 2011
    6
    I'm a little disappointed that the Call of Duty franchise has hit a point in the series' history where any subpar developer can slap the wordsI'm a little disappointed that the Call of Duty franchise has hit a point in the series' history where any subpar developer can slap the words "Call of Duty" on the front cover and it will become the most successful selling game of all time. Yes, Black Ops is still an excellent game, but I'm giving it a 6 because the game had a ridiculous amount of hype and yet, it delivered absolutely nothing new or inspiring to the table. As another user critic said, the game is doing nothing except receive a piggy back ride from Modern Warfare 2. If Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 switched release dates, MW2 would be the best selling game of all time. You could not tell the difference between which game was released first. The only reason that Black Ops is as successful as it is, is because of one reason: it is more new. I am not exaggerating this when I say it. It is not superior in any way, but rather actually a degrade in many aspects. To start, the graphics are literally the exact same. And in some cases, it somehow manages to be worse. I have absolutely no idea how, and I still have don't have an answer to this day, other than the engine is worse the MW2's. On the topic, since the engine is different, the entire feel of the game isn't as smooth as MW2 feels. I can't describe it too well, it just feels clunkier, and the hit detection is worse. The single player is very good, despite having another extremely short campaign. You can complete the campaign on Normal difficulty in probably 3 hours tops, so if you don't have online, I highly urge you to not buy this game. The storyline of the campaign is very original in my opinion, and the ending was very well-written. Despite this, it was a little anti-climatic, as I'm used to a pulsating thrill-ride the last ten minutes of a standard Call of Duty campaign. Voice-acting was extremely well-done, and there's some recognizable names behind the acting such as Ice Cube that really deliver an astounding performance. Some of the missions are a little cliche, a mere, "Been there, done that" feeling that you have already experienced this in other installments. Moving on to multiplayer, this is where I feel that I was disappointed the most. Sure, Black Ops has their original Nazi Zombies, but let's be honest, would you really pay $60 for just that? It's fun for awhile, but not enough to warrant a purchase alone. The multiplayer maps online are merely a host of mediocre maps that are nothing memorable. They involve a lot of camping spots and chokepoints that enemy players are constantly hovering around. Also, because so many of them are not as largescale as MW2's maps, sniping essentially goes out the window. On the topic of snipers, they themselves are worthless weapons in comparison to any assault rifle, and it is not uncommon to be called a noob for using one. The weapons are unbalanced, and everyone uses either the FAMAS or the AK74u, which is to be expected, since both of these guns are far superior to the others. The sound quality has actually become worse than on MW2, and the killstreaks available to you are boring or borrowed from MW2. One example is the Chopper Gunner; sound familiar? Amidst this darkness are some great new addions, however, such as the ability to customize your own personal emblem. Also, the addition of contracts is a rather cool idea, and some new game modes such as One in the Chamber are a blast to play. Overall, there are some great additions to Black Ops, but they don't add up to much. And they certainly don't add up to an entire purchase of a brand new game that feels, looks, and plays like MW2. If you have your copy of MW2 stlll, it would be best if you stuck with that. If not, I guess Black Ops would be a worthy purchase since that's what everyone else plays.… Full Review »
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