User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1770 Ratings

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  1. Jul 24, 2020
    9
    This is my favorite COD because of nostalgia.This is the reason why i love the zombies mode more than the others with kino der toten been my favorite zombies map with the most memorable easter egg song (115). The multiplayer was fun with iconic maps and the campaign was great
  2. Jun 26, 2021
    9
    This was the first campaign I beat which makes it mean a lot to me. The multiplayer is solid, and the zombies mode is quite good too.
  3. Dec 23, 2021
    9
    Call of Duty Black OPS is one of the best cod's ever made Black OPS one is my fav campaign or second fav campaign because I need to play bo2 to see if it is the best this Campaign has the best characters for sure the villains are really good not as good as bo2 or even MW3 but still really good villains in the game in this game you have one of my fav video game characters and that is WOODSCall of Duty Black OPS is one of the best cod's ever made Black OPS one is my fav campaign or second fav campaign because I need to play bo2 to see if it is the best this Campaign has the best characters for sure the villains are really good not as good as bo2 or even MW3 but still really good villains in the game in this game you have one of my fav video game characters and that is WOODS is one of the best characters his scenes are amazing with woods etc. like one of my fav one is (You can't kill me)One of the best scenes ever in this game and video game in general. Multiplayer wise is ok tbh is not crazy mainly because the maps aren't the best but they are good of course they is iconic maps like summit, firing range, nuketown that is only the problem i have with Black OPS one multiplayer is the maps aren't the best Zombies is almost my least fav just because u die so easily in 2 hits which is laughable it is is bo2 also but u actually have good guns in bo1 every gun is weak so it's like impossible to get high rounds if u don't know how to play Zombies but this has the best maps for sure so all round Bo1 is one of my fav cod's for it's campaign alone Zombies is ok Multiplayer needed better maps and nerf ghost but that's it so I give Call of Duty Black OPS an 9.2/10 Expand
  4. Jan 21, 2022
    9
    One of the best story in any FPS. Amazing and thrilling missions, great plot and unexpected outcomes of the story. Every mission is unique and every one have a reason. It's not only killing for sake. I'm speechless after ending. Highly recommend!
  5. AV-
    Apr 28, 2022
    9
    this is my favorite cod game and it will remain that way. so many memories of me and my friends staying up late and training zombies. and no, not training like we're their master, yk what i mean
  6. Mar 12, 2023
    9
    “The numbers Mason. What do they mean? Where are they broadcast from?”
    Okay, but why do the older cod games including this one have mixed to negative ratings from users, regardless of the quality? I thought people enjoyed these games. Does it have to do with the fact it still is pretty expensive? Granted, I too would be peeved if such thing was like that, but how come I hear more people
    “The numbers Mason. What do they mean? Where are they broadcast from?”
    Okay, but why do the older cod games including this one have mixed to negative ratings from users, regardless of the quality? I thought people enjoyed these games. Does it have to do with the fact it still is pretty expensive? Granted, I too would be peeved if such thing was like that, but how come I hear more people say how amazing this game is than how many people dislike it?
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  7. Aug 14, 2023
    9
    Absolute masterpiece with a mysterious plot, great gameplay and improved zombies mode.
  8. Jan 2, 2023
    9
    One of the best games of the cod franchise, which has performed exceptionally well, especially in the campaign and zombies sections. Be sure that after experiencing it, its story and epic scenes will always remain in your mind.
  9. Aug 17, 2023
    9
    9.5/10.
    Alex Mason no modo história. Kino der toten no modo zombies. A primeira vez na história de call of duty que foi possível equipar a camuflagem de ouro, muito querida entre a comunidade do cód no modo multiplayer. Preciso dizer mais?
  10. DME
    Jul 22, 2011
    8
    The campain was nothing short of epic. It had a great story, interesting characters (Reznov was my favorite), and plenty of variety. Zombies is back and better than ever. But it has it's letdowns... No highscores for offline or private match play. So if I get to round 42 on Solo, nobody is gonna believe me unless I take a picture of the TV screen and show it to them in person. It alsoThe campain was nothing short of epic. It had a great story, interesting characters (Reznov was my favorite), and plenty of variety. Zombies is back and better than ever. But it has it's letdowns... No highscores for offline or private match play. So if I get to round 42 on Solo, nobody is gonna believe me unless I take a picture of the TV screen and show it to them in person. It also takes to long to find a match for Zombies. But Kino Der Toten is an instant classic and the dialogue (while repetetive) is hilarious. What's left? The heart and soul of Call of Duty... multiplayer. I am happy to say that Black Ops has the best multiplayer of any CoD game I've ever played. Everything (well, mostly everything) is balanced. Perks are well thought out. Weapon choices and attatchments are good. The sniper rifles are no longer over-powered. My only gripe is the FAMAS. The FAMAS is the most popular weapon because it is too accurate for the damage is does. Take away two bars of accuracy from the FAMAS and all weapons are balanced. Private Matches can be customized to a surprising extent. Maps are exceptionaly designed, but sometimes visualy-unappealing. And the 4 new Wager Match modes delivered even more fun. Killstreaks are better, but I wish there was more interactivity with some of them (eg. Attack Helicopters and Attack Dogs). I also wish we had the Predator Drone back. But the best thing about multiplayer is that Treyarch is keeping the place clean of hackers (yes, you may stumble upon one or two). The game is free of glitches (due to frequent updates), and has fast matchmaking. Overall, you can't go wrong with Black Ops. This really feels like a great end to the CoD series. But we all know Activison won't stop until they lose their customers. And after this, I don't think it will be happening soon. Expand
  11. Lrg
    Nov 20, 2010
    8
    I do happen to enjoy the Multiplayer a lot more than mw2. weapons and perks are more balanced and the maps are very diverse but the lag and TERRIBLE kniving make it somewhat frustrating at times . As for the campaign, I felt it was just playing any other Call of Duty game but in a different era. Although I do applaud the great voice acting and amazing framerate, not that the graphics areI do happen to enjoy the Multiplayer a lot more than mw2. weapons and perks are more balanced and the maps are very diverse but the lag and TERRIBLE kniving make it somewhat frustrating at times . As for the campaign, I felt it was just playing any other Call of Duty game but in a different era. Although I do applaud the great voice acting and amazing framerate, not that the graphics are pushing any boundaries; but the gameplay and story didnt put me in a mode to where I just had to keep playing. Expand
  12. Oct 29, 2012
    8
    The weak and twitchy single-player - with many of the same old flaws - almost undermines all of the superb extra features and pretty much flawless multiplayer offering. Veterans and regular players still have the advantage over newcomers, but with Combat Training and the Zombie mode, there is plenty of fun to be had for even the most inexperienced players. Black Ops isn
  13. Nov 11, 2010
    8
    Ah, franchise annualization. Black Ops' campaign is just as satisfying as Modern Warfare 2's - you won't be doing as many interesting things, but it is longer, self-contained, and more cogent. There's a Zombie Mode and a top-down shooter thrown in for good measure, but neither are as fun as MW2's Spec Ops Mode. The multiplayer feels lacking - from levels 16 to 29 (6 hours of play-time) IAh, franchise annualization. Black Ops' campaign is just as satisfying as Modern Warfare 2's - you won't be doing as many interesting things, but it is longer, self-contained, and more cogent. There's a Zombie Mode and a top-down shooter thrown in for good measure, but neither are as fun as MW2's Spec Ops Mode. The multiplayer feels lacking - from levels 16 to 29 (6 hours of play-time) I didn't change a single loadout - so while I was unlocking items in MW2 for months, I had experienced 80% of the items in multiplayer within a few hours. The guns have much more recoil to boot, so mid- to long-range combat is more of a dice roll than with Infinity Ward's last game. Black Ops is a good game, but not as necessary a purchase as Modern Warfare 2 was. Expand
  14. Nov 19, 2010
    8
    Black Ops is thoroughly Call of Duty, and as such there are some truly thrilling and fun moments in the campaign. That being said there are some lingering issues that really hold this game back. 1. The A.I. is just terrible. I know COD has never been accused of having great A.I. but Black Ops really seems to make it worse. There are numerous times where your allies and enemies will simplyBlack Ops is thoroughly Call of Duty, and as such there are some truly thrilling and fun moments in the campaign. That being said there are some lingering issues that really hold this game back. 1. The A.I. is just terrible. I know COD has never been accused of having great A.I. but Black Ops really seems to make it worse. There are numerous times where your allies and enemies will simply ignore each other.. I've witnessed an A.I. teammate and enemy literally standing back to back firing in opposite directions, completely oblivious to the others presence. You'll see your teammates run right past enemies, I mean they'll pass each other on a narrow pathway without even a nod. It's just weird, and it happens frequently enough that you can't help but notice it and feel disappointed.

    2. Instant deaths... I don't know if the enemy headshot percentages were boosted or what but I found myself dying inexplicably a number of times during the campaign. As in other CODs once you start taking hits the screen starts turning red until you can't hardly see and then die. Generally you have a pretty good idea of how much punishment you can take before you die. But in Black Ops I found myself going from perfectly fine to dead instantly. And the game always tells you if you die from a grenade or exploding barrel or something like that, so I know that's not the issue. The only thing I can come up with is that I was hit in the head, but if that's the case then the enemies accuracy must have really been cranked up. Either way it becomes incredibly frustrating when you die out of nowhere, and it's not something that I've witnessed happening in any of the other CODs.

    3. The Story...it's not terrible, but it's not very original either. I was interested at first, there's an air of mystery, but once I realized where the story was going I just found myself going through the motions to finish the game. The game treats the big reveal like a shocking surprise, but really, you saw it coming a few levels back. That's not to say the last few levels are bad, they're actually very good, and the final level is great, it's just the story that accompanies it fizzles out by that point.

    Then there's the multiplayer....think of it as a huge map pack for Modern Warfare 2. If you didn't know the maps you'd have a hard time knowing which one was which if you were watching them side-by-side. I almost wish they'd gone back to WWII just for the multiplayer. At least then it would feel distinct. World at War had its own style that I really enjoyed, so I was a bit disappointed when I first saw Blacks Ops multiplayer in action. It's good. It has some great new modes and the wager matches are a fine idea. COD points are a nice touch for upgrading your equipment the way YOU want to instead of everyone at say level 35 having the same things unlocked. So overall I think it is an improvement over Modern Warfare 2 and I'll certainly spend many hours playing.

    Black Ops is great package, and will certainly keep you occupied until the next COD lands, but for me, this is the first time I've played a COD game and thought, "I could've probably skipped this one and never really regretted it."
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  15. Aug 19, 2011
    8
    Let me just say,go back to 2007 call of duty 4 and play it.You will see a core of the same things there.There is still playing that game,thousands online after all this time and it is mid 2011 now.That is why COD 4 and COD 4 II won so many awards and are so good.I'm not going to be bias and knock it harshly on the review side over that but you can see my point.Black ops has an awesomeLet me just say,go back to 2007 call of duty 4 and play it.You will see a core of the same things there.There is still playing that game,thousands online after all this time and it is mid 2011 now.That is why COD 4 and COD 4 II won so many awards and are so good.I'm not going to be bias and knock it harshly on the review side over that but you can see my point.Black ops has an awesome campaign,great multiplayer,great graphics,ect..but for one I would rather put in COD MW 2 any time of the day and there is still up to 100,000 playing that game online and for being a 2009 game that is where you see some of the brilliance behind it.Black ops is a solid 8 but the two before it were perfect 10's so go figure. Expand
  16. Nov 19, 2010
    8
    This is a review coming from someone that has beaten the entire game and has played about 20+ hours of the multi-player as well.
    When I first started playing Black Opts, I wasn't sure if I even liked it or not. I bought it mainly to play with a friend online that lives out of town. I also knew that the hype surrounding the game was so large, that I had to take everything with a grain of
    This is a review coming from someone that has beaten the entire game and has played about 20+ hours of the multi-player as well.
    When I first started playing Black Opts, I wasn't sure if I even liked it or not. I bought it mainly to play with a friend online that lives out of town. I also knew that the hype surrounding the game was so large, that I had to take everything with a grain of salt.
    Well, I must say, after beating the single player campaign and starting to play the online modes including zombies, I must say that this game is well worth the money spent on it. The level of custimization in this game is great and if you don't jump to any conclusions and adapt to the gameplay in multi-player you will have lots of fun. This is definately a game that you will have to work hard at multi-plauer in, as this game keeps the momentum moving forward and doesn't allow for much camping and stagnant fights. There will be blood. So, after getting a little better at the game, I was having even more fun and enjoing unlocking all the features and cusomizing my player tag. I usually always try to make sure I have played a game a good deal and beaten it before I have reviewed it. So here you have it from someone that has actually put a good amount of hours into it. If you do not like online multi-player however, I would say that is where all the value is in this game. Games like MW2 definately had better campaigns.
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  17. Nov 9, 2010
    8
    When compared to MW2, the campaign mode in Black Ops chews MW2's up and spits it out. Graphics are similar to MW2's graphics, there is not much difference. Black Ops adds nice new weapons such as RC Detonators and Flamethrowers to mix up the action, and multiplayer maps are very interesting, albeit some are extremely small. that you often find you are on a kill streak, or a death streak,When compared to MW2, the campaign mode in Black Ops chews MW2's up and spits it out. Graphics are similar to MW2's graphics, there is not much difference. Black Ops adds nice new weapons such as RC Detonators and Flamethrowers to mix up the action, and multiplayer maps are very interesting, albeit some are extremely small. that you often find you are on a kill streak, or a death streak, considering how the game often will respawn you in a spot that can get you immediately picked off without warning. Another major issue with multiplayer are the servers, which disconnect very frequently and disrupt gameplay. And frequently is about maybe once per every other game or so. This was written after only a single day live, so that issue may change in due time. For now though, the game gets an 8, server problems holding it back from any higher. Expand
  18. Nov 12, 2010
    8
    Some of the scores given here by fellow gamers are stupid.Black Ops isn`t the best in the series as that goes to Modern Warfare 2,but this is a decent effort.The campaign has a good story although it is very short.The mutliplayer is decent,but for me not a patch on MW2 as some of the maps seem more camper friendly than ever and the respawn system can be a pain in the backside.Some of theSome of the scores given here by fellow gamers are stupid.Black Ops isn`t the best in the series as that goes to Modern Warfare 2,but this is a decent effort.The campaign has a good story although it is very short.The mutliplayer is decent,but for me not a patch on MW2 as some of the maps seem more camper friendly than ever and the respawn system can be a pain in the backside.Some of the weapons feel a little odd and i feel like they lack abit of punch,and they feel kinda light to me,but they are the only failings to me.People putting scores of 1 are just stupid in my honest opinion.Black Ops isn`t groundbreaking,but it's a decent effort by Treyarch.Although Infinity Ward still have the edge on the development side of the COD franchise.If you want a mix of Modern warfare 1 and World At War then this is for you,if not then don't bother. Expand
  19. Nov 21, 2010
    8
    I hold a completely different view then ColdSpike(not saying he's wrong he's entitled to his own opinion) you can't just rate the game for its campaign qualities you most certainly need xbox live. i think the campaign is the best in the call of duty series yet. Its as if your in a movie due to some stunning gameplay cinematics and an exellent plot line. This is probrably the only call ofI hold a completely different view then ColdSpike(not saying he's wrong he's entitled to his own opinion) you can't just rate the game for its campaign qualities you most certainly need xbox live. i think the campaign is the best in the call of duty series yet. Its as if your in a movie due to some stunning gameplay cinematics and an exellent plot line. This is probrably the only call of duty game i was actually bothered about what happened in the campaign. The online is also a high standard with alot more features. Since there is an awful lot to describe its probrably best you watch some gameplay footage. The zombies mode is also very fun with a whole new dead ops mode in which you shoot using the analog stick. To summarize

    CAMPAIGN --------- 92/100
    ONLINE----------84/100
    ZOMBIES---------87/100

    OVERALL -------- 88/100
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  20. Nov 19, 2010
    8
    Black Ops is a great game, of that there is no doubt. But it's a real shame that many of the problems from Modern Warfare 2 have been carried over into Treyarch's iteration of this series. These problems aren't of hackers, or glitchers, or really anything of that sort. The two games suffer from what I like to call, "Michael Bay-ism," where the games focus more on the action than trying toBlack Ops is a great game, of that there is no doubt. But it's a real shame that many of the problems from Modern Warfare 2 have been carried over into Treyarch's iteration of this series. These problems aren't of hackers, or glitchers, or really anything of that sort. The two games suffer from what I like to call, "Michael Bay-ism," where the games focus more on the action than trying to develop a real storyline. Now this is not entirely true- Black Ops has crafted a story that you will probably care about much more than you did with Modern Warfare 2, and this time you will understand why you are piloting an attack helicopter and blowing the living $^@& out of everything instead of just hanging on for the ride. And the masterfully-crafted multi-player from MW2 has returned, giving any normal player a reason to keep going back to this game even after you've played it for hours and hours on end. And the multi-player has a new couple of twists- for one, practically every weapon is available early on, but you have to spend points you earn from playing matches to buy them. You also must buy your perks, attachments, and kill-streaks. Plus, the best kill-streaks only send out a pack of dogs or give you control of a gunship, scrapping the extremely overpowered Nuke from the last game. Also new were the Wage Matches, a type of game-mode where you could bet your hard-earned points and play in one of four match types. If you place in the top 3 spots at the end of the game, you earn your money back and some more. Honestly, this game isn't perfect. Hell, it could do with some work. But what it is is an unforgettable experience that must be played. Expand
  21. Nov 9, 2010
    8
    Let me preface this by saying that I was not a fan of COD:MW2. I felt that perks in that game stole the show. However COD:BO has pushed away my frustrations and welcomed me back with open arms into a legitimately good game. The multiplayer is the prime selling point of the title, and the system of purchases is fairly well fleshed out. It's a slight disappointment that they decided to mixLet me preface this by saying that I was not a fan of COD:MW2. I felt that perks in that game stole the show. However COD:BO has pushed away my frustrations and welcomed me back with open arms into a legitimately good game. The multiplayer is the prime selling point of the title, and the system of purchases is fairly well fleshed out. It's a slight disappointment that they decided to mix in rank AND credits for weapon customization, but ultimately it forces you as a player to make a smart decision about the direction you want to go. The king of the maps is most certainly Nuketown with its great vintage feel and tight map. The standee bodies only add to the effect. My primary concern with multiplayer is bullet penetration. It feels as though practically every surface can be easily penetrated to the point that cover can feel relatively useless. Camping remains an issue, but the maps themselves don't tend to lend to a horrific amount of easy spots to hole up, and this results in a great shift away from said issue. It's difficult to discuss the campaign without spoiling, but suffice it to say that it is an enjoyable romp and the best of the COD franchise. Zombie mode is every bit as tight and crazy as you remember and will create all the whooping and hollering you'd anticipate. While the game has flaws in its hitbox detection and penetration, there's nothing gamebreaking. But alas the game itself does not necessarily break new ground, it only polishes the floor to a nice sheen. That's good enough for me. 8.5/10 Expand
  22. Nov 11, 2010
    8
    Call of Duty Black Ops is a good overall package, however it does have some issues. The campaign has a good Hollywood story taken from the minds of conspirators everywhere. The campaign has a lot of great moments but don't expect a true to life story like Medal of Honor delivers. I found some technical problems with the campaign such as poor hit detection and crappy AI. One of the biggestCall of Duty Black Ops is a good overall package, however it does have some issues. The campaign has a good Hollywood story taken from the minds of conspirators everywhere. The campaign has a lot of great moments but don't expect a true to life story like Medal of Honor delivers. I found some technical problems with the campaign such as poor hit detection and crappy AI. One of the biggest problems with the campaign is they didn't add the 4 player coop that was in World at War which is really too bad. The zombie mode is great as long as you have the secret code to get the two other maps. Also I was hoping they would let you win zombie mode this time like halo reach added with firefight but they didn't. Its still a great mode, however it will get old fast. That brings us to multiplayer this is the bread and butter of the call of duty series and it does deliver a solid call of duty experience. Just like modern warfare 2 there are a ton of lag issues and I also have found some hit detection problems as well. It doesn't make sense why the biggest multiplayer game on the market doesn't fix there network problems. The multiplayer has some great new modes which change up the experience such as wager matches and gun game which are both fun if you have a good host. The new customization is a great addition but would of been better if you could customize your character on what you want and not what perk you choose. The way you unlock weapons and attachments is fun but I liked the modern warfare 2 system better overall. Overall its a solid FPS would good multiplayer and a decent campaign. Expand
  23. Nov 9, 2010
    8
    So far so good! The graphics aren't as good as Modern Warfare but the gameplay is definitely fun and very customizable!!! Wish Treyarch and Infinity ward would Co-op a game and share eachothers secrets.
  24. Nov 18, 2010
    8
    Call of Duty: Black Ops has a magnificent campaign that is quite in depth and theatrical in nature. Though, as with the COD series the graphics are not top notch; this is nice for the multiplayer though as it keeps the fps high. The addition of new game types (gun game, 1 bullet in the chamber etc.) adds a great deal to the online experience. Overall the online is fun, kills hours forCall of Duty: Black Ops has a magnificent campaign that is quite in depth and theatrical in nature. Though, as with the COD series the graphics are not top notch; this is nice for the multiplayer though as it keeps the fps high. The addition of new game types (gun game, 1 bullet in the chamber etc.) adds a great deal to the online experience. Overall the online is fun, kills hours for each of my roommates and myself and it should be stated again the campaign is really well done. Expand
  25. Nov 10, 2010
    8
    Hey let's face it, a lot of people have an axe to grind against either Treyarch or the Call of Duty franchise for reasons nobody can explain. I found this to be a fun first person shooter. Was it as ground breaking as the first Modern Warfare? Not in the least. Is it buggy and the worst game ever? Not even close. They've revamped the multiplayer mode, increased the zombies and actuallyHey let's face it, a lot of people have an axe to grind against either Treyarch or the Call of Duty franchise for reasons nobody can explain. I found this to be a fun first person shooter. Was it as ground breaking as the first Modern Warfare? Not in the least. Is it buggy and the worst game ever? Not even close. They've revamped the multiplayer mode, increased the zombies and actually created a campaign mode that doesn't stink. That alone is an accomplishment. It doesn't deserve a 9 or 10, but it's a solid 8. If you're a COD fan you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for a videogame that's going to transcend the genre and become art, look elsewhere, like at a book maybe. Expand
  26. Nov 9, 2010
    8
    A cross between cod4 and waw online, dont expect a mw2 game, graphics are not as smooth as mw2, gameplay is very good, i think some of the features in here should of been in mw2. This is a treyarc game and i hated them for world at war which in my opinion was pants so i have always stuck by infinity ward but sadly that original team is no more due to greedy CEO's. Not played single playerA cross between cod4 and waw online, dont expect a mw2 game, graphics are not as smooth as mw2, gameplay is very good, i think some of the features in here should of been in mw2. This is a treyarc game and i hated them for world at war which in my opinion was pants so i have always stuck by infinity ward but sadly that original team is no more due to greedy CEO's. Not played single player yet, as someone else has stated it'll be the more you play the better your upgrades Expand
  27. Nov 10, 2010
    8
    The only reason i'm not rating this higher is ,because even though this game is pretty good.The story for the campaign is pretty hard to understand if your not paying attention,and the multiplayer has some good maps.Yet like all the other COD games that have come out recentley this games multiplayer is plagued with glitches and booster. So if you get you this game for the multiplayer beThe only reason i'm not rating this higher is ,because even though this game is pretty good.The story for the campaign is pretty hard to understand if your not paying attention,and the multiplayer has some good maps.Yet like all the other COD games that have come out recentley this games multiplayer is plagued with glitches and booster. So if you get you this game for the multiplayer be prepared with a different game in the aspect sof new modes and cool customization options,but be prepared for the same campers and other glitches that plauged MW2. :) (awesome music to) Expand
  28. Nov 13, 2010
    8
    I think it's quite interesting that most of the people that have given this game a negative review have also given MW2 the same treatment. Why on earth would you buy or play a game based upon a game series you clearly hate? Unless you're getting paid to review it... oh wait you're not. Listen I'm no Fanboy but if you're going to review a game please use constructive criticism. No gameI think it's quite interesting that most of the people that have given this game a negative review have also given MW2 the same treatment. Why on earth would you buy or play a game based upon a game series you clearly hate? Unless you're getting paid to review it... oh wait you're not. Listen I'm no Fanboy but if you're going to review a game please use constructive criticism. No game deserves a '0' a 1 maybe. Expand
  29. Nov 14, 2010
    8
    I really don't understand why so many people are giving this game a zero. I think that people are just stretching the truth to make the game seem worse than it actually is because they have something against Activision and Treyarch. It's not the perfect game - graphics are a bit dated, some parts on MP are a little buggy, but I've played worse. Namely, MW2.

    Let me explain. MW2's single
    I really don't understand why so many people are giving this game a zero. I think that people are just stretching the truth to make the game seem worse than it actually is because they have something against Activision and Treyarch. It's not the perfect game - graphics are a bit dated, some parts on MP are a little buggy, but I've played worse. Namely, MW2.

    Let me explain. MW2's single player was extremely addictive, if a bit short, but I played through it at least three times. The multiplayer, however, was broken. Campers and boosters everywhere, quickscoping was rampant, and you had squeakers trash talking you every time you played something that wasn't vanilla TDM. So, I traded it in and waited for Black Ops to come out.

    The single player in Black Ops, while I haven't finished it, has its good and bad points. The cut-scenes are incredible and the story immersing, but there's no introduction. I found that kind of weird. Also, I'm stuck on a mission where the instructions seem to be misleading - but I put that down to my lack of prowess at video games in general.

    So far, I've spent most of my time in Multiplayer. I had to say, I wasn't expecting much after MW2 and it's horrendous multiplayer feature. The matchmaking system didn't inspire much confidence either - I don't seem to be able to get a 4 bar connection in any games that I've played, while I had 4 bars every time in MW2. My major gripe is the broken matchmaking system, particularly in Wager Matches actually. Despite there being 15k people in Gun Game, it takes on average 5 minutes for me to join a game. Sticks and Stones isn't much better, and Sharpshooter is incredibly broken. I don't think I've actually played a game of Sharpshooter where it didn't switch to a random game mode afterward. One In The Chamber seems to be the only game mode that's perfect. Speaking of Wager Matches, I like the CoD points idea. It adds a dimension to the game - do I save up and get this gun, or do I spend it as soon as I unlock this one?

    This, however, presents another problem. I played this game at launch and since most people still had the crappy guns you start off with, so I didn't notice this issue at first. However, once people unlock the AK74u and the FAMAS, the starter guns become completely obsolete. People who play 24h a day to get the best guns will have an advantage over people who play 2h a week at best, like me. The guns you have until about level 14 aren't balanced with the rest of the guns. I almost gave up the game because the Enfield, the MP5K and the Skorpion prove absolutely useless. Once you get there, though, the guns are well balanced, and each serves its own distinctive purpose. It takes forever to level up to get to the good stuff, so if you stick with it you will be rewarded.

    Moving on. I like that Black Ops is less of a "twitch shooter" than MW2 was. The game doesn't center round the knife because it can be beaten very easily. Grenade Launchers have been nerfed in several ways, including the price, the blast radius and the fact that Warlord (BO's version of Bling) doesn't work if you equip a grenade launcher. Quickscoping is nearly impossible to do now - good news for everyone over the age of 12. Camping spots are fewer and farther between, and, with the exception of a few maps, camping doesn't really help you. The nuke has been taken out, which is a plus. The Chopper Gunner and the Gunship don't stack on to your killstreak, and they are less powerful now. Because of all of these combined, I feel less like, "C'mon, gotta get my Harrier... FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUU I DIED" and more like "Oh cool, I got a Helicopter." when you get killstreaks. I could go on all day about what I like, frankly, but there's not enough room here.

    In short, I feel that Black Ops has taken everything good about MW2, and filtered out the annoyances. If you liked MW2, you'll love this. If you didn't, however, don't buy it, and stop writing zero-rated reviews full of fluff on how you prefer Battlefield, Medal of Honor, etc - go play that, instead of complaining.
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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 89 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 89
  2. Negative: 0 out of 89
  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]
  2. Jan 18, 2011
    70
    By dint of obstinacy, Treyarch delivers probably its best with Black Ops Call of Duty to date - but probably not the best in the saga.
  3. Jan 16, 2011
    90
    There are more highlights in the first two missions of Black Ops, then in Medal of Honor. The requirements of Treyarch seemed to be better, than in the past few years. They made an interesting setting. In addition, there's a nice zombie mode and an overwhelming multiplayer. No doubt, this is Treyarchs best Call of Duty ever!