Call of Duty: Black Ops II

[Eternal Rain]

Just decided to make a general topic for this game here since we still don't have a 100% confirmation of a Nintendo system release.

Anyway, so now that we have at least one trailer for the game, what do you think so far? Personally, I think this could be the best CoD since Modern Warfare 1. Treyarch has so far shown they were definitely listening to the people who said the series needed change in order to keep itself alive, and so far it looks like BLOPS II is gonna deliver. Near future setting without going full-on sci-fi (so it can't really be billed as "ripping off Halo"), missions with objectives that you can choose to do or not, new Strike Force missions that offer multiple units to play as (and can be played in RTS style if the player chooses, and these missions will have a bit of a sandbox feel to them), and success and failure of mission objectives altering the story accordingly rather than forcing you to return to a previous checkpoint.

Not only that, but add in the fact the game's writer is the same writer as the Christopher Nolan directed Batman films, and it looks like we'll have a campaign where the story won't feel like an "excuse plot."

Naturally I feel the multiplayer will still be quite strong as usual, and of course we're already hearing the ever popular "zombies" mode will return (at this point, this is a staple of Treyarch's CoD games).


Still, I'm curious to hear what others have to say so far.

[Broken_Cartridge]

I'm not a big Call of Duty fan, but the campaign does seem like it could end up being good. You'll play as Alex Mason in the 1980s and his son in 2025. Treyarch has said that the choices that you make as Alex Mason will effect what happens to his son in 2025. I think that this is a pretty neat concept, but like I said...not a big CoD fan. I absolutely hate playing the games online (because I suck), and the campaigns for all of them are very short (due to them focusing on the online multiplayer). I do have high hopes for the game though.... If it is announced for the Wii U, I may think about purchasing it.

[Eternal Rain]

I forgot to mention, I recently put down a pre-order on this game, and if you can then do it at GameStop. They have this thing going on where every two months up to the game's release you get a new pre-order bonus. I already got a cool double sided poster, and in July I'll be able to get something new.

Pretty neat thing Activision and Treyarch's doing regarding pre-orders.

[Broken_Cartridge]

I forgot to mention, I recently put down a pre-order on this game, and if you can then do it at GameStop. They have this thing going on where every two months up to the game's release you get a new pre-order bonus. I already got a cool double sided poster, and in July I'll be able to get something new.

Pretty neat thing Activision and Treyarch's doing regarding pre-orders.

That is only for PowerUp Rewards Pro members, and if you haven't already, you need to enter the "Prestige Token" on your receipt online in order to get all the other stuff that is coming out within the coming months.

If you aren't a PUR pro member then you will not get all pre order bonuses. You will only get whatever bonus is going on when you pre order the game.

[Sailing_Day]

Well, as far as Call of Duty goes, I prefer Treyarch's games nowadays by far and wide. Modern Warfare 2 and 3 were terrible messes, in my opinion. Black Ops, however, I enjoyed more than any COD game since COD4, for two reasons: First, the STORY. Oh god, it's the first time they have gotten that aspect right in a Call of Duty game. The problem with shooters that try to present a "realistic" scenario is that they usually detach the player from the action on the screen both by making the story an extremely dull "carry out the mission" scenario, or by switching back and forth between unrelated characters.

In Black Ops, the story was rather fascinating and unfolded like an actual story, with actual compelling characters and plot beyond "serve your country!" I loved it when they

Spoiler:

pulled a Fight Club with Reznov and it turns out that he was you all along

that was one of the best "a-ha!" moments in the whole game, even though they blatantly hinted at it several times. It wasn't done perfectly, as you still had the sections where you didn't play as Alex Mason, and it wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but it was a huge stride forward for the series.

Then the multiplayer. Oh god, they actually went out of their way to make the online multiplayer much more compelling by adding the original Wager Match modes, which are by far the most fun I've ever had playing COD period. Not only that, but the sheer wealth of modes made online play extremely compelling.

Modern Warfare 3 sucked so much because it seemed like they took all the terribly bad things about Modern Warfare 2, made them worse and then ignored all of the big improvements Treyarch made with Black Ops. It's so strange how Infinity Ward has dissolved and continues as a husk of its former self making these average games, and Treyarch, who started making the side-games, is now making the better games in the series.

Anyhow, I have big hopes for Black Ops II, and I'm hoping it makes it to the Wii U. The branching story and famous author makes it sound like they are continuing the improvements to the campaign, and this finally adds replayability! I've never been compelled to play a COD campaign more than once, but this might just do it! Also, I'm loving this near-future setting they chose. Now, all they have to do is get the online balancing right for once.

As for the story itself, I hope they do a good job explaining why Woods is alive when he died right in front of you in Black Ops. It might be because by that time in the story Mason was already cuckoo and it was just an illusion or something, but I just hope they don't outright ignore it or pull an "it was all a dream" for all of Black Ops's story.