Remember, if you give a thumbs down, please leave a comment with why. I can't improve my reviews if I don't understand why you didn't like it.Whether you love it or hate it, there has been a new Call of Duty title every year since 2005. With Infinity Ward revolutionizing the series with Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare and Treyarch creating zombies and their own gaming experience with their titles, I know I was excited for Treyarch's latest production since Infinity Ward let me down last year with Modern Warfare 3. Would Treyarch do the same or bounce back with a better title than their counterpart?
The game is split into 3 parts (Campaign, Zombies, and Multiplayer) and we'll take a look at each section.
CampaignThis game's campaign follows two story lines. The first continues where Black Ops left off with Frank Woods and Alex Mason as the Cold War continues into the 80s. The second story follows Alex's son David Mason in the year 2025. Both stories interlock with the same main villain and the jump back and forth between the two is easy to follow. The plot plays out like most Call of Duty games, with a few twists sprinkled in to keep it lively.
I was happy to see some new Campaign features from Treyarch. Decision making, customizable loadout and Strike Force missions make an appearance in the story mode adding to the variety. My favorite addition to campaign is that they added a non-linear story line. Yes that's right, you make decisions Black Ops 2 which impact the outcome of the ending. There are 4 different endings which definitely helps the replay value of the game. A minor addition Treyarch made was custom loadouts. At the beginning of each mission you can choose which guns, equipment and perks you want to use. While this is not a make or break feature it is nice to choose guns you like to use. The third new feature put in place for the campaign was Strike Force missions. These are side missions where you control several units tactically or one at a time to hold or take an objective. This was a feature that I was originally excited about but quickly became frustrated with. I play on Hardened and the friendly A/I was not very helpful or intelligent at all. I failed missions a LOT and had to take over control of the units many times just to give them simple directions. I ended up finishing the game on Hardened but played back through on a lower difficulty just to be able to complete the Strike Force missions as they do impact your final game story. I see potential for these types of missions being in future games, but they just missed the target with them on this game.
Overall the Campaign plot is pretty decent (you definitely don't have to have played the previous one to pick this game up) and the new features are decent. Basically what we've come to expect out of a Call of Duty campaign and then some. While some of the new features work and some don't overall Campaign is pretty good and has replayability.
Campaign Score: 8/10ZombiesUndoubtedly a major reason a lot of people pick up Treyarch's Call of Duty games is the Zombie mode they've come to be known for. Fighting off wave after wave of zombies is pretty addicting. How'd they do this game with their initial zombie maps? Very well in my opinion.
Treyarch introduced two new zombie game modes to Black Ops 2: Tranzit and Grief. Tranzit is a game mode which combines 5 smaller maps into one big map with items to build to help you advance, a bus to help you travel from location to location (that is, if you're scared of the fog and lava) and even certain items/things to do that carry over from game to game (I won't spoil the surprise I promise). 3 of the 5 maps can also be played in the more traditional survival mode with varying degrees of perks and wall guns to grab. 2 of these maps can also be played in the new Grief mode which pits 2 teams against each other on one survival map to see who can last the longest.
What to make of these new modes? Tranzit gets a big plus from me while Grief mode is just ok. Tranzit introduces map travel and new build-able items which just adds to the "I've made it this far, now what" feel you can get from going to round 20+ again and again and again. Grief mode on the otherhand is very busy. Keep in mind these maps individually are much smaller than previous zombie maps, because they go together in Tranzit to make a pretty big map. So when you have 8 people running around dodging lava (and yes there is plenty of lava) in a small-
ish place it gets kinda crazy.
Zombie mode also comes with a new ranking system to show your zombie skills (though if anyone has figured it out yet I'd be glad to know how the darn thing works) as well as an in depth leaderboard for every zombie stat imaginable.
Overall I cannot wait to see (hopefully) more Tranzit modes come out with the Map Pack DLCs later this year. I believe Tranzit adds that next level to survival mode and will be the future of zombies for Call of Duty. I'm glad to see Treyarch keeping it fresh and interesting, expanding on an already good formula for zombie fans.
Zombie Score:10/10MultiplayerThis is what most people who play Call of Duty come for. Multiplayer. Whether team death match, tactical game modes, or just fun party games are your thing, Multiplayer has something for everyone. Treyarch has revamped a few things for their newest game's multiplayer mode as well as added in the new League Play mode.
Treyarch brings back most game modes and even adds Kill Confirmed from MW3, as well as their own new game Hardpoint (a speedier twist on Headquarters). Their hardcore game modes are limited though so as a fan of Hardcore playstyle I found this a bit disappointing. Create-a-Class was changed up a little bit compared to all previous games. There is now a pick 10 menu where you choose guns, attachments and perks a-la-carte, rather than having to choose one of everything. What enables you to do this? The new wildcard system which, when implemented could let you have 2 Perk 1 options and no perk 2. Don't use lethal or tactical grenades? Get rid of them for something you could find more beneficial. This definitely gives people with different playstyles some options instead of boxing them in.
Also added was the new League Play mode, which ranks you on your true game skill (rather than the cumulative experience you earn during regular public matches). There are currently 3 leagues to choose from: Moshpit series (objective based games) Championship series (form a clan for 4v4 objective battles which rank you and your clan) and Team Deathmatch series (exactly what it sounds like). League play is based on a 30 day season where you play placement matches to get started then play against similarly ranked opponents and move up and down the ladder based on how you and your team does. I really enjoy this game mode as you still earn experience towards ranking up, but it plays in a more competitive game style, with ladders rankings and leaderboards. The one thing I have noticed is that I do not play a lot of people close to my ranking. This is probably due to the fact that not very many people play league play, so at this point it's basically a take what you can get kind of scenario. I would love it if more people got into league and it truly became the super competitive skill based game mode Treyarch intended it to be.
Treyarch changed up Killstreaks to Scorestreaks where you get points towards your extra equipment not only for killing people, but also for assists, capturing objectives in objective based game modes, as well as many other score building ways. I like this because it encourages players in objective based games to not to just sit back and wait for kills, but to go for the obectives to get some score for your scorestreak.
Treyarch brings back Combat Training for newer players or players that want to train up before jumping in with tons of players. It gives you half real players and half computer players to play with and against to get in some training. Beneficial if you don't know that much about Call of Duty.
We also see a return of Wager Matches from the original Black Ops. Although Black Ops 2 does not include a money system like the original, Treyarch kept the game types (Gun Game, Sharpshooter, Sticks and Stones and One in the Chamber) in their Party Games mode. The weapons used here do count for xp as well as gun unlock challenges (providing you have purchased the guns/attachments). I'm glad to see these return despite no currency since they can be a just for fun match with your friends if the rest of multiplayer gets frustrating, as it does from time to time.
The maps are overall pretty good. Well balanced maps (with the exception of Carrier) that play pretty well.
The last thing to mention about multiplayer is a big negative for a lot of players: lag and respawns. I have been lucky and haven't experienced a whole lot of this but Black Ops 2's lag compensation system really seems to be poor. There are plenty of videos highlighting the problem, and hopefully Treyarch is fixing the issue. Respawn sites do not seem to be completey great with some enemies spawning on players (who aren't even spawn camping). I know this has happened to me on many occasions although it does seem to be better than when the game launched.
Overall a few changes and the introduction of league play make Call of Duty multiplayer what you thought it would be. The lag is a huge detractor for a lot of players but these issues should be addressed by Treyarch
Multiplayer Score: 8/10DLC (with updates as more comes out)Original DLC
Nuketown 2025If you preordered the game you got the Nuketown map, same map as original Black Ops, but with an updated futuristic look. Originally this map was in a Nuketown 24/7 playlist by itself but after a week was taken away. After outrage from the community, it was brought back in a small map playlist. While it's not the same as the advertised get Nuketown 24/7 when you preorder, it is better than not having the map at all.
Nuketown ZombiesIf you bought the Black Ops 2 Hardened edition, or if you purchased the Season Pass, you get the Nuketown 2025 zombie map. A survival map separate from Tranzit mode, this map happens after the Moon map from Black Ops. A nuclear explosion has hit Nuketown and perks rain down from the sky. Nuketown is a wasteland with waves of zombies coming after you. A good balanced survival map with a few new guns.
Final ThoughtsThis is another Call of Duty game. If you like Call of Duty you will enjoy it. If the franchise is not your thing, don't waste your time or money. Personally I enjoy it and the few new things they have brought into the game are mostly positives. I look forward to the DLCs coming later this year and what they have to offer. Solid addition to the series, lag hinders the multiplayer for many.
8.5/10
4.0