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Call of Duty: Black Ops | |
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Developer(s) | Treyarch[a] |
Publisher(s) | Activision |
Director(s) | |
Producer(s) | Pat Dwyer |
Designer(s) | Joe Chiang |
Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) | |
Writer(s) |
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Composer(s) | Sean Murray |
Series | Call of Duty |
Engine | IW 3.0 |
Platform(s) | |
Release |
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Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game,[1] developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2010 for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,[2] and Wii,[3] with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space.[4][5]Aspyr later released the game for OS X on September 27, 2012.[6] It is the seventh title in the Call of Duty series and the third to be developed by Treyarch. It serves as the sequel to Call of Duty: World at War.[7]
Set in the 1960s during the Cold War, the game's campaign follows CIA operative Alex Mason as he attempts to recall certain memories in combat in order to locate a numbers station. This station is due to transmit broadcasts to sleeper agents who are bound to use chemical weapons across the United States. Mason and CIA operative Jason Hudson are the game's main playable characters, as well as Red Army soldier Viktor Reznov in only one mission. Locations featured in the game include Cuba, Russia, United States, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Laos, Vietnam, and the Arctic Circle. The multiplayer of Black Ops features multiple objective-based game modes that are playable on 14 different maps included with the game. Improvements to loadout options and killstreak rewards are made. A form of virtual currency, COD Points, allows players to purchase weapons and customization options for their in-game character, as well as attachments and customization options for their weapon.
Development for the game began in 2009. It runs an enhanced version of the IW 3.0 engine used in Treyarch's past title, World at War.[8] The improvements made allowed for bigger campaign levels to be made as well as enhanced lighting. Treyarch focused specifically on Black Ops during development; they were developing two games at once while making World at War. Different teams within the company focused on a certain game mode. Music was composed by Sean Murray, with music by The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eminem and Avenged Sevenfold appearing in the game. Marketing of the game began in April 2010. Multiple trailers promoting the game and its modes were released from May until October.
The game received generally positive reviews from critics. Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game had sold more than 5.6 million copies, 4.2 million in the U.S. and 1.4 million in the UK, breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 2.3 million copies.[9][10] After six weeks on release, Activision reported that Black Ops had exceeded $1 billion in sales.[11] On August 3, 2011, Activision confirmed that the game had sold over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling games of all time in the US, UK and Europe.[12][13][14] A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, was released on November 13, 2012.[15][16]Call of Duty: Black Ops III was released on November 6, 2015 as the sequel to Black Ops II. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was released worldwide on October 12, 2018, as a sequel to Black Ops III.[17]
- 1Gameplay
- 1.2Zombies
- 2Plot
- 2.1Single-player
- 2.2Zombies
- 3Development
- 4Marketing
- 5Reception
Gameplay[edit]
Black Ops is a first-person shooter, retaining the same gameplay mechanics as previous Call of Duty titles. The player assumes the role of a foot soldier who can wield various firearms (only two of which can be carried at once), throw grenades and other explosives, and use other equipment as weapons. A player close enough to an enemy can kill with one knife blow. A character can take three stances: standing, crouching or prone. Each affects rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. The player can drop to the prone stance from the standing stance while running (colloquially known as 'dolphin diving'), and can momentarily sprint before having to stop. The screen glows red to indicate damage to a player's health, which regenerates over time. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, an on-screen marker indicates where it is in relation to the player, helping the player to move away or to throw it back. Among the weapons new to the series in Black Ops are crossbows with bolts and explosive ammunition, Dragon's Breath rounds and ballistic knives.
A screenshot of Alex Mason firing a SPAS-12Dragon's Breath round.
The player assumes the role of various characters during the single-player campaign, changing perspectives throughout the story. The playable characters are special forces operatives conducting black operations behind enemy lines. In this way, the player's characters have their own traits such as voices and shadows.[7] Each mission features a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads-up display, which marks the direction and distance towards and from such objectives as it has been in the earlier versions. The player is accompanied by friendly troops throughout the game. Although primarily a first-person shooter, certain levels feature sequences where the player pilots a Hind helicopter and guides friendly troops from a SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.[18][19][20] The campaign features several scripted cinematic moments. One of them is a bullet time effect during the 'Victor Charlie' level, activated when the player fires toward the last enemy of a Viet Cong squad.[citation needed]
As a first in the Call of Duty main series, player characters can now speak during gameplay, whereas in previous installments, primarily those made by Infinity Ward, characters would be silent during gameplay, even if they could speak during cutscenes.
Multiplayer[edit]
Players can customize their weaponry in the game, as seen with this customized FAMAS.
The online multiplayer mode of Black Ops usually revolves around two teams on a specific mission. For example, in Team Deathmatch the team with the most kills wins, while in Capture the Flag, players take the other team's flags and return it to their own base. Additionally, there is Free For All in which players aren't separated into teams. Not including Downloadable maps, there are 14 different maps.
Black Ops retains the experience points and unlockable reward system that has been kept since Call of Duty 4. The game's multiplayer focuses on socialization and customization.[7] 'Create-a-Class 2.0' allows enhanced personalization with appearance items as well as upgradable perks;[19] weapons are extensively customizable with writing, emblems, attachments and camouflage painting. Even reticles can be modified. There are more than one style for an attachment, which allows for a lot more personalized weaponry; for example, the player can choose between a red dot sight or a reflex sight, both of which share many of the same traits, although the red dot fills up less of the screen (something desired by many players). Character models depend on the first tier perk instead of the weapon's type. Furthermore, face paints can be unlocked.[21] New custom killstreak rewards include explosive R/C cars, guided missiles and controllable attack helicopters.[22]
A currency system has been implemented allowing players to buy weapons, accessories and clothes. Players can gamble with their 'COD Points' in a free-for-all based playlist called 'Wager Match', which is composed of four game modes.[23] Time limited objectives known as 'Contracts' can be purchased to gain more currency and experience points.[21] The progression system is not featured in local split-screen multiplayer. In local split-screen play, all character customization options are already unlocked. Players can no longer define game rules such as win conditions.
Players can play alone or with friends against AI opponents in 'Combat Training' with a separate progression system.[24] Online split-screen is re-introduced on Xbox 360 and PS3. The guest account can rank up but is reset after each sign out. Only on Xbox 360, a second Gold Xbox Live account can be used to keep the second player's progression.[25] Aside from the Combat Training mode, Xbox users can also have up to four players in split-screen mode play against AI opponents even without having an Xbox Live account. This is done by configuring the Local Split Screen settings and setting the number of enemies to a value greater than zero.[26]
For the first time in the series, clips from online gameplay can be recorded. Some specific features that have been removed from the PC version of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 return, such as lean,[27] mod tools, the developer console[28] and dedicated servers.[29] Dedicated servers are exclusively provided by Game Servers.[30]Steam is the exclusive platform for Black Ops on PC, and the game is protected by Valve Anti-Cheat.[31]
The Wii version of the game includes in-game voice chat. This is the first Call of Duty title to include the voice chat feature for the Wii. Nintendo and PDP have partnered to release the first headset to be used with the Wii known as PDP's Headbanger Headset.[32]
Zombies[edit]
A zombie cooperation mode, titled 'Zombies', is included in the game. Originally featured in World at War, it was revamped to be included in Black Ops.[33] It is a four-player online and two-player split screen co-op mode (which can also be unlocked online).
F.I.V.E.[edit]
F.I.V.E. takes place in The Pentagon during a chain of events that differ from the storyline of the campaign mode. The playable characters, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro[34][35] are interrupted from negotiations by an outbreak of zombies. F.I.V.E. has many hidden secrets, from an 'Easter Egg' song, which Treyarch's Zombies[36] are famous for (in the case of F.I.V.E., the Easter Egg song is 'Won't Back Down' by Eminem and featuring P!nk[37]). There are also hints of connections between F.I.V.E. and the first DLC zombies map in the Black Ops season pass, Ascension through hidden radios throughout the map.
Kino Der Toten[edit]
Kino Der Toten takes place in an abandoned Group 935 facility located within a theater in Berlin, and takes place in 1965. The words 'Kino Der Toten' mean 'Cinema of the Dead' in German, though the in-game character, Edward Richtofen, translates it as 'Theater of the Damned' in the loading screen pre-game. The map features a single teleporter pad, as well as several hidden references to other maps, both past and future. By activating various meteor pieces throughout the map, players can hear an Easter Egg song, '115' written by Kevin Sherwood, and sung by Elena Seigman,[38], who is the lead singer in many of Treyarch Sound's songs. The playable character's in this map return from the World at War Zombies mode. Edward Richtofen, a mad German scientist from the World War Two era, Takeo Masaki, the last of the Japanese Samurai, Nikolai Belinski, a WWII era Soviet soldier, and Tank Dempsey, a Marine from the United States are teleported to Kino Der Toten from the last map of World at War, Der Riese.
Plot[edit]
Single-player[edit]
Characters and setting[edit]
From left to right: Mason, Hudson, and McNamara.
Black Ops takes place between 1961 and 1968 during the Cold War, 16 years after the events of World at War. It portrays a secret history of CIA clandestine black operations carried out behind enemy lines. Missions take place in various locations around the globe such as the Ural Mountains, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Hong Kong, Laos, South Vietnam, the Arctic Circle and Siberia. The single-player campaign revolves around an experimental chemical weapon codenamed 'Nova-6'. This weapon is bound to be used by sleeper agents in the United States, who are infused with sequences of numbers, once broadcasts are transmitted from an unknown numbers station.
The player controls the protagonist, SAD/SOGspecial forces operative Cpt. Alex Mason (Sam Worthington). Occasionally, CIA paramilitary operations officer Jason Hudson (Ed Harris) and some other characters are playable to progress the story. Alex is often joined by fellow operatives Sgt. Frank Woods (James C. Burns) and Joseph Bowman (Ice Cube), while Jason teams up with Grigori Weaver (Gene Farber), a Russian-born field operative. Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman), a key character from the Soviet campaign in World at War, returns along with that game's Russian protagonist Dimitri Petrenko (Boris Kievsky) also making an appearance. Oldman also voices Daniel Clarke, a British scientist assisting in the development of Project Nova. Opposing the CIA are the leaders of Project Nova: former Red Army General Nikita Dragovich (Eamon Hunt), Colonel Lev Kravchenko (Andrew Divoff), and former Nazi scientist Doctor Friedrich Steiner (Mark Bramhall). Black Ops also features several historical figures: during the story Mason meets John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro.
Story[edit]
On February 25, 1968, SAD operative Alex Mason is strapped to a chair in an interrogation room, bombarded with questions by his unseen captors about the location of a numbers station. Mason then recalls several events, as an attempt to answer their questions.
On April 17, 1961, Mason, Woods, and Bowman take part in Operation 40 to assassinate Fidel Castro in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Mason apparently succeeds and stays behind to protect the extraction plane from an oncoming blockade, before being captured by the real Castro, having shot a double. Handed over to Major General Nikita Dragovich to be held captive at Vorkuta Gulag, Mason befriends inmate and former Red Army soldier Viktor Reznov. Reznov recounts to Mason the identities of their enemies: Dragovich, his right-hand man Lev Kravchenko, and ex-Nazi scientist Friedrich Steiner, who defected to the Soviet Union. On October 29, 1945, Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko were sent to extract Steiner from a Nazi base in the Arctic. However, they were betrayed by Dragovich, who tested Steiner's nerve gas known as 'Nova 6' on Petrenko, killing him. Reznov was spared the same fate when British Commandos, also interested in acquiring Nova 6, attacked the Soviets. Reznov destroyed the Nova 6 and escaped, only to be captured by the Soviets and sent to Vorkuta. The Soviets later recreated Nova 6 with the help of a British scientist, Daniel Clarke.
Having spent over a year imprisoned, Mason and Reznov spark an uprising to flee the gulag, but only Mason manages to escape. On November 10, 1963, Mason meets with President John F. Kennedy, who authorizes a mission to assassinate Dragovich; Mason briefly envisions aiming a handgun at Kennedy. Mason, Woods, Bowman, Weaver and Brooks are dispatched to the Baikonur Cosmodrome to disrupt the Soviet space program and eliminate members of 'Ascension', a Soviet program giving sanctuary to Nazi scientists in exchange for their knowledge. The team destroys the Soyuz spacecraft, while Woods apparently kills Dragovich in a car explosion with a commandeered BTR.
On January 21, 1968, Mason's team is sent to Vietnam. After defending Khe Sanh, they recover a dossier on Dragovich from a Russian defector in Hue City during the Tet Offensive. The defector turns out to be none other than Reznov, who joins them as they penetrate Laos to recover a Nova 6 shipment from a downed Soviet plane. They are captured by Viet Cong and Spetznaz infiltrators at the crash site. Bowman is executed, but Woods and Mason hijack an Mi-24 Hind in the confusion and escape, moving on to rescue Reznov from Kravchenko's base. They confront Kravchenko and Woods stabs him, but Kravchenko pulls the pins off of four grenades strapped to himself, forcing Woods to sacrifice himself by pushing both himself and Kravchenko out of a window. In a huge explosion, Mason presumes the two dead.
Meanwhile, Hudson and Weaver interrogate Clarke in Kowloon City. Clarke reveals the location of a hidden facility in Mount Yamantau before being killed by Dragovich's men. Hudson and Weaver move to destroy the facility and receive a transmission from Steiner requesting to meet at Rebirth Island, as Dragovich has begun killing loose ends. Mason and Reznov head there to assassinate Steiner at the same time, succeeding just as Hudson and Weaver arrive. Mason is adamant that Reznov executed Steiner, but Hudson had witnessed Mason carrying out the act alone.
Hudson and Weaver are revealed to be Mason's interrogators. Dragovich has communist sleeper cells placed all over the United States which, when ordered by the numbers broadcast, will release the Nova 6 gas. As a result, the U.S. is preparing a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, which would result in the inevitable Mutual Assured Destruction of World War III. Hudson needed Steiner to abort the gas launch, but after his death, only Mason has any knowledge of the numbers station. Hudson reveals that Dragovich brainwashed Mason to understand the numbers broadcasts and assassinate Kennedy, effectively making him a Soviet sleeper agent. The real Reznov never escaped, but died during the Vorkuta breakout attempt, and the Soviet defector in Hue was actually killed before Mason reached him. Mason's visions of Reznov are a result of a dissociative disorder caused by the traumatic brainwashing program. Prior to the Vorkuta uprising, Reznov reprogrammed Mason to assassinate Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Steiner instead. Mason finally remembers the location of the broadcast station: a Russian cargo ship called Rusalka off the coast of Cuba. An assault on the Rusalka begins, with Mason and Hudson infiltrating the underwater submarine base protecting the ship. Hudson calls in the United States Navy to destroy the Rusalka. Mason and Hudson finally confront Dragovich in the lower levels of the facility, and Mason strangles and drowns him to death before escaping with Hudson. They regroup with Weaver, who declares victory.
Archive footage of President Kennedy prior to his assassination on November 22, 1963 is shown, revealing Mason was among onlookers who watched Kennedy disembark from Air Force One at Love Field. His presence, and Dragovich's taunt before his death, suggest that Mason may have carried out his initial programming. A hidden message that can be accessed in the game's main menu reveals that Woods survived the confrontation with Kravchenko and is currently incarcerated in the Hanoi Hilton.
Zombies[edit]
Characters and settings[edit]
The Zombies story takes place over various eras of time, mostly during the final year of World War II, and the 1960s. The story mainly follows four soldiers: Corporal 'Tank' Dempsey (Steven Blum) of the United States Marine Corps, Sergeant Nikolai Belinski (Fred Tatasciore) of the Red Army, Captain Takeo Masaki (Tom Kane) of the Imperial Japanese Army, and Doctor Edward Richtofen (Nolan North) of the Wehrmacht. Other characters include Doctor Ludvig Maxis (Fred Tatasciore) and his daughter Samantha (Julie Nathanson). The map 'Five' features historical figures: John F. Kennedy (Jim Meskimen), Robert McNamara (Robert Picardo), Richard Nixon (Dave Mallow), and Fidel Castro (Marlon Correa). 'Call of the Dead' features the appearance of celebrities: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, Danny Trejo, Michael Rooker, and George A. Romero, all playing themselves.
Story[edit]
During World War II, Doctor Ludvig Maxis formed Group 935, a group of scientists that was intended to improve the human condition. Lacking funds, they soon turned to creating superweapons to aid the Nazis. Their discovery of Element 115 from a meteorite in Japan lead to the creation of zombies. Maxis and his assistant, Dr. Edward Richtofen, also work on other projects, leading to the creation of teleportation devices and 115-powered weapons. Attempting to use himself as a test subject, Richtofen accidentally teleports to a catacomb within the Moon, where he comes into contact with a mysterious pyramid device that causes him to hear mysterious voices, slowly taking away his sanity. He is later teleported to an exotic jungle known as Shangri-La, where he spends three weeks studying the Vril energy force. Upon returning to Germany, Richtofen secretly forms a plan to kill Maxis, and gathers many members of Group 935 to build a Moon base, known as Griffin Station. While maintaining his cover with Maxis and the rest of Group 935, Richtofen manages to capture three soldiers: Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, and Takeo Masaki; he begins to conduct experiments with Element 115, causing memory loss for all three soldiers.
Maxis continues his work on other experiments, attempting to use his daughter's dog, Fluffy, as a test subject for his own teleportation device. However, the experiment fails, and Fluffy is transformed into an undead Hellhound. Richtofen takes the opportunity and traps Maxis and his daughter Samantha inside the teleporter with Fluffy, believing that they would die. Richtofen escapes with his three captured soldiers, and arrives at the Rising Sun research facility in Japan, where Element 115 was first discovered. After gathering a sample of 115 at the site, and recovering a weapon known as the Wunderwaffe DG-2, they return to the Der Riese factory in Germany. In an attempt to escape the zombie horde, the group accidentally overloads a teleporter with the DG-2, sending them forward in time. They arrive at an abandoned Nazi theater in the 1960s, where Richtofen discovers several recordings left behind by Dr. Maxis. Samantha, having survived and managing to control the zombies, continues raising the undead in order to hunt down Richtofen.
Some time in 1963, the United States government manages to grab hold of several of Group 935's inventions, keeping them hidden in the Pentagon. Due to the presence of the undead-raising Element 115, zombies breach the Pentagon. John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro are trapped within the Pentagon, forced to fight their way out. Meanwhile, Richtofen's crew arrive at a Soviet Cosmodrome site, where Richtofen intends to travel to Group 935's Moon base, Griffin Station. The crew is contacted by Gersh, a member of the Ascension Group who requests to be freed from Samantha's grip. After freeing Gersh, the four of them are teleported further in time, and arrive at a Siberian lighthouse sometime in 2011, once used by Richtofen as a secret lab. However, they are trapped within a locked room, and forced to rely on four movie actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Danny Trejo, Robert Englund, and Michael Rooker, who are filming a zombie movie on-site along with director George A. Romero, who had been infected as well. Richtofen requests the four celebrities to find a golden rod, which is a Vril generator device, which he then uses to fix the teleporter. He transports himself and the other three soldiers back to Shangri-La, leaving the celebrities behind to continue fighting Romero and the horde. At Shangri-La, the group discovers two explorers, Gary and Brock, who died trapped within a time loop while trying to discover the secrets of the mythical Agartha realm. The group saves the explorers' lives by traveling back and forth in time, altering the environments of the temple in the process. They discover an altar within the temple with Richtofen's name written on it, as well as a piece of a meteorite containing Element 115. However, the explorers remain stuck in the never-ending loop.
With the Vril generator and the meteorite piece, Richtofen now believes he can control the zombies, and returns to Griffin Station. Here, they attempt to activate the MPD, a machine that controls the Aether energy, which opens to reveal Samantha inside; instead of dying by Richtofen's trap, Samantha was teleported to the moon while Maxis was sent somewhere else. Samantha accidentally triggered the MPD and was trapped within the device, but this also allowed her to enter the Aether realm. Maxis, who was retrieved by Group 935 scientists, apologized to his daughter and committed suicide in front of her, prompting her to assume control of the zombies and seek vengeance on Richtofen. Richtofen fuses the golden rod and the meteorite piece, and using it to switch souls with Samantha, takes over as the new zombie controller. This causes his former allies to feel betrayed, and they ally themselves with Samantha (who now resides in Richtofen's body). Maxis is revealed to have become a sentient artificial intelligence living within the systems of Griffin Station, and he guides his daughter and the three soldiers to launch three missiles at the Earth. This severs Richtofen's link with the Aether, but the launch results in the catastrophic destruction of the Earth, while still leaving Richtofen in control of the undead.
Development[edit]
In May 2009, publisher Activision was rumored to be looking for licensing regarding Vietnam War-era music which led to speculation that Call of Duty 7 would be set in Vietnam.[39] In May 2009, Treyarch employee David Kim revealed on his LinkedIn profile that he would work as a senior animator on Call of Duty 7.[40] In November 2009, only a few days before Modern Warfare 2's release, Activision officially announced a new Call of Duty title for 2010 through their third quarter financial call.[41] In February 2010, a casting call for Call of Duty 7 led to speculation that the game would be taking place during the Cold War era with some battles taking place in South Vietnam.[42] On April 30, 2010, Black Ops was officially announced.[2]
The game runs on an enhanced World at War engine (which itself was improved from Call of Duty 4's) at 60 frames per second across all platforms, excluding the Wii.[43] It features a streaming texture technology (also seen in Modern Warfare 2), making bigger levels possible such as 'Payback' where the player controls a helicopter. Lighting effects have been improved as well.[44]Call of Duty: Black Ops supports 3-D imaging rendered by the engine itself.[45] This feature is available on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions.[46]
For Black Ops, Treyarch focused only on this game unlike past practice. However, it had different teams, each working on separate game modes.[47] Treyarch used a motion capture technology similar to the one used in James Cameron's film Avatar, which allows accurate facial expressions, capturing the whole performance of the actor.[48] The studio also consulted special forces veterans from both belligerents of the Cold War: Major John Plaster (US Army-Ret.) who served in the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War, and former Soviet special forces operative Sonny Puzikas.[49] The latter taught Treyarch how Spetsnaz soldiers would react in combat, such as rolling out of the line of fire. Spetsnaz AIs in the game have been modeled after him, from his tactics and his movements to his face.[50][51] Although having a historical background, the classified aspect of these Cold War black operations allowed the studio to create its own fictional story.[52] The game also allows players to turn down the blood and turn off the profanity.[53]
It was announced on November 9, 2015 that Black Ops would become backwards compatible with the Xbox One.[54] It was originally meant to be available for backwards compatibility in December 2015, but the date was later changed to some time in 2016.[55]Black Ops was originally the sixth-most requested Xbox 360 title to become backwards compatible with the Xbox One.[56] On May 17, 2016, the game was made available through Xbox One's backward compatibility.[57] Shortly after, it was reported that sales of the Xbox 360 version had increased by 13,000 percent.[58]
Audio[edit]
Black Ops features the voices of Sam Worthington as Alex Mason,[59]Ed Harris as Jason Hudson,[60]Gary Oldman reprises his role as Viktor Reznov from World at War and also voices Dr. Clarke,[59] James C. Burns voices and provides performance capture for Frank Woods[61] and Ice Cube voices Joseph Bowman, who is also the multiplayer announcer for the SOG faction.[62][63]Gene Farber voices Grigori Weaver, Emmanuelle Chriqui plays a live-action character called Numbers,[64][65] Eamon Hunt voices Nikita Dragovich, Andrew Divoff voices Lev Kravchenko and Robert Picardo voices Secretary Robert McNamara. Dimitri Diatchenko, an American born actor and musician voices the Spetsnaz faction and several other characters due to his strong Russian accent.
Call of Duty: Black Ops features Vietnam War era music including 'Sympathy for the Devil' by The Rolling Stones[66] (played during a gameplay sequence, the credits, and as an easter egg in the multiplayer map Nuketown) and Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son'.[67]Eminem's 'Won't Back Down' (featuring Pink) is used for the credits as well, and additionally appears as an Easter Egg in the Zombie map 'Five'. In the Call of the Dead zombie map the song 'Not Ready to Die' by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold is featured as an easter egg.[68] The original music was composed by Sean Murray, who also composed Call of Duty: World at War while Kevin Sherwood composed music for the Zombies mode. The soundtrack was released on November 9. The use of The Rolling Stones' music in the game has seen a significant increase in the band's music sales since launch. 'Gimme Shelter' sold 2,000 copies in the week before the launch trailer was revealed, 5,000 the week after, and 11,000 the week after the game's release. 'Sympathy for the Devil' experienced a similar boost as gamers discovered the band's music.[citation needed]
The game's score was composed by Sean Murray, and the official soundtrack was released on November 9, 2010.[citation needed] In addition, a soundtrack for the popular Zombies mode was released on January 25, 2011.[citation needed]
Marketing[edit]
Black Ops was first officially unveiled when the website for the game went live on April 30, 2010[2] prior to the release of its debut teaser trailer on GameTrailers TV Episode 310.[69] In early April 2010, an unmarked envelope was sent to various gaming news publications as well as high-profile Call of Duty fans via mail. It contained a USB flash drive with sound and text files. These files were codes to be decrypted, only to find a mysterious teaser site for an unknown game. Other codes were updated periodically.
Similarly to Modern Warfare 2's marketing, the first full-length trailer of Black Ops was aired after the 3rd quarter on ESPN during the NBAEastern Conference Finals on May 18, 2010.[70] During E3 2010, studio head Mark Lamia opened the Microsoft conference by playing Black Ops on stage.[71] It was also announced that the timed Xbox 360 exclusivity for additional content of Call of Duty titles, which began with Modern Warfare 2, extends until 2012.[72] A remixed version of the ESPN trailer with Eminem's 'Won't Back Down' was released on June 14,[73] prior to the E3 Activision conference for which he also performed.[74] A multiplayer teaser trailer was released on August 9, 2010 revealing killstreaks, weapons, and other in-game multiplayer features. A full multiplayer reveal took place on September 1, 2010, and revealed many multiplayer features from the game.[75]
Chrysler produced a limited-edition Call of DutyJeep as the Wrangler is featured in Black Ops.[76] In late September, viral site GKNOVA6 was updated revealing fuzzy footages of zombies.[77] On October 11, a single player trailer aired on ESPN during the New York Jets versus Minnesota VikingsNFLMonday Night Football game.[78] The same trailer was aired the next day in the United Kingdom at half time of the England versus Montenegro2012 European Football Championshipqualifying game. On October 29, the official launch trailer was released online. The same trailer aired on October 31 during the New Orleans Saints versus Pittsburgh SteelersNFLSunday Night Football game. The trailer features the song 'Gimme Shelter' by The Rolling Stones.[79]
Retail versions[edit]
Like Modern Warfare 2, 'Hardened' and 'Prestige' limited editions are available: the Hardened Edition includes a SteelBook case, a medal with its display case, four exclusive co-op levels and an Xbox Live or PlayStation Home avatar outfit. The Prestige Edition offers, in addition to the Hardened Edition's content, a real RC-XD remote-control vehicle modeled after the in-game killstreak reward, which gives video and audio feedback to its controller.[80] In Japan, the game is distributed by Square Enix. Two versions are available: subtitled or dubbed,[81] released respectively on November 18, 2010 and December 16, 2010. Both have dismemberment censored.[82] Gore is censored as well in Germany in addition to the removal of 'Sympathy for the Devil' and Nazi symbols considered 'anti-constitutional' in the country.[66]
Downloadable content[edit]
Treyarch released the 'First Strike' Map Pack on February 1, 2011 for the Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 received the map pack on March 3, 2011 and the PC version was released on March 25, 2011 through Steam.[83] The Map Pack includes additional maps that can be played in the Multiplayer. These maps include 'Berlin Wall', 'Discovery', 'Kowloon' and 'Stadium' and a map for the Zombies mode titled 'Ascension' which takes place in a Soviet launch site.[84]
On April 11, 2011, a second map pack called 'Escalation' was announced by Activison and Microsoft. It features 4 new multiplayer maps named 'Zoo', 'Hotel', 'Convoy', 'Stockpile' and one new zombies map named 'Call of the Dead'. This map is based on the movies by George A. Romero, the revolutionary epic-zombie-horror director. The trailer for this map shows the four playable characters: Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund and Michael Rooker. The name is a reference to the immensely popular Dead Series created and directed by Romero. The trailer also offers a sneak peek of a zombiefied version of George A. Romero himself, lurking out of water. The map is set on a ship, with instead of Nazi zombies, shipcrew zombies. It was released on May 3, 2011 for the Xbox 360, June 2 on the PC and June 10 for the PlayStation 3.[85]
A third map pack called 'Annihilation' was released for the Xbox 360 on June 28, 2011,[86] and on July 28, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and PC.[87] It contains four new multiplayer maps named 'Hangar 18', 'Hazard', 'Drive-In', 'Silo', and a new zombies map named 'Shangri La', which takes place in a legendary shrine lost in an exotic jungle.[88][89]
The fourth map pack, 'Rezurrection' was released on August 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360,[90] and September 22, 2011 on PlayStation 3 and PC.[91] The Rezurrection Map Pack is made up of 5 Zombies mode only maps. It includes the first 4 maps from Call of Duty: World at War ('Shi No Numa'/'Swamp', 'Nacht Der Untoten'/'Night', 'Verruckt'/'Asylum', 'Der Riese'/'Factory') and a new map called 'Moon'. 'Moon' allows players to fight zombies in zero gravity with both the player and the zombies under zero gravity influence.[92]
Reception[edit]
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Call of Duty: Black Ops received 'generally positive' and 'mixed or average' reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[93][94][95][96][97]GameSpot awarded it 9.0 out of ten and wrote 'Call of Duty: Black Ops bears the series' standard superbly, delivering an engrossing campaign and exciting competitive multiplayer.'[106]Edge magazine was less positive, giving it a 7/10, writing that 'As polished and pretty and fun as Black Ops often is, it feels more like a yearly update than a sequel [which] isn't distinct from its predecessors in any important way'.[122] Several reviewers also complained that the game felt too much like a rail shooter, with PC Gamer branding it 'barely interactive'.[123][124][125][126]
Reviewers also noted that the PC version of the game was buggy and had 'a number of frustrating problems', including a lag in multiplayer modes which for some players rendered the game almost 'unplayable'.[127][128][129] Players have also reported serious bugs with the PlayStation 3 version, including compatibility issues with 3D televisions.[130]PC World magazine noted that user reviews of the game were much less positive than those of critics.[131] As of November 12, 2010, three days after the release, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game held average user ratings of 3.1, 3.1, and 1.8 stars on Amazon.com, respectively (on a 1 to 5 scale),[132] with many PC users complaining about lag, stuttering and bugs.
In January 2011, to a player complaining about the remaining connection problems for the game on PlayStation 3, an Activision customer service representative threatened that they could shut down the servers for the game for the PlayStation Network at any time.[133][134][135] After some days and following some game media heat,[136]Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager, declared that even if they could kill the servers, they did not plan currently to do it.[137]The Daily Telegraph praised Black Ops as a superb experience of gameplay, 'the meaty kick of the guns, the blistering pace of the action and the sterling soundtrack of explosions, gunshots and whistling bullets all serve to quicken the player's pulse and tighten their grip on the controller',[120] and mentioned, it is beyond the overwhelming, chaotic action in the game's major gun battles, offers among other things, a stealthy infiltration of a substation in the snow-capped steppes, in which the slow down in action is compensated for by nail-shredding tension and creepy atmosphere.[120]
Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the Wii version 90% and said 'Black Ops on Wii is a fantastic shooter packed with all the features of its HD brothers, with the only exception being split-screen multiplayer.'[138] Martin Gaston at VideoGamer.com gave the Wii version 6 out of 10, complaining of Treyarch's reworking of in-game sequences as movies, poor AI, and gameplay problems from lower-resolution graphics.[117]
In February 2011, the Xbox 360 version was named the Xbox Live's top title of 2010 by GameSpot.[139]
Sales[edit]
Within 24 hours of its release, Black Ops had sold a combined total of 5.6 million units in the U.S. and UK market, surpassing that of Modern Warfare 2 and establishing a new record for largest entertainment launch.[140] Compared to the much anticipated opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the game earned more than twice as much as the film, earning $360 million.[141] Only five days after its release, sales from the game worldwide reached US$650 million, surpassing the previous record achieved by Modern Warfare 2 which earned $550 million in five days.[142] By November 22, the game remained the bestselling title in the United Kingdom, despite sales dropping by 85%.[143] Some estimates had placed sales of the game as reaching 18 million units sold, earning a revenue of $818 million. This would fall about 2 million copies and $182 million short of Modern Warfare 2.[144] By December 22, worldwide revenue of Black Ops exceeded $1 billion.[145][146] Sales remained strong months after the game's release, remaining at the top-seller list in February 2011.[147] On March 3, 2011 the news magazine The Hollywood Reporter also reported on the best selling video games ever. It announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game ever in the United States of America.[148]Black Ops was the best-selling game of all time in the UK until Grand Theft Auto V overtook it in November 2014.[149] By November 2013, the game had sold 26.2 million copies.[150]
Controversy[edit]
Cuba has condemned the release of the game as it has special forces trying but failing to kill a young Fidel Castro, killing instead a body-double.[151][152] The Cuba-based pro-Fidel Castro website Cubadebate said the game 'encourages sociopathic attitudes of American children and adolescents, the main consumers of these virtual games.'[151][153][154]
Mobile phone version[edit]
Black Ops was also released for both mobile phones and smartphones.[155] This version is a side-scrolling shooter. It features a different storyline, a different set of characters, and is set in the Vietnam War in 1967. The game was developed by Glu Mobile and published by Activision.[155][156]
Notes[edit]
- ^Additional work by FXVille, Nerve Software, Pi Studios, Raven Software and Certain Affinity. Ported to Nintendo DS by n-Space, and to OS X by Aspyr.
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Treyarch's latest is a white-knuckled action romp that doesn't disappoint.
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That’s clearly enough for millions of fans, but it makes it far from a must-have – you probably own the best bits already. As polished and pretty and fun as Black Ops often is, 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.
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it becomes a little disappointing when you’re forced to sit there and watch scripted walkthroughs of story moments. Going to the Pentagon is something that should be pretty exciting, but it’s essentially a rail-shooter without the shooting.
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I found that scripts were sometimes not well done, they were not always triggered at the right moment(..) For the 3 first hours of play, I had the impression I was in a rail shooter. Even Modern Warfare 2 did not go as far regarding linearity
- ^'Call of Duty: Black Ops Review: Seventh Verse, Same As The Sixth'. charge-shot.com. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
The only thing really separating the game from rail shooters like Time Crisis is the freedom to swivel your empty, purposeless virtual head(..)This is Call of Duty’s credo: love it or hate it, Activision’s money-maker shows no signs of taking risks, innovating or changing even slightly
- ^Sterling, Jim (November 10, 2010). 'Black Ops PC port is buggy as shit'. Destructoid. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
The biggest issue is lag and skipping, which I can testify to. The multiplayer, at the time of writing, is borderline unplayable, with severe lag and moments where the entire action will freeze for several seconds. I am yet to enter a game where there isn't lag, and the in-game chat isn't complaining about it.
- ^Greenhough, Chris (November 10, 2010). 'Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer 'unplayable' on PC, says Internet'. inquisitr.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
According to many gamers, the online multiplayer mode is severely borked, rendered “unplayable” by lag
- ^Orry, James (November 9, 2010). 'Tell Treyarch about your Black Ops bugs'. VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is out and unsurprisingly players are encountering bugs which slipped through the giant Treyarch net.
- ^Raby, Mark (November 10, 2010). 'PS3 players report serious Call of Duty: Black Ops bugs, 360 players fine so far'. GamesRadar. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
reyarch's official forums are being lit up with serious complaints from PS3 gamers trying to play Call of Duty: Black Ops. Perhaps the most embarrassing is that the game is apparently freezing for players with 3D TVs, despite both the game and the PS3 being touted as the best 3D products available.
- ^Peckham, Matt (November 10, 2010). 'Call of Duty Black Ops Pilloried in User Reviews'. PC World. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^'Call of Duty: Block Ops (PC edition)'. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^Koblovsky, Jason (January 16, 2011). 'Activision Threatens to Pull PSN Support'. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
Well I have nothing else to offer and I too follow forums and have many friends who play and enjoy the game for all of its features. As an avid gamer, I would also disagree with any legalities involving a single aspect of a game as online experience may change at any time. The publishers have the right to shut down the servers for their game at any time as well which based on the number of reported posts from users may be a viable solution over the free PSN
- ^'Activision, Treyarch et Infinity Ward : malaise sur la PS3'. NoFrag. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
un joueur mécontent des multiples problèmes de connexion du jeu, qui rendent les parties difficiles, a eu une réponse inattendue d'Activision, qui a rappelé qu'ils pouvaient à tout moment fermer le mode multi sur PS3. Voilà qui n'est pas très encourageant..
- ^'CoD Black Ops : le ton monte sur PS3'. jvn.com. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
- ^'Activision Can Take Its Black Ops And Go Home, You Know'. Kotaku. January 18, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
- ^'Activision Confirms it Could Kill PS3 Black Ops Servers, But Says it Won't'. The Escapist. January 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
- ^'Review: Call Of Duty Black Ops Wii review'. Official Nintendo Magazine. November 9, 2010. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
- ^'Black Ops is Xbox Live's top game of 2010'. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
- ^The Associated Press (November 11, 2010). 'CBC News – Technology & Science – Call of Duty breaks sales record'. Canada: CBC. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
- ^Robinson, Andy (November 22, 2010). 'Black Ops annihilates record Harry Potter weekend'. Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^Staff Writer (November 18, 2010). 'Call of Duty Black Ops Sales Hit $650M'. Social Tech. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^Funk, John (November 22, 2010). 'CoD: Black Ops Sales Fall 85% in UK, Still Overwhelming'. The Escapist. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^Takahashi, Dean (November 7, 2010). 'Robbers steal 100 copies of Call of Duty Black Ops'. Venture Beat. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ^Raman, Manikandan (December 22, 2010). 'Call of Duty: Black Ops Sales Top $1 Bln'. International Business Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^Quillen, Dustin (December 21, 2010). 'Call of Duty: Black Ops Reaches $1 Billion in Sales'. Hearst Corporation. 1up.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
Activision tells us all about the numbers for the latest Call of Duty.
- ^Dudley, Brier (March 10, 2011). 'NPD: Xbox kills it in February, 'Black Ops' makes history'. The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^Bond, Paul (March 10, 2011). ''Call of Duty: Black Ops' Is Best-Selling Video Game Ever in U.S.'The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^Phillips, Tom (November 24, 2014). 'Grand Theft Auto 5 now UK's best-selling game ever'. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
- ^'Call of Duty: A Short History'. IGN. Ziff Davis. November 2013. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
- ^ ab'Cuba denounces 'virtual' Castro plot in new game – Yahoo! Finance'. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^'Call of Duty: Black Ops Controversy: Cuba Decries Castro Assassination Scene'. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^'Cuba says Castro video game tries to legitimise murder'. BBC News. November 11, 2010. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^'Nueva operación contra Cuba: EEUU lanza videojuego cuyo objetivo es asesinar a Fidel | Cubadebate'. Cubadebate.cu. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
- ^ abO'Brien, Stuart (May 24, 2010). 'Glu preps Call of Duty: Black Ops mobile game'. Intent Media. Mobile Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- ^Lugmayr, Manfred 'Luigi' (May 20, 2010). 'Call of Duty Mobile Game coming from Glu Mobile in Q4'. I4U LLC. I4U News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
External links[edit]
- Call of Duty: Black Ops on IMDb
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Call_of_Duty:_Black_Ops&oldid=904220831'
Call of Duty: Black Ops II | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Treyarch |
Publisher(s) | Activision |
Director(s) | Dave Anthony |
Producer(s) | Pat Dwyer |
Designer(s) | |
Programmer(s) |
|
Artist(s) | Colin Whitney |
Writer(s) | |
Composer(s) | Jack Wall |
Series | Call of Duty |
Engine | IW engine |
Platform(s) | |
Release | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360Wii U
|
Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a first-person shooter developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360 on November 13, 2012, and for the Wii U on November 18 in North America and November 30 in PAL regions.[1][2][3][4][5]Black Ops II is the ninth game in the Call of Duty franchise of video games, a sequel to the 2010 game Call of Duty: Black Ops and the first Call of Duty game for the Wii U. A corresponding game for the PlayStation Vita, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, was developed by nStigate Games and also released on November 13.
The game's campaign follows up the story of Black Ops and is set in two different time periods; the late 1980s and 2025. In the '80s, the player switches control between Alex Mason and Frank Woods, two of the protagonists from Black Ops, while in 2025, the player assumes control of Mason's son, David (codenamed 'Section'). Both time periods involve the characters pursuing Raul Menendez, a Nicaraguan cartel leader, who is responsible for kidnapping Woods in the 80s and later sparking a second Cold War in 2025. The campaign features nonlinear gameplay and has multiple endings.[6]
Development for the game began soon after the release of Black Ops, with Activision promising that the follow-up would bring 'meaningful innovation' to the Call of Duty franchise. Black Ops II is the first game in the series to feature futuristic warfare technology and the first to present branching storylines driven by player choice as well as selecting weapons before starting story mode missions. It also offers a 3D display option. The game was officially revealed on May 1, 2012, following a set of leaked information released during the previous months.
Black Ops II received generally positive reviews from critics. The game was a commercial success; within 24 hours of going on sale, the game grossed over $500 million.[7] It had remained the largest entertainment launch of all time until September 2013, when Take-Two Interactive announced that Grand Theft Auto V had grossed $800 million in its first day of release.[8] It went on to sell 7.5 million copies in the U.S. in November 2012, making it the highest-grossing game of the month.[9] A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, was released in 2015.[10]Black Ops II was made backwards compatible for the Xbox One in April 2017.[11]
- 1Gameplay
- 2Plot
- 2.1Single-player campaign
- 2.2Zombies
- 3Development
- 5Reception
- 6References
Gameplay[edit]
Campaign[edit]
Tactical view in a Strike Force mission
Black Ops II is the first Call of Duty video game to feature branching storylines, in which the player's choice affects both the current mission and in turn, the overall course of the story. Known as 'Strike Force missions', these branching storylines appear during the 2025 storyline and feature permanent death. The success or failure of these missions can have ramifications for the wider campaign storyline. Choosing one of the missions locks out the others unless the player begins a fresh campaign.[12]
Strike Force missions allow the player to control a number of different war assets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, jet fighters and robots. If the player dies in a Strike Force mission, the campaign continues recording that loss, as opposed to letting the player load a previously saved checkpoint. The player's progress in the Strike Force missions may go on to change even the plans of the story's antagonist, Raul Menendez.[12] By the end of the game, the player may have changed the results of the new Cold War.
Similarly, in the main story missions, there are certain points where the player is given different choices and paths to progress, which could have an effect on the gameplay, as well as the story. Black Ops II is also the first game in the series to allow the player to customize their loadout before beginning a mission, creating freedom in choosing how to approach a mission.
Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 Zombies Skull Rank
Multiplayer[edit]
One of the biggest changes added to multiplayer in Black Ops II is the introduction of Pick 10, a new system within the Create-a-Class menu. Pick 10 gives the player a total of 10 allocation slots in a class, which are used for guns, perks, grenades, etc. .. The player can choose to allocate the slots however they like, to either have more attachments for a gun, or more perks.
Killstreaks from previous Call of Duty games are renamed as Scorestreaks, which are now earned by gaining points, rather than kills. This allows the player to focus on objective modes, which also earn points towards Scorestreaks.
Unlike past games, weapons in Black Ops II have a progression system, which is used to unlock weapon attachments. After maxing out a weapon's level, the player can choose to 'prestige' the gun, similar to how they can prestige the player level, and reset their attachment progress. In exchange, the player can customize their weapons with custom clan tags and emblems.
Black Ops II is also the first Call of Duty game to include a competitive mode. Known as League Play, the mode allows players of similar skill level to be matched together, and play according to the rules of Major League Gaming.
Zombies[edit]
Treyarch confirmed that the Zombies mode would return for Black Ops II with new game modes. This is the third Call of Duty game to feature a Zombies mode, following Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the first to have game modes other than the traditional Survival mode. Treyarch also confirmed that Zombies would run on the game's multiplayer engine, allowing for a deeper community experience, along with new features. A new, 8 player co-op game called 'Grief' is also supported, featuring 2 teams of 4 players competing to survive, unlike the previous games which only supported 4 player online co-op. As with the previous installments, each Zombies map contains 'Easter eggs' side quests, which is used to progress the story. Another new mode, 'Turned', is introduced with several downloadable content maps, in which one player attempts to survive three player-controlled zombies who must turn the other player into a zombie.
Plot[edit]
Single-player campaign[edit]
Setting and characters[edit]
Raul Menendez, the main antagonist of the game
The single-player campaign features two connected storylines, with the first set from 1986 to 1989 during the final years of the First Cold War, and the other set in 2025 during a Second Cold War. The protagonist of Black Ops, Alex Mason (Sam Worthington) returns as the protagonist in the first Cold War section, and chronicles the rise to infamy of the game's primary antagonist, Raul Menendez (Kamar de los Reyes).[13]
The 2025 section of the game features Alex Mason's son David (codenamed Section) (Rich MacDonald) as the protagonist, in which Menendez is plotting against the United States and China with one of his ultimate goals being to see the United States locked in a new Cold War with China, in revenge for many of his misfortunes.[14] In this era, wars are defined by robotics, cyberwarfare, unmanned vehicles, and other futuristic technology.[13][12]
Returning characters include Alex's CIA squadmates Frank Woods (James C. Burns) and Jason Hudson (Michael Keaton), former Soviet Army Colonel Lev Kravchenko (Andrew Divoff), and disgraced Red Army Captain Viktor Reznov (Gary Oldman). New characters include: Section's SEAL teammates Mike Harper (Michael Rooker) and Javier Salazar (Celestino Cornielle), their commanding officer Admiral Tommy Briggs (Tony Todd), the CIA double agent Farid (Omid Abtahi), U.S. President Marion Bosworth (Cira Larkin), Strategic Defense Coalition leader General Tian Zhao (Byron Mann), Tacitus Corporation ex-employee Chloe Lynch (codename Karma) (Erin Cahill). The game also features several historical and real-life characters, including: UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi (Robert Wisdom), former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega (Benito Martinez), Colonel Oliver North (voiced by himself), and former CIA directorDavid Petraeus (Jim Meskimen). Jimmy Kimmel cameos as himself in one of the game's endings, while the rock band Avenged Sevenfold makes a non-canonical appearance at the end of the game.
Story[edit]
In 1986, Alex Mason, now retired from active duty, pursues an obscure existence in Alaska with his son, seven-year-old David. Their shaky relationship is further strained when Mason is approached by Jason Hudson for an assignment in Cuando Cubango during the height of the Angolan Civil and South African Border Wars. Frank Woods and his team have disappeared aiding Jonas Savimbi's UNITA rebels against Angola's Marxist government; their actions have already been disavowed by the CIA, but Hudson hopes to rescue any survivors. Mason and Hudson recover Woods from the Kavango River, subsequently locating Raul Menendez among a contingent of Cuban military advisers. As a lengthy firefight breaks out, the trio are rescued by Savimbi. It is revealed that Menendez is responsible for holding Woods captive after murdering his team.
In light of this, Mason, Woods, and Hudson begin tracking Menendez, an established primary arms dealer for bush conflicts in Southern Africa and Latin America. The CIA later authorize a strike against the unscrupulous Nicaraguan, now making a healthy profit running arms across Soviet-occupiedAfghanistan. The trio and Chinese operative Tian Zhao ally with the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviets. They locate Lev Kravchenko, who survived the grenade explosion with Woods in Vietnam, and interrogate him into disclosing that Menendez has moles inside the CIA. The Mujahideen then betray the Americans and Zhao, leaving them to die in the Afghan wilderness until their rescue by two unidentified civilians.
The origins of Menendez's anti-American sentiment is revealed at this point. His sister Josefina was disfigured in a fire as part of an insurance fraud masterminded by an American businessman. The CIA sanctions the assassination of Menendez's father after uncovering his ties to South American drug trade. Mason, Woods, Hudson, and Panamanian security forces led by President Manuel Noriega raid Menendez's compound in Nicaragua; during the chaos, Woods inadvertently kills Josefina with a grenade. Conspiring with Noriega to fake his demise, Menendez crosses paths with Mason and Woods again during the American invasion of Panama. Utilizing moles within the CIA, Menendez captures Hudson and David, and has Hudson manipulate Woods into shooting Mason before crippling Woods. He then executes Hudson, promising to return and complete his revenge at a later date.
This one includes new formations and battle tweaks, making battles far more tactical. Best rome 2 mods.
In 2025, Menendez reemerges as the charismatic leader of Cordis Die, a militant populist movement. His organization stages a cyberattack that cripples the Chinese stock exchanges, forcing their government to leverage its economic influence and sparking a second Cold War between NATO and the Chinese-led Strategic Defense Coalition headed by Zhao. David, now a Navy SEAL code-named Section, spearheads an effort by American Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to track down Menendez. They fail to apprehend him, but learn that Menendez is planning a second cyberattack with global repercussions, dependent on a quantum supercomputer engineered by rogue developer Chloe Lynch. Section and two other SEALs, Harper and Salazar, either rescue Lynch by killing Menendez's second-in-command, DeFalco, or he escapes. The 'Strike Force' mission 'Second Chance' must be completed to rescue Lynch if the latter occurs.
Interrogating Raul Menendez from the mission 'Odysseus'
JSOC finally capture Menendez in Yemen with the assistance of undercover CIA agent, Farid. However, prior to being apprehended, Menendez orders Farid to kill a captured Harper. Farid will be executed by Menendez if he refuses. American forces take Menendez aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Barack Obama, commanded by Admiral Briggs; however, Menendez escapes with the aid of a mole inside JSOC: Salazar. How Salazar's betrayal pans out is determinant on the fates of Lynch, Farid, and DeFalco.[a] Menendez hacks into the U.S. military satellite to seize control of their entire drone fleet. Whether the Americans regain control is determined on whether the Strike Force missions were completed and whether Briggs remains alive to activate the ship's defenses.
Regardless, Menendez uses the drones to attack Los Angeles during a meeting of G20 leaders, hoping to kill them and foment widespread economic and civil chaos. With the drones also targeting several other strategic cities across the U.S. and China, Section escorts the President of the United States to safety in a Cougar HE. Menendez is tracked to Haiti, where Section must either execute or reapprehend him.
Endings[edit]
The events of the player's ending is determinant on the fates of Menendez, Lynch, and Alex Mason, and whether the Strike Force missions were completed.
- If Section executes Menendez, a video is uploaded to YouTube, where Menendez commands Cordis Die to revolt. Cordis Die supporters launch a massive global insurrection, resulting in the burning of the White House and widespread anarchy. This is the canonical ending and sets the stage for Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
- If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch survives, she will prevent Menendez's cyberattack and he will remain imprisoned, watching Lynch being interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she insults Menendez as he rages in his cell.
- If Section reapprehends Menendez and Lynch was killed or not rescued, Menendez's cyberattack will succeed and he will break out of prison. He heads to the Vault and kills Woods, then travels to his sister's grave, digs up her corpse, and lights himself on fire.
- If Mason survives being shot by Woods, he will reunite with him and Section. If he does not, David retires from the military after visiting his father's grave.
- If all the Strike Force missions were completed, China and the United States enter into an alliance, ending the Second Cold War.
A non-canon ending is unlocked by completing the game, depicting Menendez and Woods performing at a concert with Synyster Gates and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. It is shown after the 2nd half of the credits.
Zombies[edit]
Characters and setting[edit]
Zombies takes place throughout various time periods, mostly focused during the modern time, in a post-apocalyptic world, created as a result of the missile launch from the moon striking the Earth. The majority of the story follows four new characters: Samuel Stuhlinger (David Boat), Marlton Johnson (Scott Menville), Abigail 'Misty' Briarton (Stephanie Lemelin) and Russman (Keith Szarabajka). Dr. Edward Richtofen (Nolan North), one of the previous playable characters from the previous game, returns as the demonic announcer, overseeing the four characters. Another returning character is Dr. Ludvig Maxis (Fred Tatasciore), who instructs the new group to help him defeat Richtofen. Players can choose whether to help Maxis or Richtofen, which will have different results once the story ends. The map 'Mob of the Dead' features a new crew of characters: Albert 'The Weasel' Arlington (Joe Pantoliano), Billy Handsome (Ray Liotta), Michael 'Finn' O'Leary (Michael Madsen), and Salvatore 'Sal' DeLuca (Chazz Palminteri). The map 'Origins' features an alternate version of the original crew: Tank Dempsey (Steven Blum), Nikolai Belinski (also voiced by Tatasciore), Takeo Masaki (Tom Kane), and Richtofen (Nolan North), as well as Maxis' daughter, Samantha (Grace Kaufman).
Story[edit]
In the year 2025 at Nevada, a team of CIA and CDC operatives investigate a nuclear testing site known as 'Nuketown', where they are attacked by zombies. At the same time, Dr. Edward Richtofen seizes control of the zombies by entering the Aether from Group 935's moon base. However, Dr. Ludvig Maxis joins with his daughter Samantha and Richtofen's former allies, Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, and Takeo Masaki, to thwart him. To end this, Maxis launches three massive nuclear missiles filled with Element 115, the element responsible for the reanimation of dead cells, at the Earth, destroying its atmosphere. One missile completely destroys Nuketown and all present, except for one individual, Marlton Johnson, who escapes after hiding out in the site's bunker.
Ten years later following the events on the Moon, Earth has been reduced to a crumbling, hellish wasteland overrun by zombies. In this new world, four survivors - Samuel Stuhlinger, Abigail 'Misty' Briarton, Marlton, and Russman - have banded together to survive in Washington with the help of a bus driven by a robotic driver. The four are contacted by both Richtofen and Maxis, who is now a digital artificial intelligence, for aid against the other. Both former scientists request the four to assist them in powering up a tower within the area to work in their favor. Once done, regardless of the path they choose, they are teleported by Richtofen to a crumbling skyline in Shanghai, China. The four learn of The Flesh, a cannibalistic cult that chooses to eat zombie meat, as well as the beginnings of a new airborne pandemic of Element 115. Stuhlinger is threatened by Richtofen, who knows of his past as a member of The Flesh, which allows only him to hear Richtofen and not the others. At the site, Maxis and Richtofen once again instruct the four to power up a second tower.
Following their battles in Shanghai, Russman leads the group across the continents to a large hole in the ground known as The Rift in Africa, hoping to find answers about the unseen forces commanding them. Richtofen commands Samuel to 'mend the rift'. The four gain a new ally in the form of a mute giant (real name later known as Arthur) in a Western town warped underground by temporal displacement, and are hampered by a ghostly woman in a massive mansion. In the canonical ending, the group aids Maxis, allowing him to use the power from the towers to enter the Aether and assume ultimate control, trapping Richtofen in a zombie's body. However, the Earth begins shaking, and Maxis explains to the four that he is beginning the process of the destruction of the Earth and humanity to reach Agartha, where he believes Samantha is; in the non-canon ending, the group aids Richtofen, letting him gain unlimited power over the Aether and the Earth, allowing him to kill Maxis and condemn Samantha's soul to eternal damnation.
Following the canonical ending, Maxis then plucks Samantha's soul from Richtofen's body on the Moon and forces her to join him in Agartha. Realizing her father has been corrupted by the Aether, Samantha reaches out to an alternate version of him, who resides in Dimension 63. She ends up in 1918 in France during World War I, where Group 935 was formed much earlier, with Maxis as one of its leaders, operating to secure German victory in the war. Group 935 created mechanical robots, as well as staffs that control the powers of the elements. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb believed to be of Vril origin, they accidentally unleash the first known zombie outbreak in history. Aiming to stop Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States of America send Takeo, Nikolai and Dempsey to capture Richtofen, the mastermind behind the advanced technology. By this time, Group 935's operatives have been wiped out, and Maxis himself was lobotomized when he began to turn into a zombie. The group are contacted by Samantha, who begs them to free her from Agartha. Richtofen puts Maxis' brain in a flying drone, and he joins the fight against the zombies and to free Samantha. The group is eventually successful, and while Maxis meets his daughter, they enter Agartha to be rewarded. A cutscene is played, showing Samantha with a boy named Eddie inside a house playing with toys of the characters who have appeared in the Zombies game mode throughout allthree games. Air raid sirens are heard and the two children retreat to the basement with Maxis, with Samantha noting her father has a plan to make the heroes of their games real.
A separate story, 'Mob of the Dead', taking place also in Dimension 63, focuses on four mobsters: Salvatore 'Sal' DeLuca, Billy Handsome, Michael 'Finn' O'Leary, and Albert 'The Weasel' Arlington, who are incarcerated at Alcatraz Island. On New Year's Eve 1933, the four attempt to escape the prison, using Weasel's plan to build a makeshift airplane called Icarus. However, the prison becomes infested with zombies, and they are forced to fight their way out. They succeed in building the airplane, but crash-land at the Golden Gate Bridge. They are then teleported back to the prison, with no memories of their previous attempt (except Weasel, who keeps a journal of the ongoing events). They continuously try to escape, but the result remains the same. After many failures, they discover that they were actually stuck in Purgatory, constantly repeating a cycle as punishment for their past sins. In reality, the escape plan never came to fruition, and Weasel was killed by the other three on New Year's Eve, while the rest were given the death penalty weeks later. Having remembered the truth, Sal, Billy and Finn set out to kill Weasel once again. Two possible endings can occur: if Weasel is killed, the cycle repeats once again; if Weasel lives and the other three are killed, the cycle is broken, and he is finally freed of his punishment.
Development[edit]
Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick stated on November 8, 2011, that a new Call of Duty game was in development for a 2012 release and will be the newest installment in the franchise.[15] The game was officially confirmed by Activision during its fourth-quarter earnings call on February 9, 2012, and promised that it will feature 'meaningful innovation' for the series.[16][17]Oliver North, who was involved in the Iran–Contra affair was a consultant on the 1980s portion and helped promote the game.[18][19] The author and defense expert Peter W. Singer served as a consultant on the 2025 storyline of the game.[20]
Internal leaks[edit]
Reports of Black Ops 2 surfaced following a product page for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 appeared on Amazon France before quickly being taken down in February 2012. No information had yet been released by Activision, but Gameblog claimed that Activision demanded it remove its original report too.[21] When it refused to do so, the publisher cut off Gameblog from ad support, review game mailings and future Activision events for refusing to comply.[22] Later Activision denied Gameblog's claims that it has been cut off.[23] Around the same time, computer game artist Hugo Beyer also listed 'Black Ops 2' as his current project in his Linkedin CV, before his LinkedIn page was taken down.[24] Beyer is an artist working for Nerve Software, 'a Dallas-based independent developer' which has 'helped' with previous Activision games including, Black Ops in 2010.[25] A 'Black Ops 2' trademark by Activision was spotted January 2012.[26] Further, Black Ops 2 was listed by the France international entertainment retail chain Fnac in March 2012, which touted a predictable November release date.[27]
On April 9, 2012, an image was leaked from a URL on the official Call of Duty website, which leaked the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 logo, as well as a reveal date of April 28, 2012. The URL was later removed.[28] On April 18, 2012, Kotaku received an image from 'a retail source', which showed a teaser poster that lacked a game title but had clear nods to Black Ops and a May 2 date that seemingly points to a reveal.[29] On April 27, 2012, an image containing two Target pre-order cards sent by IGN reader Richard confirmed the game's title and release date. The cards clearly display the Call of Duty: Black Ops II logo, and the release date November 13, 2012.[30][31]
Reveal[edit]
Call of Duty: Black Ops II advertisements at gamescom 2012
On April 23, 2012, Activision redesigned CallofDuty.com to announce that the game will be revealed on May 1, 2012, during the NBAplayoffs on TNT.[32] The art featured on the site matched up perfectly with the supposed retailer leak received by Kotaku.[33] However, parts of the official website went live hours prior to the announcement, which revealed the title, confirmed the release date for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and the '21st Century Cold War' setting.[34] Activision had hinted that the game may eventually become available for Nintendo's own consoles, although had no official announcements for the time being.[35] As promised by Activision, the preview for the game was revealed in the form of a YouTube trailer that detailed the futuristic setting, the characters carried over from the previous games, and the conflict.[36]
After the game was revealed, the preorder rates on the game set records three times higher than for the preorders of the first Black Ops.[37] Critics have noted the trailer's similarities to that of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.[38][39][40] On July 19, 2012, a second trailer was released by Treyarch, offering insight into the game's narrative. The storyline has been described by writer David S. Goyer as 'better than a Hollywood movie'.[41]
Gameplay revisions[edit]
Promotion at E3 2012
In developing Black Ops II, Treyarch introduced several revisions to the gameplay mechanics for online multiplayer that have been a hallmark of the Call of Duty franchise. These include the introduction of 'multi-team' games that allow matches to host three or more teams of players, in contrast to the traditional two factions,[citation needed] and revisions to the 'Create-A-Class' function that allows users to select which guns, attachments, weapon camouflage and perks (additional bonuses that alter aspects of gameplay) to use in multiplayer matches.[42] The 'Kill Streak' function, which gives players in-game rewards for killing other players, was revised and is now known as 'Score Streaks'.
Whereas players still receive in-game rewards, these are unlocked by performing certain actions – such as killing other players, successfully capturing territory, and so on – rather than simply killing other players.[43][44] Furthermore, the 'wager matches' feature included in Call of Duty: Black Ops was removed.[42] These changes were introduced to shift the emphasis towards objective-based gameplay, to reward players who work in teams and to make the game more accessible to new players.[43]
Additionally, Treyarch announced plans to integrate Black Ops II into the world of 'eSports' or competitive gaming.[citation needed] To this end, Treyarch unveiled a matchmaking system designed to pair players up based on their skills within the game to ensure that online games are relatively equal in terms of player skill. They also announced what they termed 'CODcasting', a form of live streaming that allows users to stream their games directly onto YouTube from their gaming consoles.[citation needed]
There is also 3D support if players are playing with an HDMI cable on a 3D TV. Before one enters multiplayer mode, one needs to simply just turn on the 3D setting in the 'options' menu.[45]
Japanese releases[edit]
Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 Pc
Square Enix released the game for the Japanese market on November 22, 2012, as a subbed version. A Japanese voice-dubbed version was released separately on December 20, 2012. The script for this version was translated by Zenigame Nakamoto. The translated version was criticized for its translation errors.[46] The Japanese release of the Wii U port is only the dubbed version since the console was not available in Japan in November.[47]
Soundtrack[edit]
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Original Soundtrack) | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Jack Wall[48] | |
Released | November 13, 2012 |
Genre | Video game soundtrack |
Length | 2:28:49 |
The game's soundtrack was composed by Jack Wall,[48] with the main theme composed by Trent Reznor,[49] the leader of industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails since 1988.[49] The soundtrack was released as a part of the Hardened Edition and Care Package releases, as well as on iTunes and Amazon, with two supplemental tracks by Brian Tuey, as well as 'Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550 (Allegro Molto)' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Also, a version of the song 'Try It Out' by Skrillex and Alvin Risk is used in the game, but it is not present in the soundtrack album. When the Campaign is completed, after the end credits, Woods and Menendez perform a concert with heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold on their song 'Carry On', with Woods on drums and Menendez on rhythm guitar. The band chose to use Woods as the drummer in the game due to the loss of their original drummer The Rev, who died of a drug overdose on December 28, 2009. The band's song 'Shepherd of Fire' is featured on the Zombie mode Origins. Additional artists include Sean Murray, Jimmy Hinson, Sergio Jimenez Lacima, Kamar de los Reyes, Azam Ali, & Rudy Cardenas.[50]
The Replacers[edit]
Heralding the release of Black Ops II's DLCs, Activision releases a live-action short starring a well-groomed Peter Stormare, who acts as a 'Replacer', part of a group who are sent by mutual friends to take your place during your daily life while you can stay at home and play Black Ops II's new content. Stormare goes on to explain the aims of his jobs and is then shown in multiple situations where he has taken over random people's jobs, such as masquerading as a pregnant lady's husband, working at an office, and enduring a grandmother's endless talking, as well as other such scenarios.
To promote Black Ops II's second DLC, entitled 'Uprising', comedian J.B. Smoove joined Stormare in the second production of The Replacers, in which the two maintain a haphazard relationship. Stormare normally acts as a mentor to the new replacer Smoove by pointing out his various quirks while doing his job, such as his poor performance defending his client while he replaces a lawyer, admitting that he might be guilty.
Downloadable content[edit]
A Black Ops II Season Pass was released by Treyarch with the release of the game. On December 12, 2012, all Xbox 360 Season Pass holders received access to the Nuketown Zombies map, with PC holders following on January 17, and PlayStation 3 holders on January 19, having been delayed two days due to PSN technical issues.[51][52] It was later released as an individual download for PC on April 13, 2013.[53]
The first major DLC pack is called Revolution. It was announced on January 8, 2013, and released for Xbox 360 on January 29 and PC and PS3 on February 28[54] The pack contained four new multiplayer maps - Downhill, Hydro, Mirage and Grind; and two new Zombies modes - Turned and Die Rise. Also included was the first DLC weapon; the Peacekeeper. Turned occurs in the Diner segment of the TranZit map from the original release, and allows up to four players to fight each other in two teams - one human against three zombies. The Die Rise map is a larger zombies survival map taking place in a destroyed office building, where one to four players use elevators to travel between floors.[55]
Personalisation pack microtransactions for the game were released for Xbox 360 on March 12, 2013, and PC and PS3 on April 12. These allow the player to make small aesthetic changes to the multiplayer functionality of the game, like adding the flag of their country to the kill notification box, adding new weapon skins and allowing the player to use more Create-a-Class slots.[56][57]
The second major DLC pack is known as Uprising. It was released for Xbox 360 on April 16, 2013, and came out for PC and PS3 players on 16 May.[58] It includes the new zombies map Mob of the Dead as well as new multiplayer maps Magma, Vertigo, Encore, and a re-imagining of fan-favourite from previous installment Black Ops Firing Range, known as Studio.[59]
The third major DLC pack is called Vengeance. It was released for Xbox 360 on July 2, 2013, and PC and PS3 on August 1. It includes new zombies map Buried as well as new multiplayer maps Cove, Detour, Rush and a remake of the popular map Summit from Black Ops: Uplink.[60]
The fourth and final major DLC pack is called Apocalypse. It was released for Xbox 360 on August 27, 2013, and PC and PS3 on September 26. It includes new zombies map Origins back to the old characters (Takeo, Nikolai, Richtofen and Dempsey), as well as new multiplayer maps Pod, Frost and two remakes of popular maps Courtyard and Stadium of Call of Duty: World at War and Black Ops: First Strike DLC.[61]
On July 8, 2014, Activision released Nuketown 2025 for the Wii U Version. On March 27, 2013, Activision revealed that they were considering releasing Revolution, but a firm decision has not yet been made.[62]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Critical reception[edit]
Call of Duty: Black Ops II received 'generally positive' reviews for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U versions, but 'mixed or average' reviews for the PC version, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[63][64][65][66]IGN editor Anthony Gallegos describes the game as 'a good example of how to evolve an annualized franchise.'[71] Gallegos praised the game for telling a story was genuinely interesting and creating a villain that he empathised with to the point of questioning his own actions over the course of the story. Gallegos directed criticisms at the artificial intelligence of allies in Strike Force mode and at the ending of the campaign, which he felt was disappointing even though he was aware that the outcome was directly influenced by the choices he made.
Dan Ryckert of Game Informer was also critical of the artificial intelligence of Strike Force mode, and was unimpressed by the 'Pick Ten' system introduced to multiplayer modes, noting that it was 'interesting, but ultimately less exciting' than the system used in previous Call of Duty titles.[68] Like Gallegos, Ryckert praised the narrative and structure of the single-player campaign, introducing changes that he felt were overdue and noting that the branching storylines 'had me talking to others about their experiences in a way I had never done before with this [Call of Duty] series'.
Steven O'Donnell and Stephanie Bendixsen, of video game talk show Good Game, both gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, praising the gameplay multiplayer and zombies mode, but were critical of the campaign's confusing narrative and Strike Force missions.[76] In particular to the narrative Good Game, was critical of the opening battle where the player guns down fleeing Africans rebels, feeling that it was added purely for shock value and commenting that
The landscape of shooters is changing somewhat. The fact is that everyone loves playing military shooters, but we're also realising that we don't want to glorify aimless killings. A lot of games are trying to make you feel that conflict and even make you feel bad about what you're doing. But I don't think it's been handled very well here.[76]
Frederick Charles Fripp of IT News Africa gave it a final score of 9.2/10 and wrote that 'BO2 is a non-stop action-packed shooter that will keep gamers on their toes and on the edge of their seats. It has everything a player could want in a game: great graphics, a good story, easy controls and superb acting.'[77]
Sales and revenue[edit]
Activision reported sales figures for Black Ops II in the U.S. were more than 7.5 million copies sold on launch day[9] and grossed over $500 million, in the US alone in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time until the record was surpassed by Grand Theft Auto V in September 2013. It is the fourth year in a row that the Call Of Duty series has broken the same record. 2011's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 grossed $400 million on one full day; 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops grossed $360 million on day one; in 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brought in $310 million.[7]
Black Ops II went on to gross $1 billion in the first 15 days of availability, beating Modern Warfare 3's record of the first 16 days.[78] On November 5, 2013, IGN confirmed that the game sold 24.2 million copies,[79] making it the third highest selling game in the series, behind 2010's Black Ops, and 2011's Modern Warfare 3.
Lawsuit[edit]
In July 2014, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega sued Activision for lost profits from the use of his likeness in the game. He also claims that his inclusion translated to higher sales of Black Ops II.[80] Noriega makes an appearance in the Cold War portions of the game and aids the primary antagonist. The suit sought compensation for lost profits and damages for his depiction as a 'kidnapper, murderer, and enemy of the state' in the game.[81] On October 28, the Los Angeles court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Noriega's inclusion was protected under free speech laws.
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^Lynch will be absent if she was not rescued and will die if all the Strike Force missions were not completed. If Lynch was rescued and Farid is alive, he will die either shielding her from Salazar or killing DeFalco (if he is alive); if Farid was killed, Lynch will be killed.
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Call Of Duty Black Ops 2 Zombie Ranks 2017
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External links[edit]
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II on IMDb
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