Preview / interview: http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/8/14/3239603/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-multiplayer-custom-classes-perks-scorestreaks

Perks, weapons, attachments, and more: http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/8/14/3241436/all-of-the-call-of-duty-black-ops-2-create-a-class-options-so-far

[edit] Videos were up for a few hours, but are currently set to "private." I'm leaving them here in the hope that they come back fairly soon.

My favorite reveal:

Treyarch has scrubbed "absolutes" from perk design, Vonderhaar said, the hard and fast rules that make perks more difficult to balance. As an example, he detailed changes to the perk "Ghost" from the first Black Ops. Ghost's previous iteration made players undetectable by UAVs, infrared sensors, and sentries. In Black Ops 2, Ghost's benefits only apply while players are moving, a design change that hopes to prevent the perk from being exploited by campers.

Seems nice. I'm really liking the audio, especially the indoor stuff.

I must say that I am liking what I've seen so far, with Black Ops, Treyarch set themselves up to be the leader in the Call of Duty development and after Modern Warfare 3 and how Black Ops 2 is looking, I would say that they have cemented themselves in the leading position.

You know what, the game's graphics actually look really good. They look better than previous entries in the series at least.

I'm more excited about the singleplayer but this stuff looks cool.

That sight in the second video is overpowered as fuck. Shoot at the magical red diamond in the distance and get a free kill, woo!

Also they're still using the same damn death animations.

Please for the love of god let this sell less than the last one did.

@Chavtheworld: The sight do seem a bit powerful, though it do constrict your view to the sides, and it isn't that different from the IR Scope or Thermal Scope from Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 / 3.

And I'm pretty sure that Black Ops sold more than Modern Warfare 3, so that might mean that the sales are going down, or it means that Black Ops 2 will sell even more...

I'm really looking forward to it, I'm loving the fact that the pace seems slightly slower like black ops 1 compared to MW3. My absolute favourite thing about black ops was the way they handled pro perks, having to perform various objectives across multiple game modes forced me to play things like search and destroy, and as a result i found myself enjoying the game much more.

@Village_Guy: I'm hoping that Black OPs 2 will sell much more than previous titles because it appears as if treyarch have worked really hard to bring some changes to the formula, I was really disappointed with MW3 because it felt like the same old insta death so often and I think it will be a great message if the new one sells really well, because its the fans showing where the series should be heading.

player sounds like a mech or he is very overweight or maybe it just my fat bass .looks good but! not played cod since 2 if the single player is any thing to shout about might take a gander.

As long as there's bots, I'm game.

Actually looks pretty good. Not hugely different but still seems like fun.

Bummer they got that fun map pack system of theirs...

@Village_Guy said:

@Chavtheworld: The sight do seem a bit powerful, though it do constrict your view to the sides, and it isn't that different from the IR Scope or Thermal Scope from Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 / 3.

And I'm pretty sure that Black Ops sold more than Modern Warfare 3, so that might mean that the sales are going down, or it means that Black Ops 2 will sell even more...

There's also a perk that will hide you from that scope. It's part of the old "ghost" perk benefits, which have now been separated into 3 different perks.

• Ghost — Cannot be detected by enemy UAVs while moving. - Tier 1
• Blind Eye — Unaffected by AI-controlled perks. - Tier 1
• Cold-blooded — Resistance to targeting systems including Dual Band, Target Finder, Sensor Grenades and player-controlled aircraft. - Tier 2

I'll give this the benefit of the doubt. I like the line Treyarch are taking with the game and hey, fun is fun. Looks different enough to dig Call of Duty out of its hole for the time being.

@Village_Guy said:

@Chavtheworld: The sight do seem a bit powerful, though it do constrict your view to the sides, and it isn't that different from the IR Scope or Thermal Scope from Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2 / 3.

And I'm pretty sure that Black Ops sold more than Modern Warfare 3, so that might mean that the sales are going down, or it means that Black Ops 2 will sell even more...

It sold more at launch. (6.5 vs 5.6 million)

Well no one can say they rested on their laurels.

I watched those videos last night and even though this looks like they actually put some effort into it, and the setting looks cool, and the graphics seem improved, it still felt like the same old CoD experience from 2007. I just could not get excited :(

It's a bummer because looking back, Black Ops was one of the best multiplayer CoD games in the series.

@TaliciaDragonsong: Agreed, think I ended up spending more time playing against bots than I did actual MP in the first Black Ops.

I really want to shit on Call of Duty, but damn does Treyarch make it hard. Major props to them. Still probably not going to buy it, though.

Treyarch has been busting their asses on their last few games... Loved BLOPS, kinda meh on MW3, but BLOPS 2 is looking really really good. Good enough to take me away from Borderlands 2 or Assassin's 3? Doubtful, but it still looks good.

HOLY SHIT

Dubstep. YES.

(I actually think it works quite nicely with the near-future setting of the game. Jack Wall's the composer, right?)

@Kankohii said:

HOLY SHIT

Dubstep. YES.

(I actually think it works quite nicely with the near-future setting of the game. Jack Wall's the composer, right?)

Putting Dubstep in Black Ops 2 is just going to date the hell out of it. It would be like if rare would have put 3rd wave ska in Goldeneye.

@SpaceInsomniac: The track itself is quite badass though in my opinion.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

As long as there's bots, I'm game.

I was thinking the same thing.