An awesome game has an even more awesome sequel
I was happy I pre-ordered this one going on in. After the original Black Ops, I was expecting much more with everyone else, so this is the exciting result we get.
The graphics look amazing by 2012 standards. The acting is superb. Even the theme song and soundtrack are awesome, including the orchestral mix composed by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. In fact, there's a non-canon post-credits scene unlocked by completing the game, depicting two of the characters performing at a concert with Synyster Gates and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold.
The story is one of the best, if not the best, in the Call of Duty series. It follows up on the original Black Ops, something Black Ops III didn't do very well (I am disappointed to admit). It also follows the events that happen in the past (1986-9), tying them to the current story (2025). In fact I love the kind of futuristic setting (set in 2025), but not in a distant future dystopia way. Something that the later games would go on to do. Raul Menendez is an awesome and intimidating villain that unlike other COD villains has a backstory and reasoning for wanting to attack America other than being just a run of the mill bad guy.
There are different endings, and each choice you make will determine what ending you get. The events of the player's ending is also determinant on the fates of Menendez, Lynch and Alex Mason, and whether the Strike Force missions were completed.
- If David executes Menendez, Cordis Die supporters launch a massive worldwide revolution, resulting in global anarchy that results in the US President being assassinated, the disbanding of NATO and the eventual outbreak of a Third Cold War. This is the canonical ending and sets the background for Call of Duty: Black Ops III.
- If David captures Menendez and Lynch survives, she will prevent Menendez's cyberattack and he will remain imprisoned, going berserk after seeing Lynch being interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. This is the best possible ending of the game (and my favorite ending).
- If David captures Menendez and Lynch was killed or not rescued, Menendez's cyberattack will succeed and he will break out of prison. After confronting and murdering Woods, Menendez commits suicide at his sister's grave by committing immolation.
- If Mason survives being shot by Woods (must be shot anywhere but the head), he will reunite with him and David. Otherwise, David retires from the military after visiting his father's grave. Alex Mason can survive being shot by Frank, but it's never revealed as to where Alex had been for 30 years and how no one knew he was alive.
- If all the Strike Force missions were completed, China and the United States enter into an alliance, ending the Second Cold War.
Weapon balancing was done pretty well at launch, though some patches did nerf weapons that were too oppressive (like the Select Fire FAL OSW). Treyarch sinned of recycling content, some of the reloading animations for the weapons are taken from the Infinity Ward games, while in former games they used original animations. There are also overpowered weapons which crushed the balance in multiplayer, though it's not as bad as it was in the recently released at the time Modern Warfare 2 and 3. The sniping/trickshotting community also made some of the game modes quite unfriendly to players that didn't care about their playstyle.
An amazing Zombies mode and the Mob of The Dead DLC being insanely good add to the final touch of this game. The Zombies game mode can unfortunately no longer be played offline, even if playing solo. Players can only be able to play it while connected to the internet. League Play is also shutdown, and attempting to select it in the main menu will always crash the game. This also makes it impossible for completionists to obtain all achievements/trophies since Big Leagues requires playing it. Not only that, but Big Leagues is the only achievement/trophy (excluding the platinum trophy for the game) that is unobtainable in the entire Call of Duty franchise. Even World at War which is four years older than Black Ops II has its online trophies obtainable as of November 2020.
Hackers are rampant, especially on Xbox 360 and PS3 thanks to modded consoles, but that's not really the case.
One of the greatest games I have ever wanted to play in my life.
