Doesn't change much, but still very enjoyable
Pros:
-Campaign is solid and varied
-Good storyline
-Zombie mode is fun
-Wager Matches provide a fun and unique experience
-Great multiplayer that is packed with features
-Same great COD gameplay
Cons:
-Doesn't do much different from past installments
Call of Duty Black Ops may not change the COD formula much, but it still gives you an action packed experience that will put you on the edge of your seat. It has a solid campaign, zombies, and a feature rich multiplayer experience that makes Black Ops an overall great package.
The story mode puts you in the role of Alex Mason, an elite soldier who is on a personal crusade to find and destroy "Nova 6", a chemical weapon of mass destruction, and to hunt down the men who are responsible for it's creation. The campaign of black ops will take you from intense fire fights in Cuba, snowy mountain passes, dangerous trenches in Vietnam, and more. The missions follow basic COD formula of moving from checkpoint to checkpoint, but Black Ops has a good amount of variety in it's campaign to keep it feeling fresh. One mission will have you sneaking through the jungles in Vietnam, while another will have you fighting for your life in the chaotic city streets of Kowloon, China.
Each mission is memorable and engaging, making you want to replay the campaign again and again. The story mode of Black Ops is of decent length, but because of it's intensity and variety you will revisit it time and time again. The storyline it's self is also quite detailed and interesting, using the Cold War as it's back drop delivers a memorable storyline and plot that makes the campaign even more enjoyable.
Outside of the campaign you have the multiplayer, and while it brings a few new additions, for the most part it's the same COD experience you've grown accustomed to. Black Ops boasts quite a large arsenal of multiplayer features, from classic mods such as Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag to some new additions such as Wager Matches (more on that later), and more. When it comes to content Black Ops definitely gives you your money's worth. There is also a new system of leveling up, rather than simply earning XP like past COD games, you now also earn COD Points which acts as an in-game currency. You can spend your COD Points on new weapons, upgrades, perks, equipment, or just to customize your character and in-game profile picture.
This gives you more power over how you level up, as you can choose to spend or to save money as you see fit. Another new addition are the Wager Matches, in which you and other players bet a certain amount of COD Points and partake in a variety of fun and unique gameplay types. Such as "Sticks and Stones" where you are only armed with a tomahawk, crossbow, and ballistic knife. Or Sharpshooter where guns change randomly about every minute. There are various other gameplay modes in Wager Matches and they are all addictive and fun, and the Wager Matches offer very low betting tiers as well as high ones, so there is no reason to fear losing all of your points as long as you choose the tier you are comfortable with. There is also a new mode called Combat Training, in which players can play with AI bots, this is a great way to practice and learn the maps, and the AI is fairly intelligent. But best of all, you can play Combat Training with a friend in split screen, this is great for people that are new to the series or for people that just don't want to play online (or for 360 gamers who lack Xbox Live).
The rest of the multiplayer experience is standard to past COD games. Black Ops doesn't really go out of it's way to reinvent or change things, you still have kill streaks, perks , weapon upgrades, prestige etc....just like all the other past installments to the series. And while this isn't necessarily a bad thing in it's self, it would have been nice to have seen some new ideas introduced into the COD formula. Black Ops comes with 14 maps for multiplayer, each map is very detailed and boasts it's own unique flavor and style of gameplay, from maps such as Firing Range which pits players in a training combat zone, to large open levels like Jungle, and to small chaotic maps like Nuke Town, and more! Black Ops has a strong variety of maps for all gameplay types, the result is a multiplayer experience, that just like it's other series' installments, will keep you coming back for more and more.
Zombies also make their return in Black Ops, and they are better than ever! You now have 3 different zombie stages (2 of which are unlockable) and each one is vast and offers it's own unique flare. You can also play Zombies with up to 3 other friends and fight for survival yourself, making the zombie mode one of the best co-op experiences on the market. The Zombie maps are quite large and you can open up and explore new areas and upgrade weapons, there is much depth to this mode and it provides a great challenge. Also, without spoiling anything, one of the unlockable zombie modes provides a totally unique experience from the others, but it's just as enjoyable and you'll no doubt have a great time with it.
In terms of visuals Black Ops is pretty decent. The lighting is fairly dynamic and for the most part, the textures are detailed, but at times they look a bit unpolished, especially when you look right up close. But overall it's a good looking game.
Final Verdict:
While Black Ops may not introduce very many new ideas to the COD series, it still provides a very solid, enjoyable, and feature rich experience that COD fans, and shooter fans in general will love.
Call of Duty Black Ops get's a 4/5
