Call of Duty: Black Ops II PlayStation 3
Metascore
83 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. Armchair Empire
    Jan 3, 2013
    90
    While the campaign length is fairly standard of past iterations of the series, it's worth multiple playthroughs and the multiplayer offers endless hours of fun and enjoyment; whether it's slaying zombies or facing off against other players in a wide range of multiplayer modes with an endless number of loadout combinations.
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Nov 28, 2012
    90
    Although each year's Call of Duty has always been a package deal, Black Ops II represents a watershed moment. It's bulging at the seams, not only because nearly every team that's ever worked on Call of Duty has had a hand in it. The engine has been tweaked, multiplayer and CODcasting are both revolutionary, single-player has a decent lifespan and offers more than the same roller-coaster but on a tougher difficulty setting, while Zombies is mental comic relief. [Christmas 2012, p66]
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  3. TotalPlayStation
    Nov 27, 2012
    90
    Black Ops II isn't a revelation; what you'll play here is largely what you've played before. There's simply so much to play, though, that it's impossible to deny that Treyarch has finally given us a Call on par with the best of 'em.
  4. Gamers' Temple
    Nov 19, 2012
    90
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the best shooter of 2012, and also one of the best games overall.
  5. Eurogamer Spain
    Nov 19, 2012
    90
    We're not sure if this is the best Call of Duty of this generation, but we're convinced Treyarch has produced the most complete one since the first Modern Warfare.
  6. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Dec 4, 2012
    89
    No matter how much you oppose Call of Duty and its publisher (or even the FPS genre), you can't deny the powerhouse that Black Ops II is. Three humongous modes, each complementing the others perfectly. That's right: three whole modes.[December 2012, p.56]
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  7. PSX Extreme
    Nov 15, 2012
    87
    An interesting blend. It consists of everything I expected to see and a few things I didn't, the latter of which surprised me. I can't say the Strike Force missions were a good idea but at the very least, they're a departure from the norm. And the addition of player choice is definitely a plus. As for the rest, the high production values, Hollywood-esque presentation, relatively intriguing campaign, and a multiplayer that delivers on all counts, it's hard to say this year's CoD falls short. Some can say the multiplayer is too similar but hey, this is Call of Duty. The fans know what they like by now.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.7 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 611 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 225
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 225
  3. Negative: 102 out of 225
  1. VidsRule
    4
    Look at my review history. Am I someone who jumps on a bandwagon in any way? Look at my review of mw3, and by the way, BO1 was mt favorite COD. BO2 is a compete waste of my money and it makes me happy mw3 was so poorly recieved. Granted, I've only played it for 1 night. But, the campaign is as most basic as possible, and the multiplayer is so steriotyplical that I amost knew what was going to happen next based on a game I played 5 years ago, and that game is blah blah blah. I let mw3 slide even though I knew it was the same as usual but I can't let this slide because now I have to sell this and accept a $30 dollar loss because I didn't listen to a !,000,000,000,000 other gamers.… Full Review »
  2. Bamboodel
    5
    So I bought the game, hoping it'd be better than the last CoD I bought (MW2). A bit disappointed.

    Started playing the campaign, and what I     found was an interactive movie. Gameplay is easy even on the higher difficulties where you'll only die if you think yourself Rambo and start running and gunning. The story is decent. The scripting was OK, and overall the sequences felt well played out. If you want a cinematic experience, you'll get one. If you want something more, such as gameplay and replay value... this may not be your game.

    Multiplayer is the same as always, with some added stuff. It's enjoyable as long as you turn off voices or can bear being screamed at by the frequent twelve year old.
    Zombies are always a fun addition.

    Overall I don't think the game is bad, but it's nothing great either. A mediocre game in my opinion.
    And seriously : update your graphics engine, the game is starting to feel old.    … Full Review »
  3. Breaker_Ki
    4
    At first, I gave this game a 7/10, but after spending a lot of time online this weekend, I can now say I was wrong. Sure the campaign is decent, and zombies is zombies, but right now multi-player is the most unbalanced in the series. The two major objective issues I have are lag compensation, and spawning

    As it stands, lag compensation favors players with poor internet, and also favor guns with high rate of fire (i.e. SMGs) since the lag compensation will likely make 60% of bullets you think hit, actually miss.

    The new spawn system was designed to avoid getting spawn camped... however the problem is now players will randomly spawn around you. It doesn't matter if your team locks down a corridor, or section of the map, the enemy will just appear right behind you since the game actively avoid forward spawns.

    Aside from those two problems, I have a personal problem with the map layouts... They are way to cluttered with obstacles. Therefore, shotguns and SMGs rule king. I have no problem with these guns, I just wish the 90% of the maps didn't favor them as I do enjoy AR's.

    It's sad to say that MW2 is still the best in series, and I'm sure many would still play it if it wasn't for all the hackers.    … Full Review »
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