Call of Duty: Black Ops II Xbox 360
User Score
4.5 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1713 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 658 out of 1713
  2. Mixed: 182 out of 1713
  3. Negative: 873 out of 1713

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  1. singingpants
    Mar 3, 2013
    8
    While not so different than other Call of Duty games, I really like the way that Treyarch has attempted to add content and variety to all game modes, with multiplayer balances, scorestreaks, customizable campaign loadouts, and many other tiny changes that, overall, make this Call of Duty a lot less frustrating than others in the series. A very good addition to the franchise. If you like Call of Duty in general, you will not be disappointed.… Expand
  2. SammyBoyEmo
    Mar 3, 2013
    8
    The CoD franchise has a huge fanbase, and a huge anti-fanbase full of people who somehow think they are more intellectual because they complain about this game, I am about to give a non-biased review that doesn't have anything to do with the haters or fanbase.

    Campaign- Confusing storyline, and dull strike-force missions, that is where I deduct most of the points for this game. I will g    ive Treyarch credit for trying the alternate endings in the campaign, this game just needs better writing and shorter cutscenes. The gameplay however, has improved tremedously and contains a lot more playabilitiy. With player options, I find myself playing over and over, a trait that previous installments have lacked in the campaign.

    Zombies- Four player co-op survival is back like we have seen in Black ops and World at War. But two game modes are added. The first one, TranZit mode, contains a bus that your player can board. The robot driver drives you to multiple locations, each with a different nessecity for survival. Many easter eggs are present and a hidden storyline. The second new game mode, Grief, gives you the option to fight WITH or AGAINST 7 other players in the fight for survival. Many customization options are added to zombies mode, such as your starting wave and option of hellhounds.

    Multiplayer- A once repetitive yearly update, has dramatically changed since mw3, a new pick ten system is added, which gives you only 10 items in each class. Well balanced guns and many new playlists will have you coming back for more. Though a few glitches are present, the gameplay is overall smooth and runs on high fps with ease. Bots are now capable to play a wider variety of gametypes, and a new competitive playlist is added, which ranks you based on skill.    … Expand
  3. bradtheman123
    Mar 3, 2013
    10
    Treyarch and Activision made a wonderful game Call of Duty Black Ops 1 but also this game was really good. The whole Call of Duty series is good personally MW2 was the best.
  4. BattleKeks_90
    Mar 2, 2013
    2
    I bought that game because I hoped to get something new and fresh, because the setting promised the game to be something new in a certain way, but the be honest, I got the exact oposite, that game is 10 times worse than CoD 4. The campaign feels like a B Movie and its boring.. .boring.. oh did I say it´s boring Ok, screw the campaign, multiplayer is what counts.. I thought !

    Maps are e    extremely boring, very uninspired and there are hackers all the way.
    Guns are lame, sights with aiming helper, do I need to say more ?
    Graphics are way outdated and nothing special.
    Over all, that game feels like the 100st clone of the very bad MW 2, and isn´t worth more than 10 .
    I honestly give you the advice, to keep away from the piece of crap, play CoD 4 instead, the only good Modern Warfare that is around.    … Expand
  5. Shuggiebhoy1969
    Mar 2, 2013
    3
    I used to love black ops 2 on ps3, thought it was the beat cod game in the series, now however there seems to b something wrong, its gon as bad as the others since the new maps came out, its as though its bn hacked the same as the rest of them and them prestege crap hings did they give them out in a fire sale it seems everyone has one now. I allways leave a lobby if it has more than 3 or 4 prestegers cos there is no point in playing ur dead bfore u respawn and snipers get a real gun in the game r u that afraid to face ppl u need to hide and pick ppl off who actualy play also them ppl that use the settings on insane speeds whats the point in playing against that u get 1 kill dead four times and since new maps came out zombies not working the only reason i downloaded the pass at £41 was to play zombies and i cant play new maps y whats the point fix the game mk it fair get rid of snipers n prestege game was brill till they tampered with it i got to 55 xp ages ago and have not presteged i think its cheating the new players y not creat a lobby just for prestegers n not allow them access to the lobbys were ppl dont want to play against the experts at the game let them fight it out together and have a room just for snipers u would soon see the sniper rifles not being used if they cant get to just sit n kill passers by get a life snipers

    Hughtrainer@hotmail.com    … Expand
  6. 98jeepxj
    Feb 27, 2013
    1
    I really wanted to like this game, but it feels so half assed. Every game since Call of Duty MW2 have been the exact same thing. Why can`t Treyarch and Sledgehammer realize there is no need to have 20 overpowered kill streaks. Go back to basic COD 4, UAV, Airstrike, and Chopper, they work a lot better. Pistols are hideously over powered and quick scoping runs rampant. Please make the next Call of Duty something original and not just a copy of last years game with an updated campaign that takes 2 hours to finish and a couple new multiplayer maps. This game is basically Call of Duty Black Ops 1.5. It really should have been an paid downloadable update to the first black ops, not a completely new release.… Expand
  7. TheRanter
    Feb 23, 2013
    4
    I give this game a 4. The reasons are simple. The Campaign mode seems great, although I will admit I haven't gotten all the way through it yet. The main reason for my giving this game a 4 is Multiplayer. It's horrible. The hit detection sucks, I can not tell you how many times I've shot someone only to not have it count. Another reason is the damage system seems wholly inconsistent to me. For example: sometimes I can kill a person with 3 shots from a pistol, other times I empty the whole clip only to end up being killed by them whilst reloading. Keep in mind I'm getting hit indicators the whole time. Another reason is I have had many, many people just walk straight past my claymore mines without taking any damage (I watch the killcam). It's just not done well. I'd recommend the Original Doom over this game.… Expand
  8. armstrong2805
    Feb 23, 2013
    1
    POS black ops clone. new character models and "scorestreaks" thats it. Its a copy and pasted piece of garbage. Another horrible campaign, which is yet another waste of disc space. Latency and Lag compensation is prevalent throughout your entire mulitplayer experience. Including the inconsistency of good lobbies. No dedicated servers yet again. And finally its copy and pasted hit detection. Overall the game is a piss poor excuse a FPS.… Expand
  9. Tate_Laycraft
    Feb 20, 2013
    7
    Well, I told myself I wasn't going to buy it and as always I ended up getting it. However, unlike most people I am actually somewhat impressed. Don't take that the wrong way though. Black ops 2 is definitely not the new innovational COD everyone was hoping for, but it isn't as bad as some people proclaim it to be. As usual, the campaign is short and predictable but you'll still be able to get at least some satisfaction out of it. The multiplayer is actually quite good. For the first time they actually got the gun power right. Not one gun is over powered and used by everyone in the game, but instead each gun seems to be ment for a certain playing style/map. Speaking of the maps, they are by far the least innovational part of the game. I often times find myself thinking of a map from a previous COD while playing the multiplayer. (I swear to god, Hijacked is just Nuketown on a boat.) Then we have zombies. Now, I absolutely loved the zombies in the original Black ops and I must say that I am kind of disappointed with transit. It just feels like a giant cluster to me. Too complicated I guess? Then when you play on one of the four locations by itself it just feels too small. On the other hand though, the DLC's zombie map is much more enjoyable and I hope to see much more like it in the future. In my opinion, the game is definitely worth owning. I give it a 7 out of 10… Expand
  10. samurai177
    Feb 19, 2013
    8
    After my extreme dissapointment of Black Ops 1, I was very skeptical about Black Ops 2, as it seemed to stray VERY far from the content of the origional. But I have to say it, Black Ops 2 isn't as bad as I thought. The story is nice, the multiplayer is solid, and the overall package is pretty impressive. While the campaign does seem very similar to other games in the past, don't tell me that Colosus doesn't remind you of The Ark from Brink, that Admiral Briggs is strangely similar to Admiral Anderson from the Mass Effect series, and that Club Solar doesn't remind you of Max Payne. Also DeFalco has a little bit of Kristoph Gavin from Apollo Justice Ace Attourney in his capacity to be an but that made ultimately ending his life that more sweet. The campaign's class creation function is an excellent addition to the series, as now we get to take the weapons WE want into the campaign. The unlocking system in this function is also very good. The rest of the campaign is very good. Raul Menendez is an excellent villian, one of the best that I have faced. The way that his back story is presented is excellent, and a plot twist that will have you saying, "What!? Really!?" every time. The character dialouge is nothing short of fantastic, and the mini challenges and campaign leaderboards where you compete with your friends makes this a great mode to play. And the dynamic choice system is a welcome addition too. Now to the multiplayer, which is what everyone cares about. It's still the same multiplayer we know and love, or love to hate, but with a couple twists. The new Pick 10 system is pretty daunting at first, and it can get a little confusing. And the weapon balancing is not all there. I found that the SMG's dominate the weapon section. The map selection is great, but a lot of them seem to be ripped from the Strike Force side missions in the campaign. But nonetheless, the multiplayer customization is INSANE with you being able to customize right down to the camo on your knife. COD points are gone, and they are being replaced by Unlock Tokens, which are gained through leveling up. While I think this is a better currency for the multiplayer, it makes some gametypes, like the well known Gun-Game, feel out of place. The gametypes are pretty much the same, just some are tweaked here and there. This is Call of Duty, I mean come on when have they made drastic changes to the multiplayer. But this is a pretty good game, just a couple things are holding it back from a 9 or 10 in my book. Fans of the series will enjoy this new entry and newcomers will find that this is the perfect spot to jump in on.… Expand
  11. Sergeant_MarkIV
    Feb 18, 2013
    3
    The first Black Ops was great, this one doesn't. Predictable campaign, lack of memorable moments, online noobtobing, zombies mode is not as fun as in Black Ops 1, unmemorable soundtrack,... Makes you think that Infinity Ward made this game. The new features such as optional missions and alternative mission incomes are the only things that makes me not rate it a 0/10.
  12. Caged_Sephiroth
    Feb 17, 2013
    4
    Basically the same as every other Call of Duty game, but half of it is set in the future. Too samey for me to give anything more than a 5. But I have to knock a point off for the fact it has been dumbed down to the point where anyone with half a brain can finish Veteran mode. Enjoyable for a few hours, but it's nothing you haven't played before. Developers are milking fans for all they're worth.
  13. Snidzz
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    Campaign is decent in comparison to other CoDs but still pretty mediocre. Multiplayer maps are also mediocre, and the game has some serious technical problems. The weapon balance is excellent, however, but in typical Treyarch fashion, there is very little variety among the weapons. Generally not enough recoil on them either. Zombies is actually a lot worse than it was in WaW and BO, but still playable. The game is decent overall, but it lacks in innovation and change, as we have come to expect from Call of Duty titles. Overall, very meh.… Expand
  14. pbenvin
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    Not nearly as bad as most of the negative reviewers would have you believe, but Black Ops II is definitely suffering from a strong case of Beenthereitis. The "Pick 10" system is a nice little addition, and I also liked how you could customize your load-out before campaign missions. Nice touches indeed.

    But back to the so-called "reviewers." Most of the douche bags giving this game a 1/1    0 and so on are simply window lickers looking to bash CoD for the sake of bashing CoD. Plain and simple. I'd even go so far as to say that most of the aforementioned dickheads haven't even played the game. Sad when you think about it.… Expand
  15. xiaoxiao282
    Feb 16, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After playing Modern Warfare 3, and hating it to the extent that I almost gave up on Call of Duty altogether,
    I was reluctant to play Black Ops II. I then waited until January to rent it.
    I started with the campaign, it features the protagonist of the first game, Alex Mason in a 1980's campaign, and his son, David, in a 2025 campaign.
    I didn't mind the story, its pretty much a world domination quest, to overthrow the government, but replacing the Russian antagonist with a Nicaraguan Raul Menendez. What I enjoyed most was the multiple endings, like you could chose whether or not to kill the main characters friend, (as an undercover agent) to not blow your cover, or try and kill Menendez, though if you try and kill Menendez, you get shot and die, and your friend survives, as does Menendez, though trying to save your friend would ruin your chances of getting a good ending. Which confused me.
    Then Zombies, it introduces a few new modes, such as Tranzit and Grief, Tranzit involves going around a huge city on a bus, and getting off at regular intervals. Grief is an 8 player mode, in which you are split into teams of 4 and try to be the last team standing. By either sabotaging the others or even help them.
    Then there's multiplayer, which is good enough I suppose. It introduces a new create a class thingy. Though the gameplay is of course, mostly the same.
    The graphics aren't great and they haven't changed since MW3, or MW1 actually! I recommend renting it like I did, then seeing if you should buy it.    … Expand
  16. XKid232
    Feb 15, 2013
    6
    BO2 isn't one of the best COD out there but it'll do. The really only good thing about BO2 is Zombie mode. It is way more fun than the original but still has a challenge to it. I personally think they shouldn't make the zombies too hard until round 30 though. I perfer the first BO over BO2 because of many reasons also. The campaign is ok and the multiplayer could've been a whole lot better. In mutiplayer there is a very small selection of guns and most of them are overpowered. The perks are ok but a lot of them seem to be part of the same categorey. The camos are very unrealistic. The maps were disappointing. Most of them were just crap they put together and make it seem amazing. There are only 2 maps i liked on this game. The rest are boring and have no point. But other than that this game gets a 6 mainly because of zombie mode.… Expand
  17. DoubleNegativ
    Feb 13, 2013
    5
    I'm not going to complain about the game being the same as last years (it works for sports game and no one says a thing). This game has a bunch of flaws. Ever since COD1 there's been a horrible hit box. You can miss a person completely and kill them or shot a person in the knees and get a head shot. If the hit box was more accurate like the previous games I wouldn't have an issue with this game.
  18. ShowBaggs
    Feb 12, 2013
    9
    Revamped MP and a host of new features makes this the best since COD4. The scorestreaks stops the kill whoring and returns the game to a fair playing field. The only let down is the sniping/quickscoping. It's too easy for any idiot to pick up and 'snipe'. Apart from that, EXCELLENT.
  19. Vyolyn
    Feb 9, 2013
    3
    Activision has road this horse into the ground, hired a necromancer, brought said horse back from the dead, and then put said horse down with a double barreled shotgun. To me, video games is an art form; an art form that the video game community is still trying to perfect. When the constant success of poorly designed games such as the Call of Duty franchise, whom of witch offers no artistic value or educational thought, will continue to reflect badly upon the gaming world as a whole. With poorly thought out story, the same graphic engine since the fourth Call of Duty, and sub-par mechanics I feel as if Call of Duty is a black market on the face of the artistic gaming community that needs to be erased indefinitely.… Expand
  20. Ghost5032
    Feb 7, 2013
    3
    Such a disappointment! The campaign sucks and its short. The multiplayer is boring and the maps is so small you spawn next to your enemies. The zombies was confusing at first but later it just got boring after 10 rounds! Its not like Black Ops at all just a cheap copy of mw3. Waste of money.
  21. vito
    Feb 6, 2013
    10
    I'm sorry i now that this game isn't perfect but it is a pretty good game, I just think that you fan boys are just about BO2 is a copy.
    The zombies mode is one of the best zombie games I've ever played and this a very good multiplayer.
    The only thing about this game is the strike force missions, were I just used 1 soldier for all the mission until he die ,but I think it,was good campin    g (a short one) … Expand
  22. IHateFanboys
    Feb 6, 2013
    8
    This game is fairly standard in the CoD franchise, not my favorite one either. But the things that made the franchise popular with the general public are still here: smooth graphics, fast gun play and lots of kill-streaks (score-streaks). If you didn't like the series before, you probably still won't, and if you loved the series, this game won't let you down. Side-note: Still unsure how I feel about the new layout for zombies, it is an interesting step, but it would be better with some solid instructions.… Expand
  23. Sgtkeebler
    Feb 5, 2013
    4
    this game kind sucks now. dont get me wrong I will still play it. Whenever I want to play a spray and kill type game. BO2 has become so reptitive, its starting to get boring. The single player missions were so short because Tryarch was just concentrated on the multiplayer. There is really nothing to it just be the first person to pull the trigger and you got yourself a kill. I still like playing it, but its time for a new way to play the game if that makes sense.… Expand
  24. optimusprime69
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    CALL OF DUTY SO HARD i actually like this game better then most call of duty but tranzit sucks which is why i bought the game the multiplayer is actually really good though and the story is way good the villain is also one of the best this year i actually really like this game but MW3 THAT GAME IS
  25. blaxout1213
    Feb 4, 2013
    1
    This game is the same thing as all the other Call of duties, but with different graphics. Maybe if they added new stuff it would get something better than a 4.4 as its score. However despite all that i did like the zombies, but not enough to bring the score up any.
  26. Gerblanski
    Jan 31, 2013
    8
    This game is Call of Duty Black Ops II. This is the 7th Call of Duty game released since 2006, when Call of Duty 2 was released.
    Since Modern Warfare 2 was released, the franchise has appeared rather stale in terms of its core gameplay.
    There are reasons for this.
    1. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was the first Call of Duty game to sell millions, i mean the big millions.
    2. Since millio    ns still purchase the iterations every year, they have not seen the need to change drastically.
    3. This falls on the obvious concept of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". They just broke the multiplayer a few times.
    4. If you hit the jackpot that early on, isn't it a good thing?
    5. You wan't to play a BAD military FPS, go play the re-booted Medal of Honor titles. They are abysmal.
    6. Wouldn't you want the guns to feel the same? If an AK-47 feels different in one game than another, wouldn't that be a reason to complain?
    7. The console generation has existed far longer than it should have, which is why we have these yearly iterations with barely any graphical improvements.
    8. Games aren't all about graphics, jeez, MW2 still looks good.

    You're idiots for expecting such drastic changes for a series that has been doing what it has for so long.
    Call of Duty 2 to 3 had a step up. Then there was a massive step up to Call of Duty 4. This started the ball rolling on the iterations as the key improvements had been made to keep the series on a respectable level.
    Modern Warfare 2 was the clincher, and that was only 3 years ago.

    In summary, Black Ops II is still the solid FPS we've come to expect over the last 3/4 years, but with this console generation coming to an end, and hopefully Treyarch, working on the iteration for 2014, that'll be enough time to benefit from the new system.

    If to be expected, Faux Infinity Ward will be working on CoD for 2013, it may be a poor system starter, but, we'll never know.

    Except trolls. They can see into the future. Ahh, trolls.

    Also, if your'e so pissed by Activision and the Call of Duty Series, VOTE WITH YOU'RE WALLETS. Activision doesn't read     … Expand
  27. nightsharks23
    Jan 29, 2013
    9
    Like any big Call of Duty fan, I was excited when Black Ops 2 was announced. When November 13, 2012 came and I put the disc into my Xbox tray, I was ecstatic! After a few months of playing Black Ops 2 the game is slightly above average for a Call of Duty game. The Campaign is probably the best since Modern Warfare 2 and the choices you make during the campaign do affect the ending which I find awesome. Zombies has also improved like the new perk Tombstone which saves your money and your weapons you achieved when a Zombie kills you. Also Zombies keeps most of the old perks and weapons like Juggernog, self-revive, Ray gun, etc. Last what most people care most about Call of Duty the Multiplayer. Multiplayer improved in the guns, graphics, and the new pick 10 system. Now the bad things about Black Ops 2. Lets start with the Lag. The Lag in Black Ops 2 is nothing more than horrendous! I usually find myself lagging out almost every game and I have very good connection. Another problem is the maps. You thought Modern Warfare 3 and the infamous Downturn was bad, Downturn is better than MOST of the maps in Black Ops 2! How do you make a map worse than DOWNTURN! Last the game at certain points feel very repetitive like the campaign and the multiplayer. It's pretty much the same Call of duty game we the fans expect. Looking at the user reviews for Black Ops 2, the game might have its issues that we all hate so much, but Black Ops 2 remains one of the better than most of the FPS out there. Black ops 2 is sometimes flaud but not enough to bring the rating to a 5 or 6. It's 7 or 8 at best.… Expand
  28. Infrnlmajsty
    Jan 29, 2013
    9
    This game is a nice change in CoD franchise, most the people giving it real low scores are talking about the campaign, who plays campaigns anymore? I will tell you who the garbage gamers. The multiplayer is spot on and fun to play, the only people who generally diss it are baddies with .65 K/D ratios who rage quit because they are once again garbage gamers!
  29. Leomedtex
    Jan 28, 2013
    10
    Pwrfect campaign the multiplayer it so good the zombies its so nice too but when call of duty will change this old engine to the cod series it will have to be change
  30. Aleluis
    Jan 28, 2013
    1
    I lost my money The graphics are awful the story is horrile and idiot, withouth a good meaning...
    I think this game was for Ps2 or gameboy when I was playing...
    Horrible, negative
    The multiplayer is just annoying with many abilities in advantage for the players who unloked the good weapons and powers... but in compare to the campaign is better
    I would have buy a random game instead of this
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 73
  3. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. Xbox World Australia
    Jan 22, 2013
    80
    This is not to say it's a bad game, it's just not different enough from previous Call of Duty titles. The story isn't memorable, the maps and weapons aren't any different to what we've previously experienced, the gameplay is near identical to previous games, and when it's not identical it falls flat and fails to impress.
    Read full review
  2. X360 Magazine UK
    Jan 19, 2013
    80
    It's fun, and an indication that Treyarch is willing to explore ideas that Infinity Ward has thus far ignored. [Issue#93, p.74]
  3. DailyGame
    Jan 7, 2013
    95
    If the original Black Ops was Treyarch's coming-out party, then Black Ops 2 is the studio's affirmation that their COD expertise was no flash in the pan. If you're one of the 16 people who hasn't played this gem yet, go buy it now. Conversely, if you're among those who bought the game but hasn't ventured into the single-player campaign (yes, it happens), there's a great narrative and divergent gameplay awaiting your experimentation, so check it out.
    Read full review
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