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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1664 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 638 out of 1664
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 1664
  3. Negative: 851 out of 1664

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  1. CheckGamesList
    May 13, 2013
    9
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was actually my first owned COD game, and my experience was very good.

    Let me state up front: Haters gonna hate. Opinions are opinions, but the fact that one out of virtually any five ratings are zeroes, which either means that they bought COD, played it for thirty seconds, and threw it out the window, or are other FPS shooter fans who haven't touched the game     and pretended to be an 'unbiased' reviewer.

    The game took tons of effort, and for some reason flash games are appreciated more than this. The reason this isn't a perfect ten is just because of the occasional glitch, the less-than-preferred but still adequate graphics, and of course, I'll understand the community isn't very polite either.

    Other than that, the game's truly great. It's not the same game, having still played other games in the series (not owning them though), and the improvements are obvious.    … Expand
  2. mihajlogamer
    May 11, 2013
    10
    The call of duty is my favoruite FPS serial.And this game brings a possibility to choose a one of the 5 ends.This isn't a best Cod,but it's very good because it brings lot of new things in CoD series,like a optional Strike Force missions,5 ways to end a game,two stories and more.
  3. Crawdad
    May 3, 2013
    9
    In my opinion black ops2 is the best call of duty yet. The reason I didn't give a perfect score is that the multiplayer, while good, has a lot of downsides such as lag and it feels imbalanced (if you want a good multiplayer, try battlefield). The Zombies mode is incredible. Building and putting things together to use is awesome and genius. After about ten rounds weapons become increasingly weak and ammo low, even LMGs, creating a more frenzied and intense when I play. The graphics (which look really good anyway but are still hated on) are an improvement, especially cutscenes. Many people still say it looks like 2007, but any person telling the truth of has EYES can see it is much better. The campaign is the best in the series by far. More intense, future warfare, and like battlefield the bullets don't always hit right on the reticule, or sight, but are usually close. But the best part is the story. Most choices will affect the ending, and the story is a lot more deep than the rest of the series, and for many military shooter of the simpler type. In the end, it is a well done game, and I don't think cod will drastically change for a long time, after all, they don't wont a reputation destroyer like RE6.… Expand
  4. shakilndtht
    May 2, 2013
    10
    black ops is fit for buying purpose and deserves the rating it gets. the graphics are excellent and when you play it has a smooth game play. this game is very very popular and well known.
  5. Simon150999
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    The multilayer was the same as other CoD games more or less, but the singleplayer is where this game truly shines, the first CoD game to ever have multiple endings.
    Go Treyarch!
  6. NeezyBoy
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    Treyarch's Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is an excellent game. From its Past to Future storyline Campaign which has points in the story that let you pick what you will do and influence the story later in the game to the Multiplayer gameplay which now includes a mode for competitive gamers like myself. This is by far one of the better Call of Duty's I have played. Also the Zombies side of things returns and if you get tired of playing the campaign and multiplayer and you want to do something different you will enjoy killing herds of zombies while trying to find out what led to the outbreak in the first place.… Expand
  7. Ordish
    Apr 16, 2013
    9
    After being very disappointed with MW3, I was hesitant to put my money back in the COD franchise. I am glad that I did. Black Ops 2 has been a very solid and enjoyable experience. I love the level of customization for load outs and that above all else, sets this game apart from the rest of the COD titles.
  8. alex82101
    Apr 15, 2013
    9
    This game is getting bad reviews because of tryhard nerds that don't get their swarm killstreak every game. Or people that get owned and simply can't acknowledge the fact that someone else is better than them. Let me tell you one thing. This game is fun and good time. The campaign was very good too but the multiplayer is what really shines. Its a lot of fun and the graphics are very polished. Don't forget that this game has zombies too! There is a lot of stuff you can do in this game and its just an amazing product! People say this game is repetitive but thats totally ok with this game! Its a classical shooter franchise! What were you people expecting? This game is going to be the same if you like it or not.… Expand
  9. AaronOlstead
    Apr 11, 2013
    10
    Although similar to previous CoD games, Black Ops 2 had new and exciting missions and a cliff-hanging campaign, taking the action to the next level. With new weapons, locations, and tactical exploits, I recommend this game to any gamer of the FPS genre. Not only are the graphics ideal, but they are suited for directx11 and all future OS installments. For a great time and addicting multiplayer, pick Black Ops 2!… Expand
  10. MrAwkward
    Mar 26, 2013
    9
    A revolutionary cod game that is overlooked by flaming fan boys of other fps games. Something you need to buy for the great campaign, and addicting multiplayer. Good job treyarch!
  11. LiamBenDavid
    Mar 23, 2013
    9
    A big step up to the Call of Duty Franchise, the setting of the game do not change, but the big change is on the amazing campaign who makes Black Ops 2 the greatest Call of Duty game in the franchise history.
  12. richmorehave
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    Don't believe the lame low scores.
    This is the first shooter that REWARDS the guys that play the objectives!
    Now in score it shows the guys that NEVER go for a base or defend it.
    And everybody can see the selfish guys on the team, the guy with 40 kills and who do nothing to help the TEAM win the GAME'S Objective. So that is why the little kids don't like the game.
    It REWARDS the guys     that are contributing to the TEAM
    And in OBJECTIVE multiplayer game, more games should REWARD the TEAM PLAYER who dies helping the team and not the Rambo who could care less whether the TEAM wins or loses.
    Now if you just want to run around and just get kills, play MW3. I wish Battlefield 3 would have done this, REWARD the TEAM PLAYER and not the RAMBO.    … Expand
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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!
  18. 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
  19. VelocityGamer
    Jan 16, 2013
    10
    For as long as I can remember, I was one of the many detractors of the Call of Duty series, even though I never played a single installment. There was just something about Activision
  20. Ptango-down
    Jan 16, 2013
    10
    Title: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Platform: XBOX360

    Rating: 18 Characters as settings: Black ops2 is set in the cold war in 1986 to 1989 and also in the cold war 2 in 2025. The protagonist of Black Ops Alex Mason returns as the protagonist in the cold war which leads to the primary antagonist, Raul Menendez a Nicaraguan narco-terrorist and leader of Cordis Die. In the 2025 section of th    e story, features Alex Mason… Expand
  21. CritcGamer
    Jan 10, 2013
    10
    people need to stop stayin that b-ops 2 sucks. The game is freakin awsome. From the awsome graphics, to the (in my opinion) more solid gameplay. There are some maps to be loved, even though there is a tedios one that i tend to even leave the lobby for ( cough cough, express, ) it is an extremily exeptional game that all fans of the series should enjoy. There also is one thing that i should mention abought zombies... i dindnt like it as much as i did in the first black ops. I personally am not eally a zombies fan in the first place, but the only map i really enjoyed was transit. Anyway this is a great game so get it .… Expand
  22. DME
    Dec 28, 2012
    9
    Yes, it's similar to past Call of Duty games. But what do you expect... disco dancing and magic abilities? The [[CAMPAIGN]] provides varied gameplay with some really cool surprises such as flying a fighter jet and fighting enemies with cloaking abilities. The story is narrated much better than the original Black Ops and the villain character was 'painted' very well. By the end of the game, you really want that guy dead. The branching storylines are a fresh addition but do very little to affect the gameplay. The choices you make only really seem to affect cutscenes and dialogue. There's also optional Strike Force missions, which are basically tower defense games in their nature. They are hit and miss. While they can be fun, the A.I. is awful and controls are very difficult to learn. Moving on to the [[MULTIPLAYER]]. Maps are designed very well and offer playstyles of all sorts. The maps are much smaller in comparison to previous COD games, which some may not like. The new Create-A-Class system is genius. I would hate to see future COD games trash this idea. Scorestreaks are a much needed improvement over the past killstreaks system. Everything in general just feels incredibly balanced. There's also a new handful of gadgets such as electric mines, a PDA, and a sight that allows you to see enemies through walls (not overpowered, so don't worry). The perks aren't changed much, except for the fact that Ghost got downgraded (thank you, Treyarch) and you no longer need to acquire "pro' versions. You can level up weapons like in MW3, but this time you get to keep their ranks after prestiging. There's also plenty of other subtle improvements that really make the game more enjoyable. Panic-Knifing is near impossible now. But to make up for that, you have access to a Combat Knife that you have to draw before using, but it has longer range and much better accuracy. The new "unlock tokens" system is surprisingly better than the original Black Ops's currency system. Anyway, if there's anything negative to say about the multiplayer, it would be this: Spawn system is worse than ever. Expect lots of spawn-trapping and killing. That's really it. Some people would attack this game because of it's "Lag Compensation" (a misleading term) but those people don't have any idea what they're talking about. There's literally no possible way to just do away with lag, because everyone plays with different internet. You can't fix that. So stop complaining. Moving on to [[ZOMBIES]]... The zombies mode made some drastic changes that will do its best to confuse the crap out of you when you first start it up. The new menu is definitely not friendly to new Black Ops 2 players. The survival maps are incredibly small when compared to that of the original Black Ops, but to compensate, you have two new game modes. Grief mode is a fun 4v4 competitive zombie game that actually gives reason to play online. It's unfortunate, however, that besides knifing other players, there's not a lot of interactivity. It just feels like an 8-player clutter-fest. Tranzit is a very cool mode in which you use a bus to travel to different locations on a huge map. There's lots of hidden secrets in it making it the best zombies mode to play. But after I've played it enough, I can't help but wish they would bring back the large Survival maps. In [[CONCLUSION]], Black Ops 2 is (in my opinion) the best and most complete Call of Duty game yet. Besides a few issues here and there, it's widely improved and more enjoyable than ever. Rather than focusing on making drastic changes, Treyarch focused on making tons of smaller changes that really ended up making a huge difference.… Expand
  23. JamminJ
    Dec 15, 2012
    9
    (This review is purely about multi-player)+ {I had to add this note: While reading through other user reviews I noticed that many of them were written almost immediately after the game's release and are extremely subjective scores. Anyone who gives BO2 a red rating is obviously biased or trying to aim so low as to balance the overall ratings in their warped opinion. Compare the critic/user ratings}. If you are expecting a totally different game than the previous titles, find a new series. Having said that, it is as different as can be while still maintaining the addictive fps gameplay that it is known for. The futuristic setting helped the developers out with more unique and original content. The maps are different enough to keep you from being bored. The guns have very unique styles compared to the previous releases and many of them are completely new. What is most surprising about BO2 is how balanced the weapons and equipment are. Considering that you choose your loadout from a point based system, the variations seem infinite. I have been logging in 10+ days on each COD since MW4 and can honestly say that this is the most balanced, tight, expansive one yet.… Collapse
  24. Taka_Dreams
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    First Black Ops II, this is not the best game in the series, but it stands out a few new compared to its predecessor, what Black Ops. I do not compare to Modern Warfare 3, because it is not the developer. The highlights are: the zombie mode, the system class creation and maps, each with its own identity. The negatives are: small hideouts, the campaign is too Hollywood and the community, but 3arch tried to change a minimum it with the strengths, scorestreaks, and the sniper?! It seems Mw2 ...… Expand
  25. Elgar_The_Fox
    Dec 10, 2012
    9
    What is the point of a Call of Duty game? To provide incredibly fast paced fun and excitement, of course. Flash back to the start of the series - beginning with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare; A gripping game that offered a look at current day wars rather than the typical World War II setting that was the trend for the gritty, realistic shooters of the time. Fast Forward back to present day - We have, since the time of CoD4, seen 4 other installments in the Call of Duty franchise. And we can see that, also since CoD4, the series has progressed very little, if at all. Modern Warfare 2 and 3 are the two storyline sequels to CoD4 and they decide, expending on the gritty realism and genre defining ingenuity of their predecessor, to chuck out any ounce of innovation CoD4 had. CoD4's two sequels were less sequels and more of the same game with a little cleaner plain job. Infinity Ward has time, and time again, let it's fans down by releasing the same game over and over again. Luckily, the CoD franchise has two developers to make games for it, one of course is the aforementioned Infinity Ward, the other is Treyarch. Treyarch came into the CoD franchise with Call of Duty 3, a game that desperately attempted to emulate the feel of the two previous installments, only to fail miserable and be a waste of everyone's money. Then, after CoD4, they got a second chance with their release of World at War. WaW kept to the same WWII story that previous shooters have maintained since the early 90's but unlike those shooters it brought CoD4's new and face paced multiplayer format to the table. While the execution was not as nice as CoD4's it was still enjoyable and the story was one of the best WWII stories to date. It also added the game mode that would come to define Treyarch - Zombies. Zombies was exciting, new, and, best of all, fun. It was a game mode the Call of Duty franchise needed to keep fresh. When Treyarch did their next game, Black Ops, they kept the zombies mode and fast paced multiplayer but added a number of new game modes, re-hauled the class creation, and added combat training which gave a new way to play with friends at a party. What I am trying to say is that Treyarch, unlike Infinity Ward, actually likes to come up with new and enjoyable additions to the Call of Duty series in order to make the games more exciting and rewarding for the long time players. In the brand new installment to the series Treyarch brings their innovations to a new level, adding a new look to the series as well as new Zombie modes and options, another re-haul to the class creation system, and even more fun game modes - this time mixing them into the campaign as well. Treyarch also seems to have a much better knack for storytelling than Infinity Ward because, after CoD4, Treyarch has done nothing but ruin every ounce of promise they built into the Modern Warfare story-line. Treyarch has shown that they can still come up with interesting ways of playing with the old dog that is Call of Duty. They have tightened everything from the controls to the graphics and it all just feels a lot cleaner and more thought out. If you are a fan of Call of Duty games' multiplayer format than there is plenty for you to love in Black Ops II and the game is sure to provide you with the most entertainment from a Call of Duty game since CoD4.… Expand
  26. Proceo
    Dec 9, 2012
    9
    Let me just start by saying this could possibly be the funnest Call of Duty I've played. Treyarch takes risks and brings the franchise in new directions with every release of their CoDs. Single player has great replayablility with it's ability to branch the story line and bring new results with every playthrough. The "Strike Force Missions" leave a bit to be desired but I found them to be engaging and perfect for breaking out of the gameplay rut. The story itself is quite dynamic, as it jumps you back to vietnam in some cases, but the majority of the campaign takes place in the tech-ridden world of the future. The story revolves around said technology; giving you many cool gadgets and weapons at your disposable, increasing the interest factor. The only thing that bothers me about the single player is the ending, other than that, everything in the story is great.
    The multiplayer, now this is quite the jump from other CoD's, ranking up feels the most rewarding as you get clear insights on your unlocks and can immediately equip said unlocks immediately after the game is done. The create-a-class system is very streamlined and boundless. Never before have I had fun creating a class quite like this, not to mention all the new attachments and guns that come with the game are unique and fun to use. Balancing wise, Treyarch did their best by making gun perks solely the effect of gun attachments and nothing more. No more last stand, no more "doubling up" perks and attachments to get an overpowered piece of warfare, it's all accounted for in the "pick 10" system, which I think is genius in it's own right. "scorestreaks" are a bit of a spin from "pointstreaks" from MW3, but used correctly. With this system you get points for your next scorestreak from doing just about anything to help your team. The ratio of points is determined by how well you execute the actions, and much they help the team in team-based game modes. The multiplayer is near perfect in my view.
    Theater mode, now this stunned me by how integrated and versatile this mode is. Instead of just viewing past games, it gives you the ability to create automated highlight reels, edit films together with clips from a game, use the "CoDCaster" screen to view the game like some sports game you would watch on TV, all these are fun and useful tools when creating brag clips to show to your friends using the file share. It may be a repeat of Halo's file share system, but in my opinion, better.
    After seeing all these negative reviews on this game, I'm left with a bit of confusion in my conscious, but like every game, it's not for everyone. Watch some YouTube videos, rent it or watch a friend play so you can make your own judgement on whether or not to purchase this game. Personally, I have no guilt or buyer's remorse for buying this game, so give it a shot with great expectations.    … Expand
  27. Xmayne
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    I just find it hilarious how many people say the obligatory: "same as last year, adds nothing new, blah blah blah." It's just SUCH an exaggeration and only tells me that you didn't really play the game. That's NOT an effective review. You CANNOT just say "it's the same as before" and be done, because that's not technically true. Black Ops 2 actually added and changed a lot more than MW3 did. The campaign was good fun and had interesting missions. I enjoyed it. The multiplayer is fun, tried something new with the pick 10 system, and the UI is a big improvement over the crappy one MW3 had. The game is overall fun and enjoyable. There are so many people who just dislike COD because it's a bandwagon mentality and therefore their judgement is severely clouded. That tends to happen with certain games and it's REALLY a shame.… Expand
  28. tylerdurden516
    Nov 29, 2012
    9
    I hated MW3. Everytime i heard someone mention COD I proudly explained i was done with that game, and would never buy another. Black Ops 2 made me eat my words. The first black ops was decent, but treyarch was trying to put a different style on the game. Since Infinity Ward lost the creators of COD (along with 2/3 of the studio who followed them to Respawn Studios) treyarch wasn't afraid this rime to embrace the good things MW got right, and they knocked it out of the park. They brought it back to the gunplay. The perks are balanced perfectly and never feel like MW2 where there were so many bots flying around that it hurt the gameplay. The maps are all very well designed and interesting, something i think MW3 completely missed. Theres no game-breaking perks like one man army, or the MOAB, and they FINALLY made killstreaks SCOREstreaks, so when I'm running to get objectives i can finally rack up some rewards. Speaking of scorestreaks, there is such a variety in this game that matches never feel the same like previous COD games. In 20 hours of play I've only had dogs called once, and the HK storm once. It's not like MW2 where some 12 year old and a friend are teaming up just so they can cheat-win a nuke every couple games. They didn't reinvent the wheel for black ops 2, they just made the best COD thats come out since the 1st Modern Warfare.… Expand
  29. plumides
    Nov 28, 2012
    10
    All of these negative reviews are actually pretty funny. Most of them are written the day the game was released and I have seen a few people write a review for BO2 on multiple platforms. There all obviously fake. Who pre-orders a game and gets it the day of release and then rates it a 0? Plus, they're all the same thing, "Can't believe I spent $60" and "its the same game." Very few of the negative reviews are actually believable. I personally think this is one of the best CoDs since CoD 4 and am rating it a 10. Also, how in the world was this game rated worse than MW3 by the critics? MW3 offered almost no innovation and BO2 has the most since CoD 4. Just wondering how that happened?… Expand
  30. felipeblackdog
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II is an awesome shooter,with good graphics,great story and an awsome and fun gameplay in its campaign,same with the online mode and zombie mode,which received a great improvement.But not everything is perfect in this game,you may find some lag on multiplayer and some bugs in the campaign,but nothing that will make your game experience bad.
    If you're looking for a     fun shooter,this will be your best choice,specially if you're already a fan of the Call Of Duty series.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

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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.
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  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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