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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1668 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 640 out of 1668
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 1668
  3. Negative: 853 out of 1668

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  1. tommygunz
    Nov 19, 2012
    5
    I watched my 13 year old nephew play this all weekend and he loved it. All I could think about was how we went from SOCOM, Ghost Recon, and Rainbow Six to this. There are studios going out of business left and right trying to make games with passion and something like this gets whipped up in a year and sells 10 million copies. I dont have much faith in the future of FPS on consoles or PC for that matter.… Expand
  2. spoonfreak
    Dec 23, 2012
    2
    Good God, this game is just awful. These Call of Duty campaigns used to quite fun fun and exciting diversions, but this is just steaming pile of cowdung. Just an ugly, mean-spirited, pointless story full of idiots shooting at other idiots. Did I mention the violence is mean-spirited and nasty? It is. And the game even looks like it's five years old at times visually. When I think about the thrilling WWII campaigns that started this CoD series, and this godawful mess I just played through now, I don't know what it says about where we're at. And these games sell bajillions now. Way more than other games. People, man. Not the game we want, but probably the game we deserve.… Expand
  3. MrArmageddon17
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    It's a solid 8. Campaign is ok for what I have played. I really like the music. The multiplayer is good. Controls well and most of the issues will be ironed out in the next few weeks. I like the new create a class system and the new perks. People complain that they are to weak but I think its a good balance. It is funny that the internet seems to think CoD is going to fail yet each year is sells more copies. I think some innovation would be good but if they change something people will complain that it was better before. That is the sad truth.… Expand
  4. isturbo1984
    Nov 15, 2012
    8
    Let's be honest. Most people giving this game a bad score haven't even played the game. It's the popular thing to do these days. Any gamer worth his or her salt isn't going to judge a game like that without playing it. That said, who the heck is going to buy the new Call of Duty expecting anything other than what it is? The developer, Trearch, deserves more respect and recognition that this. They busted their hump after the MW3 fiasco last year (a separate developer btw) to bring innovation to the CoD franchises while not changing too much so that it wouldn't be recognizable. They brought major changes too the campaign, multiplayer and their signature Zombies mode. This internet cred/score/thing is getting ridiculous.… Expand
  5. skylee
    Nov 13, 2012
    1
    Seriously, the value for money is not good.Only 6 hours of game, graphics engine from 2007. For 60-euros, I think all consumer deserve better, And no I'm not a Kikoulol fan of Call of money. And Yes i already tested the game before making my critics!!
  6. Ripred49
    Nov 14, 2012
    1
    My problem with the Call of Duty games is they have a ton of potential. A TON of potential. This was really well exposed with CoD 4, when the series took a turn from crappy usual WWII shooter to fantastic Modern shooter.

    I don't care how much Black Ops II has improved from Black Ops or MW3. With the amount of feedback and ideas they get from the community, this game should look nothing     like the previous two.

    This game has so much potential if the devs just listened to the community and actually worked on the game. People think the Pick 10 system is different. All it does it let you chose double on certain things and nothing on other things. Barely any different.    … Expand
  7. Gerbacio
    Nov 16, 2012
    1
    More of the same, weapons dosnt feel futuristic and the spawn system is horrible...also whats up with almost no hardcore modes ...COME ON!

    Feels like more of the same and i cant believe i fell for it again!
  8. Allthegoodones
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Preamble be damned, here are the facts as i see them for BO2: Single Player
    Gameplay = 8/10.
    As solid as any COD game before but nothing revolutionary. Thats not necessarily a bad thing but its not a great thing either. Pacing = 8/10. As good, if not better than MW1 which remains the benchmark for all COD games    . Would have easily been better if not for the RTS tinged strike force missions that feels too tacked on and are more a chore than a joy to play. Story = 9/10.
    By Story i mean every storytelling aspect of the campaign, such as character development, plot, twists and turns etc, and this is primarily where BO2 surpasses every other iteration of COD so far. This game possess a good story that has been told really well and anyone missing a good SP experience is sure to enjoy it. Graphics: 9/10. Simply spectacular on my 360 on a 42" Panasonic LCD. Looks better and runs smoother than almost every other shooter i've played on the 360. Sound Design: 7/10. Some guns sound fantastic, other not so much. Black, from the original xbox remains the benchmark of what guns in a game ought to sound like and COD doesn't quite hit that high note but its still just as serviceable as any other COD game. The music is actually not up to par with other COD games but since most of the time its drowned out by gunfire anyway, doesn't really make much of a difference. Dialogues are a mixed bag of sorts but mostly decent. So over all, its far superior to MW3 and as far as the SP part goes, better than every other COD game ever. Haven't played MP yet so i will refrain from making any assumptions about it but judging from how much better Treayarch's last attempt was than IW's latest, I'm willing to bet BO2 will blow MW3 out of the water. Bottom line is that whether you love it or hate it, if you like shooters you are going to buy it. And no matter how much you hate Activision you will still enjoy this COD game from time to time. Fortunately, the enjoying bit is far more frequent than it has been for a while and the disappointment bit is not even in the same continent as it was with MW3. So yeah all in all, it may not be a revolution as most critics are hyping it up to be but its better than MW3 and perhaps even as much fun as MW1, and to be honest, that's more than i expected. It's worth the price tag and the time you will spend playing it so stop acting like this video game was somehow supposed to make your life worth living and posting needlessly negative scores for it, just treat the damn game like a game and go play it.    … Expand
  9. cadeus
    Nov 16, 2012
    0
    . the game deserves a 1 but i gave it a 0 because of people who give this game a 10, so the user score will go up. so that is all i wanna say 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,… Expand
  10. 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
  11. Goffery
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    I really wanted to like this game. I kept thinking "Ok this game will change it up, its not gonna be just another cheap copy of the last game", but now I can see that was a fool to think that. They made it look so much prettier in the previews up until the games release, and I'm ashamed to say I fell for it. I mainly play for the multiplayer so that's what I'll focus on here. It's the same crap, sure there a few new cool killstreaks and stuff but that's not enough to set this game apart from other Call of Duty games. I play on the PS3 and the PS3 version is plagued with problems. First I was not able to connect to any matches. Then I could connect to matches but my customized classes were not there for some reason. Then the stupid thing freezes on me. It's so ridiculous that these problems still exist and the morons that make the game try and act all sympathetic to the gamers by promising to work non-stop to correct the issues. Anyway, I have not given up on it 100%, but if these issues with connecting and disappearing custom classes don't get fixed very soon, I'm done with COD forever.… Expand
  12. MiniDanTheMan
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    Giving any game a zero is ridiculous. I'd give a game a zero if it didn't work when I put in the disc. Treyarch went out of their way to improve on Black Ops and they have succeeded. the campaign is good, zombies is the best it's ever been and multiplayer is as fun as ever. The game is not a 10, but not worse than 5. People complaining about the lack of innovation in MP are validated, but I disagree. The gameplay is similar to the previous editions because it works. Treyarch stuck to the same basic formula that has given them so much success in the past and have made improvements in every aspect of the experience that fans of the series will enjoy. Casual players might regard the MP as similar to MW3 and BO, but veterans of the series will see the differences and enjoy them.

    I do wish that the engine had been upgraded, but the game still looks fantastic nonetheless.    … Expand
  13. vinnie_vegas
    Nov 19, 2012
    5
    To me ops2 is a very poor game. Mp is so full of bugs and lag. There isn't anything new in this game right down to the maps. It really is a copy and paste game. I gave it a 5 do to the fact that the game loads up and plays. I really hope that this is the end to cod with the 2025 setting as I'm tried of getting the same old game each year. This game really could have been a dlc pack for mw3 than called ops2 as in fact it's faster game style of play is set more to that than in the first ops game. They added score chain to kill streaks and qs is back with the sniping in this as well. Lag comp is worse than mw3 or any other cod out in the past right now. I'm sure they will give a lame we fixed it in a few days but by then my copy of the game will be setting at a store for resale. So long ops 2 ):… Expand
  14. Kuse
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    Worst iteration out of them all, this game is a cash cow and offers nothing new. Same weapons, same types of matches. It is just a very tired franchise and should be put out to pasture. Let the Kiddies keep the CoD Franchise, Halo 4 reigns supreme as always.
  15. SuperJoystick
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    Gee Treyarch. The audio is awful. I've only played multiplayer. The guns sound crappy, I can't hear enemies' footsteps, and it's basically Black Ops 1 with a different skin. THE AUDIO IS NOT PASSABLE! I haven't played campaign or zombies, but 10 hours of multi today has left me a bit disappointed. I hope the campaign has something more interesting, The gun / grenade sounds are akin to something from the '80s. For shame, Treyarch.… Expand
  16. MenjiCA
    Nov 18, 2012
    0
    I had great expectation for this game since I really liked the first one. I've been playing Call Of Duty multiplayer on xbox live since Modern Warfare.
    I won't talk about the single player part I never played a single player campaign on any call of duty game.
    I won't talk either about the good things BOPS2 did good since they don't mean anything if the game is broken at it's core.
    The b    ig problem is that they implemented the lag compensation system again that Black ops 1 and modernwarfare 3 had at launch. I won't explain what this system is since it's common knowledge.
    The game is not fun because of it. They need to fix it like modernwarfare 3 did.    … Expand
  17. JfreakinD
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    These games keep getting worse and worse, this one has seemed to exceed the poor expectations set by MW3, I'm so happy I choose Gamefly this piece of crap instead of buying it. It offers nothing new, and the poor game play continues to be this titles biggest problem, along side it's seriously outdated graphics and game engine. Take my advice rent this or try out a friends before you waste any sum of money buying this game. I'm not really sure this qualifies as a game.… Expand
  18. GamerGuy96
    Jan 18, 2013
    7
    Treyarch has managed to come out of its shell from the release of CoD:Blops 2. now after looking through all the controversial bullish that is given stating that its like all the others there's nothing different. (keep in mind a developer can only go so far under the arms of a publisher [especially in a "triple A franchise"]). after peeling all that off you have a game that has a large amount of potential that strikes very hard key selling points. The stellar campaign given felt a lot (not completely though,) different. It gave players a little more freedom and choice throughout the game as well as a slight sense of emotional awareness within the choices they made as a character. From mission load screens to in-game non-avoidable choices. These things made me fall in love with the sometimes drooling campaign. Zombies of course makes its large return and greater than ever, with new maps and a long sought after theater mode. This combined with 4v4 chaos in grief mode ends up resulting in countless hours of play time (not including future DLC and modes). Of course as every CoD game has been in the past the multiplayer is EXTREMELY addictive, but repetitive in its level system. But to fix this Treyarch has added several things to keep the players busy and happy longer. With the inclusion of a "league mode" which allows for PvP action within certain skill levels makes any and every gamer feel like a professional in there own world while enjoying the game. Theater mode also returns as expected and feels a little easier to use and less task heavy. The greatest thing that makes the games multiplayer fall short is its poorly created and managed servers. this results in a lag compensation and the case where in the right game mode the winner (9 times out of ten) is the host. This makes the newest installment of CoD:Blops 2 a game that i would buy in a heart beat but with a lack of polish and finesse in certain cases… Expand
  19. ROMshinobi
    Nov 18, 2012
    7
    this is a review for the campaign only as I haven't had the chance yet to try out the multiplayer.

    Graphics: I realize that it is an older engine but the game still looks great and easily on par with warfigher but not with BF3. The lighting, clarity and detail in the foliage in the jungle type areas is great. the indoor environments though are pretty basic. overall, i give the graph    ics an eight. i suppose Infinity ward or the publisher? is waitng for the next generation consoles before they develop a new engine. the Guns: this is arguably the most important part of any first person shooter. The guns were a big let down. gunfire seems muted and lacked punch. In addition, the guns all sound very similar to eachother. the first black ops had much better sound. these days warfighter carries the torch for realistc gun sounds with ghost recon close behind. Only two of the modern weapons were really innovative namely the flechette gun and one of the sniper rifles that could penetrate through walls The one standout feature of this game was the new overhead tactical viewpoint for one modern set where you could control individual men or machines. I hope they turn this type of warfare into a stand alone strategy game. It worked incredibly well.

    The biggest let down is that none of the missions seemed very black ops. they are more like missions you would expect the marines to do. Black ops missions should rely on a bit of stealth (ghost recon), silenced weapons, and special goggles with night vision, infiltration, assasination.

    further, I think the story back arc to the 80's was uncessary. they should have kept the story confined to the modern era. It was uncessary to tie the current events into what happened in Afghanistan for instance or Africa for that matter.

    The weakest part of the game was the story. the main villian was completely unbelievable. This was a perfect opportunity to set up China as the main protaganist. they could have used teh korean or vietnam wars as backdrops if they really wanted to provide some context to the future events. Further, chinese soliders would actually have advanced and interesting weaponry to provide some sort of challenge. It is totally unbelievable that a former drug runner would turn into a terrorist and be able to finance technological innovations for weaponry and software which be capable of challenging established governments. His background and so called rise to power was really boring too. Not as boring as the warfighter drama with that guy's wife and kid, but pretty close.

    My harshest criticism for the game though it lacked what I call an "air of reality" which some shooters achieve. It's that feeling that the people on the screen could be actual soldiers out there, doing this incredible sh#t and you feel a part of that. the first modern warfare had heaps and heaps of that feeling. even modern warfare 3 had it to a certain extent.

    this game did not have it at all. It's like it was missing its shooter mojo or something. Warfighter did a much better job with shooter mojo than this in the campaign, even though the campaign itself wasn't as good. So, in summary, the game had one brilliant moment with respect to the tactical view and control system. that was ingenious. Otherwise, the game was pretty average. I'm looking forward to the multiplayer to see how it compares with warfighter. to my mind warfighter, with the exception of BF3, has the best multiplayer going at the moment. Cheers,    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. TheBartlez
    Jan 11, 2013
    6
    To begin, I have played all the COD games since COD4. I have broken down my review into PROS and CONS to show what works and what doesn't. PROS: 1) Campaign is pretty good and has a cool mix of missions from the 1980's and the near future. 2) Graphics improved over BLOPS 1. 3) Great sound - guns sound louder and more powerful. 4) Redone Nuketown for multiplayer and zombies! 5) Create-a-class system lets you really customize your class to your liking.

    CONS:
    1) Multiplayer maps are pretty limited and none really stand out.
    2) Zombies just feel unfinished - it is 1 big map with multiple locations, but none of the locations are memorable. New characters are annoying and boring.
    3) Still haven't fixed Zombie matchmaking, hard to find a good group in a timely manner.
    4) No guns feel all that great. Almost all the guns play almost the same way and the unique weapons from BLOPS 1 were nerfed, meaning there is no reason to use them.
    5) Scorestreak system means well, but the exciting scorestreaks are fairly unobtainable unless you are an amazing player or get one in a care package.

    As much as I loved BLOPS 1, and how excited I was for this game, I found myself pretty disappointing with how BLOPS 2 turned out. Zombies was a big selling point to me, but it just feels lackluster. MP is the same as ever, but there is no excitement to it like in BLOPS 1. I find myself being more frustrated with this game and even though it works well, I would trade it in if I hadn't bought the season pass.    … Expand
  22. Defectionate
    Nov 17, 2012
    7
    Well-fleshed out campaign: granted it is completely unrealistic and off the wall. The graphics sincerely need an overhaul, its now lacking in that department critically. The guns feel nice when shot. The MP as of now, in my experiences, is just shy of a train wreck. The lag even on 360 is atrocious, the maps are decent enough...when the spawns actually flip and its not both teams on the same side. The worst part of the MP is the hit detection, it is awful, you feel you should have won a gun fight but some how become insta-dead. People were complaining about Warfighter, this is worse, and they out in the theater mode again so you can watch yourself have crosshairs right on a guy and not even get a marker. Its bad. I feel they spent too much time on Zombies, that part is great, its new and different but not completely away from what made it popular. Overall this game is good at best, maybe if they fix the online MP problems it will be decent.… Expand
  23. plotlesviolence
    Mar 15, 2013
    6
    This game is fun. Basically every criticism I've heard about it is true (i.e., doesn't innovate, is the same game as CoD4, etc., 100% linear). But it's fun. The linear CoD design has solved my biggest pet peeve from pre-1990s games: not knowing where to go next and feeling like I'm wasting my time. Before, I would just look up a walkthrough, but the objective marker just keeps me immersed in the game. Aside from the sandbox shooters, all the competitors copy CoD because it works. Also, it's a pretty, polished game with lots of spectacle.
    So why not a higher score? Because it doesn't innovate and it is more like an expansion pack to CoD4 than the 5th sequel. The new stuff (a pseudo-rts mode and a cool see-through-walls scope) is pretty minor, and I probably won't be replaying the single-player mode ever again. Also, while I really liked the revenge-driven plot of Modern Warfare 3, the plot of BlOps 2 doesn't really do anything for me. So I'd say slightly above average. Worth playing once if you like the linear FPS genre, but not something I'd stake my reputation recommending to my friends.    … Expand
  24. Tacobadgers
    Nov 15, 2012
    4
    Call of Duty... what can be said? they have stretched the FPS Genre to its limits first they burned out the WWII era now the modern and slightly beyond era have gone down in boring flames.
  25. Joeyi05
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Anyone who gave this game a zero is without a doubt just a Call of Duty hater or went online last night after they bought it and got destroyed in multiplayer. Take out your noob anger somewhere else because this game is tons of fun with extremely high replay value. Giving a zero for this game absolutely annihilates your repuation on this website and you essentially embarrassed yourself. See the rest of you guys online!… Expand
  26. bySaer
    Nov 16, 2012
    9
    this is my 2nd review, and now i realize that this game has its flaws, and has its high points. i like this game, rent it before buying because your opinion could be different than mine or any other metacritic user.
  27. Smashsoul
    Nov 29, 2012
    5
    At the end of it all I was left feeling sorely disappointed with Black Ops II, but I went into it knowing this would probably be the outcome. Compared to WaW and Black Ops 1 in terms of story I get the feeling Treyarch just didn
  28. Gummies
    Nov 17, 2012
    0
    This game does not deserve to be released. I would rather eat chicken nuggets without sour cream than playing this game, yes i said without sour cream. The game is a cancer to the gaming industry and that is all that needs to be said.
  29. Wright98
    Dec 2, 2012
    7
    It is good to see that call of duty is finally different. The guns are amazing the audio is brilliant. I feel that zombies is good, however it needs to improve, which hopefully will come in future DLCs.
  30. 21DaHoagie12
    Dec 12, 2012
    1
    So I bought it two weeks ago and think I've played it enough times to get a good feel for this game... this game is absolutely full of, well, what's a good word for it; injustice.. This game is poor for so many reasons; I'll list a few:

    - The lag is unbelievable, I've run a 4 bar maybe once or twice in the two weeks I've had it, and I've never been in a lobby where everyone has a 4 bar.    .. this results in you putting ten bullets into a guy or blasting his face with a shotgun and then you fall over dead.. You watch the kill cam and apparently you never fired a single shot..

    - The guns are so illogically unfair.. as per usual, the sub-machine guns are overpowered beyond belief, and the thing is they're randomly inconsistent; you can get two hit markers from long range and kill a guy or get 5 hit markers from close range and they'll just shoot you once and you'll die.. Completely unrealistic... the pistols are way too powerful as well, the concept that a revolver can deliver a one shot kill but a high powered assault rifle can't is just beyond illogical. The sniper have no recoil at all, they're ridiculous. In short, the weapons are completely terrible.

    - You have to unlock attachments for you gun... this mean that any gun that's worth it's salt with a few attachments is going to lead you on a miserable experience to actually unlock them.

    - The equipment is bogus. For instance, the bouncy Betty is just an absolute garbage piece of equipment. I think I've been killed by my own bouncing betty more than I've gotten kills with it; for instance, you throw it down and then some guy runs right over it and it doesn't set off and you're like "?!?!!?" so then you decide, "well, better chase him down and kill him" and then all of the sudden the thing goes off and kills you as you pass it trying to chase him down. It's just beyond aggravating...

    - Heat seeking grenades; just like in the first black ops but even worse, If someone throws a grenade near you it will roll at you no matter what... it will hop up stairs and roll up hills at you just to make sure you get killed...

    - Terrible maps.... the maps are just as convoluted and camp-promoting as MW3, just completely f.u.b.a.r. setups and people will literally just sit in corners all day and just wait for you.. - The target finder; this could be the most ridiculous attachment in the game... people will just slap this no-talent thing on, find a nice place to pitch a tent, and just wreak havoc on you all game and you cant do anything about it. It's beyond unfair...

    - Knifing... they couldn't get this right if they tried; knifing is so far from being realistic that I don't even know why I'm typing this, you already know knifing will always be terrible... basically you need to walk up the person, shake their hand, buy 'em a drink pull out the knife, put it to their neck and ask permission to kill them.. that's how hard knifing is in this game, I mean the commando knife lunge has been cut down but anyone who is used to black ops 1 is going to out of luck when they swing the knife and just can't get a kill...

    - Spawns are absolute nonsense, there is nothing better than spawning, getting killed, spawning, getting killed, spawning, getting killed...

    So basically this is how a multiplayer match will go    … Expand
  31. Dominos
    Dec 28, 2012
    3
    I've tried defending call of duty in the past but I can't do it anymore. I know it's trendy to hate, but I'm jumping on the bandwagon. This game is complete bollocks. I cannot understand why critics are raving about it. The 'new features' I've heard so much about are limited and stale. The new strike force missions are incredibly bland and difficult to play. Good on them for at least trying, but they failed. The whole branching story lines that everyone's getting a boner about is nothing new at all. You make one choice or another and it effects the ending. Big deal. The multiplayer is the exact same as any other, with slightly deeper customization. Again, nothing ground breaking. Finally zombies is kind of fun with friends, but it's not enough to save the game as a whole. I'm finally sick of each cod installment, pumped out year after year with little to no changes. Can't do it anymore guys. Won't be buying the next one, inevitably modern warfare 4.… Expand
  32. DEATH0NWH33LZ
    Jan 1, 2013
    5
    Another year another CoD. Black ops 2 was Treyarch's attempt to breathe new life into the franchise. Did they succeed? in a word, no. That's not to say the game didn't introduce some new concepts to the franchise, the introduction of player choice in the campaign is an example, or the pick 10 system in muliplayer, or Tanzit for zombies. Lets start with the singleplayer, you follow Alex Mason, son of David Mason from the original. Your mission is to stop a terrorist my the name of Raoul Menendez. You learn about Menendez's history through story time with Woods. Treyarch has tried to make a villain who you can sympathize, and relate too. This succeeded to some extent, Menendez was easily the best character in the game, i felt i could relate to him, but not sympathize for him, as he is still better off than a lot of other people. He is also a complete prick, which ended up making him more unlikable. Player choice is cool, and at times can greatly impact the story, but i felt it could have been better, many of the choices are optional objectives that have little impact on the story. I think this is a solid addition, but requires a longer, bigger and better campaign to have its potential fully realized. Then there is strike force, an attempt at RTS style gameplay, and to say the least it is **** there is no tactical element to it, you still pretty much do everything yourself, and it is immensely frustrating. Strike force however does alter the slightly alter the course of the story, so there is some value in it.Overall the story is boring, i didn't have a sense of purpose, or urgency. Thankfully this changes around the 2/3rd mark, and it became quite enjoyable. The graphics have had a minor tweak with facial capture technology, which makes the game look a lot better then it previously did, sadly i can't bring myself to award the game points for this, as the tech has been around for a few years now, and the graphics are still quite mediocre. The muliplayer is still the same, and is what you would expect, it has ridiculous killstreaks, OP guns, terrible spawning, and little variety for maps. The pick 10 system however is awesome, it allows for much more customization and creativity in loadouts, and is a solid addition to the game. Lastly, Zombies. Zombies has reinvented itself with Tranzit, you get on a bus and travel to multiple areas, while scavenging the area for equipment to build items to help you survive. This is a very cool mode, but does suffer, there are still bullet sponge enemies, the map also looks very unappealing, with very poor, dark, and muddy visuals. There is also a vs mode for zombies, where you try to stay alive while hindering other players, this can be quite fun, but could have been more inventive. Overall Black ops 2 is a 5/10, and i can't recommend this game. I think its time for CoD to take a break for a couple of years, and reinvent itself on the next gen consoles with a brand new engine built from the ground up.… Expand
  33. 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
  34. 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
  35. RedJ
    Apr 12, 2013
    1
    The single player is easy on the highest difficulty but that isn't the reason you buy this game.
    The other mode zombies feels wrong where black ops 1 zombies was entertaining for an hour or two this zombies held my attention for all of 5 minutes.
    Multiplayer is riddled with annoying players, absolute noobs and MLG wannabes.
    Overall a terrible game.
  36. 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
  37. Yostarone
    Nov 14, 2012
    2
    the game is so ugly, the campaign is so scripted, the weapons sounds so bad. the only things that works is the mp. but even the mp is boring as hell. i'll stick with cod mw 3.
  38. JookyDFW
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    Don't believe the haters that post 0 ratings. Based on their comments it's obvious they don't even own the game and just hate the franchise. Continue to read and you will understand why this is true. Do Metacritic a favor and vote those reviews down.

    I spent about three hours on multiplayer team deathmatch last night and the game felt much different. The sound (through turtle beach head    phones) is much improved and the video seems more detailed. It is hard to hear footsteps but they are there. One new thing I noticed is that if you bump into things you make noise. The maps seem small but they are intricate, multi-leveled, and provide many paths to move through the map. In contrast MW3 that had basically three paths on most maps.

    The new "pick 10" system allows you to customize your loadout the way you want and, with the new wildcards, you can even choose the slots available to customize. I didn't spend much time playing with this feature but it's definitely different (and better) than previous versions.

    During gameplay I noticed a couple other things that changed (for the better). Gun accuracy is much worse the faster you move. If you run up on someone moving slow and looking down their sights you will most likely get killed. Also, cover makes a big difference. If your having a shootout with someone and you're behind a box or something you're more likely to kill them. Short range weapons are a lot less accurate at range. No more one-shot kills with and SMG from across the map. Vehicles blow up a lot faster. Particularly if you drop a grenade on them.

    In summary from what I have seen I think this game is different enough from the original Black Ops and a huge improvement over MW3 which was basically a remake of MW2 with new maps and challenges. One suggestion I have is to create more vertical maps with four or more tiers.No COD has had so maybe the game engine can't handle it.    … Expand
  39. Avery767
    Nov 21, 2012
    7
    Okay, I finally played for a while and here's my verdict... (not that it matters), in terms of content the game is really good. A fully realised Campaign mode with pretty good innovation in comparison to the others and possibly the best Campaign mode so far. Then we have the Zombies mode. I personally don't find the Zombies mode to be too great compared to BO1 and WaW. BO1 was the best by far because in BO2 nothing really feels fresh anymore. It's hard to explain but I feel like the maps (I'm looking at you Tranzit) are way too big and that's why I found WaW's Nazi Zombie mode to be so attractive since it felt so much more personal and fun. Now the Multiplayer... probably the best and CoD4 comes close in most places. I'd say: the gun selection is worse than BO1, the maps are worse than B01, the gun play is much better than BO1, the Create-a-Class is much better than B01, the progression is much worse than BO1 and the game modes... I'm not too sure on yet. But first let's go into why the progression is way worse. I personally enjoyed the system in BO1 where it was completely open to trial and error and all that. In BO2 it uses the IW progression system with the "unlock the gun at level 41 and then use it to get more attachments!" crap! I loved the BO1 system where you could just get what you want, maybe experiment with it and then invest in attachments and what not! But I do like the "Pick 10" system. So my final verdict is an 7/10 and I would have given BO1 an 8/10. P.S. FIX THE DAMN SERVERS ALREADY!… Expand
  40. danhalen74
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    if you've given this game a 4 or less you are a waste of space. i've played all the cods since 4 and so far ive loved it, granted im not bothered about campaign mode but i had hours of fun playing this yesterday with a bunch of friends, in MP i really found some thought had gone into it. great maps with some decent colour instead of the usual grey/beige/jungle assortment and some interesting twists in setting your classes. as usual a new cod comes out and the trolls cant wait to spread their '0 - piece of **** nonsense. if you dont like it thats fair enough, but a 0 score shows exactly where you're coming from and thats a place where no thoughful review is originated. if you like cod and arent a whinging idiot and love playing MP, you'll love this.… Expand
  41. 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
  42. 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.
  43. geekofband007
    Mar 29, 2013
    5
    If this was a new IP, this would be a fine game. probably a 7.5/10 or an 8/10. Instead it is plagued by many of the problems of it's predecessors. This is the biggest problem that i find with the CoD series of games. They are broken and then the next one is not fixed. Lets get on to BO2 though. 1st, presentation, the look of the game is fairly fluid. It runs at a smooth 60fps but that still isn't enough to ignore the graphics that look like they are about 3 years behind. It's had to play a game like this after playing something like BF3 or Halo 4. When you actually stop and look at something you can tell the textures are very sub par. This wouldn't be a huge deal if that was the standard, but I know that there can be so much better. Best that I can tell, the developers are hoping you would be moving to quickly to notice such poor graphics. This is true for the most part. Most of the game play moves along very quickly which does help the graphics problem. Story, It's Call of Duty. It's a massive scale war that has Michael Bay as the Commander in Chief. It looks cool, it is adrenaline pumping, but after 6 games of the basically same massive scale war, different day. It gets old. The jumps in time are cool and an interesting way to break up the game. The game also tried to introduce something new called Strike Force mode. It is terrible, you are suppose to be able to control different units from above and jump between them and it just doesn't work. They are not smart enough and it ends up just being annoying. I found myself doing the one required strike force mission then skipping the rest. Gameplay: It's a CoD game, it plays very much like every other CoD game. Multiplayer: I've played a lot of multiplayer and it is fun. It can also be very frustrating. It, like many other CoD games is very unbalanced. The other problem is that they don't fix it. When the lifetime of your game is only 1 year, there isn't much of a motivation to actually release patches to fix issues with the game. So there are many things that ended up being heavily unbalanced and have been left totally unfixed. Also, the map design is the standard 3 lane maps. Zombies: I have not played much of zombies, from what I have played, it does not feel nearly as solid of flushed out as it was in BO or WaW. I feel like they tried to do to much and forgot what zombies was all about.

    This once a year release gets lots of money for activision but it doesn't help make good games. I could probably right the same review for the past 4 CoD's. They all share the same issues and these issues are never fixed. The graphics also need to catch up. They are way behind. Like I said before if this was a new IP, I would give it a 7.5/10 with hopes that where they go from here will improve the problems. But, seeing as how this is the 6th game in the modern CoD series, there are really no excuses at this point. I give it a 5/10    … Expand
  44. X1xxCYGNUSxxX1
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    You get a lot of bang for the buck in this game. Campaign was enjoyable. Multiplayer is all new with its pick 10 system. The lag issues are something that every cod has worked through. Give it some time and that will be better also. Zombies is back in a big way with 3 different game modes. I know that this game will give me many hours of fun with friends online. The boot camp option for new players is a great way to get introduced into multiplayer without having to worry about stats. If you like shooters on console, this one needs to be in your library.… Expand
  45. Neilus
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Great Game, im guessing the people giving out Zero's haven't even played it. Happens every year, for some reason alot of people get offended by a popular game and a company making money, i think thats what companies are supposed to do.

    Anyway dont let these immature people deter you from buying it, lots of fun.
  46. ChickenCrimpy
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Seriously giving this game a '0'??? What does that say about your credibility. If you're going to write a review, at least be honest and say whats wrong with it. Hell, for a game to get a 0, it would need to not work. Give it a 4-6 if you like and say why. That way, people might at least get some insight into your review rather than "Piece of crap" etc etc. This game aint the best but it sure as hell isnt a 0. And seriously, if this game was a 0, and MW3 was a 0, then why the hell are they continually breaking record sales.… Expand
  47. w0rtez
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    This is the game we always get year by year... Just moves those furniture from there to there and that''s it... We got a new game... That same game over and over... I don't know why don't people realize there are plenty of better shooters there Halo, Killzone... to name a few... Get over it...
  48. Themba76
    Dec 17, 2012
    0
    Im giving this game a zero because this franchise needs to simply die like right now it's destroying gaming as we speak. every studio wants their game to be like COD so they can just churn some cheap rehash every year and rake in billions. Example Resident evil 6 clearly said there is no place for survival horror
    in todays market. run and gun fps games all thnx to COD. another example MOH     clearly a COD ripoff with it's newly found killstreak system it used to not be like that but now it is. even Halo 4 to a small extent have COD elements in it.… Expand
  49. RaiderMX
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    The game is really weak and repetitive. The campaing is awful full of cliches, and boring. The multiplayer is the same as Modern Warfare, Zombies is somewhat good, but I still prefer the Nazi Zombies of World at War. The new features suck since they only works in first world countries(since the rest don't have enough bandwich) and no one of my friends would want to watch me play Call of Duty, when they can saw games that takes skill like LoL, Starcraft, Halo or DoTA. The game is bad, and the same thing like the last year, but like with Pokemon people will buy this game just because is easy to play.
    Also graphically the game resolution is really really bad.    … Expand
  50. Henrycsi
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Terrible. The multiplayer encourages camping and headglitching and features tons of overpowered and annoying killstreaks. Also, hit detection is terrible, and I'm constantly on a 4-bar! The campaign is terrible, besides a few cool set pieces, and is not satisfying at all. And the new RTS mode is probably the worst part of it all. Zombies is a retread, featuring lame maps (Nothing like the original classics or ascension), and there is lava along the ground which lights you on fire and turns zombies into annoying exploding zombies. There is literally nothing in this game that would justify even a 20$ price tag. COD, your days are numbered.… Expand
  51. Breaker_Ki
    Nov 14, 2012
    7
    First off, if you like the CoD series, then this one is the best so far and there is no doubt it will sell well keeping all lobbies full for the next year. That being said, it's just the annual refinement its predecessors, setting it the future doesn't change this fact. Even the new pick 10 system isn't interesting. Sure, you get full customization but when you do this, the same thing always happens, people gravitate to what the masses view as the optimal spec (same thing happens in MMO's with talent systems). Sure, there are counter perks, but the mind set of most players in this genre is self, not team.… Expand
  52. oildboy29
    Jan 26, 2013
    0
    I got the Hardened Edition and the season pass. I really gave black ops 2 almost 100 hrs of my life, until I said screw it and threw the game in the trash. . . after I destroyed the disc. The graphics are awesome! The weapons are awesome! the perks are good! zombies is boring! the single player is good. Yet i purchased black ops 2 for the multiplayer. after years of trying I can say that COD multiplayer is not fun!!! Black Ops 2 has the same crap from all the other COD games online. Campers everywhere! Teams locking down the maps with snipers! Mercenary Mosh pit being hacked by teams! Constant host migration! I'm completely done with this COD FPS crap! I'm not spending hours of my precious gaming time with black ops 2, 3, 4, whatever! Gaming is suppose to be fun, not an exercise in frustration!… Expand
  53. Duoshot
    Nov 13, 2012
    4
    This game falls unbelievably short of the FPS graphic and sounds standards set by recent FPSes such as BF3, Warfigher and Halo 4. If you're the best selling FPS ever, the least you could do is spend some of that revenue and hire a decent team to build a new engine instead of using id Tech 3 for every single CoD game. Or buy the Frostbite Engine from EA, you're already spending money to pay off Critics anyways, why not spend some more? Anyways, onto the gameplay review. Campaign is a nice short 4 hours, and I'm glad it's short because it was bad and I wanted to play multiplayer. Multiplayer maps feel crowded and junked up with unnecessary **** Love the futuristic design of the new guns, but unfortunately, they feel like the old guns. The new pick ten system and the new perk system are good. So far though, this game plays exactly like Warfighter and IGN gave Warfighter a 4. That must mean the zombies mode is so good that it gives BO2 5 more points. Now I haven't played zombies yet, because all my friends are asleep, so I'm going to leave this here with a rating of 4, but I'll come back and make this rating a 9 if zombies absolutely blows my mind with how **** amazing it is. It had better not disappoint or else I'll know IGN is a corrupt review site who gets paid off by Activision so they can sell more copies of CoD and I certainly hope that's not true. On a side note, this game will probably be played at MLG and IPL because of how easy it is. MLG and IPL have to have SC2 otherwise it would be a casualfest.… Expand
  54. EliteForce1uk
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    Best game of the year so far!!
    Unlike Mw3, Black ops 2 is a completely new game
    looks like its been created with its intended audience in mind ... Adults!
    Totally Flawless online experience :)
  55. feliciafan89
    Nov 19, 2012
    2
    Coming this winter, from the folks who just can't take a hint, it's Call of Duty: Black Ops II! The multiplayer is exactly the same as before, yet somehow been made worse than before! The morons over at Activision and Treyarch have somehow taken the laziest kind of FPS on the market, and become the Beavis and Butthead of it. I'm sorry, but I'm tired of being handed the exact same thing every year that's somehow progressively worse each time. With Ghost only unlockable at the last level, it's frontline-on-frontline, with little or no chance of flanking or stealth. This is what happens when a game company caters to whiny little kids and those with an IQ lower than 40 who know nothing except the traditional Ulysses S. Grant cavalry charge that's been failing AI enemies since the 90's. But now it's somehow mandated. Run and gun, or die trying. There is no other option now. These are the same people who complain about campers, in a series that already has a wide array of tools for weeding out campers. Flashbangs, grenades, launchers of both kinds, and -- god forbid -- actually CHECKING your corners. I do it all the time. But now, those of us who genuinely want to use flanking and stealth just get left in the dust. The game also feels like it was geared only towards people who've been around long enough, so I can't see how anyone new to the FPS genre would enjoy this game. To its credit, the campaign is somewhat passable, as you can actually pick your loadout before each mission. But once again, the campaign was too short, and I beat it in under a day. This is a series where multiplayer is the main focus. Here's one player who's selling the game back for a full refund before the receipt expires, probably the last chance I'm giving Call of Duty.… Expand
  56. 808Gamer
    Nov 13, 2012
    4
    I'm sorry all you paid $50+k a year magazine and online critics, Activision seems to have their hand too deep in your pockets for this to justify your 9 scores that I've been reading all over the interwebs. Unfortunately my review comes after already being jaded from MW3 and that sell-out of a title as well. Treyarch TRIES to be different here by what....uhhhh making it a MODERN first person shooter?? Oy vey, so lets get to it; the story is a tack-on and feels like the same-ol story spun in a different time and setting. Sound familiar? It will be. Zombies are back, and actually has some fresh feel to it, but its all from the same engine and "feels" the same. The usual Multiplayer suspects are back and nothing really ground breaking has really caught my attention. Activision is yet again trying the "lets milk this cow" till its dry strategy and sadly millions of people are going to buy it anyway. Going to Gamestop to resell it and going back to my Halo 4.… Expand
  57. 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.
  58. JamieMadrox85
    Dec 2, 2012
    3
    If i had to sum up my feelings about this game in four words it would be "More of the same". The campaign is mediocre at best. The multiplayer is the same multiplayer you have played in the last 4 call of duty games. Yes, there are a few changes to the core systems but its not anything groundbreaking by any means. I've officially decided that i won't be purchasing any future call of duty games, the gaming industry right now is in desperate need of innovation. I'm getting incredibly sick and tired of seeing numbered sequels to everything.… Expand
  59. Virtro
    Apr 29, 2013
    4
    Black Ops 2 is just another copy/paste/edit game. You search for a terrorist, surprise? Not so much. The gunplay is once again the same as it always has been. Just point and shoot and nothing interesting to mix in between. The multiplayer is just as tedious considering its nothing but more hard work for no rewards besides guns and stuff.

    Lets face it, its a bandwagon that is milking the     gamers dry of good money they could be spending on a brighter game. Call of duty isn't worth it anymore people, so why not play something more fresh?… Expand
  60. defanual
    Apr 25, 2013
    7
    This review is coming from the perspective of a someone who has never played a COD game which is worth bearing in mind because that seems it will be a large denominator factor on reviews found here. The Good: • Gameplay is tight in a semi-realism arcade shooter kinda way • Campaign is a tour de force • You know when your doing good and you know when your doing really good (I had troad trouble gaging this in Halo)
    • Loads of maps out the box and DLC maps are usually always solid at best if you want to go there
    • Loads of weapons to master and the challenges and different feels disciples of the variety of weapons on offer give the multiplayer extended life
    • Connection time is quick in comparison to many others
    • One of the better map voting systems although not perfect
    • Some nice (fair) tactically gaming changing attachments, scorestreaks and equipment
    • Nice to solid visuals
    • Unmatched levels of polish in presentations and menus (matches it premium price reputation at least)
    • Some nice customisations features

    The Bad:
    • Lag compensation connections issues are deadly in a game of this type and pace and I'm finding this to be a problem more regularly lately which makes playing it very frustrating at times
    • Zombies is pretty boring confusing unplayable without a buddy or 3

    Weapons Equipment Classes
    • Sniper quick-scoping seems ridiculous even for a semi-arcade shooter.
    • No sniper-free modes (Personal wish)
    • Combination snipers (more than one sniper coming into your spawn and multi quick-scoping you from various angles)
    • Tac-inserts, my word, what a hideous snipe-friendly, camp inducing, objective breaking invention. Just too easily and all too often massively abused and is trademark of the hate for the COD brand of gaming.

    Community
    • The map selection can get Halo-like some sessions with maps like Hijacked reappearing a little too much for my thirst for variety especially in a map filled game (even prior to DLC)
    • There's no real benefit for staying in a game where your losing or especially where your getting destroyed
    • Random public games are unbalanced one-sided affairs
    • No offense but the community mindset overall seems pretty negative and one dimensional in many respects
    • Domination is always the be all and end all, there's a preference for easy one-sided tactics and play even if it results in the game being very boring.
    • Mic use is random and usually full of nonsense talk and raging
    • Custom design banners are often unimaginative and or overwhelmingly vulgar sexist (women's breasts, men you get the idea)
    • Random invites and messages of people begging you to checkout their 1 million and 5th COD run-of-the-mill-to-poor youtube channel
    • No easy way of forming a band of like-minded similar level public players to soften the blows and make games more challenging
    • Matching public random players against mic using teams clans, not cool.

    Closing, overall, when the connections good (or at least fair), your teams good (or decent) and everything else is good (massively benefit from playing with buddies), this can be a great game unmatched in it's category (far more varied, tactical and rewarding then say halo 4's effort).

    But it's often spoilt by it's lag compensation connection nonsense and in a large part by it's community and it's tactics (in individual and team play) to only dominate at the expense of everything and everyone else.

    Could give it a 6 6.5 but the highs when things are working are better than that to be fair.    … Expand
  61. A_on_the_I
    Nov 16, 2012
    7
    Single player is a 10, multiplayer is a 0. Graphics and sounds is a 5. Clearly, all the money went into the story, which is the best COD story yet, but from the lousy multiplayer to the 3D ready graphics (which means most of us are delivered lacklustre poly detail and textures) to the weapon sounds where the reload "click" of the weapon is noticeably louder than the sound of the weapon being shot, the graphics, sound, and multiplayer game-play are a bust. Some areas of BO2 look amazing in SP, too bad they couldn't apply that effort to the MP maps, which all look blurry and simplistic. The multiplayer is the lame level climb against vastly superiorly armed players that BO was. It won't grab you and hold your attention; first of all, that formula has been done before, done better and done with more effort focused on the multiplayer maps. If you were looking for a worthy successor to MW3, this ain't it. If what you want is a more balanced level climber, try Halo 4. If you want a more simulation of military combat, try the updated version of MOH:Warfighter. Black ops 2 multiplayer is just plain boring; and while the SP is worth the cost of admission, it's not what the majority of it's casual audience (those who don't hide penis size insecurity behind which game they prefer) expected or deserved. Warfighter and Halo 4 are out. Have a fun BO2 SP ride and then go back to whatever game it was you were doing.… Expand
  62. miroku123
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    jogo ga.y e reciclado cheio de babaca bombado jogos americanos como sempre inferioes aos japoneses e aos europeus

    deveriam tomar vergonha na cara e fazer uma engine nova esses notas que esses sites baitolas deram sao todas compradas por o jogo é mais um vez uma mega porcaria reciclada ninguem aguenta mais esses shooters e esssas pessoas sem cociencia que compram esse jogo idiota     sem pensar… Expand
  63. Thatoneguy
    Dec 6, 2012
    3
    I love halo, and I hate the new CoDs, but im not the kind of person to give biased reviews just because its a inferior franchise, or because its fun to jump on bandwagons. The graphics look good at first, but at other parts it looks downright ugly, like, Battlefield 3 on xbox 360 levels of ugly. The music and sound design is boring and standard, they tried to mix stuff up in multiplayer this year but it ultimately failed. Treyarch tried to bring this series back with black ops 1 but it just wasn't enough, I guess they became self aware because this was just a piss poor effort. I am trying so **** hard to like this series, I am trying so hard to jump off the **** bandwagon, but I just can't bring myself to like it, nothing is appealing, nothing is salvageable, nothing is FUN. And isn't the whole point of video games to have fun? Well this game certainly isn't doing that justice. I don't think I'll be buying any more call of duty games after this, not even zombie mode could save this game, these money grubbing bastards have scammed me for the last **** time.… Expand
  64. rybay
    Nov 23, 2012
    0
    onesly treyorch wut wer u thinkingey? u shodve wated 4 a wile an improvd enjin (graficks 4 ppl hoo dont no) an improovd gaem. is verey bad furst blakcops wos better so y wood u buy this???
  65. disview912
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    Yet another Call of Duty title has been released and it is at least solid. This is not a great game, or even a good game really, but it is fun and will provide several people with hours of entertainment. People can say what they will about the Call of Duty franchise, but it has done well for itself and keeps fans coming back. Of course the game is the same year after year, but that's because the developers don't really strive to be innovative, which is fine. It is the gaming equivalent of candy. By this I mean it is not satisfying and filling like a steak, but it still tastes good and I indulge myself every now and again. My main point is that even though Call of Duty has become like Madden it doesn't make it a bad game. Call of Duty has become stale, repetitive, and a little dull, but it has certainly not become boring. Black Ops 2 is probably best suited for die-hard Call of Duty fans, but others may get a couple of weeks worth of fun out of it. Just go into the game with the mentality that it is the same as it has always been and you won't be disappointed.… Expand
  66. EpicMexicanTaco
    Nov 19, 2012
    6
    A huge improvement on the disaster that was MW3 but it still doesnt convince me and many other people. This game is mediocre at best.

    -Single Player: 7/10
    -Multiplayer-5/10
    -Zombies 7/10
  67. Aeon
    Mar 7, 2013
    3
    Call of Duty is one of the best marketing games. Bringing out the same game every year with barely no changes at all and an awful singeplayer mode. A hype that I can't understand. The only bonus this game has is the multiplayer-mode, which you can play with alot of friends, because most of them don't have any other games than CoD or FIFA. And it's sometimes pretty fun. But all in all the game is a mess.… Expand
  68. Charade
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    Until they make a long campaign I will continue to give 0's on every edition they release. I've been patient since the first modern warfare but we're still getting these 3 hour campaigns. I WANT MY MONEYS WORTH!!! Multiplayer doesn't take any thought:just slap on a couple levels together, some perks, guns, and you'll please the lemmings.
  69. adn12
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Whoa. Been waiting for this call of duty game for a while. Big improvement in the overall series. (No I'm not a fan boy; I play Halo all the time. I just love good shooters)
  70. crishrice
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    so far the game is great. zombies is loads of fun and it is awesome to see that call of duty is trying to come up with new ideas those being the future. zombies is of course epic. from the multiplayer that i have played the game seems much more objective and rush based. the game is similar to the others but it is a series. i also do not have a problem with them using the same engine since valve has been using source for like ever and nobody has a problem with that. the idea of the time period switch to the future is nice. although it does make the game feel more like crysis. it is still too early for me to properly judge the game but i will say that so far i am having a lot of fun with the game.… Expand
  71. loudnigra
    Nov 17, 2012
    3
    Derivative. That's all I can say of Call of Duty. It's a sad decline from the greatness of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A slow decay and entropy towards oblivion. It no longer became a shining sun it once was, no a crushing black hole for the FPS genre to slow die in. There's less "future" in it compared to games such as Metal Gear Solid or Deus Ex. Only a few guns and vehicles are changed. The story line might as well been written by Michael Bay, even though they hired the writer for the Dark Knight. The fanbase and monetary transactions have become more and more cancerous, and I only see a cliff ahead for this speeding train. RIP COD, you will be remembered but not missed… Expand
  72. jnova80
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    Bro Fest 2012! Get your TapOut shirts and dubstep ready! This one is shaping up to be the biggest gathering of pointless nonsense we have ever seen!!!
  73. xNullxF
    Nov 27, 2012
    6
  74. picks
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    The value for money in this game is truly incredible. You essentially get three games in one i.e. the single player campaign, the multiplayer and zombies. The developers knew reusing an old formula again and again will get tiresome (this is the 9th in the series after all) so they've essentially redesigned the wheel and revamped the core game mechanics (that other devs take shamelessly). The 'pick 10 system' no longer forces you to have certain things you don't necessarily need so lets you customise fully. This will alter the way you play and increase replay value. I have yet to finish the story mode. The 'non linear' aspect does change the way the gameplay pans out but the actual play is similar to previous titles. The zombies again is above solid and is agreed to be a separate game in its own right. You wont see a huge improvement in graphics or the sound department but is still one of the most polished games out there in terms of textures and audio ques. It is not a perfect game but is definitely worth considering. A solid and the best in the franchise.

    P.S Don't be disheartened to see all the negative reviews. Despite the fact some people really do have gripes with the game, the majority are if you will 'fan-boys' who have clearly not even purchased the game, making a review on a whim. If in doubt ask a friend to reassure you. This game is not for everyone but has the largest appeal in the genre.    … Expand
  75. insanityplee666
    Dec 26, 2012
    6
    I wanna start off honestly. COD Blacops 2 is a DECENT game. It is in the top percentile of games to come out this year. That being said, it would have made a fantastic 10/10 dlc for black ops 1. I honestly cannot tell how the graphics havent changed in years. Shouldn't a graphic update not be too much to ask for? Love the new hunter killer in multiplayer, but camping and constant rocket launchers stuffed down your throat has ruined decent multiplayer yet again. This is not the fault of the company that created the game, but rather apparently the type of player this game draws in. *spolier alert* Finally in campaign is (once again) a scene where you kill someone with a knife and pistol. It is sad, because other wise this campaign was actually (at least in my mind) slightly better than mw3. The music, as always in cod, sucked. With all of this being said, if cod releases another game with such a lack of creativity or at least a HUGE graphics update, I will not buy another cod game. This was their last freebee.… Expand
  76. swedishbaker
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I am surprised, after whatever the hell MW3 was, treyarch has delivered an excellent COD game. There is a great campaign in this and some nice multiplayer maps to boot. They may of gone a new path with the zombies maps, but that doesn't mean they are bad, classic zombies though, has lost its touch, but the new transzit map is very large and very fun with friends. Best Call of Duty I've seen in a while.… Expand
  77. Fabtech23
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    The majority of these reviews are right. Nothing really "new" here. Its the same campaign, albeit a little less linear. Its the same multi-player, albeit tweaked a little. But there was never anything wrong with the campaign or MP to warrant much of a change anyway. If it aint broke, dont fix it. Call of Duty has been, and always will be, that 94 Honda Civic you're still driving around. Its dated, it might smell a little, and its losing its polish. But its reliable, and you can count on it to get you from point A to B. Call of Duty may not offer anything drastically different from previous releases, but at this point, it is still keeping me and my friends camped out on a couch all night playing. Giving this game a 0 because it hasnt "changed" completely misses the point of giving a review. Graphics are fine - 60 FPS with no drops at all. Audio is amazing (flat screen speakers aren't good for sound, upgrade your system, its not the game, its your equipment) Game-play is tried and true. Multiplayer is where this game shines, and is this series main focal point. Call of Duty is a Juggernaut of a franchise and has yet to show any signs of slowing down. If you need something to occupy your winter hibernation, this one is a no brainer. My point it, what COD does, it does well. You are all more than welcome to voice your opinions, and my opinion is that your opinions are wrong.… Expand
  78. sporeboy100
    Nov 14, 2012
    0
    solution to all your problems relating to this terrible game: 1 take your copy of Call of Hackers: Hacked Ops 2, sell it back to the retailer you got it from, or sell it on eBay 2 take the money you get from it and go buy HALO 4 and Minecraft 1B take your copy of Call of Hackers: Hacked Ops 2, get a video camera, set it to record 2B DESTROY THE GAME!!! 3B upload the video to youtube and gain the trust of millions of gamers… Expand
  79. Homie786
    Nov 13, 2012
    8
    This call of duty has a way better multiplayer than i was expecting. The only thing that did disappoint me was zombies on nuketown. I reckon it was a good deal for $80
  80. Dronin
    Nov 13, 2012
    1
    Same engine, Same formula, a few new guns... I'm not sold.

    How year after year people flock to the new edition of the call of duty franchise I'm not sure. The best Modern Warfare game was the original, since then the franchise has gone slowly downhill with each new installation. I would advise people to stay away from this one and wait for it to hit the sale.
  81. guildleader117
    Nov 13, 2012
    2
    I can't say we didn't all expect this. Basically the same game and graphics we saw in 2009. Hoped in a new beginning to a great series, but was just disappointed and out 60 bucks. This series has some great potential that is just wasted because of a greedy company looking to plunder your bank account.
  82. pjams76
    Nov 15, 2012
    2
    Wow could they beat this dead horse anymore. This is by the far the worst in the series. They just keep pumping them out. The Story makes no sense and the game play is just more of the same. I'm done buying this crap. MW is now dead to me and BLOPS is beyond dead. I think we need to face facts MW is dead my friends.
  83. Agus1097
    Nov 18, 2012
    8
    Like COD 4 Modern Warfare. It's still a COD game in many ways, but some very welcome changes in the Multiplayer, Zombies and even the Campaign (a rare pleasure) make this a more enjoyable experience than past games
  84. RobertoAlbatraz
    Nov 22, 2012
    6
    Singleplayer - Cant brush the arcade shooter feel (Feels like time crisis). I kill 100 people per level. Awesome. Do rate the create a class at the start of each level, and why does my offsider look like a soldier who should be marching in Mardi Gras.

    Multiplayer - Too complicated, UAV overkill, over powered scorestreaks (Lightning Strike, Hellstorm), Boring guns and maps.

    I remember     playing mw and mw2 and loving how each gun was different but fun to use, dont enjoy any of these weapons. the maps a forgettable im still to find a crash, makin, favela quality of map. Also, why are is all the cool stuff unlocked at the high levels (scar, m8, ghost.) Lag compensation is homo also. All these games were built off modern warfare's success. But none of them have ever got to that level again. Black Ops 2 is an alright game has a cool story that doesnt have the means to be given justice. I kind of want to play this story with battlefield mechanics and less mass slaughtering of the enemy.… Expand
  85. Erimud
    Jan 25, 2013
    2
    Wait for a price drop---The critic reviews are off by a mile (as in most cases). The single player campaign is not well written, the challenges for each stage are not available as you are playing through the stage (you need to keep track on your own). The multiplayer is its only redeeming feature, however, its nearly identical to the first black ops (which is fine)..
  86. airborne17th
    Dec 7, 2012
    7
    Ah, Black Ops II. For some one of the greatest Call of Duty ever and for others a pile of crap (a lot more).
    I played every Call of Duty since Finest Hour and played like maybe 80 hours of Black Ops 2 altogether. Does this make me qualified? idk, well anyways le'ts split the review up a bit, into three sections, singeplayer, multiplayer, and zombies. First, Singleplayer, I have never seen     such terrible railroading, disastrous plot holes, and sloppy writing on this scale for Call of Duty. Don… Expand
  87. 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.… Expand
  88. Tommy004
    Dec 18, 2012
    0
    This game is the worst Call of Duty I have ever played, next to Modern Warfare 2.
    Call of Duty BO2 takes us into the future of 2025, which was a terrible move on the franchise. The game absolutely has no value at all, other than zombies, which is the only reason i didn't rate this POS game a 0/10. The campaign is OK , Trey-arch games are known for their campaigns. It was boring a had no s    ignificant value at all. The multi-player is the worst part of game. The new create-a-class system is horrible. It was a smart idea, at the time, until they released the stupid game. All the snipers and shotguns are overpowered and the rest of the guns are useless.
    Overall, The game is just like any other boring COD, offers a few unneeded changes to the game and just overall sucks. 2/10    … Expand
  89. CRB2014
    Jan 3, 2013
    8
    focusing mostly on the single-player: i love it. why? i think it is down to the alternative endings that are available, 3 infact and the decisions that are made throughout. but i do have to say that not much is added elsewhere. A solid purchase.
  90. sergiomach5
    Jan 16, 2013
    8
    An improvement over the recent Call of Duty games of late, though starting to lag behind the fresher competitors out there. The base mechanics are pretty much the same as the last few entries, but implemented for a better experience. The campaign is a step forward with added challenges, branching outcomes, and somewhat less cluttered than Black Ops, along with a more fleshed out villain in Menendes. If the previous games pissed you off at the single dimensional character traits of an evil villain, with the western powers as being overly heroic, then this will be a good enough story for the fans, with much more balanced perspectives. Still, not nearly as impressive as say Spec Ops:The line.

    Multiplayer is a bit different to the last few entries, with a pick 10 system put in instead of the create a class. Instead of selecting between preset tiers, you pick out whatever you fancy to fill in the 10 slots, be it weapon attachments, perks, or equipment. Its not as flawed as my first impressions went, and each slot is valuable to your class.
    Once you jump in, the game has issues. Maps are somewhat cluttered, and a downgrade from the likes of MW2, but a mile better than MW3. Killstreaks can be dominant, especially the higher ones, but they rarely make you rage quit, and are not dealbreaking. Spawns have the same CoD problems, and staying still even for a second can often get you killed.
    That all said though, its still a great experience, and there is that addictive quality of the games that keeps you back for more.

    An improvement in every way over MW3, and a few tads better than Black Ops. The engine may be old, but the game has the hallmarks of a dev team that wanted to try something different to a series stuck in old ways. Heres hoping they can get a next gen experience for their next title    … Expand
  91. mask48
    May 4, 2013
    3
    Well, where do I start. As a player of the first cod, i had loved the series and the improving gameplay. That is, till Cod MW 1. i mean, it is also great, but as the new cod games go on, the improvements had slowed down to a crawl. The new cod games keep the same gameplay, barely to nothing new, and very minor improvements. COD Black Ops has the same style of gameplay as COD MW 1, Black Ops 2 is same as MW 2. The games became so lazy with the improvement job, they just paint over the last game. But even with the same stuff over and over again, then why does people just keep buying these games? Out side repeat gameplay, the story is still a little lack luster, but i like the part when COD Black Ops 2 tried to be lest liner by giving more then 1 ending. But honesty, don't buy this game. Every one smart sticks with at least MW2, because they are not really missing out on much.… Expand
  92. Eggroll
    Jan 19, 2013
    7
    Another year, another COD release. This has been the tradition set by the franchise for many years now. I honestly thought BO2 was going to be another quick cash grab but in all reality, it really isn't. This game vastly improves on The previous releases MW3 and BO1. The Campaign is done well in BO2, the setting, game-play and choice system all work well together to create a familiar yet different feel to the game. Zombies is a good addition to the package but feels lacking in comparison to the previous zombie modes in BO1 ans WAW. Multiplayer has been improved in some areas and worsened in others. The class set up has been improved however the Spawning, Hit detection and gun balance need to be improved. Over all this game is good, it improves upon previous releases and provides a fun experience. Whether you love Call of Duty or just come here to give the game a "0" , you cant deny that this game is an improvement on the series.… Expand
  93. 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
  94. 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
  95. TheDarkImperial
    Mar 30, 2013
    0
    It's always the same Bad Game.Worst Story Ever. unbalanced Mutliplayer. IT SUCKS with his Dupstep wuuuuuaaaaahh zzzzzzzz booooooooooooommmmmmmmmm
  96. BoredEasily
    Mar 10, 2013
    4
    By far the worst of the Call of Duty games, Graphics are actually worse than the previous 2. My favourite is Black Ops, so i was hoping this would be great but unfortunately it went on eBay within a week of buying.
    Only thing that was a slight improvement was the Zombies Tranzit mode. But £40 just for a new zombies mode is a bit ridiculous
  97. sharksfan98
    Mar 17, 2013
    5
    The game was decent. I was disappointing by the plot with it's obliviously short and easy ending, plus the weapons being way too powerful. Multiplayer has a poor selection of maps and no new, appealing game modes. Zombies, was decent on the other hand. I preferred the original BO in a long shot, but it's the same dog on a hot sidewalk.
  98. TheLastHuman
    Mar 30, 2013
    8
    I will say that I purchased this game on launch date, and as a long time COD advocate, this game does not disappoint. Don't even bother reading any of the negative user reviews at all, as the authors have likely joined the religion of Hating On All Things Call Of Duty Because It Sells More Than Their Favorite Game Series. Like it or not, almost every new game is being designed with Call of Duty gameplay in mind, and you're looking at its beautiful roots. To be fair, the campaign is forgettable, as are the characters, and the length of it always makes you want demand your money back. However, what makes CoD so popular is not the campaign, but its addicting and often health-damaging multiplayer. Every new feature in it is a welcome addition, and for the first time since Modern Warfare 2, it did NOT feel like a another re-skinned CoD game. Venturing outside of Multiplayer is the supposed last hope of CoD, zombies. Even most dedicated haters will have trouble scalding this game mode. It's back and better than ever, with only a few annoying changes like having to build the wonder-weapons, and zombies rarely come through windows anymore. You will either love this game because it is Call of Duty, or you will hate this game's guts because it is Call of Duty.… Expand
  99. Tomaskovic93
    Apr 25, 2013
    1
    The only thing this game is good for is being a time waster, a very expensive time waster. You pay 60 dollars for the same game you've been getting every year thinking "this one will actually be good!" but no, you get 5-7 hour single-player campaign that i'm guessing no one even plays. Call of duty is all about their multi-player which hasn't made any significant change since CoD 4. Different guns with the same stats as the previous games. Do not buy it. if you want to spend 60 dollars in order to screw yourself, buy a really nice instead.… Expand
  100. danibuttpirate
    Apr 27, 2013
    5
    To be honest, I think CoD Black ops 2 was actually great. It wasn't perfect but it wasn't terrible either; it's average. The game is good and I really liked the story line. the zombie mode has become more fun but the multiplayer however has still not changed and fixed its flaws that people like us have been complaining about since Modern warfare came out. Other than that it is OK.
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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.
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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.
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