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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1671 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 642 out of 1671
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 1671
  3. Negative: 854 out of 1671

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  1. 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
  2. TomComics
    Nov 15, 2012
    8
    Treyarch returns to the Call of Duty franchise with the sequel to Black Ops. Black Ops II offers a brand new challenging campaign Treyarch tried to make different than others by including "Strike Force Missions", which means that whatever your actions occur, such as if you die in the game, will effect how the game will end. While Strike Force missions may sound promising, they do not always make the game as fun and can be annoying, and the campaign is overall solid. Multiplayer as always returns and feels the same as always only with futuristic weapons, but at least Treyarch is doing a better job and listening to the community for ways to better the game. Zombies is back and better than ever. TranZit was well done and everytime I play I learn something new and fun. Treyarch really put effort into hearing the fans calls out from the community for the best Zombies gameplay. The Nuketown Zombies map is decent, but nothing to get really hyped for. Overall, Black Ops II is a better game than the original, (but the graphics should have improved so much more!) offering a solid campaign with its weak moments, a same feeling multiplayer only with new maps and a more futuristic setting, and a much better and extremely fun Zombies mode,… Expand
  3. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    0
    Unbalanced multiplayer, mediocre campaign, and overall terrible community. Activision really should've spent more time creating this, especially when it's such a "high-profile AAA" game.
  4. Veritas
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    Let me preface this review by saying I hate what COD stands for. I have played every COD, and played competitively during MW2. I hate the fact that the engine is re-used. I hate it even more because it's the same problem we see with movies nowadays, it's laziness, but it's laziness that sells. I hated it so much that, even though everyone on my FL was playing it, I did not buy MW3. Based on what people have told me, it's a good thing I did not try that trainwreck. Oddly, a few weeks back, I made a decision to come back to COD. Blackops 2 is exactly what I thought it was. The one thing I don't understand is all the hate coming from the same direction. If you bought this game and were not expecting a COD game, I have nothing to say to you other than "what did you think it would be?" Anyway, the engine is old, but the MP shines. It and BF3 both do the multiplayer thing about as good as you'll find on a console, and we'll have to wait for the next gen of consoles for some true innovation, but this is exactly what you thought it would be.… Expand
  5. Jblack0928
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Online is a blast zombies better than ever, a great change of pace. If you love the series you'll defiantly love this entry. Haven't delved into the campaign but we know what we're here for.
  6. mikediesel11
    Nov 25, 2012
    9
    Treyarch did not change the gameplay but they changed the way the game is played.

    It's clear that there are a lot of fanboys on this site. I recommend looking at peoples review history. Anybody that gives this game a 1 or 2 has another agenda other than reviewing the game. I read users that completely contradict each other. My review: Treyarch is the king of making maps balanced a    nd interesting. IMO MW3 had the most boring maps. The gameplay is a mix between Black ops and MW3 and just as solid s ever. One of my few gripes with the gameplay itself is that the pistols and shotguns tend to be a little overpowered (a pistol shouldnt out duel an assault rifle). Treyarch did not change the gameplay but they changed the way the game is played. The pick 10 system where you can mix and match the tools you want for battle is simple to use but addicting to make the perfect loadout. They make it so you want to play the objective. Treyarch has put so much thought into perks and counters to each perk. They nailed it. The game is very fast paced at first but you will quickly get the hang of it. In MW3 there were constant non stop killstreaks and air support overhead. you really need to earn your score streaks in this game.

    Zombies is more fun than ever. My only gripe with zombies is in the Tranzit mode. You get objectives through in game narrative which I have a hard time paying attention to when im getting attacked by hordes of zombies. The single player has also changed. your decisions actually effect the outcome of the game and offers re-playability. I have not finished the campaign yet but so far so good. This is my favorite CoD to date and a fantastic game. The game is similar to past games but Treyarch has sent the game in a new direction. In case you were wondering this is the order of my favorite CoD games since CoD4 (from favorite to least favorite) :

    Black ops 2, Black ops, Modern Warfare, MW3, world at War, MW2    … Expand
  7. shadycolombian
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    An all new experience from the same people who brought you the fun Black Ops. Find any other title this year that has as much fun, tense multiplayer and exciting set pieces and you'll come right back to Black Ops 2. The sheer excitement and drama of each scene is astounding. The decision making will have you coming back many times which is an evolution in the Call of Duty series. The multiplayer is so intense it will have you on the edge of your seat. The customization options are unparalleled and will be the marque online shooter experience this year. The Call of Duty series is the top selling shooter series in the entire world year after year for one very good reason: uncomplicated and thrilling multiplayer. There is absolutely no other series that offers the same level of intensity online with such a low learning curve. Team play and lone wolf tactics blend beautifully just like every Call of Duty title.

    There will be many skewed reviews on Gamespot because many people don't think players should have the right to fun. Think for yourself; play Black Ops 2 and don't look back.    … Expand
  8. ApocalypseBrown
    Nov 14, 2012
    6
    Dear Robert Florence, I do know you and you may be a good guy or a git. However I respect you for having the balls to tell the truth against the establishment of gaming even at the cost of your own job, I for one salute what you did and hope you get a better job soon! On the nasty tone of industry shenanigans COD BLOPS2 reeks of some profession reviewers being 'brought off', not that the game is terrible because it isn't, however year after year this franchise (evil empire to some) hasn't changed an awful lot yet STILL gains the plaudits of many reviewers. Personally BLOPS1 was the zenith of the series, and I have now sick to death of the stale yet over familiar imperial story-lines, it's under current racism and Treyarch/Activision refusal to moderate the thousands of racist bigots online as they are the company main fan-base and money talks of course. Yes this game actually is quite different in many ways, however fundamental change is needed otherwise the series can eat itself to death, it and the industry puppets it attracts so well.… Expand
  9. Justinavery7074
    Dec 4, 2012
    7
    I like it more than the original one, I can tell you that. But most of the time, it's pretty much the same maybe with a few new guns and whatnot. It's almost solid for me but what can I saw? It makes millions. Thank god my brother bought it instead of me.
  10. dmonee
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Ugh Hugh... Your not going to get us this time, users! Almost thru the campaign and so far it's freaking awesome. Multiplayer is still fun and the new and improved Zombies mode is the most addictive side games I've ever played. All of you haters are ruining the credibility of user reviews on this site. Don't believe the hate. Most of the critic reviews are spot on. This game will challenge for game of the year. Definitely shooter of the year.… Expand
  11. SchroederRock
    Jan 7, 2013
    4
    This is the third review I've written. I've had to tweak it some as I played the game more and more. Simply put, this is only a story extension from Black Ops. There is no evolution of gameplay, nothing fresh or imaginative. The biggest step forward has to be the Zombies gametype, where there's more than just the straight-up exhibition approach of pick a level, fight the zombies (rinse & repeat). But the multiplayer, where the game is supposed to take its biggest strides, falls completely flat. For me, this comes for a number of reasons: bad weapon balancing, poor killstreaks, no dedicated servers (and their player-host approach doesn't do well most of the time), poor hit detection (including the impossible feat that is the headshot, for whatever reason this game rarely rewards the player with a headshot when the head is all that is showing!), uninteresting perks, the list goes on but those are the ones I can think of immediately. This game will be fun and compelling if you've barely touched Call of Duty in the past, but just like Modern Warfare 3, the franchise shows its age in all aspects of the game (especially the graphics department). One has to wonder where Treyarch and Infinity Ward are with hiring creative minds to bring the franchise into interesting and fun waters. Quite honestly, it might be time to let this franchise die out and start fresh. If I could put it in to one sentence, I'd describe Call of Duty Black Ops 2 as tiresome, boring, and overly recycled - to the point that it makes me want to never play the game every time I conclude a playing session. Sadly, people are rewarding the development and production teams on this game by playing it (with online populations in the 500,000s at times). Honestly, play MW3 as it has better killstreak rewards and a much better weapon selection. Play Black Ops only if you covet campaign and the zombie survival mode, because the story is okay (just okay, nothing more) and zombies is the only real challenge Black Ops carries anymore. I'd venture to recommend Halo 4 over Black Ops 2 simply because it feels like Halo but has incorporated popular trends in multiplayer gaming that never existed in the earlier games of the franchise.… Expand
  12. Nasher
    Jan 5, 2013
    3
    How many times a year can they release the same, generic FPS game for $60? This only goes to show that if you build up enough hype, people will buy any old crap. I think it's safe to say that if you want value for money these days, stay away from the big publishers like Activision and EA...
  13. 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.
  14. Gerblanski
    Jan 31, 2013
    8
    This game is Call of Duty Black Ops II. This is the 7th Call of Duty game released since 2006, when Call of Duty 2 was released.
    Since Modern Warfare 2 was released, the franchise has appeared rather stale in terms of its core gameplay.
    There are reasons for this.
    1. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was the first Call of Duty game to sell millions, i mean the big millions.
    2. Since millio    ns still purchase the iterations every year, they have not seen the need to change drastically.
    3. This falls on the obvious concept of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". They just broke the multiplayer a few times.
    4. If you hit the jackpot that early on, isn't it a good thing?
    5. You wan't to play a BAD military FPS, go play the re-booted Medal of Honor titles. They are abysmal.
    6. Wouldn't you want the guns to feel the same? If an AK-47 feels different in one game than another, wouldn't that be a reason to complain?
    7. The console generation has existed far longer than it should have, which is why we have these yearly iterations with barely any graphical improvements.
    8. Games aren't all about graphics, jeez, MW2 still looks good.

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

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

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

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

    Also, if your'e so pissed by Activision and the Call of Duty Series, VOTE WITH YOU'RE WALLETS. Activision doesn't read     … Expand
  15. DudeManGuy
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    After playing up to level 35 in MP I can say this:

    They've changed quite a bit in the interest of balance. Ghost is now a top-level perk. That changes everything. UAVs are now super important, as is shooting them down. "Pick 10" for loadouts also changes the way you'll play. Want to move quickly while ADS, with fast reloads and a red dot? Prepare to give up just about everything else. I    t's a system that guarantees nobody has too many ways to keep you down.

    Haters are going to hate, but this is a great game. Totally worth the money.    … Expand
  16. Nobod3
    Dec 7, 2012
    5
    How Black Ops 2 proves Treyarch is still a B company-----Before I begin, I want to say that this is not a rant against the Call of Duty series or a love poem for the Battlefield series. In my honest opinion, they both have their good qualities and their bad qualities and are on two different scales of comparison. With that said, I feel that this newest iteration of Call of Duty really does show that Treyarch still cannot turn-up the heat and become a triple A gaming company.-----Single Player: For single player I have never seen a company take so many steps backwards. Let me just state that while Black Ops 1 had an interesting story for a single player, it also had probably the worst gameplay I've seen in a single player in the longest time. Black Ops 2 more or less has the exact same experience, but with a much less interesting plot-line to follow. First of all, as said by a Bungie employee, single player is about getting the gamer into a scenario in under five minutes. This includes starting up your console, loading the game/level, and then listening through that first cutscene. Anything over five minutes is bound to cause rage and hatred. Apparently Treyarch has never head this saying though, because each level starts off with a cutscene that is literally so long, boring, and drawn out that you really just want to shoot yourself before it is over. But if you do manage to get past these ridiculous cutscenes and to the gameplay, don't expect a triple A gaming experience. Instead, you end up with a very linear path to follow, very stupid NPCs to fight, and overall you will feel like you are being dragged along on a bad theme park ride. Finally, that new mode is about the worst POS you've ever seen where a game tries oh so hard to imitate another game. It's stupid mistakes like this that show that their Single Player experience is still that of a B company.-----Multiplayer: I would like to say that I have already played too much multiplayer for this game, over 200 hours easily. I wish I could get that time back. To begin, although multiplayer now has all these new looks and bells attached to it, this is by far the least interesting/fun multiplayer to date. Basically it's Black Ops 1 with absolutely nothing new. Sure, they change the guns, the equipment, and the way you can attach stuff, but its all the same in the end with how you use stuff. But the part that gets me, and the reason I will call Treyarch again a B company, is that you can honestly tell that Treyarch has decided to put innovation before fixing problems. They have a new "Pick 10" system in play here that works fine enough, but then not everything is created equal among all the items. For instance, they still have no balanced the SMG being overpowered or there are some perks that make you wonder why anyone would ever choose that one (Hardwired being one that always comes to mind). On top of that, it's like they want the system to be more broken than ever before. But even if this new "Pick 10" system isn't balanced, I can admit that through many complaints they could eventually get things right (though the balancing I will openly admit feels like a BETA and not a final version, the errors being that obvious). However, what cannot be fixed are the other problems, such as this game having literally the worst spawn system in the entire history of FPS games. I wish I was joking, but in 1 game I was spawn killed 14 times in 3 minutes. Just for your knowledge, no, I do not suck. What does suck is that they literally will move the spawn to the **** part of the map if 1 player on the enemy team gets even close to the other side of your base. Add on top of that the fact that Treyarch has literally taken out the best part of MW3 spawn system, the "Safe Spawns" (Protects you from killstreaks if you just spawned) and it gets worse. I am not joking when I say that Treyarch should fire the guy that worked on spawns, and yes they had a guy working specifically on spawns. Finally, map design in this game is like someone thought "Hey, Nuketown worked once, let's just make 10 more versions of it and call that good." All the maps are small, and if they aren't small then they are cluttered. It's literally SMG heaven, or in other words perfect for people to use the least balanced weapon. I think I could get over all of this, but then the thing that just tops it off, the thing that I can't believe they failed to correct since it was the NUMBER 1 COMPLAINT ABOUT MW3 is still in the game. Lag / Lag Compensation is by far the worst of any game yet and 3 yellow bars means don't play.-----Zombies: Transit mode is just obnoxious. Plain and simple. I hate hearing the bus call out for players and I really hate trying to navigate the large map. But to really just explain it, Transit mode is the combination of 4 bad survival maps into one, large, bad survival map. Guys, it doesn't work. So if you ask me, the best zombies map is actually Nuketown. Go figure.-----Skip This.… Expand
  17. Phenom557
    Nov 15, 2012
    4
    I will start by saying this, Call of Duty:Black Ops II is not a terrible game. Its just as polished if not more so then the previous titles. Slight improvements in game play mechanics and zombie mode(s) don't go un-noticed. I've been a Call of Duty fan since the start (I'm talking the original COD and all its expansions on PC) but only a fool can play this game and say its ANYTHING more then MORE OF THE SAME!!. Nothing about the game stood out, nothing revolutionary and nothing mind blowing. The dated graphics engine is absolutely showing its age and cant hold up to gorgeous titles like Halo 4 or even BF3. I finished the campaign in about 6 hours and the multiplayer sadly did absolutely nothing for me, The level designs are un-imaginative and even the "futuristic" weapons lack the punch I was looking for. All in all Call of Duty Black Ops II is the solid 60fps shooter we've come to expect but nothing more. Sadly the back to back COD releases have taken their toll on most of the veteran gaming community leaving us all craving for something new.… Expand
  18. MikeCthaILLest
    Nov 27, 2012
    2
    This game tries to be Extreme, It fails & succeeds only at being extremely repetitive. Shoot Cutscene Shoot Cutscene. Call of Duty or Call of Doody either way it's the Same Ol $ H I T don't buy it flush this turd pressed to disk. I give this deuce a 2....
  19. 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
  20. Mike69k
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    This game is a great step up from the last title: +Graphics are the best to date +Sound is more realistic, and better on a 5.1 system than previous titles +More customization in classes +Better menu's and interface +No lag online +No camping spots on map that don't have multiple entrances I cant really say anything negative so far. I can tell you people posting zero's because it is the "same game" must have been expecting a robot racing game with lasers. It's call of duty, what did you expect? It does what it does better than any other franchise for a reason. Watch a game play trailer for **** sake.… Expand
  21. Jools86
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    I have got to say, what with this and Halo 4, FPS'ers are spoilt. The multiplayer maps are so much better than MW3, which was the 1st CoD game I stopped playing due to boredom. Always preferred Treyarch's maps to IW for some reason. Hope their next game is World at War 2!

    Little bit worried the Assault Rifles might be a little underpowered, but will upgrade my weapon and see.

    I haven    t played Single Player - due to the fact the last one I enjoyed was WaW.… Expand
  22. TheZephyr
    Jan 15, 2013
    5
    Well what can be said that has not been said 50,000 times over?? I gave the the original Black Ops a 9 because I thought it brought a nice change of pace to the franchise. I tried oh so hard to like this game, I even managed to prestige once before I gave up in utter disappointment with what I saw. Campaign wise, some of your actions do have a degree of effect on the story (although by how much is up to you as it seemed to effect the game story only slightly for me). But alas, like most recent triple A COD titles the characters are weak and I felt no connection to any of them. The classic COD AI is back out in force wreaking havoc on the enemy's concrete pillars and plaster walls all the while screaming at you to do anything and everything in between. The Strike Force missions were a nice attempt but ultimately fell short due to bad AI and RTS commands. That's it, I wont bother ripping on the campaign anymore because lets be honest; who in their right mind buys a COD game for the single player?
    As for multiplayer, it is fun at first but the fun rapidly dissipates after the first few hours of play. The maps are OK if uninspiring, but I could never shake off the feeling of claustrophobia that plagued me as I was playing. The god awful respawns and the cramped CQC style of the maps essentially forces you into lugging around high-rate-of-fire smgs or the dreaded Remington wherever you go. Snipers and LMG users are like black sheep in this game with one making an appearance every now and then and shocking the COD community. There are some perks and equipment that are clearly better than others (C4, Bouncing Bettys, that-god-**** ghost perk) While others such as Hard Wired, Awareness, and claymores lie completely unused (at least in my experience). I could go on, and on and on about the class imbalances and such, but I know this will fall mostly on deaf ears at this point. Once again the stagnat mulitiplayer leveling system and just boring unchanged gameplay leaves much to be desired.
    The Zombies mode however is the one and only saving grace this game has and it is very enjoyable when you have friends or a good group. I played i,t no lie for seven straight hours on Tranzit and Green Run and it helped soften the blow somewhat about blowing three Andrew Jacksons on this game.
    In my closing argument I want to make it clear that I love COD, I played the original COD on my PC way back in the early 2000's and had great memories playing it. I agree completely that COD4, MW2, BOPS1, was the zenith period for COD but sadly as this game and another (made by IW which shall forever remain namless...) has shown me that the glory day are long gone now. I appreciate Treyarch for trying something new and trying to innovate, but c' mon guys lets be serious here you and IW and especially Activision, are trying to revive a hero that has been dead for eight years now and no amount of "updating" or "improvements" will fix that. No its time to wipe the slate clean and start over fresh with new ideas and innovations. Better yet, we should avoid this game and invest money into games and companies like From Softwares Dark Souls or Planetside 2 or Blacklight. These companies at least give a crap about their fans and customers. But knowing activision, you have a better chance of winning the lottery in Texas than you do at Activision actually changing. So in summary..........
    0/10 for graphics hey activision last time I checked it was 2012/2013 not 2005.
    Campaign: 1.5/10 ( I know this is irrelevant it just makes me feel better!)
    Multiplayer: 2/10 minus an additional point to avenge by PC brothers and sisters for the appalling lack of dedicated servers. Fight on people!
    Zombies brings this game to a 5 because I like it and its actually fun.
    Shame on you Activision for ruining another good video game franchise. Looks like its back to Dark Souls for me.    … Expand
  23. davidm71
    Nov 14, 2012
    3
    I made the mistake of playing this straight after Halo 4. Maybe if I played this game 5 or 10 years before Halo 4, it wouldn't have seemed so bad. Everything about Black Ops II feels old, tired, linear, on-rails. The graphics engine is dated and looks cheap, flat and synthetic compared to numerous recent releases I could mention. The game play requires no thought or tactics. A.I. is barely existent. It's just an unsatisfying experience all-round. But the hype, fan base, and ridiculously favourably high critic reviews will ensure it sells millions. And I, amongst many others, was duped into wasting my money on it.… Expand
  24. VidsRule
    Nov 13, 2012
    4
    Look at my review history. Am I someone who jumps on a bandwagon in any way? Look at my review of mw3, and by the way, BO1 was mt favorite COD. BO2 is a compete waste of my money and it makes me happy mw3 was so poorly recieved. Granted, I've only played it for 1 night. But, the campaign is as most basic as possible, and the multiplayer is so steriotyplical that I amost knew what was going to happen next based on a game I played 5 years ago, and that game is blah blah blah. I let mw3 slide even though I knew it was the same as usual but I can't let this slide because now I have to sell this and accept a $30 dollar loss because I didn't listen to a !,000,000,000,000 other gamers.… Expand
  25. comacoma
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    Haters gonna hate, but it's the best CoD up to date, and so it's the best Single-Player and Co-op FPS EVER. Non-linear, explosive roller-coaster with choices that matter. Too bad there is only one zombies map, but it'd be fixed obviously. Maybe has some flaws in MP but there is no competition anyway - BF3 is different game (not to mention boring sp/coop) which sucked at gunplay, and just release MoH simply flopped. At least Activision don't want my money for free unlocks. And here we are, people whine about engine and other incompetent stuff. You know, I can imagine PC gamers whine about dated visuals, but x360 crowd with 8yo hardware? Get over yourself.… Expand
  26. billruller
    Dec 9, 2012
    1
    This is ridiculous, Activision really needs to take their time with their Call of Duty games. Before you guys go smartass on me, I know there are 2 other companies that publish the multiplayer such as Infinity Ward and Treyarch. COD games have been coming every single year, which are all a complete cash in since after COD 4: Modern Warfare. The only good thing I like is the campaign, it always have a decent campaign but COD is mostly bought as a Multi-Platform Port for online multiplayer. Just like the previous ones, its the same friggin' thing as the other ones. Its the same exact multiplayer that you could be playing right now with the previous ones. Yet fans always defend it by the Maps and Weapon models, but I don't really care for that, I care for how its played and it is played exactly like the other ones. I'm surprised that they STILL didn't fix the annoying part with the bad health system and wobbling sniper aim. Let's not forget getting killed instantly by the Snipers and Campers which ruins the game. Some say I'm a noob for b*tching about that because they can pass it without a problem, well at least I'm not a noob for spending another $60 on the same FPS every year. Just rent it for the campaign, the multiplayer is not worth the $60. If you want to play this game, just play your MW3, Black Ops, or MW2 theres no difference at all.… Expand
  27. Hxctalife
    Nov 17, 2012
    4
    My score is 4 out of 10. I'll star with the good points first ONLY for multiplayer : This Cod is fun for the fast-paced action and for the time a played to reach lvl 25 seems really balanced with the nes system of scorestreak it seems like there is less cheap streak weapons so the game feels more like a shooter game than a over the top explosing cheap war unbalanced mess like MW2 and MW3. Sounds are really great, they really improved on that. They new token equipment system with tokens are really well implemented too, it feels really more balanced and you have to make sacrifice to make your class more well rounded. Gameplay is as usual good and easy to pick up and play for casual gamers and feel rellay responsive like all call of duty, one of the strongest point of this serie.Now the bads... be ready : Graphics are OK but Treyarch clearly has a step back from Infinity Ward's games even MW2 looks better IMO than BO2. Assault Rifle's madness...damn it might be the weakess part of that game, assault rifle are very too powerfull ther is almost NO recoil at all with it so you can 'snipe' easily with long distant without no problem at all with the new scopes for zooming, you can even spray without fearing to be killed by a real sniper user, so frustrating for sniper users like me...I might not be the best sniper user in the world but I kinda did well in previous COD with it. The maps : They feel really blend and without being memorable at all and there are too many shadow corners for camper to just wait and have cheap kills... they tried to make it look like a medal of honor game and it fails at it seriously. The cheap hide head hitbox : In tis COD when you hide behind a barrel the opponent will have a hard time to kill you mostly if he uses an assault rifle or smg because there is almost no head hitbox from yours it's really not realistic you would not supposed to be able to fire from that point since the opponent don't even see the reste of your body... every cod is like that but that damn that one is VERY exagerated. The menu music : WHY please why....add some dubstep music in a COD wow?! really!? They really force to target kids smoking week and listening to that crappy music and only play cod and thinking it's a competetive shooter while it's not. The community : Well it's cod so you know what to think about it... The servers and online aspect : Ok for the launch it was a big time fail... always getting lag spike on the menu.. can't join with a party that exeeds more that 2 players, kicking out of game without reason, games try to find other player even if it's fully causing games to wait a really long time to start, loading for reconnecting to parties... THEY have to fix it quickly or people will stop playing it. That's much of it, IMO it's the worst COD yet I skipped MW3 cause it looked really bad thinking the next one would be improved but I was wrong and now this is the last time I bought a COD game, this serie is dead but it's sad because it will always make money from the hype and the kids who still think it's the best serie ever, the new FPS generation is very different but not for the good, brought the game back and bought BF3 and yet feels so refreshing compared to COD see you there for the people who have taste in FPS games! I hope the next COD will fail big time on sales, this is absolutly unnacceptable to release a recycled peace of crap with the engine runing for 5 YEARS! Macdonald's food sells well but doesn't mean that it's good but it gattered so much popularity and it's easy to buy and eat when you have nothing else, it's the same case with COD serie. R.I.P COD and Treyarch and Infinity enjoy the your money from the mcdonald's sold out I hope you like it!… Expand
  28. PapaShroom
    Nov 24, 2012
    5
    For starters lemme say I'm a huge fan of COD and have always loved the multiplayer gameplay....well almost. Now secondly Activision is full of greedy corporate scum making a billion + in a holiday season isnt enough for these greedy scum sucking vultures they have to come up with new ways to suck the money out of the consumer and until we stop allowing this they will continue to do things such as! Lying their money grubbing asses off by getting us to preorder BO2 in order to get Nuketown 2025 then 6 days later taking it away from us. Then instead of doing what was right and putting it back into the Nuketown 2025 24/7 they put it in the regular rotation. Activision you are SCUM you are whats wrong with gaming. Now for my review. Scorestreaks SUCK not a whole lot of difference besides giving people a reason to go with cheesy tactics and camping but regardless just bring back killstreaks. But overall this is by far the weakest of any of the COD's. The hit detection is absolutely terrible in this game, they also need to nerf knife runners immediately mainly due to the fact their run speed is so great its causing their hit boxes to lag behind them. They've totally wasted assault rifles in this game they've put to much emphasis on rate of fire and hip firing in an attempt to increase the overall "speed" of the game. I average around 17 kills a game with an assault rifle and aiming down site in a 1v1 fire fight but with an smg hip firing I'm in the upper 20's. The games lack of guns sucks and Im not a fan of the 10 piece only system. MW & MW2 remain the highlight of the COD series.… Expand
  29. clubdrift123
    Nov 15, 2012
    10
    This game has really blown me away with the way that Treyarch have put in so much effort to make it better than that sorry excuse for a game Infinity Ward produced last year. The way the story entangles you in the characters is very cinematic and often plays like a movie. The Mulyplayer has been revamped and brought to a whole new level. This game is a great example of a Call of Duty sequel that is great (take notes Infinity ward because I was not impressed with MW2 or MW3). Thank you Treyarch for making the Black Ops games the best in the series.… Expand
  30. DalekHoser
    Dec 4, 2012
    0
    The game is extremely weak, repetitive. The campaing is awful, the multiplayer is boring, every year a Call of Duty game is release and every year it's basically the same thing: tedious and awful.
  31. oliathsg
    Nov 17, 2012
    0
    Just no. This is it. This is clearly the year that Game Critics are revealed to be the crooked bribe taking losers they really are. Just look at the users scores and how out of touch the critics scores are. This game is a blight on the COD franchise. Its just gone beyond a joke - its like Treyarch weren't even trying to come up with anything remotely grounded in reality. From gunfights on horseback to some very uncomfortable attempt at an RTS thrown into the middle of the game... this is just an all round no thankyou.

    The graphics are also cartoonish and horrendous compared to the last Black Ops.

    Granted that the multiplayer is fun for a short while - but it does NOTHING new whatsoever and once the initial buzz has worn off the player numbers will fall like flies.

    This is the first COD I have hated to the core.    … Expand
  32. 1234
    Dec 27, 2012
    6
    this isnt as bad as i thought it was going to be ! , however it could have been alot better feels that the makers got lazy in some areas. there are some terrible map creation , the graphics are nowhere near up to standard of most games, the spawn system is awful, and it still takes the piss sometimes to kill somebody but the gameplay is decent , the score streaks and 10 token system for weapon customisation is unique and makes it more interesting and more of a challenge. overall its not too bad all depends what your in to .… Expand
  33. mafiaalexpt
    Nov 15, 2012
    1
    I Put the Game in Xbox360, and i installed, the menus are bad, i play the entire campaign and is ok , the multiplayer the same that the others cod´s, the campaign zombies is the best , but a game AAA with a campaign ok is not good, this game is a flop and the worst cod in 5 years.
  34. Just1nsane
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    It seems like these people are just sick of call of duty. Go play other games then. Lol stop disliking it because your 13 and you can't play it. Grow Up I enjoyed the game
  35. nufrequency
    Nov 15, 2012
    3
    If you or your kid have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or Kalnienk vision disorder this game is designed especially for YOU ! This is not the Black Ops game you were hoping for... This is Super Turbo Edition ! Treyarch came to the conclusion medium size maps are boring and not engaging enough.Play area has been shrinked significantly (on most of the maps) to accommodate extremely engaging close quarters play-stile of spawn chuck a grenade and then either kill something or get killed by whatever flew out of opposite side. Every map has been build around simple principle of tiny area and 3 corridors to flow the gameplay in the middle left and right side. I dont care about single player or will be talking about it but I assure you its Michael Bay style showcase from killing Vietcong soldiers, wing-suit flying all the way to some idiotic command and conquer RTS style mini-missions 0_o why ? I don't know... and YES ! There is dubstep, because every game in 2012 needs some of that wub wub. The only redeeming factor could be zombies, but why would you be willing to pay full price for it when there are more engaging brain eating themed games available for a lot less (L4D series) So far I've spend 5 hours in online battles and had no fun at all ! I'll try to sell this game by the end of the week or trade with somebody for something else. Meantime I'm going back to battlefield, maybe I won't have shiny 60 frames per second but at least game is not forcing me to have fun doing escapades inside rat maze size of a shoe box !… Expand
  36. The_Gooser
    Nov 15, 2012
    5
    If you are a long time fan of the Call of Duty franchise I would advise you to stay away, Call of Duty has not been the same since Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops 2 is a just another turd dropped in the toilet of FPS turds.

    Black Ops 2 is a giant mess of a game, not much has changed, and the things that were changed have very little impact on the actual gameplay/setting. Black Ops 2 bo    asts future warfare, yet I am still able to make a class based around knifing people and end up on the top of the leaderboards. The weapons have not changed much, there is very little recoil, the differences between an LMG and SMG is next to none. The best way to describe this game is if Medal of Honor and Black Ops had rough sex and this is bastard child of that one night stand. The token unlock system is nice, I enjoy sacrificing certain things for more perks, but none of that matters, because there is very little difference between the weapons. From what I have seen, once people reach a certain level, everyone choose the Microwaver thingy, and camps in a corner. I remember this game touting the fact that it is anti-camper, have you seen the blackest night shadows in the broad daylight levels, you are practically invisible. The maps are way too big, not enough players to fill the maps, and the game modes are tired/old. The achievement system compared to MW3's achievement system is like comparing a mongoloid to Einstein. Play this game if you enjoy looking at or making emblems of chick's buttholes, because that is all the craze with the kids these days.… Expand
  37. Masterhummel
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    Had the opportunity to play the first three Missions before buying. I'm very, very glad i did. They're absolutly ridicioulus. If Black Ops 2 would aim for a B-Movie Style or Parody it could work, but they want you to take this for real. For almost two hours i ran trough a absolutly exaggerated setting, shooting at endless amounts of respawning enemies in ridicioulus amounts and situations. Most of the time without a clear goal or reason. The cutscenes are nice, and somehow made the impact that they're where from a entire different studio. Since they great atmosphere had nothing to do with the actual gameplay. To make people pay 60 Euro for this and another 50 for a season pass is just...wow.… Expand
  38. 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
  39. adcoy
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    This is a fantastic game. After the trash that was shoveled last year with MW3 this is a welcome return to the fantastic multiplayer action known from the COD series. I've talked with many fellow gamers who have played many COD titles and hated MW3 like I did. Sales for Blops 2 are down 20% probably because so many people were burned by MW3 and they are gun shy to get it. If you love fps multiplayer. GET THIS GAME. I've played all the big FPS's since 2000 and this game is one of the best I've ever played. It's different but as good as BF3, it's better then MOH warfighter, it's better then Blops 1, and it makes MW3 feel like a first gen xbox release. The pick 10 system is fantastic, the weapons are great, and unlike MW3 you can actually use an assault rifle and not feel like your character is pulling his assault rifle up through cold honey.… 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. Makaveli
    Dec 7, 2012
    4
    I didn't want to review this game at all, but after seeing some reviews with people saying " I hate this game, I thought it would be better since MW3 was crap" anyway it seems to me that I see this comment every year when a Call of Duty game is realeased. WTF do you people expect? CoD has been the same game since I can even remember, with minor changes. This game always gets poor user reviews every year and you people that complain every year keep buying it expecting it to be something else, the game has already made billions of dollars even though it's still the same generic shooter since CoD 4. I didn't buy this game but I play it at friends and I will say this again... THERE ARE BETTER SHOOTERS OUT THERE. However the people complaining about the same things every year are really stupid, no matter what company takes over the CoD franchaise it will still be the same game, because stupid people keep buying this drivel every year and ruin the gaming industry in the process. All I can say is if you do not like this CoD or the predessors do not expect to like future releases, they will use the same formula until it goes stale, which it has gone stale but it still makes a lot of money so nothing will change for the sequel so don't expect anything new. CoD is marketed to people who are not good at shooters, and I know I will get negative feedback for saying that, but the truth hurts. The game is built for players to make them feel good about themselves, even a 4 year old can get kills easy on this game. **** even a lot of women play CoD, that should tell you something, **** my granma probably plays CoD. Then again the only good thing about CoD is that you get to play with a lot of girls, but then again there are also too many kids playing it aswell. The game isn't a 0 either, because atleast the game works and truth be told that the campaign is a little better than previous CoD titles. I just don't think a game that has been recycled for years deserves a good score either, it's easy money without much effort. I can understand people liking it if you have never played many games before, but I can't understand the people who buy the same game every year, saying that it's good. It's generic, get used to it... Stay tuned for Call of Duty 56 dub edition remix.… Expand
  42. 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
  43. drlowdon
    Jan 16, 2013
    4
    Thanks to its yearly release schedule (six games in six years!) I personally now find it impossible to muster any sort of enthusiasm for new Call of Duty games. To be fair to developers Treyarch they have made more of an effort than usual to make changes to the well-trodden path walked by these titles but everything, from the scripted events during the campaign to the online multiplayer, that was once so fresh and new to console owners has all been done before. Black Ops 2 provides exactly what everyone would have expected and sales suggest plenty of people are still willing to buy each new version but I for one have no interest in purchasing new games in a series year on year when the formula was already virtually perfected back in 2007 with the first Modern Warfare.… Expand
  44. PEDRO_PLANTAIN
    Nov 14, 2012
    5
    Mehhhh.....I usually only buy the mw series of fps but i tried something new this time. I've only played the multiplayer so far and its underwhelming. It sounds like a game from the 90's and i doesnt look that special. The only reason i didnt give it a 2 or 3 is become of the score streaks and the customization....i'll give it till my 1st prestige. if it doesnt grow on me, im getting rid of it.
  45. mustard_tiger
    Nov 13, 2012
    5
    Is it a well made game? Yes, you can't really argue the quality. Is it anything new? Nope but that won't stop millions of kids from taking a breaking from smoking bad quality weed to spend their parents money on a copy they will sell back to the store in 2 weeks.... See you same time next year for the exact sane thing.
  46. Harryhausen
    Mar 22, 2013
    1
    This game is, by far, the worst call of duty EVER (and i've been playing this franchise since call of duty 2). the graphics are outdated, the story sucks (as always), the graphics are outdated and the story sucks.

    by the way, the graphics are outdated and the story sucks.
  47. Gamer44
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Black Ops II is one of the best games of this generation and is a true competitor for game of the year award in my books. Let's face it the game play is epic,the graphics is awesome,the entire game is just epic.From the first mission I knew I was going to enjoy playing it and so far I have not been let down a bit.Once again the Call of Duty franchise shows why it such a worldwide phenomenon because it keeps on creating such awesome and epic games like Black Ops II and one thing is certain the Call of Duty games is going to get better and better Call of Duty:Black Ops II is truly worthy of a solid 10 out of 10… Expand
  48. Triggern0metry1
    Nov 26, 2012
    2
    This isn't anything personal to Treyarch but its the same game as Blops 2 with a few wee tweaks to give it the appearance of being fresh. Personally I think Treyarch has the potential to make a great new game but they have to cut themselves from Activision if they are ever going to do so.
  49. minharo200
    Nov 21, 2012
    8
    BLOPS 2 is a really good game, but never hits a great status. The campaign is really good and honestly, its actually a bit of fun on how you can actually change the outcome of the ending depending if you failed certain objectives or whatnot. The characters are classic COD but they arent annoying and while the plot is semi predictable, its still quite a bit of fun to play [especially the Afgan mission]. However, the top-down special forces missions are really not memorable and they are kinda difficult to use. Its also a little frusterating making those mission what determines if you get a good or bad ending. but whatever, its peanuts.

    Mutliplayer is just the same stuff you are used to. Still tons of fun and addicting [everything feels more balanced] and kill streaks seem more reasonable. Maps arent all that great however. And the pistol as a secondary is ACTUALLY USEFUL for once. What I mean by that is just that pistols previously were decent in the campaign but always useless against players online. You always seemed really impervious to pistols and its nice to have a backup weapon that actually does damage that isnt a machine pistol.
    ZOMBIES: fun, addicting, and has a ton of eastereggs or little secrets you can unlock. The Bad? some annoying bugs, really difficult if you dont know what you are doing or what to do in Tranzit [not self explanatory]. The characters you are playing are also not memorable and have [from what it seems] less quips and lines than the previous games. They repeat the same thing over and over again to the point its noticable the first time you play it. Also, the bus idea is really cool and fun, BUT its there you can fall out of the map and die inexplicably, also, they shouldve turned collision off in the bus. Super and I mean SUPER FRIGGIN ANNOYING to have 4 people on a bus that is the size of a tin can. is it defensible? kinda yeah, but almost impossible later one due to the fact that eveyrone is getting stuck on everyone and cant shoot straight. However, long story short, its still a really fun game mode to play [PLEASE FIX THIS BY PATCHING THIS TREYARCH! :)]

    Overall, its more of the same, and thats not really a bad thing. Graphics are outdated though but thats really just a minor annoyance]    … Expand
  50. pfcWintergreen
    Jan 7, 2013
    2
    The multiplayer in this game is easily the worst of the series. Here's what I like the Pick 10 is great, guns are balanced, perks aren't overpowered, and the scorestreak system rewards objective game play. You may be thinking this is sounding like the best Cod ever, but you would be sadly mistaken. The net code punishes good connections, and also the host by delaying their game state on the server. This means to enemy players you will appear unresponsive as they gun you down on their screen, even though on your screen you will appear to have been killed by bullets behind cover. This also means moving players will sometimes not even appear on your screen before they kill you. More often you will see the player only to be killed by what on your screen is a single bullet, but may have been an entire clip on his. Even if it's a bad player and his aim is bad enough that you survive the initial view delay, due to client side hit detection and the delay that is still present you will be firing at a location the enemy is no longer at causing either no hit markers or ones that don't actually register as damage. The hosting situation is growing worse as those with better connections are quitting the game in droves. The ones that do stay either dashboard ending the game for everyone, or passing host around like a hot potato causing host migration after migration.
    If you haven't bought it yet, I advise you to wait as Treyarch has been ignoring the issue and a large growing number of dissatisfied customers.    … Expand
  51. Shymmy
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    Okay, here is a completely unbiased review, as I do play all of the MP first person shooters equally:

    Single Player: Easily the next best one to date behind CoD4. The switching between the Cold War and 2025 is quite refreshing and adds something new to an annual franchise.

    Multiplayer: Very balanced, much like BlOps1, but with balanced weapons this time around. Kill streaks are based     on a point system instead of kills, which helps encourage more team playing. (Something they've needed to fix. Lol) Maps are balanced as well, this is something Treyarc has always done better than I.W.

    Zombies: Same as before, but if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Overall I would say this is a game worth buying brand new. Still doesn't beat CoD4 in my opinion. But it is definately 2nd best in the series and a much needed pick me up after the abortion called MW3. Don't believe all the BF3 and Halo 4 haters, this really is a good game.    … Expand
  52. 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!
  53. 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!
  54. StrikerFIN
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    This is basically the same thing as those Sports games, NHL, FIFA and son on. Just a yearly update with a few new things added to the old core game. If you're ok with that, then no problem. I am not. I never understood people who buy those sports games every year, don't understand CoD-fanatics either. It's just same **** different package. And NO I didn't buy it, I borrowed it for from my friend, who hated it. I hate it too. **** you Treyarch & Infinity Ward, **** you Call of Duty, **** you fan boys, **** your copy-paste style of game development.… Expand
  55. DMuhny
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    COMPLETE GARBAGE! I wasted 60 dollars on this stupid game!!!!
  56. coolinb123
    Mar 10, 2013
    5
    finally some improvement to the game. But just not enough all the same with new modes, and the story has been improved a little. They added AI to play against finally so i can just chill out and play the game now and a point to it for almost every area except creativity +3, game-play +2
  57. TheMaximalist
    Nov 22, 2012
    7
    Black Ops 2 Review
    The Call of Duty series revolutionized the FPS genre in 2007 with COD 4 Modern Warfare but in the series recent years the games have been a simple re-skin each year since. Treyarch (the dev of World at War, 2 and Black Ops) tries some new things in this entry. As usual the story is standard, invaders invade and you have to stop them but a first in the series is the dyna    mic story that molds to your decisions (even though there are a small number of them compared to other games). Really what happens is that your main enemy Raul Menendez is trying to start a war between China and America and you David Mason (the original BLOPS protagonist) must stop him. The game is set in 2025 mostly but there are some flashback sections where you play as Alex Mason. These are told by Woods to let you know why Menendez wants this to happen. There are 2 sections where you play as Menendez though and these have some objectives that are a bit counter progressive to the good guys story and you are just adding work for yourself. Black Ops location were all very bland in the past games but now there are some very interesting locations. But what stood out to me was the inclusion of sandbox levels. It doesn… Expand
  58. bigbossluna
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    The games keep getting worse and worse. Bad graphics, more meaningless cutscene with more explosions. Just a couple of twist in game play and storyline. Guns feel the same its like am really playing a game for the PS2.
  59. KingerSays
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    So, here we are again, another Call of Duty game in the seemingly endless franchise. I'm not going to lie - when I read these reviews before getting home and playing the game, I wasn't expecting much.

    Wasn't I wrong. This does not feel like a COD game, regardless of what others who have reviewed it say - the campaign is fantastic, diverse and written by the Co-Writer of The Dark Knight     Rises, the zombies is as great as usual, and the multiplayer... well, it's the first time i've actually enjoyed the multiplayer during the first hour of playtime since MW2.

    This is NOT the best COD game, that title belongs to the classics - however, it only just falls short, and deserves a solid 9.3.

    NOTE: I warn you to disregard any 'RED' reviews. The vast majority are very likely to be bandwaggoning haters and/or Battlefield/Halo fans. It's a shame that men have to resort to such childish means to get 'one-up' on rival gaming franchises.    … Expand
  60. 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
  61. Rice303
    Nov 24, 2012
    1
    Everyone who gives this a 10 is completly stupid, Open your eyes, Activision is just money milking everyone with the same gameplay and no innovation, Sure it's in a future setting, but does setting innovate when it has no atmosphere, of course not. It seems now that COD is beginning to gain so much money that the devlopers don't care if people start hating on it or not, just so long as all the eight year olds out there playing it will buy the next one their satisfied. The only thing that this game manages to do that is actually intresting is the several endings to the campagin, though I haven't passed the campagin, there are many people who have found multiple endings quite different from one another, but still other then that, this game is the same thing released 3 years ago a bit more shinyer and in a different setting.… Expand
  62. megaD
    Nov 19, 2012
    1
    This game is the disappointment of the the year! Hands off... unless you want to waste your money. It's all the same over again but with a bit more futuristic weapons and surrounding. The graphics is really outdated these days and can't compare to Medal of Honor Warfighter or Battlefield 3. The singleplayer is short and sometimes even a bit ridiculous as it's not authentic at all. The multiplayer is still aimed at the same type of egoistic non-cooperative player type. Don't make the same mistake as I did... don't buy it.… Expand
  63. 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.
  64. Bosniak
    Nov 15, 2012
    10
    -Best Cod Campaign ever
    -Best Multiplayer since Cod 4
    -Multiple Zombie Modes
    -dogs are back
    -4 player split screen zombies
    -score streaks are awesome
    -balls
  65. nayerr
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn.Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. God Bless America. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Video game propaganda. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. DiShoot. Kill. Die. Respawn.e. Respawn. Zombies. Americans are all consuming zombies. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn.
    Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Terrible. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn. Shoot. Kill. Die. Respawn.    … Expand
  66. illage2
    Jan 2, 2013
    6
    Another year, another Call of Duty game. The multiplayer is still the laggy mess it was last year, the SMG's and Shotguns are the overpowered guns this time, the graphics are still the same low res textures we saw last year.

    The campaign choices were nothing more than take path A,B or C and character deaths had little (or no) impact on the overall story. (Despite them hyping this up to     the max)

    I will praise the strike force missions and Zombies mode. As they are the only thing keeping the game from getting a lower score.    … Expand
  67. 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
  68. rykeith
    Jan 26, 2013
    6
    The campaign story is one of the best COD has recently offered. The one glaring (and frankly, unforgivable) flaw is with the Strike Force missions. If you are not planning on playing on the harder difficulties, they really are not that big of an issue, albeit poorly executed with respect to controls and friendly AI. On the harder settings, these become a gigantic nuisance due to the terrible friendly AI. The multiplayer is also good, and I think I enjoy it more than the BO1. Overall, above average game that could have been great.… Expand
  69. HofmanT
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    Meh... I wasn't impressed. It's the same, frustrating, yearly COD game that you all know and have played in the past. There's not much else to say really.
  70. ChrisTB
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    "CoD. . . CoD never changes." I'm disgusted to see how many more of these Treyarch is willing to release. I can't fathom the amount of people going out there and buying one CoD after the next, only to expect the same gameplay, graphics etc. Changing the gun sounds, tweaking their engine, and adding new guns won't satisfy any FPS player looking for something innovative. I'm saving my money for a team who's patient on their release dates, and as no game is ever finished when released, the Dice team puts more effort into their games than the CoD franchise ever will, I'm putting my bets on BF4, and until it comes out, I'll be playing BF3.… Expand
  71. Mark10
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    When is everyone going to get it in their heads that this is just another rehash washed out Call of Duty game? One day, Activision is gonna ditch supporting the series just like they did with the Guitar Hero series and they'll be looking for another game to leech on for money.
  72. 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
  73. DicePlayer
    Nov 15, 2012
    0
    A miserable excuse for a sequel let alone a full game. This is more like a overly priced DLC expansion pack. Completely no innovation compared to other games this year. It's campaign is repetitive and suffers from the same world war military shooter "been there done that" shooter syndrome. It's Multiplayer is no different, a copy and pasted rushed Modern warfare 3 multiplayer with the slightest tweaks that leave this game with completely nothing new to offer but a dent in your wallet for the same 'copy and pasted' non-innovative online experience that leaves us bored and swapping game disc's almost immediately after playing this re-hashed 'expansion pack'. A certain waste of my money and will be trading this game in on my next stop to my local Game shop.… Expand
  74. JoeJutty
    Dec 12, 2012
    3
    Traded this piece in after a week. This game is horrendously unimagined. Every weapon feels like re-skinned version of something from a previous COD. Melee attack misses constantly. Constantly got shot behind hard cover. Graphics are god awful, especially the "lightning strike" score streak. Audio is poor. Maps are forgettable. Campaign story was weak, only highlight there was the array of armaments available. Zombie maps are okay, but not nearly as amusing as the prior installment.… Expand
  75. Bosefus123
    Nov 28, 2012
    5
    The single player campaign was average at best, no real memorable moments and it felt extremely short.

    The multiplayer is the least innovative cod in the series, but it offers some refreshing changes like the new pick 10 loadout system, scorestreaks and league play ranking, but don't expect to be blown away by it. The maps are poorly designed with head glitch spots at every corner and w    indows for people to camp in everywhere which makes it frustrating to run around, plus the maps are really small and tight. The guns are very balanced and every one is usable unlike Black ops 1.

    They only offer one new game mode Hardpoint which is a crappy version of headquarters. Every other game is either slightly refined or not touched.

    Overall an average game that will not wow you, especially if you've been playing cod for years now.    … Expand
  76. 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
  77. KSP2011
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    People voting this down are probably just watching videos on youtube and basing their reviews on that, like the typical Call of Duty hating trolls. Black Ops 2 is an amazing game. Multiplayer is refreshing with the Pick 10 system, Zombies TranZit is genius and The Campaign is amazing. I will be the first to admit that the Modern Warfare series is stale and outdated, but the Treyarch series is always original, engrossing and addictive. If Battlefield sold as much as Call of Duty, would you hate that franchise too? My gut instinct is yes. Success brings haters. But thank god the non-trolls out number the trolls by roughly 220:50. Check the sales, compare it to the hating trolls giving it 1' and 2's. I rest my case.… Expand
  78. BrandonBonasera
    Dec 7, 2012
    5
    Call of Duty: Black Ops II is an improvement from the other Call of Duty games; this instalment has better graphics, now there is gory blood-splatter via AI deaths, well-constructed action sequences and there is a story/plot that is actually present, though not much of it. But the gameplay is far to similar to the other games, therefore players (that aren't the easily amused) may be bored at times.… Expand
  79. 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
  80. Ps3blaze22
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    This game is just awful. I really wanted to get into it, but I just couldn't. It's the same tired formula they used in black ops, and it's even less enjoyable than mw3. The single player campaign is awful, the game gives you auto-aim, so you don't even have to try when playing, and it still uses the same engine it's been using for so many years now. Call of Duty has essentially been turned into a medicore cash cow over the years, shame.… Expand
  81. Mohammad22
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    This is the worst game i have ever played, why did they ruin this series!!!!!!! I used to like it, MW3 was bad so i though this will be bettter but it wasn't, i'm sad, i i used to like this game series but now i hate, i really hate it with a passion, this game is bad, stop lying to yourselfs and go buy a real game.
  82. DonMega
    Nov 18, 2012
    1
    Boring game, couldn't finish it because I was falling asleep. Same game every year, same characters, very similar story, outdated graphics. The only cod I ever liked was the first Modern Warfare (cod 4). It was original at the time and a huge jump, this is literally and so blatantly a money grab it's not even funny. At least I did not waste money on this joke of a game. I can tell you that I'm not even looking forward to any more COD in the future.… Expand
  83. Kermie
    Nov 22, 2012
    7
    Bought it on the cheap to play through the campaign. I have to admit, after playing all recent CoD games since CoD 2, this is my favorite campaign. It features some really tough (albeit linear) choices, but they offer plenty of incentive to play the impressive and dramatic campaign. The villain is fleshed out really well this time around, and has plenty of personality as compared to past CoD villains. There are 3 or 4 really memorable missions, mainly accentuated by incredible set pieces or an incredible plot twist. Yes, the campaign is very good and requires a bit of brainpower to put together all of the relationships between characters and the multiple timelines. Strike Force missions, which break up the story mode, are both a success and major failure. The missions themselves are really interesting and it is incredible how they worked them into the overall story of the main game, yet playing them is a different story. AI in these missions is really touch and go, in which you either have to baby the squads through the map or just go completely Rambo and take down everything. The RTS element is really exciting, and I can see it working really well; but as it stands they are frustrating and unfun missions with incredibly spotty AI...all I really wanted to do is continue the stellar story. Multiplayer is still a love it or hate it affair. It does little to alter the formula, although the pick 10 system is quite ingenious and surprisingly well balanced. Never been a fan of Zombies, but Tranzit is fun, yet the zombie formula has been done before. I'm really hoping to see a huge leap in CoD because, deep down, I really do like the series. Blops 2 is less of a major step forward and more of a major refinement of the series, which is to be expected. Blops 2 is solid - excellent campaign, same old multiplayer, and stale Zombies - yet it doesn't wow or blow away expectations in all of its departments to truly create a stand out experience. 8… Expand
  84. ronswanson
    Nov 15, 2012
    8
    I am scoring this game an 8, on paper its the best COD game yet but my comments are comparing this game to MW2 and Black Ops. The key adjustments to note are that this is the most balanced COD game yet, with the least overpowered weapons / tech which many people considered game breaking. However, this also makes it underwhelming for those who were used to the overpowered features of MW2 and Blops (im looking at you TAR and dual shotguns). The weapons especially feel very similar to each other with very little individuality, you will feel comfortable with every weapon you use, this sadly takes out the desire to make a specific gun your own. In terms of Maps, they are fantastic. Many of them are very symmetrical and easy to navigate similar to MW2, however, they lack to control points and sightlines of MW2. This means that you will not rake up easy kill streaks by controlling certain high activity zones like you could with MW2. Again, this makes it very balanced for all players, with very few main focal points to go to, the 1v1 confrontations are not as predictable as MW2 and you will be kept on your toes. In terms of things that BLOPS 2 undeniably does better, its the graphics and gameplay scenarios in single player and sci-fi tech in general. While the campaign is still riddled with hand holding events and setpieces, they are done very well and are the most engaging since COD4. Overall this is a great game if you want your MP experience balanced and fair. But as someone who took the liberty of those overpowered elements in MW2 and Black Ops, the level playing field of Black Ops 2 comes across as a little underwhelming.… Expand
  85. Zilcell
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    This is exactly what I wanted from MW2 and MW3. If you were one of many who have been dissappointed by many recent CoD games, don't worry. BO2 makes a ton of changes and breathes new life into the dying series. And score streaks are way better than the kill streaks of previous games. The campaign is more refined than the crap known as MW2 and MW3. The online is better. This is the best in the series since Modern Warfare 1. Let's just hope that Activision can continue to take the franchise in to this direction, instead of the modern warfare direction.… Expand
  86. MichaelP1973
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I usually don't write reviews....in fact I don't ever write reviews. I have been of the opinion like many that CoD has had a great game struggling to push itself forward in any meaningful way. With Halo, coming out with a fresh feel, I really thought it would take the crown between the two games. After having played about 3 hours of Black Ops II, I am certain that I would take this over Halo if I had to choose. I don't want to take anything away from what 343 did this year, because they truly did an incredible job under a huge microscope. Here though, is where I feel Black Ops wins out.

    First, it has now become pretty exciting experimenting with the 10 slot load out....it's actually fun to experiment and take those classes into bot games even, just to see how they feel. You can get numerous different results with just one weapon....and the best part is that it is not complicated. Halo impressed me with its simplicity of load outs....CoD impressed me even more by giving us the option to dig deeper without adding confusion....you can tell they worked very hard on this.

    Second, I find still that with Halo, everyone is going for the head, and it becomes a race to see who can break down the shield first. Some attributes do change this formula, but for the most part, people are running around with their Battle Rifle (or whatever basic primary weapon you prefer), and it becomes a race to hit the head and get trigger happy. CoD makes weapon exploration exciting and challenging, and your success will solely depend on how well you use the load out you created.

    Finally, I am surprised nobody yet has talked about the incredible improvements to audio yet...the grenades just POUND in the earphones...if it's close by when it goes off, it will catch you by surprise. Halo also improved on their audio, but CoD REALLY needed change in their sound design. I think the mixing and recreation of the sound effects was simply superb.

    I am glad to own both games, and when I say I would pick CoD over Halo, it means I pick with a slight edge. Xbox fans rejoice....you have two excellent games to put in your library. I for one really hope that both games can shake a bit of a monkey off their back, and that the majority of naysayers for either game will go hide in their cave if they can't see the effort put into both of these titles this year. Infinity Ward REALLY has their work cut out for them.    … Expand
  87. Artomoz
    Dec 4, 2012
    3
    While no game deserves a 0 as a score this game definitely does not deserve a 10. Single player basically comes down to more of the same old formula Activision has forced these development companies to work with. The AI is laughable at best, but every one knows the Call of Duty franchise has never had the best coding for AI. The story line in general is 5 hours long and is really bland, unimaginative, and well, more of the same. They try to deviate from becoming a linear corridor shooter by supposedly providing player with options but they don't truly affects the game. The ending on the other hand might. Which is suppose to add re playability to the first person campaign, but there's really no reason to play over the same campaign for just a different ending. Multiplayer, this is the are where this game should shine but it seems the MP portion of this game feels a lot similar to that of MW3 and of course Black Ops. Small scaled maps with tons of areas to camp. Basically comes down to which ever team can camp the middle ground the best wins the game. The rest is just protecting the same corner through out the game with occasionally moving 3-6 feet away from your old camp spot to corner camp in a different spot. There are no need to watch your back as certain equipment and streaks do that for your. The game is slow paced and also suffers from the same old bad hit detection. While it does some what fix old issues like knifing people from miles away, it does at times glitch and can cause your character to launch at another player. Kill streaks seem re-hashed but with an added "futuristic" approach. There's always lag and horrible host selection, the spawn points are mediocre at best, but what can one expect from such small maps that are crammed with buildings to make them seem "big." The leveling system online has been set to keep players from playing. While it gives players who have been playing the game longest the upper hand with over powered weaponry and the best perks. The new set up is suppose to force players into playing the objective, that is not the case. The way the maps are set up actually encourage players to whore kill streaks and never actually go for any objective. Word of advice, try to level as fast as you can to get ghost perk, it's a uav whore type of game. Zombies: This is where this game shines. It's somewhat new but refreshing at the same time reminds me a bit of Left for Dead. Which is great fun to be honest. If this game was just a zombie installment I would definitely recommend this game. Other wise, save yourself some money and just rent this game or save up for MW5 or BLOPS 4; Skip a generation or two just like any one in their right mind would with Fifa games.… Expand
  88. SmartApps
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    I like the game, but it is really showing its age. It would have been really cool to have all these new features with a new game engine, one that really pushes the hardware to the max. After Battlefield 3 and Halo 4, its really hard to go back and play a game like this. Just cause I'm playing the game a lot right now doesn't mean its the greatest thing ever. Activision needs to stop looking at numbers and sales and realize that this is not the best effort they could make.… Expand
  89. Ike0009
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    One of the best Call of Duty games ever!!! The campaign is great, but not as good as COD 4, and the new features of the Zombie Mode and the Multiplayer (the most important for me) make this game a must have for every shooter fan!!!
  90. dkeerl
    Nov 13, 2012
    2
    I said I wouldn't buy it and I did. I regret it. Just like I did with MW3. Each year I try it, just to see if I'll enjoy it this time around, and so far no such luck. Tried the campaign, and while Treyarch's character models are looking a little better, they're still outdated compared to most other AAA titles on the market. (Halo, BF3) the terrain in the game still looks like original Xbox. The grass doesn't move when touched causing really awkward moments when grass is coming out of your gun or through someone. The gameplay? It's.......CoD. The absolute LEAST tactical war game on the market. You can literally stand in one place and alternate triggers to kill everyone in the area via the aim snap. If you want some really intense gunplay (and a better story) check out Halo 4 or BF3. The multiplayer? Treyarch/Activision know that new guns/perks/maps =/= new features right? New features are things like the magnets in Halo 4's forge world, or (as far as Halo is concerned) having sprint be permanent. In BF3 (for Xbox) it's the advanced server browser. CoD does not add features. The last feature added was theater mode. The maps I played were boring. It seems that in the world of CoD, firefights only happen on two floors: there;s the ground or the one floor up from the ground, sometimes cleverly disguised as a hill. All of the games sounds still sound like toy guns. They have no oomph at all. The create a class perks and weapons hold nothing new. The emblem creator remains one of Treyarch's best features, and that's not even new. Every year that CoD comes out, I want to enjoy it, I want to see what those millions of players see, and every time I am heartily disappointed. People apparently just want to sprint across the battlefield and pull the trigger. No tactic, no plan, just twitch reflex. Do not mistake that for skill. Twitch/trigger and skill are very different. When characters die in 3 shots and all the maps are tiny, it's not hard to spray and pray. Deal with as many enemies on a much bigger map or when they have shields......then we'll see what's up. Anyway, I'm not here to call anyone stupid, because it's childish and pointless. I'm here to write my review of the game, and the game is poor. Poorly made, poorly written, poorly implemented. It simply saddens me that great games will receive little attention underneath the CoD giant.… Expand
  91. neilsmif1980
    Nov 22, 2012
    4
    I originally gave this an 8 but after playing it for over a week ish.......................... 2 words LAG COMPENSATION!!!!!! Enough said..... games f**ked... like mw3............. RIP COD!
  92. CrimsonEngage
    Nov 13, 2012
    1
    Another re-hash. Every iteration seem's like an add-on/expansion. Nothing new or innovative about this series. It still uses the same graphics engine from 2007. The sound is sub-par compared to other games such as the Battlefield series.

    Played one Call of Duty, you have played them all.
  93. iamandrew
    Nov 13, 2012
    0
    Big suprise here, same game as last year, and the year before, and the year before. It just feels so stale now. Not as disappointing as previous games, but only because I wasn't expecting much.
  94. Quirkus
    Nov 22, 2012
    5
    I haven't even played the game but its fair to say that this is just another update.Fifa started this crap a long long time ago.It takes min 2 years to develop a game.3 years to develop a good game.CoD is always fun to play and that's all it is.Why do have to have two different developers?It makes no sense.Only to Activision who are just plain greedy.Let Infinity Ward develop the CoD series and let Treyarch develop the zombies.Thats what they're good at.All we ever wanted was more maps for CoD 4. Treyarch should spend their 1-2 years developing decent zombie maps instead of some of the recent rubbish they released on the 1st BOps… Expand
  95. IHateFanboys
    Feb 6, 2013
    8
    This game is fairly standard in the CoD franchise, not my favorite one either. But the things that made the franchise popular with the general public are still here: smooth graphics, fast gun play and lots of kill-streaks (score-streaks). If you didn't like the series before, you probably still won't, and if you loved the series, this game won't let you down. Side-note: Still unsure how I feel about the new layout for zombies, it is an interesting step, but it would be better with some solid instructions.… Expand
  96. Dignan
    Nov 13, 2012
    1
    The game isn't very fun. I played for about 2 hours and found the game very boring after about the first hour. And horses aren't exactly futuristic, If Activison and the 20 other companies they have to make these games would take time to plan them out and create an engine that would make the game look good then maybe I would give the franchise another chance. Other than that it will stay as a rental.… Expand
  97. 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
  98. MrFluffyPenguin
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    As someone who was not a fan of MW3, BO2 does a lot of things right. Pick 10 leveling in multiplayer has made playing to prestige worth doing and allows a more customized experience online. The campaign is still fast and frantic now allowing custom loadouts and a not so linear story. You also compete for high score in campaign as well. Zombies was never really my thing but the new modes and gameplay make it far more interesting. Dont listen to many of the haters on here, I am a big BF3 and Halo player but I find Black Ops 2 is an extremely enjoyable experience.… Expand
  99. droidean
    Nov 17, 2012
    5
    From an avid COD fan that has enjoyed every iteration of the series up to date (besides MW2) this game is a huge disappointment to me. I am truly saddened and shocked at Treyarch's porous decision making while developing this game. The zombies is at its best, and a very addicting part of the game, and i can't speak to to the single-player because I don't care for it. The multiplayer is where the game falls. The maps are horribly designed and a campers heaven, there are numerous and countless boxes/crates/cars/barrels to hide behind. The maps are designed like duel fort fields that lack the flow of previous COD games. The weapons are not fun to use and poorly designed. The MP gameplay in general feels sluggish and clunky, every game I have played (even on the smaller, more fast paced maps) is significantly slower and longer than games of previous COD games (they lack excitement). The hitmarker noise is reduced and the reward text is white and hard to see, this may seem like a small deal but those are thing you have to see constantly and when killing someone just isn't very satisfying then the game just isn't too much fun. Statistics are essentially missing as all your combat record tells you is how long you've played, how many kills you have, and your K:D ratio. No death count or any of the numerous fun statistics that were in nearly every other COD. The only reason I give this game a 5 is because of zombies and perhaps you might enjoy the camping playstyle. But in general, STAY AWAY.… Expand
  100. Timneodante
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    I really want to like this game, it's fast and fun but at the same time it really hasn't wowed me at all and I think this is going to be the last COD I buy on launch day. I like the new pick 10 system and some of the new features like the shock sticks and the millimetre scanners but the maps seem to be designed to encourage spawn trapping, the spawn system is broken and god help you if you're playing mp split screen! Yes I realise in games like domination you swap spawns at half time but that does not excuse spawning in the exact same location again and again if your team is spawn trapped! How is it that after all these years they still haven't done something about these issues!?!? When I played on my own it was a mix of fun and frustrating but this was down to the other players in all fairness (being paired with randoms against a full team is rarely fun!), however when I later played split screen with my wife it was almost unplayable! I have a 38MB broadband speed and I am a damn good player, other players should not need near enough a full clip to die! Oh and also what's the point of altering perks to discourage camping when the maps seem to do nothing but encourage camping!! I really, really wanted to like this game after the frustration-fest that was MW3 but so far I'm really not impressed.… 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.
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