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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1668 Ratings

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

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  1. Kevlar1
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    After having played MOH Warfighter, I thought I
  2. 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
  3. ChickenCrimpy
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Seriously giving this game a '0'??? What does that say about your credibility. If you're going to write a review, at least be honest and say whats wrong with it. Hell, for a game to get a 0, it would need to not work. Give it a 4-6 if you like and say why. That way, people might at least get some insight into your review rather than "Piece of crap" etc etc. This game aint the best but it sure as hell isnt a 0. And seriously, if this game was a 0, and MW3 was a 0, then why the hell are they continually breaking record sales.… Expand
  4. pourya-ahmadian
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    campaign is awesome and amazing,missions are same new and old,new guns are so handy and useful while the old ones are lovely still.new protagonists are believable and strong side with strong new enemies.story rounds you so many ways.sounds design is high and superb while graphic parts are a little better(we do not play COD for high-graphic,it is for smooth gameplay).
    multiplayer is so-so     to me,zombie mode is good to me still.
    new structures in MP-mode make the game better for players whom new on COD.
    one thing only bother me and that is the way you must replay the missions.i do not like new way,i prefere the old one.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. McStorm
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Why the F***, people are giving this 0 beggars belief,i bet they will be online in the coming weeks. I aint a CoD fanboy (BF franchise), but i can see when improvements are made of the very lacklustre MW3, which imo, was the worst in the entire CoD Franchise, Graphics are not the best, but the gameplay shines in both Campaign and Multiplayer. GRATZ to TREYARCH on the best of CoD to date.
  7. erpecu
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I think it's ridiculous how clear it is that many people giving this game such low scores have never even played the game before. I've been playing it for a few hours now and have been having a great time. I really enjoy the changes to zombies, and I like the new custom class system. They did what they were supposed to do. They improved upon an already fun game. There are very few games that actually deserve a review score of 0/10, and this certainly isn't one of them. This game isn't broken, it isn't unplayable, it isn't even boring. People just like to ****… Expand
  8. yazman
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I have been playing COD, games since Big Red one, this is a franchised that I hold in my heart, but when the time arrived I brought all the poor game design, gameplay issues that every entry have had. This time around I have to say that yes!! this in my modest opinion is probably the best COD game after the original MW, I found the campaign really entertaining and above anything a lot more solid than previous installments, I have to admit the AI really messed the experience (specially on the strike missions) but other that and minor hiccups when it comes to story placement (understandable given the amount of years the game skipped forward after its predecessor) and game play inconsistencies. I have played the campaign already and for the first time in a long time I feel like I want to re-play a COD campaign again. By the time of this mini-review I have not yet play zombies, therefore my review will not include this part of the game. At 7:26 am today and after I had went through the whole campaign I jumped into multiplayer with the intention of play couple of matches and get a hint of the mode, the result ?; five more hours of shooting frenzy and red bull **** I felt very satisfied with the multiplayer mode, actually it feels refreshed when at the same time does not depart far from what the franchise made its name. Weapon design is super awesome and I really think they found the balance between our current reality and the possible technology we will be having in 2025. Somehow I felt that the game engine and mechanics shows similarities to the MW entries but of course with the Treyarch particular touch, but definitely there was an attempt to use some of the MW titles looks… Expand
  9. z114gate
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Similar in appearance to its predecessor it shows a marked improvement in both graphics and game mechanics. The story mode seems compelling as with all the Treyarch games which is one thing the Modern Warfare games seem to lack. Zombie mode sees an improvement with a new game mode and still more of the same fun from the previous game. As usual the multiplayer is where the game truly excels, new maps and slight variation to some of the familiar game modes, no doubt many hours can be lost in this especially when playing along side friends. There are a few negatives, the graphics are still not the best there is, although perhaps this is not what is important for a game like this, the spawn system on multiplayer is sometime frustrating and, perhaps to be expected, the servers have struggled with the amount of people online! All in all a marked improvement over Black Ops even if it is almost more of the same!… Expand
  10. 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
  11. TooManyTrolls
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Rule #1 - you can't make a sound review of a game after only playing it for a few hours Rule #2 - half of these reviews are fake (ie. one user posting under multiple accounts) Rule #3 - before you start actually believing the 0 star reviews on this game, do the following. 1. Below the negative review, click "All this user's reviews" 2. Check to see if they rate COD games 0 out of 10 and Halo games 10 out of 10
    3. Check to see if this is their only review to date
    4. Check to see if they post the same review on every platform of the same game
    5. Check to see if their review is a re-write of another negative review

    IF NONE OF THE ABOVE CRITERIA ARE MET, THEN POSSIBLY, JUST POSSIBLY, THEIR REVIEW SHOULD BE TAKEN IN TO CONSIDERATION!!!!!!! OTHERWISE, THEY ARE A TROLL!

    I am really enjoying Black Ops 2 so far, but I can't say yet whether it will be fun in the long-term because I ONLY GOT IT YESTERDAY!    … Expand
  12. HonestBob
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Alright, first of all there is no reason anyone would five this game less than a 7.0 unless they are trying to make a point about the degradation of game industry due to mega franchises like Call of Duty, Madden, or Assassins Creed putting out huge budget games every year. While I disagree that this holds back independent studios from making original titles, I can see how someone could believe this, and not all of the negative reviews are simply trolls, even though this will be prevalent for all Call of Duty games from now on, but this is just a fact of life and should not affect your view of the game. Now on to the game itself. Lets us start with the campaign. The length is comparable to that of the original Black Ops, expect to put between 7-10 hours into it, depending on the difficulty of which you play. Treyarch brought in the co-writer of the Dark Knight Rises to write the script, as many of you already know, and overall this is my favorite story in a Call of Duty game to date. While the story has the insane set pieces we all expect, I was surprised by the impact of the quieter moments, in particular Frank Woods helping us transition from the missions set in the 1980s to the futuristic warfare of 2025, all from his wheelchair in an old folks home. The villain is set up with a backstory that causes him to go all **** the world" crazy, and while this transition is little far fetched, ok maybe more than a little, it is nice to have a villain that we can sympathize with as a real human being, not just evil for the sake of evil *cough* Makorav *cough* One major hiccup is the strike force missions, which fell like a 99 cent RTS you would play on your iPhone. The squadrons you control clearly never saw Tropic Thunder, because they sure as hell go full retard in these tiresome missions. Choices that actually effect the way the story plays out add replay value, and a much needed kick to the on rails action of the previous titles.

    + Exhilarating set pieces complimented by smaller, more intimant moments.
    + Good villain.
    + Cool futuristic gadgets.
    + Best story to date for the franchise.
    + Multiple endings.
    - A little shorter than I was hoping.
    - Strike force missions
    - Some hard to believe jumps in the narrative.

    Campaign - 8.5 Multiplayer is pretty much what you would expect with some welcome additions, if you enjoyed previous games multiplayer offering, you will like Black Ops IIs even better. There seems to be great gun balancing gives players a balanced playing field from the get-go , and colorful maps that are a nice change from the dirty snow and brown of the original Black Ops. Customizability is the core of Black Ops II multiplayer, and it works fantastically. You now have 10 points to spend on pretty much anything. Want to forgo a secondary weapon for a fourth perk? Want three attachments on your weapon and skip over grenades? All this is possible and more in the most robust and customizable multiplayer offering to date, not just of Call of Duty games, but of any FPS released on console in the last few years.

    +Great gun and explosion sound effects.
    +Robust customizability. +Weapon balancing. + - High paced, twitch shooter mechanics.
    -If you don't like Call of Duty multiplayer, Black Ops II probably wont convert you.
    -Engine looks slightly outdated, but still runs silky smooth at 60 fps.

    Multiplayer - 9.0

    I know a lot of people are excited most for zombies. I have never really been a fan of it ever since the Nazis became undead in World at War, so I might not be the best to review this section of the game. One of my previous gripes was how long it took to get to rounds that were actually challenging and after playing a map 3 or 4 times I didn't want to grind through those early levels again. Black Ops II adds customization (I need a thesaurus, i know) to Zombies by allowing you to set options like headshots only, and what round you start on. This combined with Tranzit mode. It is not really a campaign as many expected, but it adds tons of vague hints of backstorys and hidden items to find that really propel this mode past the tiresome survival mode we are all used to, and many will still enjoy.

    +Options to tailor the Zombie experience to your liking.
    +Tranzit mode adds depth we have not seen before.
    -Survival still gets boring after a few playthroughs, for me.
    -No true campaign or narrative.

    Zombies - 7.5 Overall an amazing experience for any video gamer who has ever enjoyed any of the previous Call of Dutys, and a great place to start if you are looking to jump into the franchise. More content than any game this side of Halo 4 with an exhilarating campaign and a customizable multiplayer and zombie experience. While this game is far from perfect, and will most likely not sway anyone that is not a fan of the series, Black Ops II offers enough great content to keep someone (me) playing for months on end.

    Overall - 8.75    … Expand
  13. moonstrider101
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Reviews are biased, gameplay videos are not. All new games that are at least somewhat popular have gameplay footage on YouTube. In terms of Call of Duty, to not come across a video of its gameplay means that you are not connected to the internet. You can't hide from COD footage. It's everywhere. If you don't know whether to buy a game, no matter what game it is, watch videos of its gameplay until you are honestly convinced that you want, or do not want, to possess it. It's that simple.… Expand
  14. swedishbaker
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I am surprised, after whatever the hell MW3 was, treyarch has delivered an excellent COD game. There is a great campaign in this and some nice multiplayer maps to boot. They may of gone a new path with the zombies maps, but that doesn't mean they are bad, classic zombies though, has lost its touch, but the new transzit map is very large and very fun with friends. Best Call of Duty I've seen in a while.… Expand
  15. adn12
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Whoa. Been waiting for this call of duty game for a while. Big improvement in the overall series. (No I'm not a fan boy; I play Halo all the time. I just love good shooters)
  16. xLostHunterx
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Campaign is the best in the series, and multiplayer havent been this good since cod4, and zombies is awesome as always. I really enjoyed Black ops 2 for the Xbox, and all of my friends are enjoying it as well.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. Neilus
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    Great Game, im guessing the people giving out Zero's haven't even played it. Happens every year, for some reason alot of people get offended by a popular game and a company making money, i think thats what companies are supposed to do.

    Anyway dont let these immature people deter you from buying it, lots of fun.
  20. f___yocouch
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    "No differences," people who haven't played this game will say that. Single-player has at least three different endings (that I know of), it involves choices, not many, but it tries to change the linear feeling of ALL fps games. The campaign also INTRODUCED strike force missions, I have to admit it was poorly executed, in my opinion, but it introduces strategy to the campaign of COD. The campaign allows you to choose your own gun for each mission, small detail, but it helps. Yes, if you are a marathon video game player, the game does get boring, but all games do. Zombies also changed a lot, no need to go into that area, mostly because I haven't played zombies a whole bunch: multiple pack-a-punch uses, the work bench thing, other stuff. Multi-player introduces a new "Pick-ten" system (weapon loadout), a new sensitivity system, a different feel (for me), Pointstreaks, camping "restrictions," etc. The sounds are magnificent, they also help throw you into the game, I loved the colors of the game, I feel like they did a good job. Graphics aren't the best, but the game runs at an average of 60 frames per second, so don't complain; by the way who cares about graphics, I grew up with crappy graphics for games, so I see that the game play is what matters; for my experience to this point, I find the game to be amazing, one of the best COD's, I don't want to say "since COD 4" because that just makes me sound like a kid who has never played COD before, even though I played all since COD 2. If you are on the edge to buy it, go to amazon and wait for used games to pop up, they are usually at an extremely lowered price, I find that it is worth spending $60 on it, it is a fun game, the campaign, the multiplayer..... and the zombies (fingers crossed.) People mostly rate 0's because they haven't played the game, they just want to troll, so if you want a better and more honest review, go to youtube and watch "First Impression" videos from some commentators, and find the good and bad things in the game.… Expand
  21. 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.
  22. JimmyC0341
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Way too many haters trying to bring down the user rating. Just look at their profiles and you'll see. Idiots like VidsRule,LoLthe Owl,Azazel1911 aand more are just tryimmg to bring the score down. Do you really think these loser haters have the $ to buy BLOPS2 on every system? Be smart not like them
  23. Kratos502
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I am so sick of hearing people whine about COD games! Why do people say they waited in line and were so excited about the game, then say oh it's just the same old crap and its boring and the AI sucks and blah blah. It's COD people! you know what you're getting before you even buy the game, so dont **** about how you just wasted $60, trolls!!! It still remains one of the best FPS in history and a great online multiplayer experience. If you don't like what's popular simply because it's popular, then go listen to your underground techno music and leave us be.… Expand
  24. Joeyi05
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Anyone who gave this game a zero is without a doubt just a Call of Duty hater or went online last night after they bought it and got destroyed in multiplayer. Take out your noob anger somewhere else because this game is tons of fun with extremely high replay value. Giving a zero for this game absolutely annihilates your repuation on this website and you essentially embarrassed yourself. See the rest of you guys online!… Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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!!!
  27. Turk15
    Nov 14, 2012
    10
    I usually try to write a detailed review...however this will be purely to boost overall user rating (uphill battle).
    This game to me is an outlet to gaming with friends pure and simple. It doesnt need to be revolutionary or industry changing. It only need to provide me with a fleshed out multiplayer experience. I respect and understand Activisions Business Model. You can tell time and ene    rgy went into this game. trolls be trolls and its cool to hate whats cool....society is a real peach :)… Expand
  28. cpattersoniv
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    I've never been a big fan of CoD. I often found the storyline discombobulated and so off the wall that it didn't make sense and I appreciated the depth of the multiplayer some of the perks, and the player tatics and general attitude of let's run around like crazy until the other team is dead really turned me off. I've always been a Battlefield fan.

    Having said that. This new game is ama    zing. There are choices and consequences in the story. The villain, while despicable, is a tragic figure that suffered through some true atrocities. I actually found myself caring about him at some point. The multiplayer has been revamped. It's to early to prestige but when you do you actually have options now. You get a token that you can use to unlock something no matter what level it is. They've tweaked the perks system which I like and they finally took the focus off of KDR. I've always been a 1.3-1 on average KDR guy myself. so this was a welcome change.

    Bottom line is don't listen to these idiots who say the game sucks and nothing's changed. They're doing that to drive the score down because they've nothing better to do with their time. Plus the game's been out for 12 hours so there's no way to know if it really does suck.    … Expand
  29. fartcraggle
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    This game is like poo on the fart. The guns are boom boom huck jam and the multiprayer priests with guns. Storyline is monster at worst, night terror at best. Solid dream it makes happiness?
  30. PeceflyDstrctiv
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    People, don't listen to all the COD haters, this is by far the best COD game yet, with improvements in every single aspect. The graphics are great and the zombies and multiplayer mode are better than ever. The campaign is espescially great, with the abilities to change the story outcome with choice. If you liked past games you'll love this. Anyone giving this a 0/10 is just hating for the sake of hating.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critics

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