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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. Runfocovah
    Nov 19, 2012
    6
    This is an honest review, Im not just bashing the game. First of all the campaign.. WTF!?!?!... graphic wise, some times I felt I was playing a wii game, they are terrible, a lot of missions are boring and got you doing stupid stuff like the one in the dessert riding a horse, honestly TERRIBLE STUFF. Zombies? well I dont know why this **** mode keeps getting so much praise when there is L4D 1 & 2 out there, movement is slow, zombies are overpowered, etc. Multiplayer.. well, its way more of the same every year. This constant wave of yearly COD keeps feeling more like a DLC. I yet have to see the day when a COD game beats what once was done by COD:MW1… Expand
  12. DarrkHawk
    Dec 27, 2012
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Another year and all is the same with the Call of Duty franchise and I eventually gave up and rented it. 9 games now how the infamous "Call of Duty" title and this one is by far the worst. Campaign wise, the story is a very poor follow on from the half decent Black Ops. With the "past and future" story completely dominating the game which makes the flow of the game just fall apart. The level layout, objectives and story progress are literally the same as of the previous 5 games. Maybe next year we will get a bit of variety? The only real change to this game is the stolen aspects from other games that treyarch have tried to bind with this game, but failing to make it work. The futuristic aspect of this game is clearly taken from that of the crisis series and abilities are just a rip off of the ever more popular halo series. It is nice that treyarch are trying but their QA team needs to step in and stop such creations. The whole feel of the games just isn't the feel that Call of Duty once had (Call of Duty 4). The multiplayer aspect is certainly nothing new. The EXACT same feel, the EXACT same flow, the EXACT same server quality, the EXACT same unbalancing and the same poorly designed maps. This games multiplayer actually got me asking the question "why is Call of Duty so popular?". The reason I came up with, slap this title on any other game and it will sell just as well. People see those 3 infamous words and immediately want in. Pre-teens nag their parents for these games to fit in with the crows (despite the 18 certificate), Teenagers want the game for an easy game to yell abuse and annoyances down the microphone. Adults buy the game because of its annual tradition and the gaming season. These are the only reasons I feel that keeps the CoD title alive. The one redeeming feature I thought would help this game is the infamous zombies. Loved by many since world at war and by far the greatest part of the Call of Duty series. However, even this falls short. Zombies is about endurance and having fun. So why have treyarch started interpreting stories into this. Sure, It can be fun to search and unlock the story but it is just not necessary. Keep zombies the fast paced endurance game it once was. I can safely say I am glad I didn't pay full retail for this game. Even the £8 i paid for rental is too much of a loss. I could have bought a lovely pair of socks and be more satisfied (and have some change for a snack). Call of Duty, you are kept alive by the bandwagon that your name of created.… Expand
  13. RighteousSteel
    Nov 28, 2012
    1
    Campaign was boring, couldn't even get myself to finish it. The multiplayer has actually degraded over the years. I can say with a clear conscience that 90% of the players use submachine guns due to their ungodly ability to kill you nearly instantaneously without any consideration for accuracy (lazer sights) or ammo (extended magazine). I played this game for about 3 weeks, and I cannot waste any more time playing it. I've playing this series since CoD 4, and I can say with all certainty that this series is dead. Don't waste your time or money on this game. Go buy Dishonored, Halo 4, Far Cry 3, or some other title that is infinitely better than this garbage. Oh yeah, and season pass? Seriously? Is $60 once a year for the same ole garbage not enough? I'm done.… Expand
  14. letterse7en
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    I'm glad I rented it first. The game really isn't that good. I'm not a COD hater. I used to love this franchise, but it just isn't the same...or actually that is the problem, it is the same. Same old same old. So they set it in the future, but the overall experience is just the same old thing and I just couldn't get into it this time. I got bored right away and this is going back to RedBox tomorrow. Infinity Ward and Treyarch both need to sit down together with Activision and figure out how to innovate and breathe new life into the COD franchise. Nothing they've done over the last 2 years has felt innovative. Its like lipstick on a pig. Come up with a new graphics engine, come up with some new ideas and figure out how to get that spark back. I really want to like COD again, but this is not the one that will get me back into it. Everything just feels tired and old. I know that some will point out that the futuristic technology is what sets this one apart. But you now what this feels like? BO2 just feels like that hot actress that everyone couldn't stop talking about 10 years ago, but now she's old, tired, washed up and raiding your medicine cabinet for prescription pain killers, but if she'd just invest some money in an extreme makeover and get herself checked into rehab, she could shine once again.… Expand
  15. Henrycsi
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Terrible. The multiplayer encourages camping and headglitching and features tons of overpowered and annoying killstreaks. Also, hit detection is terrible, and I'm constantly on a 4-bar! The campaign is terrible, besides a few cool set pieces, and is not satisfying at all. And the new RTS mode is probably the worst part of it all. Zombies is a retread, featuring lame maps (Nothing like the original classics or ascension), and there is lava along the ground which lights you on fire and turns zombies into annoying exploding zombies. There is literally nothing in this game that would justify even a 20$ price tag. COD, your days are numbered.… Expand
  16. oildboy29
    Jan 26, 2013
    0
    I got the Hardened Edition and the season pass. I really gave black ops 2 almost 100 hrs of my life, until I said screw it and threw the game in the trash. . . after I destroyed the disc. The graphics are awesome! The weapons are awesome! the perks are good! zombies is boring! the single player is good. Yet i purchased black ops 2 for the multiplayer. after years of trying I can say that COD multiplayer is not fun!!! Black Ops 2 has the same crap from all the other COD games online. Campers everywhere! Teams locking down the maps with snipers! Mercenary Mosh pit being hacked by teams! Constant host migration! I'm completely done with this COD FPS crap! I'm not spending hours of my precious gaming time with black ops 2, 3, 4, whatever! Gaming is suppose to be fun, not an exercise in frustration!… Expand
  17. charlie412
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    This map pack is definately a must buy if you are into call of duty, the main reason i bought it was because i have MUG written on my forehead, you have to shine a UV light to detect it but its still there unfortunately, this means activision has implanted me with a chip that blips off when a new call of duty is released and makes me go and buy it or if you have the V2 chip you immediately pre order it 4 months in advance, upon release you buy the game play it for 2 hours and wonder how you spent your money, then you have 8 months of life to live until they activate the chips again.… Expand
  18. DaJoeyBoii
    Dec 6, 2012
    2
    im rlly dissapointed with treyarchs BO2. multiplayer isnt fun but instead feels just like mw3 A Camping Zone!!! all over. -__- zombies is somewhat fun but compared to BO zombies in BO2 are boring & small maps other than tranzit (when playing with strangers every1 is lost around & is stupid...loved BO but the 2nd is pretty crappy...
  19. LolTurdFerguson
    Nov 15, 2012
    1
    Are you joking me? 60 dollars down the drain for yet ANOTHER skin on the same CoD game. I wanted to love this game, I really did. The original Black Ops was by far superior to this. Let's start off with Multiplayer (as that is what I mainly play). Same CoD formula, but with a ton of bugs. First off, the spawn system is ridiculous. You will find that no matter where you spawn on the map, enemies will be there with you. Ballistics~ bullets are able to penetrate all materials (whether it is plastic, stone, or steel), even when dimmed by a suppressor. The maps are different, yet still maintain the same aspects of both black ops and MW2. In fact, when I first put the game into my drive, I noticed how much like Modern Warfare 2 this game really looked like. Unfortunately, I was expecting a Pandora's box of options, game play and design. Unfortunately, I was left with nothing but a dirty cardboard box, wrapped in some futuristic paper. With Halo 4 being it's main contender, I find it hard pressed to believe that this game has outsold 343's title in units. When it comes down to it, Call of Duty is nothing more than a high brand mimic of it's predecessors. People will continue to by it because of it's name, regardless of how awful the game play really is. Treyarch as well as Activision know this, so they will continue to crank out mediocre titles too satiate even the most hungry of CoD addicts. I'm disappointed that I cannot like this game. Looks like Halo 4 will be my new steady go-to, and Black Ops 2 will be traded in.… Expand
  20. HausmanPrime
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    I buy these games for one reason and one reason alone and that is multiplayer. While i can appreciate the steps Treyarch as made to bring in change to the facist regime that is COD the multiplayer falls short in almost every way, maps are crap, guns arent fun and the overall feel of the gameplay is just very off. I have been an advocate for the series since COD4 but my patience is wearing thin. STOP coming out with one every year take a break and bring us a COD we deserve, not the one we need right now....… Expand
  21. xcomponent
    Nov 15, 2012
    0
    This game is huge fail! The sound is awful, graphics - mediocre. Maps - my, oh my!
    Zero the Hero!
  22. kotwr424
    Dec 22, 2012
    3
    Remeber CoD4?? Well if you don't or haven't played it I'm truly sorry. Black Ops 2 brings with it the same things made famous by MW2 with a twist Killstreaks are now scorestreaks nice addition to the game makes things more rewarding to players that go for the objective. Next the weapon selection is by far the best improvement to this game and the series this is however where the Pro's of BO2 MP end. MP is plagued, it makes me yearn for MW2 again. SMG's are the flavor of this game as are 3 Pistols that are overpowered to a large degree. Now why are these overpowered well the recoil on some isn't there okay its the future I get it that, but this is MP level playing field needs to be present currently there damage is to great it needs to be less. Another issue that would help this is the atrocious hitboxe's used in this game, Ever year it gets worse and worse to make lesser players better and make great players greater and more frustrated by the bullet that truly missed you in the killcam but hit you in-game. Quick scoping is still present although not as prevalent thus far It does however need to go fast pace has taken over realism something CoD4 did fairly well to a degree. Lastly my biggest complaint is when a 9mm smg bullet goes through a wall but my .30 cal cannot..........or when I get shot through a metal cargo trailer but can't shoot through a haybarrel. These things add to one at times Fun but utimately frustrating experience that we've come to love and hate about CoD series. I however truly miss the glory days of CoD4 and CoD:UO where things worked properly......before the console generation of xbox live ruined a once great series.… Expand
  23. EchoLimaKilo
    Nov 17, 2012
    8
    Gotta admit, this game took me by surprise. I had previously written off the CoD franchise in favor of Battlefield for it's vehicles & many different & new modes of game play & variety. Black Ops II is so different from the other CoD's that its gotten me hooked again. The campaign is no better or worse than Warfighter's & as a matter of fact, I think I enjoyed Warfighter more. But the Multiplayer in Black Ops II has so much more to offer its worth every penny you'll pay. My only gripes are the limited selection of weapons & for Chrissakes, beefup the gunfire sound effects. I shouldn't be able to hear someone in the game trying to explain something to me when I'm discharging my weapon. Battlefield's sound is far superior. The revamped score streak as opposed to kill streak makes the game a bit more fun for those of us that aren't dead-eye sights & aimers....

    You should buy this game. Nice job Treyarch!    … Expand
  24. SirEddieCook
    Nov 26, 2012
    9
    Underrated dramatically from the core gaming community. Black Ops 2 features some great strides into depth of story, futuristic design and yet a more refined Call of Duty shooter. I am very impressed with this game in terms of Campaign and Multiplayer. The experience is consistently smooth, maps are great, weapons are exciting and distinctive. Both a strong technical and creative achievement, and better than MW3 and the original Black Ops.… Expand
  25. vinnie_vegas
    Nov 19, 2012
    5
    To me ops2 is a very poor game. Mp is so full of bugs and lag. There isn't anything new in this game right down to the maps. It really is a copy and paste game. I gave it a 5 do to the fact that the game loads up and plays. I really hope that this is the end to cod with the 2025 setting as I'm tried of getting the same old game each year. This game really could have been a dlc pack for mw3 than called ops2 as in fact it's faster game style of play is set more to that than in the first ops game. They added score chain to kill streaks and qs is back with the sniping in this as well. Lag comp is worse than mw3 or any other cod out in the past right now. I'm sure they will give a lame we fixed it in a few days but by then my copy of the game will be setting at a store for resale. So long ops 2 ):… Expand
  26. mattbtheg
    Nov 22, 2012
    2
    This game is pretty much garbage. The campaign is one of the worst of any "AAA" title I've played. Sure it's cool that you can choose what weapons you want at the start of the mission, but everything is so poorly thrown together it feels like it was designed by a team of poorly trained monkeys. The multiplayer is the same old crap from before. No changes were made, and a few of the maps are pretty much just reskinned versions of old maps. The only thing that is keeping me from giving this game a zero is zombies. Zombies is moderately fun, but gets old fast because lets face it: its still pretty much the same thing as it has been for the last three treyarch games. I would not recommend this game, and I urge everyone to quit buying these games.... actually, I don't care. This game pretty much killed my enjoyment of video games in general… Expand
  27. CameoCream
    Dec 23, 2012
    0
    By far the worst Call of Duty game I've ever played, and by far the worst campaign I've ever played in my entire life. After 3 levels I quit because the story is simply pathetic, it tries too much to be dramatic for no apparent reason apart from the sake of being dramatic. The story is linear like every other Call of Duty game, but is simply just so god awfully stupid. I bought this game knowing the campaign was going to be terrible...... but I never thought it would be this bad. It would have been more entertaining to eat the disc than play the campaign, it is simply - horrible.

    If you enjoy a horrible campaign with pointless drama, a terrible story line, and a cliche CoD storyline and gameplay, then this is the game for you.    … Expand
  28. Natedrake1994
    Mar 15, 2013
    8
    I can see where fans are coming from in that Black Ops 2 is a rehash of other COD games, and I have to agree that the franchise needs some work and improvisation done to it. Nonetheless Black Ops 2 continues to surprise with its action-packed levels and great variety of weapons. The voice-acting is also still great and it's nice to see the continued character story-arc from BO with Woods, Mason, Hudson etc. and now continuing with Mason's son and co. However the story isn't quite up to scratch with the few other COD's I've played and it can be a little confusing when it switches from one level in the past to another in the future and so on, yet it can be forgiven because it ties in with the main villain's life who is definitely one of the best COD has ever seen since he seeks vengeance and you really get understand his motives. Also an addition to the campaign and a change to the series is player-choices in some of the levels which affect the outcome of the game, as well as Strike Force missions which can be slightly annoying and tricky to pull off. The choices however increase the replay value and its nice to see what your actions caused at the end of the campaign. Graphics wise, it's much the same as its always been yet still attractive and gameplay is still simple. For the multiplayer, I have to say I really got stuck into this (although I have hardly played any of the other CODs) and it has great customization for weapons etc, and while I can see zombies is improved I never play it. Overall, a great COD yet with a slightly weaker story, but which it makes up for in its pulse-pounding action and addictive multiplayer.… Expand
  29. senogad
    Nov 22, 2012
    8
    ...I really wanted this to be good, I was hoping more black ops was my favorite COD and I wanted to get the same experience I did from black ops with black ops 2 but no, the maps are terrible, hundreds of glitches, bad sound and it takes the game forever to start without freezing. Also, many fans such as myself pre-ordered the game to obtain what they called "nuke town 2025 24/7" but no they cant even get that right, they lied and only put it on for 2 days but don't worry, to make it up to us they made a gamemode calles "chaos mosh pit" so we can play nuketown but in order to play it we have to play through all the other terrible maps so thanks for deceiving all your fans. treyarch get your game fixed!… Expand
  30. defanual
    Apr 25, 2013
    7
    This review is coming from the perspective of a someone who has never played a COD game which is worth bearing in mind because that seems it will be a large denominator factor on reviews found here. The Good: • Gameplay is tight in a semi-realism arcade shooter kinda way • Campaign is a tour de force • You know when your doing good and you know when your doing really good (I had troad trouble gaging this in Halo)
    • Loads of maps out the box and DLC maps are usually always solid at best if you want to go there
    • Loads of weapons to master and the challenges and different feels disciples of the variety of weapons on offer give the multiplayer extended life
    • Connection time is quick in comparison to many others
    • One of the better map voting systems although not perfect
    • Some nice (fair) tactically gaming changing attachments, scorestreaks and equipment
    • Nice to solid visuals
    • Unmatched levels of polish in presentations and menus (matches it premium price reputation at least)
    • Some nice customisations features

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

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

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

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

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

    Could give it a 6 6.5 but the highs when things are working are better than that to be fair.    … Expand
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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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