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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1670 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 641 out of 1670
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 1670
  3. Negative: 854 out of 1670

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  1. tenow
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    First good COD in years. Campaign had a great story and actually made me care. Great gameplay. All the good stuff. Only downside is strategy missions. I really didn't like controls and AI in them.
  2. 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.
  3. Nunito
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    This is probably one of the best games i've played all year and by far the the best call of duty to date. I want to be clear about something. I play most games for the story/singleplayer campaign. It's the most appealing aspect of a game to me. On those merits alone, this game DESERVES a near perfect score. It's really sad to see people tanking the games score without even trying it out first. It accomplishes nothing. The game reviews well with actual professionals and makes hundreds of millions of dollars. Being on the complaining side of a game that is that popular just makes you look like you need your head checked out.… Expand
  4. BlackAryan
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    The only reason why this game is not getting a 10 is because of the aging multiplayer and engine. The multiplayer outdoes MW3's. If you liked the previous multiplayer of the other call of duty's then you'll like this one too. The single player is just as great as the previous call of duty's. It's really intense. The zombies is the best part of this game. The TranZit mode is perfect for those who are continuing the story from Black Ops 1 and W@W. It also includes smaller survival maps that are boring for old timers but are sure to bring new people into zombies. The new grief mode is fun and refreshing and really entertaining. Looking forward to more zombies, don't care for multiplayer in the end.… Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Xmayne
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    I just find it hilarious how many people say the obligatory: "same as last year, adds nothing new, blah blah blah." It's just SUCH an exaggeration and only tells me that you didn't really play the game. That's NOT an effective review. You CANNOT just say "it's the same as before" and be done, because that's not technically true. Black Ops 2 actually added and changed a lot more than MW3 did. The campaign was good fun and had interesting missions. I enjoyed it. The multiplayer is fun, tried something new with the pick 10 system, and the UI is a big improvement over the crappy one MW3 had. The game is overall fun and enjoyable. There are so many people who just dislike COD because it's a bandwagon mentality and therefore their judgement is severely clouded. That tends to happen with certain games and it's REALLY a shame.… Expand
  8. Riflenator1234
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    This game does not deserve the user rating it currently has. Don't listen to the user reviews. They are simply a bunch of angry nerds (I use the term nerd loosely.) that were going to rage no matter how good the game was and haven't actually played the game. This game is very enjoyable and is certainly an improvement upon last year's MW3.
  9. Windowwiper123
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    The bottom line to this game is that haters are gonna hate, that's all there is to it.

    Don't believe the 0's since their goals seem to just be to spend $60 on something each year that they know they're gonna rip on. And for the people complaining about glitches, well there are, but Treyarch has pointed this out and are fixing it so there is no need to give it below a 5 for online glitch    es.

    Defiantly not a 10 but a lot of fun, and at least has a lot more creativity in it than MW3 multiplayer which I played for about 2 weeks. This game I will probably play for at least 3 months, maybe more depending on how into it I get.    … Expand
  10. TheLivingVirus
    Nov 17, 2012
    9
    First thing: I bet 1000 bucks that not even the half of all the red reviewers have even played Black Ops 2 and still write that there is nothing new or changed compared to MW2. I played MW3 and Battlefield 3 last year and enjoyed both of them equally. I cant get all the hate on Black Ops 2.
    Everyone shouted out for innovations and new ideas and Treyarch delivered them. A non-linear storym    ode, all-new zombies, completely overhauled multiplayer with new perk- and prestige system and still everyone says that there is nothing new.
    The graphics are not really uptodate but they are far better than in every other CoD with new lightning effects. Why would you need a new engine anyway? Was there such a huge difference beetween the Frostbite 1 and Frostbite 2 engine except the advertisment for new bashing material on CoD? No! The graphics of Battlefield 3 on the consoles were horrible and even MW3 delivered a smoother (if it was better is a matter of opinion) experience with 60 FPS. But MW3 didnt made ANYTHING new. Nothing. It made it even worse with support killstreaks and stuff like this and got ratings way higher than Black Ops 2.

    Black Ops 2 is way more than a simple Call of Duty. Its the (last) try of a great development team to make the Call of Duty franchise fresh and feel good again. MW3 was a shame in playability online with all the Akimbo and Assassin noobs but Black Ops 2 made good with its multiplayer to be fair. The connection may not be the best everytime but its not that bad. Like in every game you have good and bad rounds.

    All I can say is that most of the haters here are just BF fanboys. This ratings should all go to Modern Warfare 3 and even the press bashes on Black Ops 2 for not being original what I cant understand. Its doing the best job possible on making a shooter feel fresh and Treyarch gets spitted in the face like this? I can see Modern Warfare 4 in the future with the same sh**play like Modern Warfare 3 and it will get 90+ again from everyone because it makes everything better and has nice Coop. That's a joke such as all the 0.0 ratings. They don't make any sense at all. If you played (and I mean not only 2 matches online and the first three missions in the story) Black Ops 2 you know that it just can't get 0.0. In my eyes Treyarch did an amazing job on make Call of Duty feel fresh. After disappointments this year like Medal of Honor or some other mediocre games I can just say that Black Ops 2 is with Dishonored and XCOM one of my Game of the Year. Period.    … Expand
  11. Taka_Dreams
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    First Black Ops II, this is not the best game in the series, but it stands out a few new compared to its predecessor, what Black Ops. I do not compare to Modern Warfare 3, because it is not the developer. The highlights are: the zombie mode, the system class creation and maps, each with its own identity. The negatives are: small hideouts, the campaign is too Hollywood and the community, but 3arch tried to change a minimum it with the strengths, scorestreaks, and the sniper?! It seems Mw2 ...… Expand
  12. Arc-of-War
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    i stopped liking CoD after the first modern warfare. black ops 2 changes enough to make me a fan of the series again. multilayer feels like cod and wont change peoples mind on the series but the campaign and ZOMBIES is refined to near perfection.
  13. 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)
  14. crishrice
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    so far the game is great. zombies is loads of fun and it is awesome to see that call of duty is trying to come up with new ideas those being the future. zombies is of course epic. from the multiplayer that i have played the game seems much more objective and rush based. the game is similar to the others but it is a series. i also do not have a problem with them using the same engine since valve has been using source for like ever and nobody has a problem with that. the idea of the time period switch to the future is nice. although it does make the game feel more like crysis. it is still too early for me to properly judge the game but i will say that so far i am having a lot of fun with the game.… Expand
  15. Meruco
    Nov 15, 2012
    9
    I can't understand negative critics because BLOPS 2 is just another COD. Of course it is. One of the better. Maybe the best just according to the different kind of games in one: not only zombies, the best zombies with its awsome new tranzit, multiplayer, of course, wich is better now because you can play in your league, boots, split screen, ..... BLOPS 1 was the best COD on 2010 and BLOPS 2 is the same staff, but improved. I found what I thought I'd find.… Expand
  16. LordManhammer
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    I'm not going to post a long review detailing specifics. I do enjoy all aspects of the game. It has high replay value too me. I can see myself playing this game for a couple of years. The campaign has been improved with the outcome of the game determined by the choices made during. Zombies, while not quite an entire game by itself, is the best yet. Multiplayer is polished nicely with a lot of changes and additions.

    What surprises me is the incredible amount of 0 negative reviews... People buy a game that has three parts to it, 1 Campaign 2 Zombies and 3 Multiplayer. They play the first mission on Campaign, skip zombies and go 3-15 on their first match of multiplayer while running around or camping on a map they don    … Expand
  17. Denkov
    Nov 14, 2012
    9
    The hate has already started flowing for the new CoD. After playing so many versions of basically the same game, black ops 2 does enough to separate itself from the repetitive modern warfare formula over the years. It has a new and improved multiplayer. The new load out system is awesome allowing for complete customization of your classes. The single players story is great and the transfer between cold war and 2025 is seamless. The characters, writing, voice acting, and action sequences are all awesome. Yes, the engine is a bit dated but CoD is the only game to achieve 60fps CONSTANTLY. No other game has been able to capture the crisp movements and gameplay CoD offers. Black Ops 2 adds a new facial software allowing for better character expressions. It also adds choices to the single player. Some are simple go here or go there choices but during the story, based on the decisions you make, you'll get a different ending than someone who may have not done the same objectives. The ability to setup a load out in single player before missions start is also awesome. Single player = F'ing sweet. Lastly, the zombie mode is like crack. The new mode is awesome, getting on a bus to go to another area. The updated weaponry is sweet. In all, this game rocks. People can hate all day about CoD but this version is one that people will want to come back for more and more. And then some more after that...… Expand
  18. Gilgamesh
    Nov 16, 2012
    9
    MW3 is the easily one that should take the beating out of these two as it catered to the mindless auto aim twits. Black Ops 2 brings an actually interesting Campaign and much improved visuals. Granted some of the maps look similar to previous maps but it's a multiplayer game and why fix something that ain't broke. Sad that many people consider it a bad game instead of seeing it for what it is... an solid improvement over BO1. Simply put... anyone who gives this a 0 or 1 is not someone who's reviews are worth reading. You can't beat a game down simply because you expected something you didn't get instead of looking at the quality of what it is.… Expand
  19. 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
  20. otokosuki
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    I don't understand why so many people rates this game with a 0. You don't like the game? OK, but please, be a little more serious. Not even Superman for N64 deserves a 0...
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. Unozero
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    MP is very,nice choice of differnt weapons and score streaks,f the haters and the people that say its as bad as MOH:WF...because that game is the worst AAA title since Rage
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. ClarIn3t_G0d
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Taking what other people/critics have said before about the people giving "0" scores being trolls, there is no real reason to give it a flat-out zero. A zero to me would be if the game did not work period, or every single little itty-bitty thing in the game was flawed to the point of not working. Anyways, on to the review. So, my thoughts on the campaign is this. The story is possibly one of the best, if not the best story to date in Call Of Duty history, considering they did get David S. Goyer, the co-writer of The Batman trilogy by Christopher Nolan, to write the script. Sure it's got the same intense, "everything blows up" parts, but it's got a kind of quieter side to it, and that's the part that really just gets you. Also, the choices you are allowed to make throughout the campaign that can affect the story dramatically are a nice edition. Of course, one thing that does bother me is the Strike Force missions, when the bots basically go "full-retard" and not do much. In other words, they're just dummies there that you have to control for virtually the entirety of the missions. MY CAMPAIGN SCORE: 8.5 / 10. Now on to the multiplayer that most everyone normally seems to buy the game for. Sure, it's the same basic gameplay from just about every other Call of Duty game out there: shoot to kill or play the objective. However, the new futuristic set-up(weapons, score streaks, and other new "upgrades") along with new modes are fun to play with. Sure there are glitches here and there that can potentially eff up the game, but doesn't just about every game have that? Nothing is perfect, but the still intense, fast-paced gameplay is always something to look forward to in my opinion. MY MULTIPLAYER SCORE 8.5-9 / 10. Now for zombies, which seems or seemed like the most positive thing that the general public looked forward to. With a different set-up of the look and feel for the mode, the zombies mode has definitely been improved in some aspects. The new "Grief" mode in which two teams of 4 face off to see which team can survive longer is definitely something to look forward to if you enjoy playing zombies whilst "trolling" other people. However, nothing seems too different besides just a few added things and different weapons. However, it still is a fun aspect of the game and always fun to play(with friends especially). MY ZOMBIES SCORES: 7.5-8/10. Hope this review helps if you are even slightly interested in buying it. I would suggest it, definitely, since it is probably one of the better Call of Duty game in the series overall.… Expand
  29. L4DMalus
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Every user on here is absolutely ridiculous. The game is amazing and you are all just a bunch of pissed off Halo fanboys who are upset because your community got executed with the release of this game. While the graphics haven't changed from the previous Black Ops (which is the only reason this game doesn't get a 10/10) the Multiplayer experience is by far the best I have seen since CoD4 or Modern Warfare 2. The Pick 10 System works perfectly to make sure every class you pick isn't atrociously overpowered unless you give up equipment/weapon slots for Wildcards. The maps are small, but not as small as Shipment or Rust from Cod4 and Modern Warfare 2 respectively, the maps make for great, fast paced gameplay across the entire game and it's not a 10 minute camp-out. Halo fanboys need to stop hating because they don't know what it's like to have to shoot less that a full clip into someone to kill them.… Expand
  30. Jonex
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    Some seriously delusional people giving user reviews here. I personally really enjoy Black Ops 2. The campaign isn't the strongest, but it's far from the weakest in the COD series. The Zombies and multiplayer more than justify the retail price. You'll be playing this for months, I know I will.
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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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