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

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1664 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 638 out of 1664
  2. Mixed: 175 out of 1664
  3. Negative: 851 out of 1664

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. beatflux
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    The dirty little secret of the Call of Duty series is that the original creators left Infinity Ward to start Respawn Entertainment, and with them they took the intelligence and innovative spirit of the series. What was left were the bones of a great series left to be recast by two back to back developers who would futilely attempt to revamp the series again and again. The last great Call of Duty was Modern Warfare 2, and since them fans have been slowly exposed to a dying series that will eventually be a parody of itself. The core of Black Ops 2 multiplayer is broken because it doesn't not deal with fundamental aspects of fun and gameplay. The maps are chicken scratch attempts at creating an adrenaline fueled rat maze with no sense of intelligent direction. The spawns are absolutely horrid: spawn can often be a throw of the dice to see whether you manage to live or die. Finally, the lag in this game is still at a lower level than the MW1 and MW2 variations, the lag still puts you into that situations where you thought you had the jump on a guy, but the killcam reveals that you didn't even pull up your gun. Without addressing these core issues, the series is slowly withering away its hardcore fans, and eventually the rest of the community will start to catch on. Treyarch is a shady mom and pop used car sales lot who will praise the paint, but refuse to fix the engine.

    If the gun classes were balanced, the online gameplay fixed, and the maps completely redesigned with strong team deathmatch gameplay I would be inclined to give this game at least an 8 or a 9.    … Expand
  2. iTRYPOD
    Nov 14, 2012
    4
    Boring! MP is complete garbage,zombies is the same and the campaign is meh at best. I have been a huge fan of the series but now i'm done! The fun factor doesn't exist in this game.
  3. Scardij
    Nov 16, 2012
    4
    The whole point of Call of Duty is the online. That's pretty much why it's bought anymore. The only problem is that Treyarch can't overcome the fact that Call of Duty online is always poorly done. I've been playing Call of Duty games online since COD2. Black Ops 2's online is terrible. It just is. They implement lag compensation that punishes good connections and rewards bad. The submachine guns, like in every CoD, are obscenely overpowered to the point the other types are useless. They put in a new tactical grenade called the shock charge. For some reason, they felt the need to make it combine every feature of every grenade: can't move, does some damage, blinds you, and can be set in a spot to be triggered by passer-by. Probably the biggest problem is the map design. Every map leans towards the people who play Call of Duty by sitting in one spot where you're almost unkillable. Windows, random sandbags, boxes, upper floor buildings, etc. are all spots where only the tip of your head is able to be seen, while you can see everything, and they are literally at every corner. All-in-all, the online is dumbed down some more to appeal to the people who are no good at games in general.… Expand
  4. ReFfErReD
    Nov 17, 2012
    4
    Black ops 2 has lost its touch! black ops 1 multiplayer was all about, tactics, less crowded maps, proper gameplay, fun and its fair... Black ops 2 copies what modern warfare is! which isn't the trade mark of black ops! black ops 2 mutiplayer has no balance, all weapons are super powered even hand guns, I always loved black ops 1 I never played Modern Warfare Multiplayer coz its too crowded and poor gameplay, no tactics just shoot and kill and sadly to say so is black ops 2!… Expand
  5. DrDangles
    Nov 18, 2012
    4
    Hello, Firstly I would like to express my disappointment with the release of Black Ops 2. I have owned and played every Call of Duty title since the very first. I have bought every DLC and every game. I know and (used to love) the entire series. Black Ops 2 has reverted back to previous editions of the series. I dont understand how you can go back on adaptations of the mechanics that made things better. My biggest complaint is about the Hardcore game play. Where is ricochet? Why are we back to team kills? Why are there only 4 game modes for Hardcore? Most if not all the game modes have been around in Hardcore at one time or another. The layout of almost every screen, starting from after the start up screen, looks overly complex and doesnt flow. The equipment load out screen and system needs revising. What I dont get, and what really makes this game a disappointment is that you have all of these problems worked out in previous game releases. But you choose to ignore them and we are now playing the waiting game for you guys to fix them. It really is a let down. I was looking forward to this game. I even bought the elite edition. I feel like I was robbed. And its not about the money, hell, id pay again if you guys fixed the game!… Expand
  6. NlNJAKIWI
    Dec 3, 2012
    4
    When I heard that Treyarch was making another Black Ops I was unbelievably excited. The first Black Ops in my Opinion was the best Call of Duty to date, today I feel the same way. Ever since Call of Duty hit its peak with Black Ops the series has taken a turn for the worse and is declining at an alarming rate. I felt that when MW3 came out, Activision had begun creating the casket to lay this game to rest (I was not fond of the copy-paste job Infinity Ward did and called that … Expand
  7. Magikmike39
    Dec 17, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review is based on the multiplayer aspects of this game. The servers are horrendous. You will be migrating hosts much more frequently than any other COD game. The lag compensation is a joke. When two opposing players are fighting for a kill, you swear that you shot first and hit him 3 to 5 times. When you see the killcam, you only get one or two hits and the other guy gets off two or three shots on you and kills you instead. The maps are either too big, or way too small. Nuketown 2025 is a waste of development. It's the exact same layout as BO1. The spawning is ridiculous. Enemies spawn behind you so many times, or they spawn you in an enemies sights.

    The variety of weapons are pathetic. The gun stats in BO2 are awful. I'm an assault rifle guy, and I could barely tell any difference at all using the fully automatic assault rifles other than firing rate and accuracy. What kills me is that the last assault rifle you unlock has only average gun stats. When I work my tail off to level up, I should be rewarded with a gun that kicks butt, not a gun that has middle to below average stats. Pistols and SMGs are overpowered. Light machine guns are terrible, and take an eternity to reload. Shotguns have ridiculous range for some reason. Sniper rifles should be banned from any future COD games. Grenades/Semtex work well, but Crossbows are still as annoying as ever. I don't like the fact that you can't remove arrows or Semtex you get stuck with if you realize it just in time. You're able to throw back grenades other people send at you, so why aren't you able to do this? When it tells you "Stuck", it might as well say "Bye Bye". Finally, the tomahawk and knife melee. If you include weapons that cause instant death in a video game, the death better make sense! The tomahawk shouldn't be an instant kill if it just hits you, especially if it's been thrown from over 50 feet away. I'm not a game designer, but even I know how obnoxious that is. If it hits you in the head, I can understand. The knife melee, a simple knife swipe to a player shouldn't mean instant death. Maybe give him a few seconds after getting swiped to stay alive before dying. Also, when I do the knife melee on someone directly in front of me, it almost always misses. On killcams, the knife melee sometimes looks like it's missing the target, but hits anyway, which is complete BS.

    On to the Scorestreaks. Some of them are upgraded versions of what we already know. But, they got rid of the best part of BO1. I'm talking about if you didn't use your Killstreak reward before restarting a new Killstreak, it stacked up. I loved when I had 3 RC-XDs and used them all within a couple minutes. In this game, if you don't use your Scorestreak rewards and start a new one, you lose the rewards you previously had. Some Scorestreaks are extremely cheap, When a Lightning Strike Scorestreak is activated, you get no time at all to get to cover because the command lets you know almost right after the bombs drop. When a Napalm Strike killstreak is activated in BO1, you get a command and around 3 seconds to get to cover before it hits. In BO2, you're pretty much screwed when Lightning Strike is activated. Also, when Lightning Strike or Hellstorm Missiles are activated, sometimes even if you are indoors, it still kills you. Treyarch, you didn't program destructive environments in this game, so this shouldn't happen. The UAV has been severely nerfed, it's only up for barely 10 seconds, and is almost always destroyed by the opposition within about 5 seconds. The absolute worst Scorestreak is the attack dogs. Why is it when a dog jumps you it's instant death? Give the player a fighting chance when it jumps you to shake it off or knife melee it, but don't make it instant death. There are better options for Scorestreaks other than dogs. You know how in the loading screens, it says, "A well timed knife strike will kill an incoming attack dog"? With the knife melee almost useless now, it's nearly impossible.

    The Perks, along with the Custom Class system have been changed for the worse. They have introduced Wild Cards which you can use to double up on Perks 1, 2, and 3, add another attachment to your primary weapon, etc. This would have been great, but there's just one problem, you can only have 10 items in a class, and the Wild Cards count towards your 10 items. What kind of sense does that make? The Wild Card isn't an actual item you carry! Also, you can only carry one type of lethal/tactical equipment, which is a downgrade from all the other games before this. You were able to carry grenades and claymores/bouncing betties before, why change now? The only good thing they did is that the Ghost Perk can make you invisible from UAV only when you're moving now. Stop releasing these games every year, Activision. Spend more than a year of development on it to iron out the problems to make this an experience to remember, and not one to throw out the window.    … Expand
  8. Gixxer
    Dec 29, 2012
    4
    Where to start on this one? The campaign of this game is fun with different endings depending on your choices but regardless of that it doesn't have a story that tempts you into playing the campaign for more than an hour at a time. And after you finish the campaign you'll have no desire to play it again.
    If you play games purely singleplayer then there are far superior games on the market    .
    Zombie mode is disappointing, there isn't much variation between the maps or combat situations and it gets boring to fight off the same horde of exactly the same zombies for longer than 15 minutes.
    Multiplayer however is where this game disappoints the most.
    The maps are the worst i've encountered in any Call of Duty game, with head glitching and camping spots galore. On top of that there's not much room in the maps for flanking the enemy without getting taken out by headglitchers armed with shock charges and bouncing betty's. And since the killstreaks are now more difficult to get, people camp even more trying to get a stealth chopper in the air.
    The spawn system is horribly random, too often you will find yourself scratching your head wondering why you spawned right in front of your enemy or why you spawned at the enemies flag in the domination game mode.
    The lag compensation system however is where this game truly falls flat on it's face, this was also a problem in MW3 from time to time but it was more rare than in Black Ops 2. Way too often will you shoot a guy full of bullets only to have him turn on you and kill you almost instantly. Every Call of Duty game on console had lag compensation but in this game it's completely screwed. Activision makes hundreds of millions of dollars annually with this franchise, you'd think it wouldn't be a big effort to host dedicated servers for this game..
    The gun balance in the game also lacks, well balance.. The SMG's are the way to go, they easily overpower most if not every other weapon in the game at almost all ranges.
    And yes, it still has the Quake 4 graphics engine with some modifications..
    Combine all this and you have a very lackluster game. I can't believe Treyarch developed a game for two years only to come up with this over hyped disappointment of a video game.
    Not only that, this game does not feel like Black Ops at all, it feels like a modded Modern Warfare game. Black Ops 1 was a superior title, not only in gameplay but also when it comes to originality and general atmosphere of the game, you put up with it's flaws because it was fun to play.
    This game however, is not. Why critics give this game such a high score is beyond me, because Black Ops 2 runs the franchise further into the ground instead of giving it a breath of fresh air. Steer clear of this one people, you will lament wasting your money on this.    … Expand
  9. Piecefighter
    Dec 31, 2012
    4
    This game is so lame and tired, the graphics are dated, it's just not fun any more! Maps are so small, spawns are terrible, sound effects are muddy. Now get to work making a game for the next platform! HINT: Maps need to be larger with more vertical variety (terrain or buildings), spawns need to be more varied and spread out, graphics need to have more texture and make maps with interesting settings that combine all aspects of terrain and construction, kick sound in when you go into a factory, etc., have things moving, hell put innocent people in that takes points off your team when you kill em, just do something better than this!… Expand
  10. Versonic
    Jan 3, 2013
    4
    Call of duty: Black ops 2 takes the action to the future. however it still feels like i'm playing a game in the past.
    Firstly the campaign is like always, just there so they can make the game. they really don't put any effort into the game. all they are looking to get out is the multiplayer and the zombies. So multiplayer is as always, the same spray and pray. however they do add a point     system instead of a kill streak which makes it more objective run this time, this is not good though because you find yourself being bombed every couple of minutes. Zombies was ruined in every way possible. they took the the simple fun and turned it into a mess of building turbines and being downed in one hit due to the poor knifing system, its ridiculous.

    Would i play this or any other cod? yes. any other game? no    … Expand
  11. chishket33
    Jan 6, 2013
    4
    The single player on this game is absolutely top notch, as are all of the other CoD's campaigns are. But the multiplayer on this particular game, is one of the worst multiplayer experiences i have ever been in. Its crummy, boring and it ALWAYS feels as though you are dying first even after shooting first, and after trading it in 2 weeks after i purchased it, i am NOT regretting getting rid of it, as it is the worst CoD in the whole of the series.… Expand
  12. liabProductions
    Jan 14, 2013
    4
    A fun game at times but the multiplayer is nothing new and gets boring after a day or two. The campaign is a bit entertaining but the only time you get to use new gadgets is normally once and is to just get to the next objective. If you're lucky you'll get 20 seconds with your new gadget. Anyway, bad campaign and a bad multiplayer. The Zombies mode is alright but soon gets boring seeing as there is basically only one map.… Expand
  13. Sgtkeebler
    Feb 5, 2013
    4
    this game kind sucks now. dont get me wrong I will still play it. Whenever I want to play a spray and kill type game. BO2 has become so reptitive, its starting to get boring. The single player missions were so short because Tryarch was just concentrated on the multiplayer. There is really nothing to it just be the first person to pull the trigger and you got yourself a kill. I still like playing it, but its time for a new way to play the game if that makes sense.… Expand
  14. Caged_Sephiroth
    Feb 17, 2013
    4
    Basically the same as every other Call of Duty game, but half of it is set in the future. Too samey for me to give anything more than a 5. But I have to knock a point off for the fact it has been dumbed down to the point where anyone with half a brain can finish Veteran mode. Enjoyable for a few hours, but it's nothing you haven't played before. Developers are milking fans for all they're worth.
  15. TheRanter
    Feb 23, 2013
    4
    I give this game a 4. The reasons are simple. The Campaign mode seems great, although I will admit I haven't gotten all the way through it yet. The main reason for my giving this game a 4 is Multiplayer. It's horrible. The hit detection sucks, I can not tell you how many times I've shot someone only to not have it count. Another reason is the damage system seems wholly inconsistent to me. For example: sometimes I can kill a person with 3 shots from a pistol, other times I empty the whole clip only to end up being killed by them whilst reloading. Keep in mind I'm getting hit indicators the whole time. Another reason is I have had many, many people just walk straight past my claymore mines without taking any damage (I watch the killcam). It's just not done well. I'd recommend the Original Doom over this game.… Expand
  16. GrandTrollArmy
    May 3, 2013
    4
    Better than Modern Warfare 3 and not a total copy and paste, this game still falls short of a 60 dollar price tag. The non-linear campaign is appreciated, but there's no real way for players to think strategically on how to make the right choices that will contribute to a better ending. Simple incidents in the story that players could have not foreseen in any way render a previous decision that may have seem good at the time a bad one. It is also the longest campaign in any COD game ticking in at 7-8 hours, but that's first run through, it is well under 4 hours in replays. Multiplayer, ah, multiplayer... IT IS THE EXACTLY THE SAME! OOOOHHH LOOKY HERE NEW PICK 10 SYSTEM SUDDENLY IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS GAMES! It feels, plays, and even looks exactly the same as all the other games. And I know this is a Xbox 360 review section, but the PC version also does not feature dedicated servers players can rent and own. This will become a problem later in this game's cycle. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is still thriving on PC will a large amount of players due to dedicated servers allowing players to customize their experience.

    Multiplayer is just go in, shoot the other players, and get out. They add tons of new game modes this year but most are overly complicated so no one's playing those and some are way too simple that they're down right boring. And multiplayer is INFECTED with 12 and under little kids. There is an average of 240,000 players playing this game's multiplayer on the Xbox 360, subtract all those under the age of 12, and you get the PC player count which is around 12,00-15,000. Multiplayer is boring and is poorly executed. Weapon customization is strong though.

    Zombies mode returns in Black Ops 2 but once again, it proves to be nearly identical to the previous games. Just sit there and wait for the zombies to come, shoot them and kill them until one magically pops out and kills you and that's it. TranZit is neat but really, really gets boring after you played it once. And don't even get me started on Grief mode. No one is playing Grief because it is down right boring. The trailers made grief look like it was going to kick-ass but after I managed to find one match, I found it quite boring.

    Just don't buy this game. Call of Duty is not what it used to be. Activision needs to step up their game, work with new developers and add real innovation to upcoming games, the developers need to take their time and not rush to get in before November.

    COD:

    Children's
    Online
    Daycare    … Expand
  17. BoredEasily
    Mar 10, 2013
    4
    By far the worst of the Call of Duty games, Graphics are actually worse than the previous 2. My favourite is Black Ops, so i was hoping this would be great but unfortunately it went on eBay within a week of buying.
    Only thing that was a slight improvement was the Zombies Tranzit mode. But £40 just for a new zombies mode is a bit ridiculous
  18. Auritone
    Apr 22, 2013
    4
    Ah, the Call of Duty franchise… What can be said about it which hasn’t been said so many times by so many people? It’s seems to be a franchise which continues to divide the waters of gamers: You either love it or hate it. There really doesn’t seem to be any middle ground on this one.
    So where do I personally stand?
    My problem with this particular FPS franchise lies very much with the dev     the developer, Treyarch, the overprotecting parents of game developers. Treyarch seems to live in constant fear of relinquishing some of their control of the game to the player, leading to one of the most scripted and linear shooter franchises on the market, at least up to this point. One notable thing about Black Ops 2 is that there are attempts from Treyarch to give more control to the player, but then it seems like they regretted their decision and pulls the players right back where they want them.
    One notable example of this is in Afghanistan where you have to stop a Russian assault with heavy armour, helicopters and infantry while on horseback. This initially seems like opening up for a bigger area with more freedom of movement and ways to take out the tanks and helicopters. However, this turns out just to be show, because in fact the whole stage isn’t as big as it would have you believe, there are really no options as to how to approach taking out the tanks and helicopters, and if you try to stray just a little bit, you are without warning killed off for going off the map.
    It seems like Treyarch tried a more open level design, but then thought better of it, making the player feel like a dog who just got a longer leash. Surprised by this it starts to run to stretch its legs only to get pulled back with a neck breaking jerk.
    Another attempt are a couple of tactical Strike Missions, which try to blend some real-time strategy into the franchise as well as giving the single player campaign a multiplayer “feel”. Now, this would have been a welcomed addition if it had been executed better than it actually is.
    The problem is twofold: First of all the strategy is extremely simplistic, leaving you with only four different squads at your command, and only being able to tell them where they to go using a quite useless overhead tactical map which I never used. You can then jump into any individual squad member and control it, whether a soldier, a gun turret, a rolling gun turret, or a small, slow walking tank. And this leads to the second problem: The AI. You get more out of just going commando on the enemy and try to do the tasks yourself, than rely on the orders given to your squads, as they will be killed off faster than a sloth on the MI5. On several occasions I have also seen squads taking the longest, and most enemy infested route possible to the destination I had set for them, resulting in them getting massacred in seconds.
    These strike missions are fortunately optional, but they are still frustrating to play.
    Other than that there really is nothing new in the single player campaign which, as usual for the franchise, is as short as ever and plays out more like a Michael Bay movie than anything else, though the cutscenes and set-pieces are as spectacular as ever.
    What really gets to me with this franchise is Treyarch’s reluctance to let go of the player’s hand. At one point you are on the side of a cliff, swinging on a line with you buddy using "high-tech gloves of the future" to stick to the side. Now, rather than actually letting the players do it on their own and actually climb around on a cliff surface, the whole thing is done with a tedious quick-time event.
    The following section which sees you gliding over mountains could have been a lot of fun, if it weren’t for the fact that it might as well have been set in a tunnel, as straying even a few meters too far from Treyarch’s very short leash will result in a restart.
    It's the same story with the "stealth". As usual you are left blindly playing "follow the leader", failure to do so results in you being discovered even if in cover.
    And that’s really my whole problem with the franchise and Black Ops 2. There are so many things which could have been so cool if you were just allowed to actually DO it.
    I like just a minimum of freedom and a minimum of control in my games and this franchise gives me neither.
    It treats the player like a little child learning how to cross a street, and never ever at any time does it let go of the player’s hand, squeezing it to a point of stopping blood circulation.
    That said, the multiplayer is still quite solid (if you liked it before) with a new league feature and other additions. The Zombies are back, but this time they are actually the most boring and quite ugly part of the game
    So other than the Strike Missions, Black Ops 2 is very much business as usual.
    If you like the franchise you won’t be disappointed, and if you like me don’t see what all the fuss is about… well, you still won’t.    … Expand
  19. NewVegasGod
    Apr 11, 2013
    4
    They need to learn that they can only re-release the same game so many times before people start to take notice.

    There's nothing wrong with the CoD formula (except a rather short and mediocre campaign, but Black Ops 2 did a little better at that aspect) it's just that they keep release game after game, year after year, barely changing anything. And they're releasing another this year. I    t needs to stop. Now.… Expand
  20. Enforcer122
    Apr 16, 2013
    4
    Man, this was really disappointing. I can see what they were trying to do, and I respect that and understand it. But I just couldn't get in to this game. The campaign was very poor, zombies was an improvement but still not great and the multi player was more of the same. The campaign like I said, was the poorest I've played in COD history. I was just utterly confused throughout and it was a pain to play at times.… Expand
  21. vintagegamer16
    Apr 19, 2013
    4
    is this a call of duty game? yes. does it play like call of duty yes! is that a bad thing? well.....in my and many others opinion...YES!! they have been using the same formula since modern warfare 1! now yes of course they have added extremly minor new features, yes i get that. the only thing this game is truly good for honestly is its zombies mode.
  22. Maxim1925
    May 18, 2013
    4
    This game is not an AAA fps-shooter its only an arcade Xbox shooter with an outdatded old crap engine And ugly graphics and a short,boring Classic story but the multiplayer content is even better.But a month later is became boring.Now I think its only 4 out of 10.
  23. 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...
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. JamieMadrox85
    Dec 2, 2012
    3
    If i had to sum up my feelings about this game in four words it would be "More of the same". The campaign is mediocre at best. The multiplayer is the same multiplayer you have played in the last 4 call of duty games. Yes, there are a few changes to the core systems but its not anything groundbreaking by any means. I've officially decided that i won't be purchasing any future call of duty games, the gaming industry right now is in desperate need of innovation. I'm getting incredibly sick and tired of seeing numbered sequels to everything.… Expand
  30. Ideclarewar901
    Dec 29, 2012
    3
    I am SO glad i did not pay for this game. YES! I went and instead i rent it. I AM GLAD I DID. Saved money. This game is an ABOMINATION. The Graphics are as good as a Free-To-Play Shooter on PC, they are WAY OUT-DATED, ALOT of graphical Bugs, the Campaign Story is absolutely HORRIBLE. The Gameplay is ordinary at best. Nothing fresh, nothing new. The same crap Activision tried to sell to Kids each year. The Multiplayer is SO MUCH uncomplete, it's even more horrible. This game is like an Add-On Pack (Or Map Pack) for Call of Duty: Black Ops, i do not know why Treyarch are called Game Developpers, because they are horrible. Want Ideas on Good Shooter Games? Go check out Far Cry 3, Battlefield 3, Rainbow Six: Patriots (Coming in 2013) and even better... Wait for Battlefield 4. DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF CRAP SOFTWARE, you've been warned. COD is NOT what it USED TO BE anymore.… Expand
Page:

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
See all critic reviews »