It’s Black Ops II release day so it seems only fitting that we step back two years and take a look at its predecessor. That’s right, in the second of today’s WeView double feature we’re going to look at Ghost Recon: Future Solder Call of Duty: Black Ops. I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the Call of Duty series in the world, but I actually liked Black Ops a lot. It felt fresh, interesting and told a story that seemed well thought out and pretty original. With so many games drawing ever closer together it was nice to play something that stood out a little.
It was Chris who faced down the game in our review, and he was clearly quite fond of it as well with the game coming in at 9/10. Like me he was a fan of the game’s story, and enjoyed the way that Treyarch used the game’s flashback narrative style to include a wide variety of locations. He highlighted the game’s river cruise level as being particularly good, calling it “akin to the Hollywood Vietnam blockbusters with trigger happy troops causing carnage in the jungles and villages.”
[drop2]He also praised the way it approached new ground for FPS titles, like the level where you fly in a SR-71 Blackbird and the game briefly becomes a basic RTS title. However, he did feel that every time it really started to break through into something new it pulled back from the brink to become a typical FPS title again, which is certainly a little disappointing.He also found time to comment on the game’s multiplayer, which will likely have been where many of you spent the majority of your time with the game. He was equally positive about the game here, noting that it featured “more multiplayer maps, modes and customisations than ever” and pulling out the theatre mode as a great addition to the series that would allow you “to catch glitchers red-handed, providing an incentive to play fairly,” as well its obvious benefits in simply showing off your multiplayer prowess.
Although he expressed a little disappointment at the lack of a Modern Warfare 2 style Spec Ops mode, the game’s Zombie co-op more than made up for it. He also loved the feeling of value that the game gave him, with the Zork and Dead Ops Easter Eggs really adding something to the game as a whole.
The question, as always, is whether or not you agree with him? Did you feel the game was as good as he happily says, or did you feel it fell short of other entries in the series? Was the added customisation in the multiplayer all that good, or was it not enough? What were your thoughts on the single player?
If you feel like providing the answer to those questions or just your thoughts on the game in general, then all you need to do is drop a comment below before Sunday night. Remember to add a rating on the Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It, Avoid It scale, and also remember that you can vote on what you’d like to see in next week’s WeView in our poll.
cc_star
Loved it, found it really playable and the story damn good too as the flashback narrative worked really well.
Can see where Treyarch tried to do new things, like an almost survival horror section and the super-basic RTS element from the Blackbird – although these were baby steps they’re probably under pressure to take the ‘masses’ with them rather than throw something too different into the mix and alienate people.
I’m not great at FPS online, but I played it a lot and had loads of amazingly fun games.
Easter eggs like Zork and Dead Ops just added to the main package of the campaign, multiplayer & zombies too.
Buy it, although I don’t know if the multiplayer became severely unbalanced or hacked like the earlier CoDs, but the campaign alone is worth it, if you see a good deal.
bigbaldwolf
Buy it
The story held up really well for me and I liked the characters. The multiplayer really shines in this though whether you are playing against other people or on zombies it’s a lot of fun. The longevity in the title is not in the single player but in the multiplayer that I’m sure most people who have played CoD:BO have put a lot of hours into.
stage1
Loved Black Ops. My favourite call of duty to date. Very well balanced and provides me with hours of fun.
Ed the Penguin
I’ll admit that I haven’t completed the story, as the reason I got it was purely for the multiplayer. The split-screen addition was fantastic as I could finally mix both real-worldy players with the online players. Combat training was also brilliant, it gives you a bit of time to muck about and let of steam without altering your online playercard score. Black Ops definitely had a fun factor about it that the IW-created fanboy-favourites* didn’t.
*no offence :-)
doomsday619
Definatly buy it im a single player fan wasnt intrested in online until i played this game and got hooked on the online Zombie mode.
avengerrr
Can’t say I found SP much good, zombie’s was ok but was really built for MP T_T,
Would be good if you (TSA) looked at declassified as I was one of many who thought it would be crap, along with others on a post some weeks ago.
Well I just found out today the game is actually good…..Miracle.
Bilbo_bobbins
Buy it. A well made game and one of the better CODs
Moshbag
The campaign didn’t really hold my interest for very long, but zombies was fun and the multiplayer was generally top notch, lots of variety in loadouts and the maps were mostly very enjoyable. I really didn’t like the points system for unlocking stuff though, much prefer the IW approach to levelling (which is why I’m only renting Black Ops II). I go for COD games for the multiplayer, so if that’s what you like then definitely Buy It (online activity permitting for a two year old game of course). If you’re in it for single player I can’t really comment, I get my single player enjoyment from other games.
Forrest_01
@stage1, Ed The Penguin, doomsday619 & avengerrr (if you happen to come back here for any reason!) – Don’t forget to use the grading scale of ‘Buy It’, ‘Bargain Bin It’, ‘Rent It’ or ‘Avoid It’.
Although we can generally tell by your words which camp you are in, it does make grouping a lot easier.
avengerrr
Sorry, I’d say Bargain Bin It, I bought it cheap early in the year and sold it. Only spent a tenner which is all the games are worth. Had much more fun with 4 and 5 SP/MP.
Forrest_01
Lol – No need to apologise, just helps Kris tally his banana. ;)
avengerrr
Just for additional reference, SP lacked any real meaningful characters or narrative, no cinematic technique and poor ending with a common (In any mainstream text) lack of continuity to the plot.
MP was just the same formula, I can’t really say anything wonderful because it did nothing much to add or differ. It has, and I think will always be relatively the same, why people feel the need to ‘upgrade’ as it were every year I shall never know.
Zombies was good, why? because it was unique, again can’t say it is revolutionary (had more fun with L4D2) but as an addition to the package it was good. But when loads of other games add different things (Whorde mode, forge, skirmish, terrorist hunt etc) CoD ultimately leaves them out (SP or MP). For a game so hyped and expensive shouldn’t it have more content, designed for both SP and MP so everyone can access it and enjoy the CoD formula of FPS.
Meh mini essay written again.
stage1
My bad – BUY IT! :)
bmg_123
Rent it; fun campaign but I personally find multi-player games to be too repetitive.