Pulling out the stops for Black Ops.

     The smell of fresh gun powder is in the air. The sounds of explosions, gunshots, and angry 12 year olds screaming online echo in my ears. That's right, a new addition to the Call of Duty series is upon us. This little ole' blog is going to be my impressions on Call of Duty Black Ops. Now I haven't beaten the campaign or reached top rank online yet. I know that's shocking isn't it? I just want to talk about what I think of the game so far. So here it goes...

      
     Let's talk about the campaign. Currently I am on the fourth mission and I must say I am loving this game. The voice acting is top notch and the graphics aren't anything to brush off either. Lighting effects and textures look very good in my opinion. I did notice a very slight lag in one or two parts of the game. It wasn't anything major though. The campaign feels like it came straight from a blockbuster movie. There are plenty of explosions, car chases, and of course gun battles. Any action flick fan would be in heaven here. You feel like you're part of an action movie where you (as the main character) kick butt and chew gum...and yes, you're all out of gum.

     
     Now onto the online portion. Like the campaign I am not very far into the rankings yet. At the moment I am only to rank 6. So I know there is tons more to unlock and gain from where I stand at this point. So far I am having fun with the multiplayer. There is much to the game play that is familiar from Modern Warfare 2, but the new additions gives it that fresh coat I think was desperately needed. I love the fact that you can customize the look of your character. The rpg fan in me is all giddy over this! 

     
     I'm not quite sure how I feel about the new credits system. As you kill other players, complete challenges, and other various tasks you earn credits to buy new weapons, attachments, kill streaks, and other things. I can see how this is good because it really causes you to put some thought into what you really want and what can be put on the back burner. It may also cut down on everyone having a freaking grenade launcher attached to their gun...but probably not!

     
     I did notice some of the same old tricks and annoyances playing online though. For instance, shotguns seem to still be able to kill you with one shot from 30 feet away (slight exaggeration I know). I also ran into the always awesome instance of people hiding behind objects or in corners the entire match trying to get those cheap kills. I know this happens with any online shooter but it's still annoying. Of course the return of the zombie mode is a nice addition. All in all I am really pleased with Black Ops and am glad it's been added to my collection. Let the bullets fly and the online cursing begin!

**UPDATE on 11/29/10** Since this post I have beaten the campaign and put much more time into multiplayer. I am now confident in posting the final review of Black Ops.
Final Verdict: 10/10

Written by: Alter Ego 83