Call of Duty: Black Ops Review

You've seen the ad campaign. You've heard about the zombie mode. You've eagerly waited to get your hands on the multiplayer. But was the wait worth it? With this being the seventh iteration of the Call of Duty name can Black Ops stand up to the rest? There are a couple of answers, and you will be hard pressed to find a consistent answer from the gaming community. Although the game does suffer from some problems, mostly in single player, Black Ops offers a gaming experience that will leave fans of the series pleased, newcomers shell shocked and online headshot hunters yelling... well, you know.

Because of the variety of the game players should consider 4 areas of the review: Single Player, Multiplayer, Zombie Mode and finally the overall score, which combines these modes of gameplay. Goat Fu gives this game an overall score of 3.5 out of 5 hooves.

Single Player
It is important to distinguish between multiplayer and single player with this game. They are so different, and that turns out to be a good thing. You play Alex Mason, a black ops operative who is the best there is. (Will they ever make a game where you are the worst there is, or an average guy who just wants to make it home alive? Probably...) Warning: If you don't like spoilers I will try to avoid them, but there is a good chance parts of the plot will come out at this point. Don't say I didn't warn you.


As you sit strapped in a chair with an IV in your arm and a strange man asking questions you flash back to your illustrious career as "the best." The missions are really well done, in fact one could argue that Vietnam has never looked so good in a game. The story is pretty great too. It took me some time to get into, but when it was all said and done I can honestly say I enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed Modern Warfare 2. Here's where the problem lies...

Single player is nothing short of linear. "How is that any different from previous Call of Duty games?" you might ask. Good question. In most cases even combat decisions are carefully chosen in advance by the game, not the player. Choosing a difficulty at the beginning is merely a formality, as putting it on hard only scolds you even more for not choosing the path deemed most correct by the level design.

After all of this one might think you would hate the single player, but that would not be true. Although I didn't feel like I was in control of my own fate most of the time, one almost has to consider the single player more passive entertainment than the immersive combat scenario players have come to expect from such games as Crysis or Half-Life 2. (You could argue that Half-Life 2 was just as linear, but it just did SUCH a better job of immersing you into the world instead of wondering, "Ok I wonder what the next level looks like...")

Goat Fu Single Player Score: 3 out of 5 hooves.

Multiplayer
Many players will come to this game just for the multiplayer, some might not even give the campaign a glance. (No judgment here) I had the campaign nearly completed and needed a break from the cold war, so I decided to see if the multiplayer added up to meet or exceed the expectations of MWF2. By the time I logged in to the first available ranked server there were already level 28 players running around flaunting their kill streak awards and shiny new guns. And I can honestly tell you nearly a week later the thirst for more has gotten worse.

The good news is it wasn't hard to grab one of the premade classes and get to fragging. Actually it's your only option at first - you don't get to unlock customizable classes until level 5. This part is actually similar to MWF2, with the key difference being in the points system. Like before you earn experience to level up, but this time you also earn points that you can spend on new equipment, kill streak upgrades, new perks and much more. Tactical equipment like a sentry camera and motion sensors make for some interesting class combinations and turns the online battlefield a fun place to explore. While it may seem like there are too many options for things to spend points on, it actually turns out to be a blessing rather than a curse because you can focus a lot more on what works for you. Don't want to get the iron sights for that pistol because you never use them? Don't. You can also bet points in wager matches where the opportunity to win big, and cry bitter tears of loss, is huge.

Besides regular perks, customization is the name of the game. Players can create unique logos with different layers, as well as a unique clan tag that can both be placed on the side of your weapon. (Players who pick up your weapon when dropped will see your unique tags.) In addition players can unlock individual camo for their gun as well as a slew of face paint. Not only that, each tier 1 perk creates a different overall look for your avatar. I cannot stress how much just the customization alone adds to this game.

The maps are brilliant. At first I was taken aback because they felt smaller than MWF2 and other online shooters I played, and certainly they do feel different. They are so well designed however that this sense of pixel induced claustrophobia went away quickly. One map is the kind of fake town you'd see during a test drop of a nuclear bomb, with mannequins inhabiting the homes, park benches and sidewalks of a landscape straight out of Pleasantville. In another a nuclear bomb literally launches while you run around the map - get caught in its fiery wake and you become fiery fallout.

There is a lot to do, and so much to explore. If this was your sole reason for picking up this game you won't be let down as there is even more opportunity for customization than before and plenty of surprises in store. I won't spoil too much for you, but the first time you see a remote controlled car with a blinking green light speeding toward you, you should run after you are finished laughing.

Goat Fu Multiplayer Score: 4 out of 5 hooves.

Zombie Mode
I put this in its own category because it's so different than the rest of the game. If you are thinking of Call of Duty meets Left 4 Dead prepare for disappointment. That's not to say this isn't good, clean zombie mayhem, it just lacks the polish of a game like L4D. The premise is you are trapped in a house and zombies are breaking in. (At least for the first unlocked level) You and your teammates have to find a way to turn on the power and survive wave after wave of zombie attacks. Mostly this mode is a fun distraction from regular multiplayer and single player and generally lacks the polish of the other game modes, but it's fun nonetheless.

P.S. I would be remiss to not mention the zombie arcade mode you can unlock. ::SPOILER:: When sitting in the chair in the main menu of single player, repeatedly tap space bar to free yourself from the chair. Wander around the room until you find the computer, when you get to the command prompt type in "DOA" to unlock this mode from the zombie mode menu. Fun will commence.

Goat Fu Zombie Mode Score: 2 out of 5 hooves.