By this time, we all know what Call of Duty is and we all know what to expect of the ever popular franchise. Year after year, we all expect a new installment like clockwork. With yearly installments, came a lot of repetitive elements that discouraged any hype or enthusiasm from myself and other gamers. I'll tell you from now. Because of that repetitive nature, I've never been the biggest fan of Call of Duty.
The storyline takes place in the near future with Alex Mason's son, David. What I found to be the most interesting part of the story was the different ways the story can change. Similar to Dishonored, your actions have an effect on the outcome. I won't discuss much of the story, I'll leave that for you guys to experience but it's definitely one of the better storylines of the series. I will breakdown the mechanics and my multiplayer experience.
Although the core mechanics are the same. Fast paced action, quick kills, drop shots, quickscopes, responsive controls and frantic chaos. The vanilla multiplayer is still the same. However, what separates this Call of Duty from the rest is all the new features they've added to the multiplayer aspect of the game.
The new Pick 10 system is a really good idea. We've all had to make tough decisions in the past and deal with the different opportunity costs regarding what our class should consist of. With this new system, comes endless combinations for your classes. Allowing you to prioritize what you want and helping you reach your upmost killing potential. With all the different attachments, equipments and perks, a system like this was much needed.
What really drove down Call of Duty from competitive play was the pure nature of the game in my opinion. If I see you first, you are dead. There is zero chance of you turning around and taking me down. That's it. So even in professional play, the players hesitate to move around freely. There is no "run and gun" in these pro matches. So almost all of the games end up in a stalemate. Teammates are spread around the map to "hold" certain areas waiting for the other team to peak out and make a move. Even in CTF gametypes(Capture the Flag), the games would always wind down to a slow game. Which is extremely boring to watch.
However, It's the features like League play, the newly integrated casting system for the professional games and the live streaming option that really pushed Black Ops II up top for me. Treyarch have finally realized the potential of eSports and how it made games like Halo, Starcraft and League of Legends what they are today. They've supplied us with the tools and now it's up to the community to make it happen.
They've added a gametype that has been in other FPS's for years now, but really changed the flow of the game for me, which is Hardpoint. In other words, King of the Hill. So now, both teams have one designation to get to, unlike Domination where 3 flags are to be captured. The teams aren't spread around the map.
A strategy is required to infiltrate and hold the objective. Now, teams have to plan their attack to flank or overcome the opposition whilst the other team has to defend this objective and callout the enemies. This is a major step up for competitive play. Because in Domination or CTF, both teams had something to defend and attack simultaneously. Where in Hardpoint, everyone is focused on one single objective. Should be interesting.
My experience was based on early online play. So it may be subject to change but there is one thing I am pretty sure about it. The submachine guns are definitely the class to chose from. With range almost as good as the assault rifles and with an intense rate of fire and damage. I don't have any assault rifles in my custom classes. I have two snipers and two SMG's. I'm sure they will definitely adjust this issue post-launch. But for now, trust me. Invest in SMG's before they get nerfed and raise that K/D.
The Zombies mode, probably almost as popular as the game's multiplayer could be a standalone game of its own. Treyarch have really made the mode have an identity of its own. Tranzit, a fully fledged Zombies campaign that can be easily sold as its own. The Zombies mode in Black Ops II is much more than the typical "what's-your-highest" round game style. They've introduced Grief, pitting two teams against each other in a race to see who can outlast the other. Finally, the fan favorite Survival mode is back. The maps will be based from the Tranzit mode but on a smaller scale. If you're a Zombies fan, it's pretty definite that Black Ops II will be your favorite one to date.
All in all, I definitely recommend the game. For all you Call of Duty haters, trust me I hear your plea. I'm not the biggest fan either, but if you used to enjoy Call of Duty and got tired of its repetitive nature like myself. Black Ops II is a much needed breath of fresh air. For the veteran fans out there, there are a lot of new weapons and perks to be abused and exploited and you probably don't need to hear it from me but this game will definitely keep you entertained.