Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer

By Nick Cowen Published 2 September, 2010

Mission accomplished?

The developers at Treyarch must be feeling immense pressure right now. They have to be, when one considers the environment Call of Duty: Black Ops is about to land in. To start with it's the latest instalment in what has now become a world-conquering franchise. Its predecessor broke international sales records and also placed itself firmly on the mainstream's radar with the "No Russian" level. Talk to 10 people who have no interest in videogames and it's likely that, along with GTA, Pac-Man, Mario and Sonic, they'll have heard of Call of Duty.

Second there's the pressure to compete, not just with Modern Warfare 2 but with some of the genre's biggest franchises in the run-up to Christmas. By the time Black Ops trundles out of the gate in November, both Halo: Reach and Medal of Honor will be jostling for position at the cash register. Last year, MW2's closest competitors quietly and considerately removed themselves from the festive retail window. This year no one's being that polite.

Finally, there are the expectations of Activision. With Infinity Ward going dark after losing key personnel, Black Ops is Treyarch's ticket to the big leagues and the developer knows that it doesn't just need to hit one out of the park - it needs to put it into orbit. For better or worse, the game's multiplayer mode will play a key part in whether it's able to do this.

More on Call of Duty: Black Ops

While MW2 was rightfully criticised for the length and lunacy of its campaign mode, its multiplayer is looked at by many as the gold standard in military-themed FPS shooters. Treyarch needs to go one better than that, so let's get the obvious question out of the way first: how does Black Ops's multiplayer stack up next to Modern Warfare 2's online battleground?

As it turns out, very respectably. The core gameplay is based on a modified version of the World at War engine, so you should feel right at home. The controls are customisable and the intuitive target-lock makes a return, so yes, you can still quick-scope with sniper rifles. The HUD is very similar to other COD games. Two notable differences are the addition of demarcated squares on the map (handy for telling team-mates where the enemies are) and the fact that the screen isn't caked in blood when you get shot, so you can actually see what you're doing.

Players still have a ton of customisation on offer in terms of killstreaks, perks, equipment, skins and an arsenal of weapons, which are period specific to the Cold War. Players can create classes which utilise any number of combinations of these different aspects and the more they play online, the more XP they earn, which results in promotions and unlocking more content.

The match types are familiar, as is the construction of the maps, if not their outward appearance. The four environments available at tonight's preview event tick all the usual COD boxes - multiple entries to each room, narrow stretches between buildings, plenty of balconies and high points to snipe from - but all are varied enough to offer different tactical advantages to players.

"Cracked" is set in a rundown shantytown in Vietnam, "Summit" takes place in a military facility on a mountaintop and "Radiation" is basically a nuclear power station. The best of the four is "Launch", where the action plays out in a missile facility as a missile is about to take off; at one point in the battle, the room myself and two opponents were in was engulfed in flames as the rocket fired its boosters.

So far, so Call of Duty. Still, Treyarch has some tricks up its sleeve and the most impressive of these is how Black Ops will satisfy multiplayer veterans while managing to attract players who previously had no interest in online play.

To lure in the uninitiated, Treyarch has included a mode called Combat Training. Here players square off against computer-controlled bots in online match-types using multiplayer maps. It's a good way to give novices a crash course in COD's online mode; they can play solo or with friends (in local or online co-op) and they toggle the difficulty of the AI from accessibly easy to insanely hard. It still may be no substitute for the real thing - we don't know if the AI camps, for example - and it uses a completely independent rank progression, but it's certainly a way to make the experience of jumping into your first online match less intimidating.

COD fans will probably have little use for Combat Training though - beyond testing the difficulty of the AI or for when the internet goes down - and are more likely to concentrate on Black Ops' new content. The loadout screen offers a couple of new and interesting additions; apart from the new weapons, there's some new equipment such as motion sensors and camera spikes, both of which can be used remotely to pick out opponents on the map.

There are also a couple of new perks (such as Flak Jacket, which reduces damage from explosions) mixed in with old ones (Sleight-of-Hand, Scavenger), while others have been renamed and re-catogorised (for Cold-Blooded, read Ghost). What's more, Category 1 perks now influence the player's appearance in the game. For example, players armed with Scavenger are carrying tons of equipment while those who pick Flak Jacket look like bomb disposal experts. It's a nice cosmetic touch, but it also makes the player's primary perk obvious to their online opponents.

The killstreaks are a mixture of new and old. Some are re-skinned versions of their MW2 counterparts (UAV is now Spy Plane) some are slightly tweaked (instead of a Predator Missile you have a remote controlled RC-XD) and some are completely new (such as SAM Turrets and Napalm Attack).

There are also a couple of new, nasty pieces of hardware available from care packages: The Grim Reaper, a satisfyingly brutal chaingun, and The Death Machine, a high-powered RPG. In the build we played the killstreaks only went as high as 13 - which produced a Gunship - so it's too soon to tell if Treyarch has removed the Nuke. The Death Streaks, however, have disappeared - presumably because Treyarch feels that Combat Training is enough of a concession for newbies.

Black Ops also boasts its own currency system. Every time players take part in an online battle they gain COD Points (CP), much in the same way they earn XP. However, unlike XP, CP can be spent as and when the player sees fit, and effectively removes linear progression from the unlockables.

What once was only unlocked by progression is now for sale. If a player wants a high-level perk, killstreak, weapon or skin, they can buy it provided they've earned enough CP. They can also invest CP by purchasing time-limited challenges called Contracts, which once completed award more CP or XP or both. The Contracts themselves are divided into three categories: Mercenary, (which award players for kills and using killstreaks), Operation (which reward players for doing well in team-based matches) and Specialist (unique or unusual challenges). The harder the contract challenge is, the bigger the payoff.

Players can also gamble CP in Wager Match mode. In these high-tension affairs, players can ante up in four different online match-types for a bigger payoff. Those who finish in the top three positions get a share of the pot and the rest go home empty-handed.

To prevent dishonest souls from farming CP, all the Wager Matches are Free-For-Alls and so opponents are randomly selected. The match types are all designed in a way to ratchet up the tension to nail-shredding levels. First up is One-In-The-Chamber, in which players are armed with a knife and a handgun with one bullet in it. If they manage to take out an opponent, they receive another bullet. If they miss with the gun they only have a melee attack.

Next is Sticks and Stones. Players enter the match with a crossbow, a ballistic knife and a Tomahawk. If a player manages to kill an opponent with the Tomahawk, they bankrupt them. Gun Game forces the player to use a variety of weapons to win the match; they start with a pistol and finish on a rocket launcher. However, if another player kills them with a knife they are set back by one weapon. Then there's Sharp Shooter, in which all players starts with the same randomly selected weapon and are forced to use it for a fixed amount of time before everyone cycles to another random gun.

There are still a couple of questions left unanswered concerning killstreaks and downloadable content, but there will of course be dedicated servers for the PC version, which is sure to entice back players who were put off by the lack of this in Modern Warfare 2.

Finally, Treyarch has gone to great lengths to accommodate the more creative shooter fan. Players can customise nearly every inch of their avatar's appearance, using camo facepaint, uniform patterns and skins for their guns. They can create their own clan tags and place them on weapons. They can even change the shape of their reticule and put a smiley face on the red-dot sight. There's also a theatre (sic) mode in which players can record segments of their online battles, watch them in playback from nearly every conceivable angle and then share them online.

All told, Treyarch has produced an impressive and robust multiplayer mode, which pulls off an interesting balancing act by making concessions for entry level players while adding enough content to keep veterans glued to it until the wee hours of the morning. Whether Black Ops conquers all during the Christmas rush probably wasn't ever in doubt anyway, but the prospect of it doing so in gameplay terms too is more real by the day.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 11th November.

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About Nick Cowen

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Comments (74) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Fab4 #1 1 year ago

    "While MW2 was rightfully criticised for the length and lunacy of its campaign mode, its multiplayer is looked at by many as the gold standard in military-themed FPS shooters."

    Really? I thought its multiplayer was ridiculed for being unbalanced, even by those who enjoyed MW/WaW.

  • Skooch #2 1 year ago

    I'll take Reach Multiplayer over Black Ops MP anyday, and I'd take the campaign as well. In fact, I wonder whether to bother with Black Ops at all....

  • JensonJet #3 1 year ago

    "Last year, MW2's closest competitors quietly and considerately removed themselves from the festive retail window. This year no one's being that polite."

    Of course! It's Treyarch - Activision's performing monkeys, and Infinity Ward copiers. I doubt anyone in the industry is worried about what this company does.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 10:51

  • jidnffc #4 1 year ago

    I have one absolutely key question about something which has always made Treyarch's multiplayer better than Infinity Ward's IMO. Does it have the gametype War, which I love more than anything else any COD has ever offered?
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 11:13

  • feistycheese #5 1 year ago

    "What once was only unlocked by progression is now for sale. If a player wants a high-level perk, killstreak, weapon or skin, they can buy it provided they've earned enough CP"

    hmm, hope this is doesnt pave the way for micro-transactions, similar to what EA have done with Tiger Woods this year.

    'Spend 2000 CP to unlock so and so weapon, or alternatively buy it now for just 200 MSP/£3.00'

    Hope thats not the case, but I have a sneaky suspicion . . .

  • captainrentboy #6 1 year ago

    On Multiplayer will I still be given the wonderful opportunity of continuously playing against a bunch of level 50 players, even though I'm still a beginner. I love that, it really makes me want to stick with it, as I get killed by people with better weapons and perks time and time again. (I'll admit I haven't taken COD online since WAW, so it all might've drastically changed now)
    People can insult ole Halo all they want, but at least on its MP I very rarely feel like I've been put up against stupidly unfair opponents.

  • jtodroc #7 1 year ago

    The worst thing about MW2 is the campers. There's nothing more frustrating than getting killed by someone hiding in the corner somewhere who doesn't move until someone runs past them.

  • Gromit #8 1 year ago

    I wasn't interested, but now they have got bots in it I'm in!

    Bots vs screaming kids online is no contest.

  • smithdown #9 1 year ago

    I was dead set against getting Black Ops, after the sour taste Modern Warfare 2 left in my mouth. I sold it within a month and have had no desire to have another go.
    But this article has highlighted some interesting new content which has piqued my interest - bots, weird new modes, non-linear unlocks, customisable avatars. Still, I'll wait to see what the community says about the MP rather than picking it up day 1. I'm also hoping the singleplayer treats the Vietnam War with more respect than WAW gave WWII. A serious minded approach makes far more impact on me than a balls-out 'spectacle'.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 11:06

  • Drool #10 1 year ago

    MW2 MP is just very mainstream. No recoil, over the top killstreaks and no weapon balance. This all provides just pure blind run and gun action. I really don't understand how people can enjoy the extreme repetitive expierence after a month.

    Also, if you tag it as PC please do note the differences. The preview states it as if you'll have auto-aim on the PC as well.

  • RelaxedMikki #11 1 year ago

    Oh no.

    Much as I hate to admit it, I am now being attracted by this.

    I traded in MW2 a while back having eventually got a little bored of the gameplay and really bored of not being very competitive (after 6 months of the game being out I had played about 24 hours. I think the average playtime was a lot higher than 20 hours. Wheras I was above average for the first couple of months I soon became below average, which is a lot less fun)

    I am about ready to re-enter the fray now. Just in time for Activision to take more of my pennies. I am sure I am not alone in this...

  • richarddavies #12 1 year ago

    I realy like the thought of getting these cp points and being able to bet them on matches. Make your games more tense anyway, well or more stressful.

  • Lebowski #13 1 year ago

    This all sounds like brilliant stuff. Can't wait.

  • StarchildHypocrethes #14 1 year ago

    Looking forward to this!

    Please can you make sure Kill Streak kills don't stack please though, Mr. Treyarch, sir.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 11:19

  • Ryboy #15 1 year ago

    I think it is looking very promising indeed.

    But, time will tell. I'm going to leave it until it hits the Steam sale in the new year I think.

  • dingo75 #16 1 year ago

    I recently played this type of match (starting out with the same gun and getting better weapons after each kill) in DoD:Source.
    Fun type of game but not exactly the newest idea (how old is DoD again?).

  • Jim_Lahey #17 1 year ago

    How about a stab vest to combat the ludicrous knifing (assuming commando is still left in). This, along with many other balancing issues, is why I ditched MW2 multiplayer along time ago. Stick to BFBC2 and MW1 for multiplayer these days.

  • Huxamalay #18 1 year ago

    Looks good

    Lots of MW2 haters on here, I agree its not the best game ever but I find the multiplayer a lot of fun

  • jtodroc #19 1 year ago

    I'm not a CoD or MW hater, I still play MW2 now but the abundance of campers can be very frustrating. Its not the only problem, as someone else pointed out certain weopans are overpowered (dual shotguns etc) and there are a load of people running around with noob tubes but it hasn't stopped me playing, and enjoying, the game.

  • monty2k #20 1 year ago

    Is it me or are online shooters becoming more like RPGs? All you need is an auction house to sell off your upgraded customised weapons and this could be WoW. Having said that, I really like the idea of in-game currency and item unlocks being slightly independent of rank and experience. I'll have a month or two of Halo Reach and pick this up! I am officially sold now!

  • orangpelupa #21 1 year ago

    some curious thing i have :

    1. how is the weapon recoil, is it really almose "none" just like in the trailer?
    2. Is there limited destructible building/objects like in the trailer when some heli blow a Hut?

  • BigDannyH #22 1 year ago

    "the intuitive target-lock makes a return"

    Y'what? Was there an auto-aim on MW2 MP? I remember it in SP but my aim must be worse than I thought in if I was still shooting over people's shoulders with help!

    Let's see how he does up there without all this assistance!

  • CrispyLog #23 1 year ago

    Betting and Gun Game? Wow, counter-strike is over a decade old now and they're still stealing ideas from it!

  • Nighthawk_08 #24 1 year ago

    @captainrentboy I wouldn't say playing against any1 who was top level was unfair in cod waw. I played the game to level
    10 prestige but every time I had to restart from lvl1 I just whopped em with my svt iron site. I just think u a clearly shat at the game so stop slagging it off saying it's unfair wen it clearly isn't. MW2 on the other hand.......

  • Ron_Justice #25 1 year ago

    Wasn't interested. Interested now :C

  • INSOMANiAC #26 1 year ago

    Cant wait to be floating around the map majestically wiping out the opposition with precision headshots only for some 12 year old little cocksplurt to wipe the lot of us out with a FUCKING GRENADE LAUNCHER and then continually kill me over and over and over and over with a FUCKING ATTACK HELIPCOPTER ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH


    No thanks, COD4 was as good as the games got, all this new care package shit and the grenade launcher ruined the game for me

  • arcam #27 1 year ago

    Y'what? Was there an auto-aim on MW2 MP?

    Yes, there is.

  • The_Inquisitor #28 1 year ago

    @ jtodroc -The worst thing about MW2 is the campers. There's nothing more frustrating than getting killed by someone hiding in the corner somewhere who doesn't move until someone runs past them.
    I know, the thing is though despite them ruining your killstreak and being a pain in the neck to play against, they hardly ever win. I don't know why they bother playing that way, where's the fun.

    I hope the respawn flare will be gone or better still, fixed so two players can't hide in a corner and kill each other for perks.

  • EvilMonkey70 #29 1 year ago

    "I wasn't interested, but now they have got bots in it I'm in!

    Bots vs screaming kids online is no contest."

    I agree completely. This just made the list.

  • afghan_jones #30 1 year ago

    sounds awesome. This plus Reach = wontneedanyothergamesforfuckingages.

  • jtodroc #31 1 year ago

    @The_Inquisitor

    Yeah that's true, I run around the map like a lunatic, I might end up having more deaths than kills a lot of the time, but I'll enjoy the game a whole lot more than I would if I hid in the corner for 10 mins waiting for someone to run past. I don't understand how someone can have the patience to do that!

  • Ryboy #32 1 year ago

    "Y'what? Was there an auto-aim on MW2 MP?"

    For you fail console gayboys who can't uuunnngggghhh! aim uuunnngggghhh! becuase uuunnngggghhh! of uuunnngggghhh! your uuunnngggghhh! wank uuunnngggghhh! game pads, yes.

  • sonicyoda #33 1 year ago

    Wow, a lot of you sing a different tune in your attitudes to Activision when Call of Duty is on the table!

    Just kidding, I am not an Activision hater. If they publish a good game they can have my money. If you publish an annual revision of a game with minor improvements from the last then you won't get my money; simple.

  • mashk #34 1 year ago

    Still only on the second prestige for MW2. Looks good, but unless a cheap supermarket deal comes along, I'll pass.

  • arcam #35 1 year ago

    i dont think there has ever been auto aim in any cod mp on consoles, i might suggest that its your lack of skill...

    Every console CoD has had auto-aim (or aim-assist if you prefer). Maybe your skill isn't quite as good as you think it is :p

  • Douche #36 1 year ago

    Other than a kill cam, what can really be done to stop campers in any FPS games online matches? It utterly frustrates me, but I can't think of another workable solution.

  • arcam #37 1 year ago

    If you know where they are, RPGs, noob tubes and frag grenades :)

    Even a shotty if you can run a round a corner.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 13:23

  • Ryboy #38 1 year ago

    "its your lack of skill with a game pad"

    I play FPS's on a PC. The correct way. Hence I don't need autoaim, like you do on consoles. Did you not get that? Obviously not.

  • guernican #39 1 year ago

    "The worst thing about MW2 is the campers. There's nothing more frustrating than getting killed by someone hiding in the corner somewhere who doesn't move until someone runs past them. "

    True, it's certainly annoying the first time, but isn't that what killcam is for?

    Sniping, almost by definition, requires that you camp... or, at the very least, snap off your pair of headshots then move your ass before the two people you just killed storm over to your nice hidey hole and throw a grenade in there with you. Being killed by stationary players is frustrating, but if you're sniping and watching the rest of your team charging headlessly into the same choke point that's just accounted for all of them, that can rub you up the wrong way too.

    Hey, just looking for a little contaxt.
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 13:29

  • brazzauk #40 1 year ago

    COD frustrates the crap out of me, its unbalanced, hit detection is a joke, a dude can run through a hail of bullets and stab you, dual rangers are a joke, more glitches and exploits than most online game, a community that just whinges and moans online about camping..... the list goes on and on. Loved playing COD4 but as soon as Battlefield BC 2 hit I haven't touched it since.

    Medal of Honour interests me more at this stage but I know I will still put some time into black ops

  • tachometer #41 1 year ago

    I think I'll just play against the bots then, at least they wont call me a faggut! I hope!

  • mcreddie #42 1 year ago

    Was worried at first, but this looks like fun!

    (apart from the visible slowdown)

    :(

  • Stratix #43 1 year ago

    Interesting that they are to get rid of death streaks, I quite liked them, because everybody has a bad game from time to time, and it is nice to have something to give you a slight advantage if you are doing terrible and getting frustrated.

    Dedicated servers on PC, brilliant. What am wondering however, is does that mean PC players wont get the wager matches, because it is quite easy to all join the same server?

    Looking forward to this, looks pretty good so far.

  • NunianVonFuch #44 1 year ago

    "There are also a couple of new perks (such as Flak Jacket, which reduces damage from explosions)"

    Swing and a miss - that was in Call of Duty:World at War the last Tryarch game.

  • arcam #45 1 year ago

    There are few things more embarrassing than talking to a player online only to be told that you've been trying to talk to a software program... Counter-Strike taught me this.

  • Ryboy #46 1 year ago

    @ Stratix - "does that mean PC players wont get the wager matches, because it is quite easy to all join the same server?"

    That's a good point, very good point. But I am assuming that you have to have the currency in the first place in order to be able to enter into these fights. So, you wont be able to help your buddy get that beast of a weapon or perk by letting him kill you over and over again. Unless you are feeling very kind and you want him to have all your hard earned cash from the online arena, which I can't really see happening.

  • White_Westie #47 1 year ago

    "While MW2 was rightfully criticised for the length and lunacy of its campaign mode, its multiplayer is looked at by many as the gold standard in military-themed FPS shooters."

    Really.... multiplayer gold standard? no glitching? no camping?, where you playing a different game to me EG?

    Expect more of the same, built on the same buggy engine, with a few tweaks to try and combat it, but without a full rebuild of the multiplayer engine, the bugs are going to stay as they just cant find it all

    I Guess Eg can expect some substanital advertising for this.....
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 14:42

  • RedSparrows #48 1 year ago

    So it's CoD MP again?

    Reach is so far beyond this it's insulting.

    /pompoms

    Also, White_westie, have you not seen the numerous times EG have absolutely slated a heavily advertised game on this site? Cos I have. CONSPIRASEEE!!!
    Edited by 1 at 02/09/10 @ 14:48

  • Zaiz #49 1 year ago

    I don't understand why there's such concern about being killed by level 50 players. In CoD4 you start with the AK, the MP5, and the lovely little starter sniper, oh, and the M16, plus the M4 was easily unlocked. Those guns were certainly not bad, in fact the M4 was one of the better ARs. In MW2 the M4 was one of the best guns in the game, and you practically start with it.

  • Fab4 #50 1 year ago

    Higher level players, unless they are boosters, will probably have a better grip on the maps' layouts and choke points than newer players. It is these that make players good, not the weapons they use....in general.

  • evilrobot #51 1 year ago

    The more you read on B.O the shittier it becomes.

  • Power_n_Glory #52 1 year ago

    I’ll pass on this. Didn’t appreciate the ridiculous kill streaks for MW2. Plus it’s not really a team shooter. Everyone runs around like Rambo doing their own thing and I don’t think I’ve ever played with an organised team. I’ve never had a real tense and tight battle in this game like other shooters. You’ll always come across selfish lone wolf players in shooters but this one encourages it more and your practically a one man army with the unbalanced weapons and kill streak perks.

    I’ll get Reach when it comes out. Love Halo. Also waiting for Gears of War 3, frustrating at times but it’s more tactical and you’re better off staying with your team than playing like John Rambo. MAG was a decent idea and enjoyed that for a few months and I’ll keep an eye on Killzone 3 as well. That might be decent this time around. I’m also waiting on SOCOM. Would love to see a sequel on Rainbow Six Vegas as well.

    Plenty of options outside of MW. If you like it, great, but I can understand why people don’t like it.

  • Swe_Gamer #53 1 year ago

    the thumper is still in the game you saw it in the trailer 0.o

  • albinac #54 1 year ago

    i hope this game dose well for treyarch as they have been belittled by gamers for being in the shadow of infinity ward but i think they are a good games programmer and they will show their tallent with this one.

  • Ryboy #55 1 year ago

    @djronz (You're a DJ?! Bahahahahaha!)

    Once again, you have made everyone slightly dumber with your post and, very unsurprisingly, you missed the point completely. GamePads are slower than a mouse, which is why you need autoaim. Probably best you don't venture onto the PC, you won't be able to keep up.

  • BlackKraken #56 1 year ago

    The bots have coloured me interested, although i'll play normal online it'll be nice to have an alternative, also the ability to play split screen with mates and have bots is an awesome addition.

    It'll make it easier to convince myself NOT to go online and get incredibly angry at everything and everyone as i did on cod4 and mw2. I predict i'll play for about a week while friends are, and then never touch the onine aspect again.

  • Ryboy #57 1 year ago

    Coming from the person who wrote 'Lol ! quick! someone get ryboy a step ladder so he can climb down from his own backside!'.

    Yeah, good effort pal.

  • Soton4084 #58 1 year ago

    I lost interest in the Call of Duty franchise after MW2 and the release of the far superior Battlefield Bad Company 2. I'm more excited about the Battlefield: Vietnam DLC than this to be honest.

  • BigDannyH #59 1 year ago

    Whoops, started an argument out of nothing there.

    Still not convinced there's an auto aim on multiplayer. It's ridiculous in single player, and equally obvious (and annoying) in Red Dead and Splinter Cell etc, but usually you get the option to turn it off. Never noticed it in MW2 multiplayer?

    Also, how do the PC owners know? Do you play multiplayer on console too?

    Surely aiming with a mouse as a piece of cake? Doesn't it take the fun and sense of achievement out of it? Moving would be a bastard though.

  • local_celebrity #60 1 year ago

    I know it's the plebs' favourite, but I'm looking forward to this.

    So there.

  • Zaiz #61 1 year ago

    @Zedfrag

    Actually, those aren't always the best weapons. On PC, the M4 is vastly superior to the burst action weapons. Very important to keep that in mind. Furthermore, I laugh at your idea that CoD is the "easier" game. A good Halo player can kill just as many guys, trust me. Skill is a major factor in both games, they just operate very, very differently. Halo is more forgiving, thanks to the absurd amounts of health the shield gives.

  • muttler #62 1 year ago

    Looks really good, it's gone from maybe to defo for me. COD is always at least above averagely good anyway.

  • andromeda #63 1 year ago

    lets face it, its not really COD anymore is it.

  • Death-Jester #64 1 year ago

    As much as I love the idea of dedicated servers (which bring with them the possibility of player-made maps, mods and sillyness!), it also brings *ahem* 'alterations' to the game.

    Just as CoD:MW1 has/had servers dedicated to levelling you up with increased XP per kill, expect CoD:BO servers which give you 2x/5x/100x more CP than standard.

    Of course you only have to join those servers if you want (unless you do it by accident), and you aren't really hurting anyone by joining them (only yourself, as it takes the challenge out of unlocking weapons etc.), but it will slightly cheapen the experience for all.

  • PYF #65 1 year ago

    Judging from this preview and the vids, I'd still much rather play B:BC2.

  • elmerfudd #66 1 year ago

    wager matches sound very interesting.. the videos look good!
    Time for a change of pace!

  • dr_faulk #67 1 year ago

    You're all giving MW2 a hard time. I've played the entire CoD series starting on the PC, and MW2 has its moments. Yes, it's flawed, yes it's mainstream, but it still provides those laugh-out-loud knee-slapping moments after you've just snuck behind the enemy team and knifed 4/5 before the final member and you have a frantic "WTF DIE U BASTARD!" moment.

    I still play games for fun, not so much for 'arty' experiences that you get in a lot of new (good) indie games. MW2 delivers in that respect. Funny, at the same time I am the complete opposite when it comes to other media, such as film and books!
    Edited by 1 at 04/09/10 @ 07:05

  • Lunatic4ever #68 1 year ago

    Undeniably i had great fun with MW2. For a certain time at least. Then i noticed some falws that somehow stopped me from playing.Its chaotic,very fast.It seems like its impossible to experience Teamplay during random online matches.Everyone is rushing,everything explodes,nades fly,u die,they die. It was fun at first. Then it started sucking. I prefer Bad Company now.
    Black Ops doesnt seem to reward Teamplay as much. Looks like short fun in Multiplayer with those modes they got. But i think it will end up being like MW2. Fun for a while and then goodbye and hop to the next one.

  • Nephirion #69 1 year ago

    More FPS shovelware from a publisher thats obssessed with making money.

  • ProGrasTiNation #70 1 year ago

    Im sorry but you lost me at..(The core gameplay is based on a modified version of the World at War engine, so you should feel right at home)
    Dont you mean Cod4s game engine which has been used in all Cods since 4,which by the way is teribble & has ruined Cod gameplay to the point were now its just a pick up & play arcade shooter.Activsion use two companies to pump out the same game every year & try tell us its a 2yr develoment cycle..LOL
    If you played MW2 & are sick off whats it becme then you will get bored of Black.Ops very quickly..im a cod fan since i played 1 & i can finally say im done with it...leave it for the kiddies who want it easy i say!

  • paketep #71 1 year ago

    Well, when Infinity Ward made good games, Treyarch wasn't up to the task, and when Infinity fucked up, Treyarch again tried to emulate them and didn't quite reach.

    Paid dedicated servers is not enough, Treyarch. Server files and LAN, thank you. Now, go stand in the corner with DICE, you idiots.

  • Bluetooth #72 1 year ago

    Wooo, bots! I love multiplayer gaming, just don't have the reliable connection for it.

  • SJGSpook #73 1 year ago

    It really grinds my gears when these gaming websites come out with bollocks like "While MW2 was rightfully criticised for the length and lunacy of its campaign mode, its multiplayer is looked at by many as the gold standard in military-themed FPS shooters."
    Any gamer with an ounce of experience with decent games knows that MW2 was atrocious. It caters for the masses meaning anybody can do well because perks like commando and non stop grenade launching made possible by an unlimited supply of them. This however was a huge detrement to the game and both IW and Activisions reputation is down the plug hole. Weapons with no recoil, shotguns as secondarys, dual shotguns and an comical perk setup arrangement (MLC being one rediculous combination) all help ammount to one of the worst online experience I've ever experienced. I've heard some say well if you hate it you must suck at the game. All the well known You Tube commentators such as Xcal, Blametruth, Thunder, SeaNanners, Whiteboy etc say the same thing and are these people crap at the game? Of course not they are experienced gamers who know a good game when playing it. Black Ops will have to be incredible for Activisions reputation to even start to recover but Black Ops does look promising so lets keep them fingers crossed that Treyarch do the business.

  • marlin48 #74 1 year ago

    I'm looking forward to this game although I went off MW2 very quick, I have watched many developer interviews and seen many video clips for Black Ops that have got my taste buds watering. I think if you belong to a community such as this one and many more pod casting communities. You gain more enjoyment, when I played MW2 my friends list was few, so ended playing with randoms which at times is not a pleasurable experience. Being in my forties my reactions are not as quick as they once were and often ended up dead when playing with the likes of teens who have super quick reactions but since joining various online communities my friends list has grown and the multiplayer is so much better as many are older gamers and even the younger ones are far more respectful of people who are not as good as they are. All I'm trying to say is belonging a community such as this makes online gaming better for all.......
    Edited by 1 at 07/10/10 @ 15:54