Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops

[lacktheknack]

It's sad, I love the escapist, but people take these reviews as if they're only right. I think their shouldn't be perfessonal reviews anymore for any game, only user reviews.

No offense, but seriously, people read this and then say "well this guy says it sucks, so it must suck." Without ever even trying it. People should try games for themselves, not just going off the opinion of others.

I am not saying this review is right or wrong, its someones opinion and I don't want to change that, I just hate when reviewer's opinions are taken above anyone elses.

Exactly. People, play the game for yourselves, not just dislike it because someone else does.

Well, donate me a PC copy then.

I'll wait.

 

[Icarion (aka Stockholm)]

I dont know. I am enjoying the story and the Graphics seem better than MW2 and the like. I guess reviews are the same as opinions. Just Sounds like someone is drinking his Haterade.

thats what it seems like to me also. maybe he just had a bad day.

He really ripped it apart, huh? I had heard some kinda good things about it through the grapevine. But Mr.Pitts just ripped it apart like it was a piece of paper. Wow, I mean that was prehaps the angriest review I've seen on this sight

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I have to disagree entirely here, it was my favorite COD so far.

The locations were cool, the story was interesting and felt more gritty than the others, the voice acting seemed fine to me and some of thew graphics were amazing, barring that Pentagon level.

 

[The Wooster]

It's sad, I love the escapist, but people take these reviews as if they're only right. I think their shouldn't be perfessonal reviews anymore for any game, only user reviews.

No offense, but seriously, people read this and then say "well this guy says it sucks, so it must suck." Without ever even trying it. People should try games for themselves, not just going off the opinion of others.

I am not saying this review is right or wrong, its someones opinion and I don't want to change that, I just hate when reviewer's opinions are taken above anyone elses.

Your falling into a rather common fallacy that people who read reviews are using them as intended. Most people read reviews for two reasons. First, for entertainment. Second, to confirm or challenge their own thoughts on the title.

Russ' review, despite it's profesional presentation and the size and scope of the website hosting it, will not affect the sales of a Call of Duty title one bit. Not one iota. He could have said the game was twenty minutes long and the disk was pressed from the bones of dead babies and people would flock to their local Gamestop in droves for the midnight launch.

 

[Netrigan]

With the long cutscenes and little to none action it's a MGS4 rip-off?

You might as well said it was a Final Fantasy rip-off if you're going to miss the point that much.

I'm saying the length of time it takes you out of the action is reaching Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid levels of ridiculousness. Twenty minutes of doing something close to nothing in a First Person Shooter is beyond the pale.

The Half-Life opening is pretty long, but the YouTube videos show you can get to the action within 15 minutes. And that slow open has killed quite a number of people's interest stone cold dead.

 

[strangemoose]

i thought it was good not game of the year material but a 2 out of 5? in my opinion it was a 4 out of 5 good but with a few flaws

 

[archvile93]

While all those are issues, the cutscenetastic parts particularly so, I can't help but feel that almost everything Russ mentioned was in MW2 in much worse form, yet that was considered spectacular even here.

 

[Netrigan]

Have you played MGS4?! Talk about waiting to play! It took me 20 hours to beat the thing and I swear half of it was cutscenes, yet no one harps on it because that's what's expected of the Metal Gear series.

Every review of MGS4 I read complained about the overly long cutscenes. Just about everyone I've ever heard talk about the game has complained about the overly long cutscenes. I know almost nothing about Metal Gear Solid, but the one thing I know is that their cutscenes are longer than most German operas.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

i love how most of the people who read this blindly follow it to the word, trust me this game is much better than MW2, and the multiplayer isn't nearly as frustrating

Yep.

I loved the campaign despite some annoying bugs and vague objectives.

The multiplayer is infinitely better than MW2... the only things left in the game I find frustrating are the knifing and RC Car.

 

[Korten12]

a review could say "well this game is really bad" but then the player decides to go out and try it for themselves and discoveres that they like it. I think more people should do that. I write my own reviews at times aswell, I plan to write one for Black Ops and possibly Arcania: Gothic 4. Though even reviewing these, I hope people learn more about the game and then try it for themselves.

But here's the thing: They didn't release a demo (on PC, anyways). So the only way I can "try it" is to pirate it. Which I will not do.

So, I look to the reviews. My favorite review site (this one) gives it TWO STARS, and that's me no longer considering it. I'm a student, I can't afford more than three or four big-budget games per year.

And this kind of game is a bad one to trust the user reviews on. 60% go in loving it before they picked it up (not trustworthy), 35% go in with a grudge against CoD and everything to do with it (hatedom), and 5% are fair. Not worth all the filtering when there's a professional reviewer I know who's tastes are similar to mine. I'd be sad if professional reviewers disappeared.

And this entire thing could have been avoided if they had just shoved out a demo.

Uh, go over to someone's house who has it on another platform or PC and play it there? I think you forgot that bit, and if you don't thats not their fault thats yours. Sure they probably should have a demo, but like a lot of developers have said "You know how hard it is to get a demo right? What you might show might not go with some people becuase we so happenly showed a bad part."

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Another thing what is up with the grenades and explosions sounding like they're underwater/muffled?

I noticed that to! I'm only a couple missions into the game so far but yeah, the story is pretty lousy, but I'm having fun with it so far, so what the hell.

 

[Karisse]

Gamers dont want the same fucking games spat out every year in the same way we dont give a fuck about motion controls

The sooner the industry learns this the better

It's been said already in regards to a different topic, but EA puts out the sames sports games every year and people rush out to buy them. Sales figures alone show many gamers usually DO want the same games spat out every year.

 

[HyperEffective]

i love how most of the people who read this blindly follow it to the word, trust me this game is much better than MW2, and the multiplayer isn't nearly as frustrating

Yep.

I loved the campaign despite some annoying bugs and vague objectives.

The multiplayer is infinitely better than MW2... the only things left in the game I find frustrating are the knifing and RC Car.

I'm not buying it for the sole reason there's a 95% be getting it for Christmas

I'm in no rush to get this game, MWF2 dissapointed me bitterly. The campaign was sort of good but the multiplayer was nothing but Akimbo shotguns on corners for me which frustrates me to no end.

 

[killamanhunter]

so... October/November was really a downer for both Activision and EA?

 

[Zhukov]

Wow. You tore that game a new one. I certainly wasn't expecting that.

I may get it to try out the multiplayer, but I'm not sure yet.

 

[Buizel91]

This is the only time i have to disagree with a reviewer from this site. it doesn't even feel like he has played the game!

I love how MW2 gets really high scores for an adrenaline filled crap story, but when a COD game with story acctualy comes out and try's something new (for COD games at least), the reviewer simply bashes the hell out of it.

1). The characters/voice acting are fantastic, i usually don't care for my guys in COD games (except for Price and Gaz/Ghost, they were awesome i admit), and at least your guy had a bit of character to him, much more character than Soap(or arguably most other shooter games) ever did. the voice acting was great as well (Again much better than previous COD games)

2). The Graphacs, you see, this is where i really hate this review, the graphics are EXACTLY the same as MW2's, arguably better. Have you seen the faces on these characters! (the blood, the sweat, even the mouth moving is incredible and the smoothest i have ever seen)

3). The story, let me just quote someone for this because i really can't be arsed explaining.

Spoiler

Um, wow. You missed the point. There is a definitive reason that there's a LOT of flashing lights in your face. Mason is mentally unwell. He developed Dissociative Identity Disorder (Or Schizophrenia, take your pick over whether you want realism or Hollywood) after Vorkuta. The flashing is probably a combination of his hallucinations and the fact that Hudson likes the electricity button on your chair. In "Revalations", the hallucinations become far worse. Mason does get 'better' by "Redemption" because he's been shown everything he knows is wrong and also, he doesn't have an electrical chair. Probably your biggest insult is the Pentagon scene. There's a reason it's there. I mean, for those who have been married, do you remember it because you were in the midst of action, or because of sheer excitement and honor felt in the presence of something greater? THAT'S why Mason remembers meeting JFK so vividly: It was exciting AND relavant to his life.

As for the jumps to Hudson missions, remember, HUDSON INTERROGATES YOU. There are no flashing lights of lighting flash in those segments. Hudson, while interrogating you, thinks about those times himself.

Actually, my biggest problem that they got a fucking Brit (no offense Brits) to voice act for the American PC, a voice you will hear so much. His accent slips out FAR too often.

All in all, it does NOT deserve a 2/5. 3/5 is far more acceptable, but you really should think less about "How is this Call of Duty" and more "How is this an interactive storyline?"

The story might not be best in the world, but a 2 out of 5? Really!?!?

3 out 5 i would say, hell even a 4, simply because it tried something new to COD games and succeeded. And is getting bashed for it.

 

[sinestro1940]

Oh... Well... I liked it... :/

 

[Jaeriko]

Wow, seems like someone is having a bad day.

I'm not exactly a fan of CoD campaign story lines, but I felt Black Ops for be the most entertaining and engaging by far. It went ways most games don't, and while some people may have seen the twist coming, it certainly surprised the hell out of me. As for the graphics, I honestly can say that they looked just fine to me. Nothing special, but definitely reaching the bar, certainly not as horrid as the reviewer described it. Also, I enjoyed the voice acting.

I noticed no mention of multiplayer also, which is, to be honest, why most people bought the damn game in the first place.

Anyways, I think the reviewer should have another go at this and try to eliminate any preconceived notions or prejudice towards the series that may have come from MW2 sub-par single player which may (or may not, I obviously can't tell over the internet) have come into play when this review was created.