Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops lacks the "wow" that elevates previous installments in the series.

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BlueberryMUNCH

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Apr 15, 2010
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Right. Gonna read this, then head off to bed.

I've decided that I'm gonna purchase this game on the basis of what The Escapist says so...here goes><.

THE VERDICT: Wow...sounds harsh, but it's nothing I haven't heard before o_o interesting...
I was really looking forward to the single player, too. It's a shame really. And the graphics being bad? That's nothing new to my ears either...this is concerning...

Well, since the multiplayer review is going live tomorrow, we'll see how things pan out from that.
But as things stand...I think I might stick with COD4 and MW2 until I can find a very cheap copy on E-Bay or something. Meeeeep!
 

kokirisoldier

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Apr 15, 2008
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I completely agree the campaign story makes no sense. Another thing what is up with the grenades and explosions sounding like they're underwater/muffled?
 

GoGo_Boy

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May 12, 2010
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Again. Let's take the Pentagon cutscene as an example. After you finally meet Kennedy, you're given your mission and sent to a loading screen. By the time the next level opens, more than 10 minutes have passed since you last had control over your actions in the game and, although you are now able to move your character, you're still not playing the game. You follow your partner, Woods, to a nearby hilltop where he hands you a pair of binoculars and tells you to watch the scene unfolding below. At this point the game takes control again, another cutscene plays out, and then you follow Woods down the hills. Then you stop, unable to move or act, as helicopters fly overhead. Then you walk over to some guards, the game puts a knife in your hand. You use it. You dress as a guard (custscene), then follow Woods again, where you bluff some Russians into thinking you're one of them (Woods does the bluffing), then crouch (behind Woods) while two more of your buddies get to actually kill people while you watch. Then you're moving again, following Woods to a building where, after you wait around and listen to your friends killing some guards, you watch Woods kick open the door and THEN you finally get to fire your gun and play the game. Total elapsed time: over 20 minutes.
If it's seriously like this, and I have no reason to doubt that, then WHY THE HACK does this game get fantastic reviews all over the place.

Those damn super-strictly scripted games... which are less of a game and more of a bad movie -.-
Exactly what most people want it seems, lawl. But yeah it got guns too, and that really is what 95% of the gamers want.
 

ProfessorLayton

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Nov 6, 2008
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No matter what you say, there will be thousands of people who will claim that it's the greatest game they've ever played. Kind of sad, really...
 

Korten12

Now I want ma...!
Aug 26, 2009
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Odd, seems like the first place i've seen that says the story sucks, almost all other places and players say the story is pretty good.
 

Colonel Alzheimer's

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Jan 3, 2010
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Wow.... just... wow.
I mean, I wasn't exactly going to buy this because of the single player, but I was maintaining some hope that it would actually be, you know, good.
Have this series fallen so far that the single player is worse than an afterthought, but something that no one(developers included) care about?
I mean my god... this review just tore it to pieces.
 

SomeLameStuff

What type of steak are you?
Apr 26, 2009
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Treyarch just can't seem to make good games, their last ray of light was snuffed out after Spiderman 2.

Still, all my friends are shifting to BlOps, so I guess I'll have to follow suit or be left alone in a CoD 4 server.

At least there's zombies.
 

Inco

Swarm Agent
Sep 12, 2008
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I would like to add onto that with the mission objectives being very vague at times.

There are times where in order to proceed you are required to do something that is not set as objective and you are not told to do it until you have either failed (for not doing it) or have been told by an ally who sometimes "forgets" to tell you.

For example, playing on Hardened there was this one bit where you had to push back some forces for a strike (vagueness is intended to remove the need for spoiler tags) but they spawn fast and infinitely. The game never tells you that you had to stab a barrel and kick it down a hill. It doesn't even be nice and waypoint it.

The time for that was wasted after finding out how to do it.
 

Madara XIII

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Sep 23, 2010
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Russ Pitts said:
Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops lacks the "wow" that elevates previous installments in the series.

Read Full Article
o_O....Holy mother of monkeys!

If a game is so bad that you have to to start judging it on graphics then by God consider me steered FAAAAAAAAAAAAR away from Black Ops.

Excellent Review Russ! I love how you used the blinding the audience analogy to steer peoples focus away from the crapfest that is this game. If anything this proves to be one of those games that fails when it comes to usingsuch ambiguous visuals.
It's not like fatal frame where it covers up its semi-par graphics to let the player make out what monsters or ghosts are lurking around.

Overall great Job and quick question.

Was the Hand of Fate episode of Game Dogs some kind of end towards season 2!? Or are we just gonna have to wait to see WTF is going on there?!
 

Justin_Hebert

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Oct 20, 2010
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Have to say, after reading all of the rave reviews of every other critic, this was more than a little jarring. However, it certainly saves me all the time of re-examining my entire worldview, which is something I'd have to do if Treyarch actually made a decent game instead of one that feels rushed, corner-cutted, and flaccid.
 

Tdc2182

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May 21, 2009
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Really? Cause it uh, seemed fine to me.

Nothing completely spectacular, but as far as single player FPS's go, its not bad.
 

Lillowh

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Oct 22, 2007
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Cool. I was completely right when I didn't buy this game and went my my old favorite MOH instead. I, personally, loved MOH, but that's also because I've always liked how the series was handled better than COD in my eyes. I also find it funny that people that called MOH terrible are the ones buying COD, who say its the greatest game ever, and it's really not. Played it at a friends and everything in this review was 100% true. Makes me smile :D
 

Korten12

Now I want ma...!
Aug 26, 2009
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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.

Edit: Could people stop quoting me?
 

SomebodyNowhere

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Dec 9, 2009
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I loved the last bit of the video. And as far as the review itself goes, I'm guessing you guys shouldn't expect a Christmas card from Activision this year.
 

Madara XIII

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Sep 23, 2010
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ProfessorLayton said:
No matter what you say, there will be thousands of people who will claim that it's the greatest game they've ever played. Kind of sad, really...
Very sad indeed. Just looking at this game honestly made me go to Gamestop buy a playstation card and Buy Both Megaman 9 and 10!!

I got Loads more entertainment out of $15 then I would $60. And stil am!

I am Megaman
Here's my Mega Plan
You DIE