The newest member to the Call of Duty franchise has continued to add something new to a series that could easily have had success by just putting a new coat of paint on it. I was a huge Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare 1 and 2 fan and was skeptical that the series could be made any better. I was disappointed by Call of Duty: World at War as I felt it strayed a little too far from what I loved about Modern Warfare.
With Call of Duty: Black Ops what stood out from the start was the progression through multi-player classes. You now purchase your guns, attachments, kill streaks and everything in between with COD Points that you earn through online play. This appealed to me as I have always chosen a sniper class but would like to deviate and enjoy other classes without fully dedicating my game play to that class just to open better weapons and attachments. With Black Ops they have solved this dilemma by allowing you to use your points towards whatever guns and attachments you choose. Just the same as in previous COD titles certain guns are unlocked as you climb in the ranks but having all attachments open from the beginning have seems to leveled the playing field for online play. By being able to modify your weapons to your liking from the start without having to traverse a maze of challenges definitely allows even the novice player an enjoyable online experience. Small additions like being able to create your own custom player card, etch your clan tag on your gun and choosing from a variety of face paints add even more luster to an already solid title.
Two great new modes added to multi-player are Wager Matches and Combat training. In Wager Matches you take your hard earned COD Points and put them up against other players in a series of less conventional matches. This breaks up the monotony of the normal death match or domination matches. The Wager Matches consist of: "One in the Chamber" - Players start with a pistol with only one bullet and three lives. Killing another player allows them to steal their bullet; "Sticks and Stones" - Players are armed with a crossbow, knives and a tomahawk. Getting killed with a tomahawk throw will bankrupt the scalped player; "Gun Game" - A progressive multi-player mode where players start off with a pistol and progress through the subsequent weapons with each kill. The first player to go through every weapon wins; "Sharp Shooter" - All players start with the same randomly selected weapon. The available weapons will cycle after a fixed amount of time. The top 3 players win a share the anted points. All of the modes provide an "on the edge of your seat" excitement that is sometimes lost in other matches since you actually have something to lose. All Wager Matches feature a unique experience that does not seem to dilute through continued play. The best new mode added I believe was Combat Training. This allows novice and experienced players alike to take on AI bots in a Team Death Match. For novice players this gives them an opportunity to learn the game, weapons and basic tactics. I have seen this the most helpful with my friend Uranater who was not big into the genre due to always feeling he was just target practice for more experienced players. Since putting in considerable time in Combat Training he just "Prestiged" for the 2nd time and is top in points in almost every match he plays.
This narrowing of the gap between causal and hard core gamers has really increased the appeal to all types of players. For Experienced players this gives them a chance to learn maps, angles and also work on team work as you can take part in these matches with friends. Although this mode does not let you gain XP or COD Points that can be used towards your progression it does provide an invaluable prospect to all players to be able enjoy their online experience. Overall Black Ops has taken a great franchise, added even more excitement and depth, again proving why COD is a consistent leader in this genre. On top of great maps that provide a great contrast offering greater elevation changes, heart pounding close quarter combat and crisp graphics. Black Ops offers a pick up and play experience that no other current shooter offers. This hands down is a must have for any gamer. I give this game 5 out of 5, 2 thumbs up, or any other scale you want, but really just buy it.
That's how this gamer sees it.
-CBU
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