Ok, let me begin this review by saying I love shooters and have been playing them ever since I was a kid and Wolfenstien was on PC. That evolved to Goldeneye on Nintendo 64. That all changed when Metal Gear Solid came out for PS1 and I now wanted a good story to go along with my gameplay. I have always kind of liked the COD world war series, but never got into it. When MW1 came out I was blown away, I loved the game and it had a good story to tell. My only complaint with MW2 was that the story was not only lacking, but down right stupid. I never got into multiplayer because I don't have the time to train myself to compete with a bunch of 5th graders who spend 40 hours a week playing the game.
This all leads me to Black Ops, as with all 1st person shooters the campaign is short, yet good. The action is intense and the overall gaming is fun. What made the campaign even more fun was that I felt fully drawn into the game due to the compelling story. I actually wanted to check out zombies but I could not draw myself away from the campaign in order to check it out. The story was that good; I wanted to find out what happens. I'm not going into detail what the story is about because you probably already read that somewhere else. As far as the graphics, I thought they looked sharp. The scenery was not as sharp as MW2 because their seemed to be a haze in the air everywhere I went but it was still looking good. My favorite part was in Vietnam they started playing rock music from the time of the Vietnam War, which made it fill even more authentic.
As far as zombies go, it's fun to shoot zombies every now and then when I have a few free minutes so it's a nice add-on bonus.
Bottom line, if you are a lone wolf player like me, this is definitely the game for you. If you are a strictly on-line player, read someone else's review. Call of Duty: Black Ops
***UPDATE*** After having spent substantial time with Black Ops, I stand by my initial impressions. The overall balancing has proven to be exceptional as there is no single "money" class to exploit or be forced to use in tough games. The maps are fun, weapons and upgrade system a blast and all of the customization available makes the game really enjoyable.
There is a big negative. As mentioned in my original review - connection is a serious issue. Lag, framerate drops, freezes...pretty much any connection problem you can think of applies. Patch 1.04 is on the way from Treyarch to address some of these issues, but connection certainly mars what is an otherwise great online experience.
***END UPDATE***
I'm about 42 hours into the game. I would consider myself a hardcore-console gamer (if there is such thing). I logged 25+ days on MW2 and have spent time with BFBC2, Killzone2 and pretty much every other game that involves shooting other people in the face - online. The review is aimed at people who may have been turned off after MW2.
Campaign mode - I wouldn't know cause I don't play it. I hear it takes 6 hours, so probably just a rental if that's all you're interested in.
Online
* The fixes - noob toobing, commando, stoping power, one man army, boosting, tactical insertions, stacking killstreaks, explosive radius nerfed - ALL GONE. If that means anything to you, then you already love this game.
*The Mechanics - best in the console market. Period. The guns are NOT all the same. No more UMP45 across the map kills. It also requires more hits to get a kill. This is good and bad - see connections below.
*Graphics/Sound - The maps look phenominal, but the player models are mediocre. The music ambient sound effects are great, but I'm not impressed with the sounds of the guns.
*The Maps - my first impression is that they are amazing...BUT... and this is one big but - they are not sniper friendly. I'm not a sniper, so I don't care, but I have some friends that already hate the game becuase the wide open lanes in MW2 are non-existant. There are varied levels, tunnels, etc. - but camping just seems much more difficult.
*Connection - still P2P, no dedicated servers, and that sucks. Ultimately, regardless of skill level, connection will be the deciding factor in your enjoyment of the online game (also why I give it four stars)
*Wager Games - also known as online crack. Being able to wager your money (which is required to purchase the items you've unlocked and their attachements - it's not automatic anymore) is like playing poker online. There are multiple game types, all very new and add a whole seperate dimesnion to online shooters. Definately the best innovation for FPS's in a long time.
*Split Screen - for all online modes is awesome. I have 2 PS3's in the house and can accomodate 4 players with them in an online match. It's about time that option was available.
Overall, this is a must buy if you are a COD fan. If you were turned off by MW2 - which many were, and rightfully so, at least give it a try. The Zombie mode, Training mode and wager matches are a blast and give everyone a shot at having a good time - not just experts and 12yr old, foul mouthed racists.'
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