Call of Duty: Black Ops

Review from Cav - Saturday, 18 December 2010 @ 5:26pm

Dear Treyarch

Thank you for your latest instalment in the ever popular Call of Duty series. I have played through your Campaign Mode and enjoyed your Multiplayer games, but I am afraid that my negative thoughts towards your product do greatly outweigh the positives. Please allow me to elaborate on my position.

My first issue I have with your Campaign mode is your choice in voice actors. I do commend the efforts of players such as the incomparable Ice Cube and the outstanding Mr Gary Oldman. I cannot, however, approve of the use of Sam Worthington. He may currently be one of Hollywoods ‘Golden Boys’ and have a face for the screen, but can you please tell me exactly which nationality Alex Mason was? During the course of once sentence, I heard Mr Mason emit the sounds of a Scotsman, an Australian, an American and what could be best described as a South African impersonating a German. I understand that the character has had his mind tampered with, but for these actions to cause such distinguishable changes to ones voice is quite bewildering.
I feel that your Campaign storyline, although good towards the end, throws the player in head first and it is actually quite difficult to grasp the direction of the story until almost half way through the campaign. Once the pieces did fall into place, it did come to pass that you have constructed a decent story. I actually look forward to playing through it on the hardest setting and hopefully picking up on some storyline points that I may have missed, as well as testing my eye.

Am I a video game posterboy or what?

One element of the Campaign that I found absolutely intolerable was the AI which was displayed. For the most fitting description, one would need to remove the word ‘Artificial’ from that initialisation and substitute it with the word ‘Absent’. It was laughable to see VC running up a hill towards my squad and I, guns blazing, dancing through a hail of bullets, past my squad members, only to end up behind the position we were trying to hold. The enemy would spray a few rounds at point blank, with both he and my squad mates both missing their target from no more than two feet. Upon failing his attack, the VC would run back down the hill face. I am quite sure that I heard the words ‘Give me some cover’ once or twice, but was anyone truly listening? I think not.

'Does he look LIKE A BITCH!?!? Sorry... wrong show

There is one saving grace for you, Treyarch, and it lies solely with your multiplayer games. I often wonder where companies, like yourselves, like to focus their attention on when producing a game. Modern Warfare 2, like Call of Duty 4, had players playing multiplayer up until the moment Video Game outlets opened their doors for ‘Midnight Launches’. That is not to say that it is without flaw, as there have been an abundance of fixes issued in recent updates. I do like the idea of earning points while playing online and being able to participate in Wagers and Contracts. These are elements which force those whom, shall we say ‘believe there excrement does not emit an unpleasant odour’ to put their hard earned points up against their skill. I am still undecided whether or not having to purchase further weapons or upgrades in multiplayer mode, instead of earning them as your level advances, is a positive or a negative. Unless one knows how each weapon handles, purchasing is further equipment is a lottery. I have found myself often disappointed with my choices and empty of pocket.

Think we can rig this to pick up the next UFC Pay Per View?

There is also an issue with the sound for the game, especially in your multiplayer games. In the previous title of this series, if one owned a quality set of speakers or headphones, you could hear and enemy approaching. It is now very hard to distinguish footsteps from ambient noise, which to some may be an improvement, but I do not see it that way.
I am rather impressed by the astounding number of fixes and/or patches that you have issued for your game since release. Maybe impressed isn’t the correct choice of words. Could I actually mean ‘distressed’? It is, though, good to know that you care about your customers and listen to their gripes. I also wonder if setting yourself a goal of the 9th of November for release is wearing you and your staff down. Is the target date leaving your game slightly unfinished? Do the testers have enough time to analyse your product to their fullest ability? Take a look at the way the game sells. If you were to delay its release just to add that extra bit of polish, I don’t think the consumer will mind, nor will it affect your sales figures.

Pros

- Visually pleasing

- Huge variety of weapons

- Contracts and Wagers are an awesome idea

Cons

- Utterly stupid AI in campaign mode

- MP maps are too big

- Way too many patches to be applied

- Drop'n'dive? Gravel rash much?