Call of Duty Black Ops II

🎮 Steam ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

First Futuristic Shift #

Black Ops II brought a fresh twist to the franchise with its branching campaign narrative, set across both Cold War and futuristic timelines. Up until this title came out, the Treyarch developer focused on older periods of time for it’s settings, such as WWII for example, this was the first futuristic COD entry they decided to go for. Even though it was their first attempt, I consider this a very good futuristic shooter.

Ambition and Innovation #

The story introduced player choice and multiple endings, a first for the series, adding replay value, which was a first for the franchise and definitely a standout, even though this is was already very common on gaming in general. Multiplayer refined the “Pick 10” loadout system, allowing for deeper customization, while fan-favorite modes like Zombies returned with expanded features. Visually solid for 2012 and well-optimized on PC, the game delivered fast-paced action, tight shooting mechanics, and a robust online experience. While the campaign’s story could be over-the-top at times, its ambition was commendable.

Peak Multiplayer Experience #

The multiplayer from this game was definitely the most fun MP out of all the COD games up until that point, I can’t say for sure if any subsequent entries managed to surpass it since I stopped playing them, but at least for me, this was the MP that I had the most fun playing. Not just because it was good, but also because of the new progression systems, which pushed you to play more and more until you unlocked and experimented with everything. Overall, it’s one of the more innovative entries in the series and a fan favorite to this day, including myself, I consider this the second best COD game, first one being the first Black Ops entry.