I’m back with a fresh topic–the release of Black Ops II. It was one of the most anticipated gaming title releases this year Due to the prequel, Black Ops I, becoming the number one most purchased game ever, its developer Treyarch needed to deliver.

Call of Duty started in Oct. of 2003 with the release of Call of Duty. This game was the first of it’s kind with the best graphics 2003 had to offer. Call of Duty II was released in 2006. Treyarch stepped in and made Call of Duty III, one of the best in their franchise. Activision and Treyarch began a rotation of a new game each year. Treyarch made World at War and the original Black Ops. These were both very popular titles and after the let down of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, I had high expectations.

After Black Ops II’s  release on Nov. 20, 2012, it hit the ground running, becoming the biggest entertainment launch of all time.

When I got the game, I sat down and played the campaign. It was the continuation of the original Black Ops story, but it was set in 2025 for half of the campaign. Treyarch tried to have the campaign change based on the player’s decisions. This was a good idea, but the campaign mission log threw me off. I didn’t know how to access the side missions that affected the campaign. When you use a new system, you need to have an easy way of finding things. You have many choices to make in the game which affects the ending in several ways. The story has a number of plot twists that make the campaign better than its predecessors. If they can fix the main menu for the campaign, they will have a great chance of more success with the next game.

The multiplayer part of the game has changed a bit as well. For starters there are no more CoD points. In the original Black Ops these points allowed you to unlock weapons. They have done away with that entirely. Everything is now based on score and not just your kill/death ratio. This makes things like kill streaks a lot more challenging which I like. I think the more challenging you make it, the fewer 5 year olds play. The guns in the game are more advanced than the previous game. There are special target finding sights and double scopes for close and long range firefights. This is probably the best multiplayer experience I’ve ever had.

Zombie mode has improved considerably. It has three game modes now that are all great. These include the original survival, a new mode were you ride around in a bus to different locations which is an eight-player game. It is a four player versus four player versus zombies game. It is the most hectic game mode I’ve played in a while. The new maps are really fun and different–no more running in circles. It looks and feels like a zombie apocalypse. Warning: on the bus map don’t go into the mist if you know what’s good for you!

On a 10-point scale, I give it an eight. I suggest going and getting the game to play with friends…an enjoyable online experience.