Unless you been living in a cave, it is no secret that the phenomenal Call of Duty franchise is a sales and pop-culture juggernaut which sets new sales records with each subsequent release in the series. Of course with success there are always a number of people that decide to go against the grain and lash out against title as well as those who openly embrace whatever new material they can get.
Despite record sales the last two titles in the series, there been those that have complained that the series has becomes pretty much the same thing repackaged for the eager masses and that there is little new in the way of innovation.
While I have not always agreed with that sentiment, I do agree that there is a danger of a series becoming stale without some innovation throughout. I’ve been very happy with the last two games in the series as I found the multiplayer experience as well as the numerous multiplayer options to be strong selling points. Yes I wish campaigns in the game were longer and there is always the issue of play balance online as you attempt to find the right combination of weapons to match your play style.
That being said, once I found a formula that worked for me, I have been able to have extremely enjoyable online experiences and found myself captivated in my efforts to reach my maximum rank.
The interesting wrinkle of zombie modes which was added by Treyarch, adds a whole new experience to the game and I was happy to hear that they plan to continue this for their next game.
That combined with frequent map packs that are available for purchase or through the Call of Duty: Elite subscription service in my opinion gives gamers plenty of content to tide them over until the next release each November.
During my coverage of the 2012 E3 convention, I paid a visit to the Activision booth and was blown away by the gigantic video screen presentation in the outer lobby which showed multi-screens of images from the pending game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. As I was still recovering from the visual onslaught of the presentation, I was seated in a private room and shown some of the levels from the upcoming release.
We were told that the game takes place in both 2025 and in 1985 following the series staple of multiple locations around the connected storyline.
For our demonstration, we were told that the U.S. has developed a drone army and that in one masterful stroke, and enemy has taken control of the drones and turn them against the population in a series of devastating strikes throughout key cities.
As our demonstration began, we were in Los Angeles of 2025 as we attempted to escort the female President to safety from the relentless wave of attacks. No sooner had we evacuated the president to a nearby aircraft, when a series of drone attacks had our convoy. Using a mounted gun on a precariously balanced vehicle allow the player to fend off the incoming attack but also required a split second jump to safety.
Once on the ground familiar checkpoint saves and combat of the series came into play as the demonstration showed waves of enemy soldiers being cut down by his assault rifle as the lead character advanced to cover and fight at every opportunity.
The cut scenes showed a sharper graphical edge than any previous title in the series and we had been told that the game has been enhanced to give a greater degree of graphical quality. Several scenes followed revolving around driving a vehicle through the chaos erupting around Los Angeles and after a few firefights player took control of the fighter plane.
This is definitely going to be an interesting new feature in the series as flying over these futuristic Los Angeles players who were required to shoot down incoming enemies all the while avoiding their fire.
Back on the ground, a furious firefight erupted in and around shopping districts in Los Angeles. The demonstration showed intense fighting within stores which then scroll down to the open courtyards of the district.
I got a look at some of the flying drones, and also some of the walking drones that advanced steadily toward their targets spraying machine gun fire. While it was not the fastest moving opponent it did take a few hits to bring it down. One of the true highlights of the demonstration was watching a gigantic sky rise building collapse right front of the player.
The action was fast and furious and while the gameplay was very familiar to fans of the series, it does appear that Treyarch has not only up the graphics but has attempted to increase the scope, depth, and options available for players.
What was confirmed that there would be a zombie mode, we were given a look at one of the team-based multiplayer modes in which a group of players had to secure various missile sites on a dock while suppressing an extremely aggressive enemy team. One of the highlights was the ability to bring tech into play such as robotoic drones and the ability to call in precision strikes against targets.
As the demonstration ended, it was clear to me that this latest entry is not more of the same and that the developers are serious about moving both the multiplayer and solo play aspect of the game to the next level and giving players more options for how they play the game as well as an even darker and deeper storyline in which to immerse themselves in.
Look for call of duty black ops to to be released this November for the PC and all counsel platforms.
