Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)

We've looked at a couple of Call of Duty titles, and I wanted to go back to the beginning of my Call of Duty series of reviews...sort of. In this review, we're returning to 2010 - specifically Call of Duty: Black Ops. Let's get into it, shall we?

Developing Black Ops

Treyarch started development for Black Ops started in late 2009, with a casting call going out in early 2010. On April 30, 2010, the seventh entry in the Call of Duty series was announced. The team at Treyarch used an improved engine from World at War and consulted with military experts to ensure realistic tactics were used as well as accuracy around the weapons and vehicles.

So, the game's got another historical setting - the Cold War - but, many military operations of that period are still classified. You'd think that might cause a problem, but nope, Treyarch's people just created their own stories surrounding those events...if that sounds cool, that's because it is.

Treyarch assembled a great cast to bring their story to life, Sam Worthington, Ed Harris, Ice Cube, we even get Gary Oldman back as Viktor Reznov from World at War! Additionally, the game features some iconic music from Credence Clearwater Revival and the Rolling Stones - seriously, these guys thought of everything.

The game released for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and OS X on November 9, 2010. Generally, Call of Duty: Black Ops was well-received upon release...for the most part. Reviewers praised the darker tone and story but noted that the PC release had several frustrating game-breaking bugs and a few other issues which caused several problems.

Black Ops sold a little over 5.6 million copies within the first 24 hours of its release and was nominated by several outlets for the Game of the Year award. It's 25 million copies worldwide making it the best-selling game in the US. To date, it remains one of the best-selling games of all time.

A Story of Espionage and Conspiracies

Alex Mason is being interrogated by the CIA about the location of a rogue Soviet broadcast station. Over the course of this interrogation, he's hearing numbers - which his interrogators want to know about. In order to get the answers they need, they quiz Mason on past operations including:

• an assassination attempt on Fidel Castro
• his escape from Vorkuta, Russian prison camp
• the exfiltration of a former Nazi scientist

Why are they doing this? Well, there's a dangerous chemical weapon out there which is set to be released through Russian sleeper agents. The clock is ticking and time is running out.

What Works?

Okey doke, so what are some of the good things about Black Ops?

• The visuals are fantastic! Every level, every battle, is really well done.
• Tonally, the plotline is quite dark and it's something that I really appreciate, especially considering some of the over-the-top moments from the Modern Warfare trilogy.
• The music is a great blend of the orchestral pieces from World at War and the more bombastic pieces from the Modern Warfare series.
• Much like the other CoD titles, the combat is really satisfying.
• The voice acting is very well done as well - even if Sam Worthington's Aussie accent came through while playing an American from time to time.

Is there Anything that Doesn't Work?

So, so far I'm pretty happy with the game; but is there anything that DOESN'T work?

Well...okay, the vehicle controls are a bit...stiff. Driving controls in cars are okay, but flying helicopters is really awkward - especially the last flight towards the end of the game.

In-flight combat is also really awkward, it's hard to keep track of targets and aiming your weapons is close to impossible.

Is Black Ops Worth Playing?

Now we reach the big question: is Black Ops worth playing? The answer is: yes, yes it is. Between the darker tone, great story, and fantastic gunplay, I can't recommend this entry in the Call of Duty franchise.

If you haven't played this one yet, I highly recommend it. If you have played it, then I'd love to hear your own thoughts.