Call of Duty: Black Ops II is live and loud today, and it’s already ranked up to 86 on Metacritic. My review won’t be prepped for launch until next week, but in the meantime here’s what allied commanding officers of Opinion Platoon have to say about it:
GameTrailers – 9.4/10
“The elastic story provides plenty of incentive to replay the campaign, the strikeforce levels aren’t executed perfectly, but they’re a glimpse at the future, and the multiplayer features are tweaked to make every play style relevant and to level the playing field. It does so many new things so very well, making it the most groundbreaking Call of Duty since the first Modern Warfare. Shooters simply don’t get much more deep, varied, surprising, or rewarding than this.” Read the whole review.
IGN – 9.3/10
“Combined with the host of subtle and overt improvements to the array of other systems, the additions to make it more appealing to Esports, and the more fleshed out Zombies mode, this is not just a fantastic Call of Duty game, but one of the best shooters of the last decade.” Read the whole review.
Game Informer – 8.5/10
“For shooter fans that don’t require as deep of a dive, Black Ops II’s multiplayer may feel like more of the same. No significant new match types are present, and the Pick 10 system doesn’t drastically change the gameplay experience. Most of the changes to the Call of Duty formula come in campaign mode, and they are executed with mixed results. Despite some frustrations, Black Ops II is yet another massive, polished, finely tuned entry in a series that shows no signs of slowing down.” Read the whole review.
Destructoid – 8.5/10
“It’s a great game from a studio that’s done everything it can with the tools at its disposal to reinvigorate Call of Duty, even if it doesn’t refashion the series completely. You won’t appreciate that just by playing its online mode, and you will be disappointed if you’re wanting the property to be turned inside out and spun on its head. Those that simply love to play military first-person shooters, and were looking for something that finds what life is left in the genre, however, should find themselves perfectly catered to.” Read the whole review.
Polygon -8/10
“A saving grace, if ever there was one, Treyarch has taken big risks with the most successful multiplayer formula in online shooters since online play and party systems. That innovation, combined with the constant refinement of Call of Duty’s multiplayer mechanics over the years, makes Black Ops 2 the best online shooter out there.” Read the whole review.
Joystiq – 4/5
“Multiplayer is king in Black Ops 2, offering plenty of in-game and inherent rewards for its ravenous online community. It’s paired with a lackluster story that fails the ambition shown by the branching campaign, reflecting the overall game’s forward-thinking but imperfectly executed ideas.” Read the whole review.
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