By TK Kwon

r this review, I’m not going to

Hise: the traditional model of

giving one rating for the entire
game, but I will be giving separate
ratings for the console port and the PC
port, otherwise, the ratings would be
ambiguous and unjust. So with that out of
the way, let’s break down the multiplayer
of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Guns:

In a general consensus, it has been
accepted that the guns in Black Ops
are well-balanced and none of them
are over-powered or unfair. The assault
rifles, SMGs, LMGs and sniper rifles all
offer various models for different play
styles. That said, although there have
been some complaints that the shotguns
are a bit underpowered, not many
players run around with a shotgun, so the
complaints are quite minimal. Each gun
has varying attachments from suppressors
to numerous optic sights and under-barrel
attachments that allow for maximum
customization.

Perks:

What’s gone: commando, stopping
power, and one-man army. This is good
news for all players who have dabbled”
in Modern Warfare 2. Perks are meant
to complement one’s play style, not give
someone a blatantly unfair advantage,

_ So props to Treyarch for balancing out

the perks for this year’s instalment. The
perks are divided into three categories: the
primary (which dictates what the player
model will look like), the secondary, and
the tertiary.

These three sets of perks can be
customized, as I have stated before, to
complement one’s play style, for instance,
someone who enjoys getting in the face
of opposing players and wreaking havoc

will enjoy the lightweight and marathon
perk. For someone who plays tactically
from the shadows and likes to move
around undetected, the ghost and ninja
perks are key. For every perk there are a
set of challenges that must be completed
in order to unlock “Pro” versions of
each. Challenges range from anything
from destroying enemy air support to
sharing care packages with teammates.
Once unlocked, the “Pro” perks will add
an additional effect to supplement the
current boost. For example “Ghost Pro”
will not only let players become invisible
to spy planes, but will also be completely
undetectable to all hostile air support.
Killstreaks:

Killstreak rewards are bonuses that
are given to players that perform well.
Determined by the player, the bonuses are
awarded when players achieve a streak of
kills without dying. Players can choose up
to a maximum of three rewards ranging
from spy planes to attack dogs and each
reward has a required set of kills that need
to be achieved in order to receive it.

For seasoned veterans, choosing
the higher rewards, such as the gunship
or the attack dogs, that need 11 kills
may be a good choice but for the newer
players, choosing a spy plane or a remote
controlled explosive car, both rated at
only three kills, would be much more
sensible.

Feedback from the community as of
late has been positive with many players
commenting on the balanced nature of
the rewards, which was not the case with
Modern Warfare 2’s 25 kill streak reward:
the tactical nuke. While on the subject,
unlike Modern Warfare 2’s model, any
kills received through kill streak rewards
do not add to one’s streak, meaning each
kill has to be earned legitimately through
one’s own actions.

Customization:

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=

It is blatantly obvious that Treyarch
has gone all out with customization
for this game, for the combinations are
endless. On the player identification
side of things, each player has their
own individual “player card” that has a
background and an emblem. The card’s
background can be changed by the user
from a catalogue filled with different
styles and colors. As for the emblem,
it has its own editor that allows players
to choose from a library of shapes,
backdrops, and colors to create their own
masterpiece.

For the in-game player model, the
users are given face paint options to create
a look of stealth or intimidation.

As for the guns, users are able to engrave
their clan tag, tattoo their emblem, or
paint a colourful camouflage on to their
firearm of choice if deemed necessary.
And as for the guns that allow either the
red-dot sight or the reflex sight, players
can also customize the reticule from
anything from a smiley face to a skull, as
well as the tint of the lens.

Maps:

The map locales range from war-torn
cities to jungle outposts in three sizes:
small, medium, and large. The maps are
well laid out, although as it is with all
games, the maps will have to be learned
and will take some time to getting used to
in order to not get lost.

Game Types:

The usual game types, ranging from
team death-match to free-for-all, are being
offered to players. For those who enjoy
more team-based objective type games,
there is also demolition and capture-the-
flag.

Overall Experience:

Console: On the console side of
things, Black Ops is a good transition
from Modern Warfare 2, with balanced
firearms and an exclusion of underhanded

 

 

gift

 

perks creating a good gaming experience
for the general gaming public. Despite
the expected flaws, the overall experience
feels like a good addition to the Call of
Duty line-up.

PC: Although I wish I could say
the same about the PC port of the
game, this is not the case. On launch
day, approximately 80% of players
experienced in-game stuttering and lag,
regardless of system specs. Looking at
this from a professional point of view, it is
simply unacceptable.

To release such an incomplete
and flawed game to the PC market as
a finished product is unprofessional
and insulting. Although since release a
patch has been released, which remedied
the situation for a good majority of
players, it goes without saying that the
PC community feels betrayed by the
callousness of the studio. Aside from
the technical mess, the in-game menu
layout is horrendous, with no way of
forming parties with friends, a feature
even the console ports have. Treyarch
has promised they would release further
patches to make lobbying with friends
easier, but as stated before, it should have
been implemented with the release. All
in all, although the game-play is fun, no
matter how one looks at it, Treyarch has
made it clear that the PC port of Black
Ops was clearly an afterthought.

Ratings:
XBOX 360 & PlayStation 3 — 4/5

 

PC - 2.5/5