1st Thoughts on...."Call of Duty Black Ops"

I get the whole Black Ops thing, but uh, do they really need to darken his face also?

Call of Duty Black Ops is the 7th game of the franchise, 3rd by developer Treyarch and sequel to Call of Duty World at War. It mostly focuses on the events during the Cold War in the 1960s. The story focuses on the black operations carried out during the said era. These missions take place in various locations around the globe such as the Ural Mountains in central Russia, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam. The single-player campaign revolves around an experimental Soviet chemical weapon codenamed "Nova-6".

"Oh crap! I burned up another hotel again!"

The player mainly controls SAD/SOG special forces operative Alex Mason and occasionally CIA agent Jason Hudson, as well as other characters. Mason often works with Frank Woods and Joseph Bowman, while Hudson teams up with Grigori Weaver, a Russian-born field operative. Viktor Reznov, a key character from the Soviet campaign in World at War returns. Its Russian protagonist Dimitri Petrenko also makes an appearance. Black Ops features several historical figures: Mason meets John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara and Fidel Castro.

Thank you again Wikipedia.

Well, enough of that. COD Black Ops was the game that I have been waiting all year to play. Just like my previous review of NBA 2K11, I wasn't able to play this game last year because I was having a review for the board exam (and it was installed late in the internet cafes). Nevertheless, I just got my hands recently with this game that I had to play it seven hours straight just to finish the game (which pissed me off because I was only 2 levels away in finishing the game and the game just kept freezing...and my bill was already 100 pesos). I really have to go through my feelings as I review this because the game really simply blew me away.

And some scenes just made me cry. I worked so hard for this guy to survive in World at War only to be killed in this way. So cruel!!

In terms of graphics, they improved just a little from Modern Warfare 2 (an Infinity Ward game) but improved a lot from its direct sequel World at War (a Treyarch Game). The game really captures the dark aura of being in a war, especially the Cold War era where black operations were held. Playing this game would give you the vibes that you are in for a dirty gruesome ride. Treyarch was able to increase the brutality in this game, something that was praised well in WAW. Limbs are cut-off well and body parts splatter all over the area as you use powerful guns such as the Dragon's Breath (it would blow the shit out of you, swear). Facial and body movements were also improved in this game as body mechanics really render real life people.

Looks like Chuck Norris noh? Real-life imitation people.

The presentation really blew me away though. From the opening intro, it felt that this game was, just like its title suggests, black ops. It will show you the types of information during the Cold War that was supposedly "erased". It was just perfectly designed to fit for the game. When the game starts, you are put in an interactive menu where you have a first-person view of an interrogation. The game menu however is in a TV monitor, but you can still view other areas of the room. And remember from past COD games, when a missions starts, those little information given in the left lower corner of the screen? In this game, the information is given to you and then suddenly the info is "erased", leaving you only certain details such as the place, name and date. I just find it clever as it adds more to the black ops vibe.

"Let's shoot the bastard already!! I want to pee!!"

For me, gameplay is still the same as previous COD titles though. As much as its somewhat recycled already, I've always loved the machine they've been using for the series. With the arcade-y type of gameplay, COD games are always fast paced and action-pack. Although compared to Bad Company 2, Black Ops seem to be less realistic in terms of body movements such as running and ducking, but this is what makes COD great is because it gives the player an action-paced game. Since I've only tried the Campaign, I'll have to base everything here (no multiplayer). As much as you'll feel comfortable with the game mechanics, the game is able to present you a world that would make everything feel new for you. It won't be long until you'll feel comfortable again, but you could really feel that this game is another Call of Duty experience. And this game also has the return of the favorite "Zombie" mode. This time having to control famous political figures such as JFK and Fidel Castro (but is the only co-op part of the game).

"I warned you about those spiky shoes! You stepped on my foot so you gonna pay!!"

The story was really superb (something the series is known about). It really gave you an inside look on how it is like to go black operations. Dealing with people around closed doors, gruesome silent kills and getting to see first hand the "dirty side of Vietnam", this game was just simply filled with serious shit. I really don't have the words to express the feelings I got during the campaign, but it felt as if you were going to the same emotional ride that main protagonist Alex Mason have as he is being interrogated and tries to remember past events. The beauty of this game is that it really gives a great connection with its predecessor WAW. You'll get to meet Viktor Reznov again, which is a vital part of the game. Also, you'll get to see Dimitri Petrenko (refer to 4th pic above), the russian protagonist from WAW, which sadly, after all the shit you've went through during the WAW game, dies in this game (spoiler....I should have said it earlier, oops). It was really emotional for my part because as Reznov would narrate it, "Dimitri Petrenko was a hero, he deserved a hero's death. Instead of giving his life for the glory of the Motherland, he died for nothing. Like an animal... He should have died in Berlin." I'll just let you play the game to see it for yourself.

War games are never complete without "snow areas".

Well, what more can I say about the game. It's a 1st Person war game. You shoot to kill or get shot and die. And this game is mostly known for its multiplayer (something hard to be in if you don't have an original copy of the game). But despite all these, Call of Duty Black Ops is really one of the best games out there. It may seem like another COD game, but it gives gamers a whole new experience since it touches a very rare theme in video games in the form of the Cold War. It has a great story that will have you playing it straight just you'll know what happens next. This is a must have for all gamers out there especially to the first-person and war games junkies. Although I still have to finish the game, I could probably say now that Call of Duty Black Ops is one superb game you'll surely enjoy......until you finish the campaign. Trust me, killing zombies is boring without friends.

It's sad I won't be able to pwn my friends in this game.