Call of Duty: Black Ops Review

To paraphrase Ice Cube, yesterday was a good day.  The morning started out wonderfully.   Mama cooked a breakfast with no hog, there were no barking dogs and the smog was practically non-existent.  Then, to put a cherry on top of the morning, I got an early Christmas gift; Call Of Duty: Black Ops for my Xbox 360. 

Faced with a brand new copy of Black Ops and a full day of work ahead of me, I did the only logical thing.  I called work and told my boss that I had pink eye.  You may be questioning my commitment to work.  However, I ask you, are the Soviets and Viet Cong going to kill themselves?  Will the Soviet Union fall apart slowly without my assistance?  Look, I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way…you don’t want me on my couch, you need me on my couch! 

The game…so far I’m about halfway through the single player campaign and am impressed.  Black Ops doesn’t stray far (or at all) from the standard Call of Duty formula.  This means you’ll spend a lot of time in and out of cover and fighting your way to the next checkpoint.  The gameplay is repetitive but, as always, incredibly fun.  If you’ve enjoyed playing previous C.O.D. games, you’ll most likely enjoy Black Ops. 

As cinematic as the game is, the storyline is merely a backdrop for exploding body parts, sniper shots and incredible weaponry.  After playing open world games like Red Dead Redemption, the linear story is a bit underwhelming.  Let’s be honest, you don’t play Call of Duty games for the story.  At its core, Black Ops is a frantic romp through the cold war that provides immersive multiplayer content and a great value for your entertainment dollar.  I’ll be providing a more in depth look at the Black Ops single player campaign when I finish it as well as a more detailed look into the world of Multiplayer. In the meantime, let me know what you think about Call of Duty: Black Ops in the comments below.