CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II First Look: Call of Duty steps into It is the most ambitious Call of Duty ever. Christopher Dring checks out its bold new direction
ASSAULT DRONES, ‘walking gun platforms’ and something called quadrotors – Call of Duty: Black Ops II surprised a few people when it was unveiled to the world this week. Set in 2025, the game introduces gamers to a ‘new cold war’, with super powers fighting cyber terrorists. It is an ambitious and surprising move for a series otherwise known for its gritty modern or historical stories. And it arrives just as critics started to suggest Call of Dutyis on the wane. Black Ops IIis developed by
Treyarch – a team often unfairly derided as the Call of Duty‘B’ team. But the studio came into its own with 2010’s Black Ops, which remains a fan favourite and the most successful Call of Dutyto date. Black Ops IIboasts a new graphics engine, a more accessible multiplayer component, zombies and gameplay which steps away from the series’ ‘corridor shooter’ roots. The title will feature urban battles in big global cities such as LA, with non-linear gameplay and branching storylines. To promote the reveal, Activision has booked digital takeovers as well as press and TV ads. Meanwhile, the firm also reached out to its 40m multiplayer gamers via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Callofduty.com and the Call of Duty Elite service. The teaser campaign actually started on April 25th, with the Call of Dutywebsite revealing cryptic clues about the new game. Black Ops IIlaunches on Xbox 360, PC and PS3 on November 13th.
A HISTORY OF HISTORIES
CALL OF DUTY October 29th, 2003: The first Call of Duty was a PC title and instantly made new studio Infinity Ward
one of the biggest names in first person shooters.
Setting: 1942 – 1945 The allies fight across France, Germany, Russia and Austria.
20 May 4th 2012
CALL OF DUTY 2 October 25th, 2005: Infinity Ward’s second attempt at the series saw the franchise come to
consoles. The game also marked a change in game engine.
Setting: 1942 – 1944 CoD 2revisited the locations and time zone of the first game.
CALL OF DUTY 3 November 10th, 2006: The third Call of Dutywas only released on consoles and was created by a different studio – Activision’s Treyarch team.
Setting: 1944
The third WWII game featured battles in Poland for the first time.
CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE November 7th, 2007: Infinity Ward returned to thrust CoDinto a bold new direction, which transformed multiplayer gaming overnight.
Setting: 2011
Fighting took place in Afghanistan, Russia and the Middle East.