Disclaimer.

While this is not an official review for Black Ops 2 (as the game is not out at the time of posting this), it is a review of what has been shown thus far. Therefore, it will be, more or less, an overview with thoughts and opinions. If you read this review after Black Ops 2 has come out, keep in mind that this review will not have covered everything. You have been warned.

Pushing the boundaries of the First Person Shooter genera even further, Treyarch has to decided to take the Call of Duty franchise into a near-future setting with Black Ops 2. The sequel to the original Black Ops, Black Ops 2 takes place in the year 2025, during the Second Cold War. The Chinese have hacked into the United State's technological database, and are taking control over anything electronic. In other words, they are turning our machines against us, which is seriously bad news. The game takes place in two separate time frames. The first is the aforementioned 2025, where you take control as David Mason (the son of Alex Mason, the protagonist in the original Black Ops). The second takes place somewhere in the 70's, where, more likely than not, you will play as Alex Mason. From what has been shown, the campaign is sure to be one hell of a ride. Throughout the main story, the player will get to take control of Quadrotors (miniature helicopters equipped with a machine gun), aerial vehicles, and much more. Another addition by Treyarch are the new Strike Force missions. During these, the player will be given a squad of soldiers, a number of robotic partners, and a group of bad guys to take down. The player will be able to pop in and out of, not just the soldiers, but the robots as well. This adds a new layer of depth and challenge to the game, and is sure to be quite a fun time. The campaign will also feature a branching story line, which has got me rather excited. In almost every Shooter out there, if you die, the game will restart you at the last checkpoint you hit. In Black Ops 2, if you die, it will affect the story, and potentially change the outcome of it. The changes that Treyarch is making with Black Ops 2 are sure to make it a unique entry in the Call of Duty lineage. Nothing has been shown so far for the multiplayer aspect of the game, but there have been hints at the Zombies portion of the the game. Ever since Call of Duty: World at War, Treyarch has been developing a game mode known as Nazi Zombies. When it first came out, it was a huge success, and many players favorite aspect of the game. Treyarch knew they had a star-studded formula going, as they continued to do Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops. While nothing has been officially announced, there have been confirmations that Black Ops 2 will feature Zombies, and that it will be bigger and better than ever. As a die hard Zombies fan, I personally cannot wait for this.

In terms of my overall thoughts on what has been shown, I feel that Black Ops 2 will be one of the best chapters in the Call of Duty series, and one of the best First Person Shooters in general. While Infinity Ward has already covered the futuristic setting with their Modern Warfare series, I believe that Treyarch will breathe new life into the franchise with Black Ops 2. The campaign looks like a Michael Bay movie, and is sure to be quite a roller coaster. While nothing has been shown about multiplayer yet, I can safely say that it will be an enjoyable experience through and through. There are no doubts in my mind that Zombies will be absolutely fantastic.

Overall, I would give Black Ops 2 a 9.7 out of 10.