There’s some pressure on Treyarch to deliver something special for its
Call of Duty: Black Ops II project. With Modern Warfare 3 sales
not quite meeting lofty expectations and criticism that the series is lacking in
new ideas, what was shown behind closed doors at E3 seemed to be a good first
step in the right direction. The new, near-future setting and the introduction
of drones and other vehicles has given Treyarch the chance to offer new toys of
warfare to players and adds a different dynamic to the Call of Duty experience.
The first level that was shown was the same one that closed the Microsoft
press conference. Los Angeles was even more striking to see running in
real-time, and this level is more representative of what we’ve come to expect
from the series up to now. It’s full of set pieces and excitement that draw
players into the experience, much like a big-budget movie. Honestly, it was a
little more eerie to see Los Angeles being decimated considering that we were in
the same city at that time. There really isn’t much to add to this level from my
perspective than what you’ve already seen. It’s classic Call of Duty, so fans
will continue to like it and critics will continue to scoff at it.
The second level shown took place in Singapore, and showed off a new wrinkle:
a Strike Force mission. This mission allows players to move units around a
mid-sized battlefield and then assume control of those units in real-time to
take over certain objective points. Units aren’t just limited to soldiers,
either. Drones and ground-based vehicles are at a player’s command and each unit
has different handling and capabilities. CLAW units are required in certain
areas that require heavier firepower, while quadrotors are faster and more
mobile than soldiers. These missions can end in either success or failure, and
these outcomes will directly affect the campaign.
Lots of Black Ops II content still remains understandably classified, but I
came away from this presentation feeling pretty positive. Strike Force looks
like it could be a new wrinkle in what’s become a rather routine single-player
campaign layout, and the visuals looked very good running on rapidly-aging Xbox
360 hardware. As its November 13th release date marches closer, expect to see
more of Call of Duty: Black Ops II announcements and content
from us.
