Call of Duty: Black Ops is finally here and the verdict is in, this game is awesome. If you have been playing Modern Warfare 2 and have been painstakingly awaiting Black Ops, wait no longer. Developed by Treyarch, makers of COD 2,3, and the lacking World at War, this new release came as quite a surprise. Being more of an Infinity Ward fan I was quite reluctant to see how this new title would turn out. I don’t go as far back as some, but I certainly played the hell out of Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2. Both amazing games, although MW2 of course had its fair run of hiccups along the way. But enough about my thoughts on previous COD titles. Lets talk Black Ops.

Black Ops has delivered in standard Treyarch fashion containing a campaign, online multiplayer, and the ever-so-awesome zombie mode. Now I did not really care for Nazi Zombies in WAW but this time around, the mode is more fun then ever. I’ll cover that more a little later on but first I’d like to comment on the campaign. The game takes place during the Cold War and revolves around an experimental soviet chemical weapon codenamed “Nova 6″. You play as special operations agent Alex Mason as well as Jason Hudson, an agent of the CIA. As soon as the game starts it is clear that Mason is being held against his will. He is being interrogated and each mission is a flashback to a pivotal part in his past. He can not remember the information that is wanted from him and as you would expect this gets increasingly frustrating for the character. Missions jump from Cuba, to Russia, to Laos, and also Vietnam. Now this isn’t to say the story is choppy or turbulent. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

Each mission plays out so well and contains so much excitement that I can firmly say this is my favorite Call of Duty campaign to date. It’s everything a story mode should be; in fact, I’d even go as far to say this is the most fun I’ve had playing a game’s campaign in a long time. The voice acting is superb, the action is on a level unlike any COD so far and the grittiness and intensity are enough to make you need a quick breather in between missions. My first play through I started on Veteran and man was it hard. A good challenge always make the victory that much better so playing on the hardest difficulty didn’t hinder my experience at all. Honestly I’d say it made it that much more enjoyable. Sometimes on easier difficulties players have the tendency to run through levels so fast that they miss a lot of things. Playing on veteran I was sure to catch every detail along the way. Each mission felt like its own entity, unlike other games where they sometimes blur together. It was the perfect length and not once did it feel like it was dragging on.

Another notable aspect of Black Ops is the music and voice acting. Throughout every mission Treyarch somehow discovered the perfect sounds for each situation. It’s quite amazing what they’ve done with the campaign mode, especially since for many the online multiplayer is the main focal point. If you are one of those people who don’t think that much of the campaign and cant wait to get your hands on the multiplayer I don’t blame you – that’s the heart of any COD game. Although, I implore you to give this campaign a chance at a later date. I’m sure you will find it just as riveting and epic as I did. It’s hard not to feel like a badass throughout each mission, being covert or fighting balls to the wall. Each step along the way is a blast.

Moving on to mulitiplayer. Apart from the community manager JD_2020 being a complete moron (let me say that again, in case you missed it; JD_2020 is a complete moron) as well as Treyarch’s decision to gimp quickscoping and sniping as a whole, this multiplayer is at the top of the charts when it comes to the COD games. It’s balanced, the weapons are great, and so far there hasn’t been the plague of glitches that we saw on MW2. At this point only time will tell how long Black Ops’s cred holds up. One of the best parts about the multiplayer is the maps. They all are very unique and it is obvious that they put a lot of time and thought into making them. There is a good mix of small to large maps and they all play out very well.

One thing new to Black Ops is the way you unlock items. In the past, you fight, gain XP and unlock new guns, attachments, perks and killstreaks along the way. Now, you still gain xp for doing well, but there is a new addition called Cod Points, or CP. Unlike before, you now have the ability to buy whatever gun/attachment/perk you want once it has been unlocked. There’s no longer the need to grind and complete challenges to unlock that acog snipe, or extended mags you want. Now you can simply just buy them. Some guns you still have to be a high rank to unlock but once you meet the rank requirement, you are left with the option to buy anything you want for that weapon. The system works very well and works in tandem with the new customizability offered. Players can create their own emblems ranging from one to ten different layers. They can outfit their solider with badass face camo, and even have their emblem and clan tag on the side of their gun. It’s all really neat, and about time a developer started offering more customizability within an FPS.

Also new to Black Ops are Wager matches and contracts. Want to earn more CP? What better way than to gamble with it in Wager matches. Stack yourself up against 6 other players and the top 3 at the end of a match are “in the money.” Doing well in wager matches is a fast way to rack up lots of CP and earn cash to buy all the things you want. Contracts are also an awesome addition, sort of like mini challenges with a time limit. You can purchase them and upon completion, you earn even more CP. Much like with Halo, Treyarch has decided to give us a variety of game types to try out, as well as a Theater mode. These new game types within wager matches are super fun. Gun game (CounterStrike inspired, where you start off with a pistol and get a new gun with every kill), One in the Chamber (you only get one bullet in a pistol, and every kill earns you another bullet), and Sticks and Stones (all players start out with a crossbow, ballistic knife, and tomahawk) are just a few. Theater mode is basically just what it sounds like. Players have the ability to watch previous games, cut clips, and share them with the community and their friends. It’s so much fun going through a recent match and watching that sick collateral, quad spray, or cross map Tomahawk kill over and over.

Finally, as if all these new additions weren’t enough, Zombie mode is back. I got my hands on Nazi Zombies in World at War and didn’t really dig it. The one level I played was very dark and honestly I found it to be quite boring. Although in Black Ops, Zombie mode is quite awesome, especially once you beat the game and unlock the Pentagon and playable characters such as Nixon, Kennedy, and Castro. I cant wait to get a group of friends together and team up to defend the pentagon from the walking dead. All in all, Black Ops is a huge success. There is so much new content and fun to be had it’s almost overwhelming at first. Not to worry though, this game is definitely one that will keep you playing for hours on end, for months and months to come. If you have not yet picked this game up, I beg you to do so. You will certainly not be disappointed.