First Looks// Call of Duty: Black Ops II

A couple of years ago, it could be argued that Treyarch had some big shoes to fill when it became the alternate developer for the Call of Duty series. But, with the explosive success of spinoff Black Ops, the studio has undoubtedly made its own mark on the franchise. Now all eyes are on them to deliver again with Black Ops II - which, curiously enough, takes things into the not-too-distant future.

Now, I would say I’m a casual Call of Duty player. I enjoy the thrill of the blockbuster scenes, but it’s all too throwaway for me. None of it is of any real consequence, and I tire of it incredibly quickly. It is, as Activision developers have themselves called it, the Michael Bay of game franchises. Take that as you will, but personally I don’t take that to be very much. Moving into the near-future is either a risky shark-jumping exercise, or an intriguing way of refreshing a long-standing franchise.

As soon as I sat down and watched the gameplay footage roll before me, my interest waned slightly. The immediate impression is that Black Ops II will satisfy a lot of its core fanbase who just want more of the same. The scripted sequences that force the game to wrestle control from you (to watch your hand shield the screen from an explosion, or similar) are present and correct, and are starting to feel a little bit cliche.

The action can’t really be described as anything other than run-and-gun shooting, with the odd pause for breath for sniper sequences. The player runs. The player shoots. The player runs and then shoots. What’s spicing up the proceedings somewhat is the enticing array of slightly futuristic arsenal - rifles that can shoot through walls, flying drones that can cover corners, walking mechs... for anyone who’s not seen Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, this will be a delight.

It’s just a shame everything’s so bloody brown in this level. Brown this, and brown that. It’s rather depressing and doesn’t do the game any real presentation favours. We’re all tired of brown.

It’s not all humbugs and droopy frowns though. Despite the colour, the setting is a fascinating one - a neo-Cold War that erupts in the year 2025 when the US’ increased dependance on computer infrastructure is turned against it. It asks the question, ‘how crippled could a country become if its military and security hinged on a systems network?’.

Of course, let’s not beat about the bush - it asks that question in the form of a rocket launcher explosion. I saw a chaotic scene unfold in LA, during a late stage in the game. Naturally, shit’s blowing up all around you - and there are many classic Call of Duty spectacles at work here, from trucks colliding into one another to explosions occuring above the player as they rappel from destroyed highways.

This scene, in particular, is an example of how Treyarch is trying to add twists to the traditionally linear campaign structure - as tiny as these twists are. At certain points, you can choose how exactly to tackle various set pieces. In one area, the President of the United States gets escorted down onto a highway beneath you via a zipline.

The objective is to protect him, obviously - you can either stay on higher ground and use a sniper rifle to take out incoming enemies, or you can join the rest of your squad and rush out. All the while, your squaddies are yelling things at a rate that would give any typewriter-tapping memo-taker a run for their money. Loudly, too. The proverbial shit is real, son. It’s certainly in keeping with the turbulent Call of Duty experience.

So, same old shit, different setting is the big takeaway from the Call of Duty: Black Ops II single-player campaign. However, Treyarch has a much bigger rabbit up its sleeve - introducing Strike Force mode. These special stages occur throughout the course of the campaign, and are single-player sandbox objectives set in various countries around the world.

The idea is that the missions you play in Strike Force mode are occurring at the same time as the lead character’s plight in the US. One stage was shown as an example - at a harbour in Singapore, your task is to ensure you sink a powerful enemy battleship. You’re given a number of units to control, which you can slip in and out of to briefly steer them.

Soldiers can be ‘possessed’ if you want to play the entire level in a classic Call of Duty style, or you can mix it up and control drones, mech walkers and a range of other infrantry and devices. Each time you hop out of a unit, the viewpoint zooms out to present a map of the current operation, and the AI takes over for you.

Unlike main single-player campaign missions though, you can succeed or fail at Strike Force missions. Whatever you end up doing has an impact on the geo-political landscape that surrounds the storyline - with Treyarch hinting at alternate endings and differing cutscenes depending on how well you play.

It’s a noble idea to help spice up a franchise that seems to be happy to plod on without making any significant changes to its experience. It’s a shame, because Call of Duty is just about the biggest game franchise in the world right now, and it should be leading by example, not resting on its laurels.

Kudos to Treyarch for taking that first step. The proof, as always, is in the pudding though, so we’ll be able to find out more on this once I get my hands on some playable code.