Support NeoGAF

[NinjaBoiX]

Soooo, where is Eurogamer's review? It's nearly 18 hours after launch, and still no review. Also, DF face off, although I think we all know the outcome.

PC >>>> Xbox > PS3.

 

[SteveWD40]

Soooo, where is Eurogamer's review? It's nearly 18 hours after launch, and still no review. Also, DF face off, although I think we all know the outcome.

PC >>>> Xbox > PS3.

Wondering the same thing, assuming they want to actually be able to discuss the MP so are giving that a run through.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Wondering the same thing, assuming they want to actually be able to discuss the MP so are giving that a run through.

Everyone else appears to have managed to taste multi. I dunno. I mean, I've bought it anyway, on Xbox of course, (no PC) but still, I'm intrigued by their take on it.

And I'm also intrigued to find out how the PS3 port turned out, although initial reports aren't good...

 

[Fistwell]

Wondering the same thing, assuming they want to actually be able to discuss the MP so are giving that a run through.

I believe they did not attend the review event held on activision's turf, keeping some distance between editorial content and PR shenanigans. (in the meantime, you can check out the eurogamer.fr review, penned by an actual ex- activision PR)

 

[Hanmik]

Edge review is online..

http://www.edge-online.com/review/call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-review/2/

8/10

Black Ops II is lavish, flamboyant and breathless, but isn’t Call Of Duty like that every year? And yet every release seems to come with problems – changes for change’s sake that also overlooked the same old obvious flaws. The people who decry Call Of Duty for being the same every year have a point, of course, but you get the feeling they don’t actually play it. For those who put in hundreds of hours every year, every little change is potentially game-breaking, and this is the tightrope that Treyarch walks. Backed by Activision’s fantastic investment and support, Treyarch has succeeded, and made a sort of ultimate current-gen Call Of Duty. Not a reinvention – that, hopefully, comes next year, on box-fresh hardware and a new engine – but a refinement of the most successful series of its generation. Black Ops II is an excellent Call Of Duty game, then, but it’s only a Call Of Duty game, with all that implies.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

I believe they did not attend the review event held on activision's turf, keeping some distance between editorial content and PR shenanigans. (in the meantime, you can check out the eurogamer.fr review, penned by an actual ex- activision PR)

 

[j0hnny_385]

I believe they did not attend the review event held on activision's turf, keeping some distance between editorial content and PR shenanigans. (in the meantime, you can check out the eurogamer.fr review, penned by an actual ex- activision PR)

^ this. Eurogamer didn't go to Activision's review event. I think Tom (editor-in-chief) posted about that BO2 review situation on the site (I can't link it as Eurogamer is firewalled on my work).
Presumably they got the game yesterday just as us "mere mortals."

 

[Dilly]

I find it hard to believe it's one of the best shooters of the decade. Then again, it's IGN.

 

[TheOddOne]

Edge - 8/10

Black Ops II’s singleplayer campaign, however, is genuinely replayable. That’s thanks not just to branching narrative paths, but geographical ones too. No longer restricting you to a specific combination of weapons and attachments for a mission, you get to choose your loadout, including multiplayer-style perks. This has had a positive impact on level design, with Treyarch ensuring players aren’t punished for swapping the default SMG and pistol for a sniper rifle and shotgun, offering a handy bell tower here, an inviting network of outbuildings over there. These aren’t the expansive arenas of Halo – you’re still following your nose, or a squadmate’s feet, to the next objective – but Treyarch’s crammed a lot into these tight spaces. A scoring system, with friends-list-based leaderboards, adds further reason to replay, as do a suite of weapon-specific, objective-based and timed challenges.

It’s early days for the maps themselves – if history’s any guide the userbase of millions will immediately set about finding map glitches and broken spawns – but worthy rivals to the first two Modern Warfare games. Every piece of cover is there for a reason: rooms have multiple entrances to prevent campers hunkering down with claymores for protection, and only a handful of maps are truly sniper-friendly. They’re colourful, too, a welcome change after two years of greys and browns.

Many of Treyarch’s tweaks in Black Ops II are thoughtful, showing an awareness of the series’ long-standing problems. Killstreaks are now Scorestreaks, meaning the best toys are no longer the sole preserve of the slayers. The scoring system rewards those who play objective modes in the correct spirit – not purely for kills – and you get payoffs for shooting down air support. Naturally, players will still complain – in these early days, you’ll be shot in the back so regularly you’ll begin questioning the spawn system – but such teething problems are sure to be resolved as the game matures.

Black Ops II is lavish, flamboyant and breathless, but isn’t Call Of Duty like that every year? And yet every release seems to come with problems – changes for change’s sake that also overlooked the same old obvious flaws. The people who decry Call Of Duty for being the same every year have a point, of course, but you get the feeling they don’t actually play it. For those who put in hundreds of hours every year, every little change is potentially game-breaking, and this is the tightrope that Treyarch walks. Backed by Activision’s fantastic investment and support, Treyarch has succeeded, and made a sort of ultimate current-gen Call Of Duty. Not a reinvention – that, hopefully, comes next year, on box-fresh hardware and a new engine – but a refinement of the most successful series of its generation. Black Ops II is an excellent Call Of Duty game, then, but it’s only a Call Of Duty game, with all that implies.

 

[grimshawish]

EDIT: Probably wrong place.

 

[Malvingt2]

so what is going on with the PS3 version? the lack of reviews is insane for it. It is the worst version?

 

[Dabanton]

That EDGE review was a decent read.

 

[SolidSnakex]

so what is going on with the PS3 version? the lack of reviews is insane for it. It is the worst version?

LoT posted some comparison images earlier

http://www.lensoftruth.com/head2head-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-screenshot-comparison/

 

[plagiarize]

Soooo, where is Eurogamer's review? It's nearly 18 hours after launch, and still no review. Also, DF face off, although I think we all know the outcome.

PC >>>> Xbox > PS3.

DF face offs generally go up on Saturdays for some reason. So expect it then unless they hold it back to include talk of the Wii U version. I presume they'll just add that later though, like they normally do when a PC version shows up late.

I'm sad to here that the PS3 screen on the previous page wasn't just an awful capture. hopefully they'll patch out whatever 'filter' they're using there.

 

[JimmyRustler]

German 4players gave it 74%.

Wonder when the CoD hype will finally go down. Damn it, it's been going on for too long. Hope BO2 sells less than MW3 so we can at least start to hope this CoD-age will go away one day.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

LoT posted some comparison images earlier

http://www.lensoftruth.com/head2head-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii-screenshot-comparison/

Half of those are from a prerendered video. Wat.

 

[edgardavids]

I find it hard to believe it's one of the best shooters of the decade. Then again, it's IGN.

Well what does it have to compete with? Battlefield 3? Halo 4?

Edit: Oh Last decade.

 

[plagiarize]

Half of those are from a prerendered video. Wat.

lens of truth are terrible. they 'just show comparison screenshots' and yet they regularly pick out a range of comparisons that fail to do a decent job of giving you a representation of what the game looks like in normal play.

 

[Dabanton]

German 4players gave it 74%.

Wonder when the CoD hype will finally go down. Damn it, it's been going on for too long. Hope BO2 sells less than MW3 so we can at least start to hope this CoD-age will go away one day.

Why should it "go away" because you don't enjoy them? Millions of other gamers obviously do enjoy the series so they will sell and I hope they do for the foreseeable future.

I will never understand why some gamers just can't take that onboard and go and play the multitudes of other games that may interest them instead of worrying about games they don't.

 

[electroshockwave]

Digital Foundry will be out tomorrow according to the Eurogamer twitter.

 

[fabricated backlash]

Why should it "go away" because you don't enjoy them? Millions of other gamers obviously do enjoy the series so they will sell and I hope they do for the foreseeable future.

I will never understand why some gamers just can't take that onboard and go and play the multitudes of other games that may interest them instead of worrying about games they don't.

Some people do tie their enjoyment of games directly to their relevance in popular oppinion and proliferation.
If their taste isn't shared by others to the extend they'd expect or demand they start feeling insecure and ultimatively hostile.
This is true for all forms of entertainment though. Music in particular.

 

[Kerub]

Some people do tie their enjoyment of games directly to their relevance in popular oppinion and proliferation.
If their taste isn't shared by others to the extend they'd expect or demand they start feeling insecure and ultimatively hostile.
This is true for all forms of entertainment though. Music in particular.

And so, the hipster was created.

 

[Stallion Free]

Wow at game trailers. That is a lot of Doritos.

See a lot about taking risks...interesting considering the moh reviews all pounded it for being safe. I wonder if the game actually takes risks or if that is just the easy way out for the media.

The campaign is actually pretty clever and the story beats are pretty neat with the way they tie in choices. The set pieces are nicely executed as well. The side missions are garbage, but they do effect the story.

I think it's probably the best campaign of the bunch due to how solid the story is.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Why should it "go away" because you don't enjoy them? Millions of other gamers obviously do enjoy the series so they will sell and I hope they do for the foreseeable future.

I will never understand why some gamers just can't take that onboard and go and play the multitudes of other games that may interest them instead of worrying about games they don't.

CoD has too much impact on the industry. I'm sick of other games either trying to imitate it drowning in it's shadow.

And btw.: Who said I don't enjoy the series? I consider MW2 as the best shooter I've ever played. The impact is still too strong. The series should either go away or Activision stops milking it. One game every two years should be enough.

 

[codhand]

The most important review of all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0cxxrP3-wA&feature=youtu.be&a

by HipHopGamer1

OFFICIAL GAMEPLAY STARTS AT 7:27

This is all I have to see then please watch the review and feel my passion as I play this game and detail it for you.

1. Graphics: This game is such a major overhaul in the franchise, so much detail I mean damn what did they do with this engine because it's more than just a CALL OF DUTY UPGRADE SERIOUSLY.

2. Gameplay so smooth but yet it doesn't feel like the CALL OF DUTY we are use too, it feels better, smoother, and very diverse in the controls and movement very fluid but not arcadish, this really feels REAL

3. Just watch the video I literally can't type no more HANDS DOWN THE BEST CALL OF DUTY EVER, FOREVER EVER, FOREVER EVER. "MY HipHop Fans Will Know That Term"

 

[Scrabble]

why do ps3 games usually look washed out? Is this a hardware issue? And if so can't devs just adjust brightness settings to compensate?

 

[Karram]

I'm loving the knife only class, as most people aren't so good at the game.

 

[dark10x]

Got it from B3D

http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1678912&postcount=3455

PS3

360

Both versions look awful but I kind of prefer the blur in the PS3 version in this case.

Half of those are from a prerendered video. Wat.

The game uses pre-rendered videos now? What the hell? That really sucks for the PC version if true... :\

 

[Stallion Free]

The game uses pre-rendered videos now? What the hell? That really sucks for the PC version if true... :\

For the stuff in between levels (during transitions/loads), yes. COD has always been that way, they just used to put boring technical info rather than characters.

 

[plagiarize]

Both versions look awful but I kind of prefer the blur in the PS3 version in this case.

I was going to jokingly suggest earlier that you'd probably prefer the look of the PS3 version, but I didn't because I thought it was too much blur even for you. I know this is consistent for you (going back to GTA4)... but it still hurts my brain.

Just borrow someone else's glasses that are the wrong prescription for you when a game has no AA. most of us prefer no AA to how that PS3 version looks. by far! you can make any game blurry without ruining it for the rest of us

 

[dark10x]

I was going to jokingly suggest earlier that you'd probably prefer the look of the PS3 version, but I didn't because I thought it was too much blur even for you. I know this is consistent for you (going back to GTA4)... but it still hurts my brain.

Just borrow someone else's glasses that are the wrong prescription for you when a game has no AA. most of us prefer no AA to how that PS3 version looks. by far! you can make any game blurry without ruining it for the rest of us

Like I said, they both look hideous to me, but given the choice, I'd take a blurry image over a jaggier image.

For the stuff in between levels (during transitions/loads), yes. COD has always been that way, they just used to put boring technical info rather than characters.

I'm aware of the transitions being videos but I'm surprised that they are putting story bits between the missions now. I like the idea, but video playback in PC games is always wretched.

 

[Stallion Free]

I'm aware of the transitions being videos but I'm surprised that they are putting story bits between the missions now. I like the idea, but video playback in PC games is always wretched.

These ones played fine for me.

Dark10x translation: there is no judder in the playback of these videos.

 

[plagiarize]

Like I said, they both look hideous to me, but given the choice, I'd take a blurry image over a jaggier image.

I know, that's why I said 'prefer'. I still find it bonkers!

 

[Morts]

Digital Foundry will be out tomorrow according to the Eurogamer twitter.

Hope they include the Wii U version, or at least update it later.

 

[Spinluck]

Yea, I'm still gonna Redbox it. The online and whatnot should still be fun for a bit, plus I don't think Activision really needs my moolah.

All my friends who did the midnight release, went on Facebook the following day complaining how shitty the game was. And that Zombies was its only redeeming factor.
Of course they said it's because Treyarch sucks, and Infinity Ward is much better. They will probably play this throughout the year anyways, and by MW4 regardless.

 

[Black_Stride]

Well, I don't have an Xbox so I just want to know if I'm getting a gimped product or not and the IW CODs have been great in this regard with hardly any difference between them.

You are getting a gimped product.

Just borrow someone else's glasses that are the wrong prescription for you when a game has no AA. most of us prefer no AA to how that PS3 version looks. by far! you can make any game blurry without ruining it for the rest of us

Yes Lord!
Hallelujah.

Blurry videogames hurt me, its like my eyes try to focus the image or something.
Id rather take some aliasing over a gaussian blurred image than a 10 pixel wide gaussian blur over my games.
IN the unlikley event i want to torture myself Ill just borrow my buddies glasses.