Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360, 2012)

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Black Ops II is the ninth main title in the Call of Duty first-person shooter franchise and the sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops. Set primarily in the near future of 2025, the game also features significant events taking place in the late 1980s. The timelines and story are connected through the playable characters of Alex Mason and Frank Woods in the past, alongside David Mason — the son of Alex Mason — in the future timeline. The future missions include an aged Woods providing exposition for the 1980s backdrop, sharing the same villain, Raul Menendez, whose decades-long vendetta is the primary focus of the single-player campaign.

The plot centers on a new cold war between China and the United States over Rare Earth Elements (REE) and its manipulation by Menendez. The game emphasizes unmanned drones and robotic technology — a first for the series. Players can customize multiplayer-style loadouts before each mission, and the campaign offers a far less linear experience. Players can make choices throughout the storyline that can impact everything from NPC appearances to major decisions that can change the game's ending entirely.

New sandbox-style missions called Strike Force provide an opportunity to command troops and drones from an overhead view, similar to a real-time strategy game. Players can zoom in on any unit, switching to standard first-person shooter controls for gameplay. Strike Force missions are integrated within the campaign and influence the storyline based on player performance.

Key Features

• Familiar Multiplayer Modes: Enjoy classic game modes like Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed, along with a new ten-point loadout system.
• Wildcards: Choose up to three wildcards to customize your loadout by breaking traditional class rules.
• Scorestreaks: Earn scorestreaks for points accumulated, not just kills, encouraging objective-based gameplay.
• Strike Force Missions: Engage in unique sandbox-style missions with real-time strategy elements that affect the campaign's narrative.
• Combat Training: Integrated into multiplayer as a playlist, allowing new players to hone their skills.