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Call of Duty: Black Ops
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| Call of Duty: Black Ops | |
|---|---|
 Box art | |
| Developer(s) | Treyarch n-Space (DS)[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Activision Square Enix (Japan) |
| Designer(s) | Corky Lehmukuhl (creative director) David Vonderhaar(multiplayer design director) Joe Chiang (lead designer) |
| Writer(s) | Craig Houston Dave Anthony David S. Goyer (consultant)[2] |
| Composer(s) | Sean Murray |
| Series | Call of Duty |
| Engine | IW engine (improved fromWorld at War)[3] |
| Version | 1.13 (PS3) 1.13 (Xbox 360) 1.15 (PC) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Wii Nintendo DS[4] |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter[6] |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer [7] |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc, download |
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game[6] developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, 2010 for Microsoft Windows,Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,[5] Wii consoles,[10] with a separate version for Nintendo DSdeveloped by n-Space.[1] Announced on April 30, 2010, the game is the seventh installment of the Call of Duty series. It is also the first to be set in the Cold War and the fifth to be set inWorld War II. It is the third in the series to be developed by Treyarch, and is a sequel to the developer's Call of Duty: World at War.[11]
Within 24 hours of going on sale, the game sold more than 5.6 million copies, 4.2 million in the U.S. and 1.4 million in the UK, breaking the record set by its predecessor Modern Warfare 2 by some 2.3 million copies.[12][13] A subtitled version was released in Japan on November 18, 2010. A Japanese-dubbed version was released on December 16, 2010. After six weeks on release, Activision reported Black Ops had earned $1 billion in sales.[14] On August 3, 2011, Activision confirmed that the game had sold over 25 million copies worldwide.[15]
Contents[hide] |
Gameplay
Overview
Black Ops is a first-person shooter, retaining the same gameplay mechanics as previousCall of Duty titles. The player assumes the role of a foot soldier who can wield various firearms, of which two at a time can be carried; throw grenades and other explosives; and use other equipment as weapons. A player close enough to an enemy can kill with one knife blow. A character can take three stances: standing, crouching or prone; each affects rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. The player can dive to prone from a standing position while running, and can momentarily sprint before having to stop. The screen glows red to indicate damage to a player's health, which regenerates over time. When the character is within the blast radius of a live grenade, an on-screen marker indicates where it is in relation to the player, helping the player to move away or to throw it back. Among the weapons new to the series in Black Ops are crossbows with bolts and explosive ammunition, Dragon's Breath rounds and ballistic knives.
Campaign
The player assumes the role of various characters during the single-player campaign, changing perspectives throughout the story. The playable characters are special forces operatives conducting black operations behind enemy lines. In this way, the player's characters have their own traits such as voices and shadows.[11] Each mission features a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads-up display, which marks the direction and distance towards and from such objectives. The player is accompanied by friendly troops throughout the game. Although primarily a first-person shooter, the player pilots a Hind helicopter and guides friendly troops from a SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.[16][17][18] The campaign features several scripted cinematic moments. One of them is a bullet time effect during the "Victor Charlie" level, activated when the player fires toward the last enemy of a Viet Cong squad.[19]
Multiplayer
The online multiplayer mode of Black Ops usually revolves around two teams on a specific mission. For example in Team Deathmatch the team with the most kills wins, while in Capture the Flag, players take the other team's flags and return it to their own base. Additionally, there is Free For All in which players aren't separated into teams.[20] Not including Downloadable maps, there are 14 different maps.[21]
Black Ops retains the experience points and unlockable reward system that has been kept sinceCall of Duty 4. The game's multiplayer focuses on socialization and customization.[11] "Create-a-Class 2.0" allows enhanced personalization with appearance items as well as upgradable perks;[17] weapons are extensively customizable with writing, emblems, attachments and camouflage painting. Even reticles can be modified. There are more than one style for an attachment, which allows for a lot more personalized weaponry; for example, the player can choose between a red dot sight or a reflex sight, both of which share many of the same traits, although the red dot fills up less of the screen (something desired by many players). Character models depend on the first tier perk instead of the weapon's type. Furthermore, face paints can be unlocked.[22] New custom killstreak rewards include explosive R/C cars, guided missiles and controllable attack helicopters.[23]
A currency system has been implemented allowing players to buy weapons, accessories and clothes. Players can gamble with their "COD Points" in a free-for-all based playlist called "Wager Match", which is composed of four game modes.[24] Time limited objectives known as "Contracts" can be purchased to gain more currency and experience points.[22] The progression system is not featured in local split-screenmultiplayer. In local split-screen play, all character customization options are already unlocked. Players can no longer define game rules such as win conditions.
Players can play alone or with friends against AI opponents in "Combat Training" with a separate progression system.[25] Online split-screen is re-introduced on Xbox 360 and PS3. The guest account can rank up but is reset after each sign out. Only on Xbox 360, a second Gold Xbox Live account can be used to keep the second player's progression.[26] Aside from the Combat Training mode, Xbox users can also have up to four players in split-screen mode play against AI opponents even without having an Xbox Live account. This is done by configuring the Local Split Screen settings and setting the number of enemies to a value greater than zero.[27]
For the first time in the series, clips from online gameplay can be recorded. Some specific features that have been removed from the PC version of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 return, such as lean,[28] mod tools, the developer console[29] and dedicated servers.[30] Dedicated servers are exclusively provided by Game Servers.[31] Steam is the exclusive platform for Black Ops on PC, and the game is protected byValve Anti-Cheat.[32]
The Wii version of the game includes in-game voice chat. This is the first Call of Duty title to include the voice chat feature for the Wii. Nintendo and PDP have partnered to release the first headset to be used with the Wii known as PDP's Headbanger Headset.[33]
Zombies
A zombie cooperation mode, titled "Zombies", is included in the game. Originally featured in World at War, it was revamped to be included into Black Ops.[34] It is a four-player online and two-player split screen co-op mode (which can also be unlocked online). In the map "Five", players take the roles of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro as they fight zombies at The Pentagon.[35][36]There is one map based on the original game called Kino der Toten ("Theater/Cinema of the Dead" in German). This map features the characters from World at War -- Edward Richtofen the German, Tank Dempsey the American, Takeo Masaki the Japanese , and Nikolai Belinski the Russian. Limited editions of the game offers four zombie maps from World at War.[37] There is an unlockable top-down, two-stick arcade-shooter version of Zombies known as Dead Ops Arcade.[38]
Included in the First Strike Map Pack is the Zombie map Ascension. Ascension takes place in an abandoned Soviet Cosmodrome, and like Kino der Toten, features the characters from World at War. Additionally, it includes two new weapons (the Gersch Device and Matryoshka Dolls), as well as two new perks (PhD Flopper and Stamin-Up), and one new power-up (the Bottle).[39] A new enemy, the Space Monkeys, appear in this map, replacing the Hellhounds and the Pentagon Thief.[40]
Included in the Escalation Map Pack is the Zombie map Call of The Dead. Call of the Dead takes place in an abandoned part of the Soviet Union, in which is in an arctic environment. This map features new characters. They are: Danny Trejo, Robert Englund, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Michael Rooker.[41] It includes new weapons (the Vr-11 and the Scavenger), and a new perk called Deadshot Daiquiri. Another new enemy, George Romero, replaces the Hellhounds, Pentagon Thief, and Space Monkeys of previous maps.
The fourth and latest map pack, Rezurrection, is made up of only zombie maps. The Rezurrection Map Pack includes the first 4 maps fromCall of Duty: World at War (Shi No Numa/"Swamp", Nacht Der Untoten/"Night", Verruckt/"Asylum", Der Riese/"Factory") and a new map called "Moon."[42]
Synopsis
Characters and setting
Main article: List of characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops takes place during the Cold War, in the 1960s. The story focuses on theCIA-backed clandestine black operations carried out behind enemy lines. These missions take place in various locations around the globe such as the Ural Mountains in central Russia, Cuba,Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Laos, Vietnam and the Arctic circle. The single-player campaign revolves around an experimental chemical weapon codenamed "Nova-6".
The player mainly controls SAD/SOG special forces operative Alex Mason and occasionally CIA agent Jason Hudson, as well as other characters. Mason often works with Frank Woods and Joseph Bowman, while Hudson teams up with Grigori Weaver, a Russian-born field operative.Viktor Reznov, a key character from the Soviet campaign in World at War returns. Its Russian protagonist Dimitri Petrenko also makes an appearance. Black Ops features several historical figures: Mason meets John F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, and Fidel Castro.
Plot
On February 25, 1968, SAD/SOG operative Alex Mason is strapped to a chair in an interrogation room. Unaware of his whereabouts, he is bombarded with questions by his unseen captors about the location of a numbers station. Most of the missions in the game are presented as the flashbacks of Mason between 1961 and 1968.
In 1961, Mason, Woods, and Bowman attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba as a part of Operation 40. Mason apparently succeeds in the assassination, but their exfiltration goes awry, with Mason staying behind to protect the extraction plane. He is captured by the real Castro, having shot a double. Because of an alliance with the Soviet Union, Castro hands Mason over to General Nikita Dragovich. Mason is then held captive at Vorkuta Gulag for two years. During his imprisonment, Mason befriends Viktor Reznov, a former Red Army soldier. Reznov recounts to Mason the identities of those involved in Mason’s torture: Dragovich, Lev Kravchenko (his right-hand man) and Friedrich Steiner, an ex-Nazi scientist who defected to the Soviet Union. All three share a connection to Reznov: in October 1945, Reznov, Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Dimitri Petrenko were a part of a unit sent to locate Steiner, hiding with a unit of the SS in theArctic Circle. During the operation, Reznov was betrayed by Dragovich, who used Steiner's creation, a nerve agent known as "Nova-6" on Petrenko. Reznov was spared the same fate when British commandos attacked the Russians. During the confusion, he destroys Nova-6. However, it was later recreated by Steiner and a British scientist named Daniel Clarke for the Soviets. Shortly afterward, Reznov is imprisoned in Vorkuta. Mason and Reznov spark a prisoner uprising to escape the gulag, but only Mason escapes.
One month later, President John F. Kennedy authorizes the assassination of Dragovich.
In November 1963, Mason, Woods, Bowman and Weaver are dispatched to Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh SSR to disrupt the Soviet space program and eliminate members of the Soviet Ascension program, Nazis who had been given sanctuary in Russia in exchange for their knowledge. At the start of the operation, Weaver is captured and Mason sees Kravchenko torture him, stabbing his left eye, but Mason and his team later rescue him, while still destroying the Soyuz spacecraft as well. Dragovich eludes assassination, prompting Mason to search for him over the next five years. By 1968, the MACV-SOG was established in Vietnam to investigate the Soviets' presence. After defending Khe Sanh, the SOG is deployed to Hue during the Tet Offensive to recover a dossier with information on Dragovich from a Russian defector. The team recovers the dossier, while Mason encounters Reznov, who is revealed to be the defector. The SOG then penetrates Laos to recover a Nova-6 shipment from a downed Soviet plane. At the crash site, they are overwhelmed by waves of Viet Cong and Spetznaz soldiers, eventually getting captured. Mason and Reznov escape, but Bowman is executed and Woods dies while killing Kravchenko.
Meanwhile, Hudson and Weaver interrogate Dr. Daniel Clarke, the engineer who stabilized Nova-6, in Kowloon. Clarke identifies Steiner as part of the conspiracy, and reveals the location of a hidden facility in Mount Yamantau before being killed by Dragovich's men. Hudson and Weaver head to Mount Yamantau to destroy the facility and apprehend Steiner. During the mission, Hudson receives a transmission from Steiner requesting to meet him at Rebirth Island in the Aral Sea to learn how to halt a numbers broadcast that would send instructions to sleeper agents to release Nova-6 gas in American cities. Mason and Reznov head to Rebirth Island to assassinate Steiner. In the present, Mason is adamant that Reznov executed Steiner, but Hudson had witnessed Mason carrying out the deed. At this point, Hudson and Weaver are revealed as Mason's interrogators. Hudson realizes that Dragovich brainwashed Mason to understand the numbers broadcasts, effectively becoming a Soviet sleeper agent. Out of options, Hudson deliberately sets Mason free in order to follow him. It is revealed that the real Reznov died during the Vorkuta break out, and Mason’s visions of Reznov are a result of a dissociative disorder caused by the traumatic brainwashing program. Reznov had, in fact, reprogrammed Mason to assassinate Dragovich, Kravchenko and Steiner instead of President Kennedy prior to the Vorkuta breakout. Hudson plays the numbers recording for Mason a final time, prompting him to remember the location of the Russian cargo ship Rusalka off the coast of Cuba.
By dawn, the team launches an assault on the Rusalka, with Mason and Hudson infiltrating an underwater broadcast station protected by the ship, a Soviet submarine station intended to be used as a staging point for US invasion after the planned Nova-6 attack. Confirming that theRusalka is the numbers station, Hudson calls in the US Navy to destroy the ship and its underwater base. Mason and Hudson finally find Dragovich in the lower levels of the facility and manage to kill him before the destruction of the base, swimming for the surface during the destruction of the targets. Weaver declares victory, but Mason is unsure, haunted by his last conversation with Dragovich.
Archive footage of President Kennedy prior to his assassination are shown, with the broadcaster and Mason narrating random numbers. After a second play-through of the archive footage, Mason's appearance in the crowd, as well as Dragovich's final words, suggest that Masonfollowed his original programming.
Customization of violence and profanity
The game allows players to turn down the blood and turn off the profanity.[43]
Development
| [show]System Requirements |
|---|
In May 2009, publisher Activision was rumored to be looking for licensing regardingVietnam War-era music which led to speculation that Call of Duty 7 would be set in Vietnam.[45] In May 2009, Treyarch employee David Kim revealed on his LinkedIn profile that he would work as a senior animator on Call of Duty 7.[46] In November 2009, only a few days before Modern Warfare 2's release, Activision officially announced a new Call of Duty title for 2010 through their third quarter financial call.[47] In February 2010, a casting call for Call of Duty 7 led to speculation that the game would be taking place during the Cold War era with some battles taking place in South Vietnam.[48] On April 30, 2010, Black Ops was officially announced.[5]
The game runs on an enhanced World at War engine (which itself was improved from Call of Duty 4's) at 60 frames per second on consoles.[3] It features a streaming texture technology (also seen in Modern Warfare 2), making bigger levels possible such as "Payback" where the player controls a helicopter. Lighting effects have been improved as well.[49] Call of Duty: Black Ops supports 3-D imagingrendered by the engine itself.[50] This feature is available on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions.[51]
For Black Ops, Treyarch focused only on this game unlike past practice. However, it had different teams, each working on separate game modes.[52] Treyarch used a motion capture technology similar to the one used in James Cameron's film Avatar, which allows accurate facial expressions, capturing the whole performance of the actor.[7] The studio also consulted special forces veterans from both belligerents of the Cold War: Major John Plaster (US Army-Ret.) who served in the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War, and former Soviet special forces operative Sonny Puzikas.[53] The latter taught Treyarch how Spetsnaz soldiers would react in combat, such as rolling out of the line of fire. Spetsnaz AIs in the game have been modeled after him, from his tactics and his movements to his face.[54][55] Although having a historical background, the classified aspect of these Cold War black operations allowed the studio to create its own fictional story.[56]
Audio
Black Ops features the voices of Sam Worthington as Alex Mason,[57] Ed Harris as Jason Hudson,[58] Gary Oldman reprises his role as Viktor Reznov from World at War and also voices Dr. Clarke,[57] James C. Burns voices and provides performance capture for Frank Woods[59][60] and Ice Cube voices Joseph Bowman, who is also the multiplayer announcer for the SOG faction.[61][62] Gene Farber voices Grigori Weaver,[63] Emmanuelle Chriqui plays a live-action character called Numbers,[64][65] Eamon Hunt voices Nikita Dragovich,[63] Andrew Divoff voices Lev Kravchenko and [63] Robert Picardo voices Secretary Robert McNamara.[63]
Call of Duty: Black Ops features Vietnam War era music including "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones[66] (played during a gameplay sequence and the credits) and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".[67] Eminem's "Won't Back Down" (featuring Pink) is used for the credits as well, and additionally appears as an Easter Egg in the Zombie map "Five". The original music was composed by Sean Murray, who also composed Call of Duty: World at War. The soundtrack was released on November 9. The use of The Rolling Stones' music in the game has seen a significant increase in the band's music sales since launch. "Gimme Shelter" sold 2,000 copies in the week before the launch trailer was revealed, 5,000 the week after, and 11,000 the week after the game's release. "Sympathy for the Devil" experienced a similar boost as gamers discovered the band's music.[68]
Marketing
Black Ops was first officially unveiled when the website for the game went live on April 30, 2010[5] prior to the release of its debut teaser trailer on GameTrailers TV Episode 310.[69] In early April 2010, an unmarked envelope was sent to various gaming news publications as well as high profile Call of Duty fans via mail. It contained a USB flash drive with sound and text files. These files were codes to be decrypted, only to find a mysterious teaser site for an unknown game. Other codes were updated periodically. Much evidence proving that the site is related to Call of Duty: Black Ops and Treyarch were found as the codes were decrypted.[70]
Similarly to Modern Warfare 2's marketing, the first full-length trailer of Black Ops was aired after the 3rd Quarter on ESPN during the NBAEastern Conference Finals on May 18, 2010.[71] During E3 2010, studio head Mark Lamia opened the Microsoft conference by playing Black Ops on stage.[72] It was also announced that the timed Xbox 360 exclusivity for additional content of Call of Duty titles, which began withModern Warfare 2, extends until 2012.[73] A remixed version of the ESPN trailer with Eminem's "Won't Back Down" was released on June 14,[74] prior to the E3 Activision conference for which he also performed.[75] A multiplayer teaser trailer was released on August 9, 2010 revealing killstreaks, weapons, and other in-game multiplayer features. A full multiplayer reveal took place on September 1, 2010, and revealed many multiplayer features from the game.[76]
Chrysler produced a limited-edition Call of Duty Jeep as the Wrangler is featured in Black Ops.[77] In late September, viral site GKNOVA6 was updated revealing fuzzy footages of zombies.[78] On October 11, a single player trailer aired on ESPN during the New York Jets versusMinnesota Vikings NFL Monday Night Football game.[79] The same trailer was aired the next day in the United Kingdom at half time of theEngland versus Montenegro 2012 European Football Championship qualifying game. On October 29, the official launch trailer was released online. The same trailer aired on October 31 during the New Orleans Saints versus Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Sunday Night Football game. The trailer features the song "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.[80]
Retail versions
Like Modern Warfare 2, "Hardened" and "Prestige" limited editions are available: the Hardened Edition includes a SteelBook case, a medal with its display case, four exclusive co-op levels and an Xbox Live or PlayStation Home avatar outfit. The Prestige Edition offers, in addition to the Hardened Edition's content, a real RC-XD remote-control vehicle modeled after the in-game killstreak reward, which gives video and audio feedback to its controller.[81] In Japan, the game is distributed by Square Enix. Two versions are available: subtitled or dubbed,[82] released respectively on November 18, 2010 and December 16, 2010. Both have dismemberment censored.[83] Gore is censored as well in Germanyin addition to the removal of "Sympathy for the Devil" and symbols considered "anti-constitutional" in the country.[66]
Downloadable content
Treyarch released the "First Strike" Map Pack on February 1, 2011 for the Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 received the map pack on March 3, 2011 and the PC version was released on March 25, 2011 through Steam.[84] The Map Pack includes additional maps that can be played in the Multiplayer. These maps include "Berlin Wall", "Discovery", "Kowloon" and "Stadium" and a map for the Zombie mode titled "Ascension" which takes place in a Soviet launch site.[85]
On April 11, 2011, a second map pack called "Escalation" was announced by Activison and Microsoft. It features 4 new multiplayer maps named "Zoo", "Hotel", "Convoy", "Stockpile" and one new zombie map named 'Call of the Dead'. This map is based on the movies by George A. Romero, the revolutionary epic-zombie-horror director. The trailer for this map shows the four playable characters: Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund and Michael Rooker. The name is a reference to the immensely popular Dead Series created and directed by Romero. The trailer also offers a sneak-peak of a zombiefied version of George A. Romero himself, lurking out of water. The map is set on a ship, with instead of Nazi zombies, shipcrew zombies. It was released on May 3, 2011 for the Xbox 360, June 2 on the PC and June 10 for the PlayStation 3.[86]
A third map pack called "Annihilation" was released for the Xbox 360 on June 28, 2011, and on July 28, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and PC. It contains four new multiplayer maps named "Hangar 18", "Hazard", "Drive-In", "Silo", and a new zombie map named "Shangri La", which takes place in a legendary shrine lost in a exotic jungle.[87][88]
The fourth map pack, "Rezurrection" was released on August 23, 2011 for the Xbox 360 and September 22, 2011 on PlayStation 3 and PC. The Rezurrection Map Pack is made up of 5 only zombie mode maps. It includes the first 4 maps from Call of Duty: World at War (Shi No Numa/"Swamp", Nacht Der Untoten/"Night", Verruckt/"Asylum", Der Riese/"Factory") and a new map called "Moon." "Moon" will allow players to fight zombies in zero gravity with both the player and the zombies under zero gravity influence.[42]
Reception
Sales
Within 24 hours of its release, Black Ops had sold a combined total of 5.6 million units in the US and UK market, surpassing that of Modern Warfare 2 and establishing a new record for largest entertainment launch.[89] Compared to the much anticipated opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, the game earned more than twice as much as the film, earning $360 million.[90] Only five days after its release, sales from the game worldwide reached US$650 million, surpassing the previous record achieved by Modern Warfare 2 which earned $550 million in five days.[91] By November 22, the game remained the bestselling title in the United Kingdom, despite sales dropping by 85%.[92] Some estimates had placed sales of the game as reaching 18 million units sold, earning a revenue of $818 million. This would fall about 2 million copies and $182 million short of Modern Warfare 2.[93] By December 22, worldwide revenue of Black Ops exceeded $1 billion.[94][95] Sales remained strong months after the game's release, remaining at the top-seller list in February 2011.[96] On March 3, 2011 the news magazine The Hollywood Reporter also reported on the best selling video games ever. It announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game ever in the United States of America.[97] It is currently the best-selling game of all-time in the United States, surpassing Wii Play; 13.7 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops have been sold in the United States alone.[98]
Critical response
| [hide] Call of Duty: Black Ops | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | (PS3) 88.14%[99] (X360) 87.60%[100] (Wii) 81.47%[101] (PC) 78.19%[102] (NDS) 73.09%[103] |
| Metacritic | (PS3) 88/100[104] (X360) 87/100[105] (PC) 81/100[106] (Wii) 80/100[107] (NDS) 74/100[108] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | (PS3) A-[109] (X360) A-[110] |
| Edge | 7/10[111] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[112] |
| Famitsu | 39/40[113] |
| Game Informer | 9/10[114] |
| GamePro |  [115] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[116] |
| GameSpy |  [117] |
| GamesRadar | 9/10[118] |
| GameTrailers | 9.3/10[119] |
| IGN | (PS3) 8.5/10[120] (X360) 8.5/10[121] (PC) 8.5/10[122] (Wii) 7.5/10[123] |
| Official Xbox Magazine | 9.5/10[124] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 9/10[125] |
| VideoGamer.com | 6/10[126] |
| X-Play | [127] |
| PC Gamer | 64/100[128] |
| The Escapist | [129] |
| The Daily Telegraph | 10/10[130] |
| The Guardian | [131] |
| Destructoid | 6/10[132] |
| Game Rant | [133] |
| GamesWeasel |   [134] |
Call of Duty: Black Ops has received generally positive reviews from critics. GameSpot awarded it 9.0 out of ten and wrote "Call of Duty: Black Ops bears the series' standard superbly, delivering an engrossing campaign and exciting competitive multiplayer."[116] Edge magazine was less positive, giving it a 7/10, writing that "As polished and pretty and fun as Black Ops often is, it feels more like a yearly update than a sequel [which] isn't distinct from its predecessors in any important way".[135] Several reviewers also complained that the game felt too much like a rail shooter, withPC Gamer branding it "barely interactive".[133][136][137][138]
Reviewers also noted that the PC version of the game was buggy and had "a number of frustrating problems", including a lag in multiplayer modes which for some players rendered the game almost "unplayable".[139][140][141] Players have also reported serious bugs with the PS3 version, including compatibility issues with 3D televisions.[142] PC World magazine noted that user reviews of the game were much less positive than those of critics.[143] As of November 12, 2010, three days after the release, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions of the game held average user ratings of 3.1, 3.1, and 1.8 stars on Amazon.com, respectively (on a 1 to 5 scale),[144] with many PC users complaining about lag, stuttering and bugs.
In January 2011, to a player complaining about the remaining connection problems for the game onPlayStation 3, an Activision customer service representative threatened that they could shut down the servers for the game for the PlayStation Network at any time.[145][146][147] After some days and following some game media heat,[148] Dan Amrich, Activision Social Media Manager, declared that even if they could kill the servers, they did not plan currently to do it.[149] The Daily Telegraphpraised Black Ops as a superb experience of gameplay, "the meaty kick of the guns, the blistering pace of the action and the sterling soundtrack of explosions, gunshots and whistling bullets all serve to quicken the player's pulse and tighten their grip on the controller",[130] and mentioned, it is beyond the overwhelming, chaotic action in the game's major gun battles, offers among other things, a stealthy infiltration of a substation in the snow-capped steppes, in which the slow down in action is compensated for by nail-shredding tension and creepy atmosphere.[130]
Official Nintendo Magazine awarded the Wii version 90% and said "Black Ops on Wii is a fantastic shooter packed with all the features of its HD brothers, with the only exception being split-screen multiplayer."[150] Martin Gaston at videogamer.com gave the Wii version 6 out of 10, complaining ofTreyarch's reworking of in-game sequences as movies, poor AI, and gameplay problems from lower-resolution graphics.[126]
In February 2011, the Xbox 360 version was named the Xbox Live's top title of 2010 by GameSpot.[151]
Controversy
Cuba has condemned the release of the game as it has special forces trying but failing to kill a young Fidel Castro, killing instead a body-double.[152][153] The website Cubadebate said the game "encourages sociopathic attitudes of American children and adolescents, the main consumers of these virtual games".[152][154][155] Adam Biessener questioned events depicted in the single-player campaign stating that they push "the lines of good taste."[156] Specifically noted was the scene depicting the torture of a restrained prisoner.[156] In Germany, the uncensored version was expected to be banned by the end of November due to graphic violence. The Federal Department of Media Harmful to Young Persons received an "urgent request" to ban all international versions of the game.[157]
Mobile phone version
Black Ops was also released for both mobile phones and smartphones, and it is set to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year.[158] This version is a third-person side-scrolling shooter. It features a different storyline, a different set of characters, and is set only in the Vietnam War in 1967. The game was developed by Glu Mobile and published by Activision.[158][159]
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Witcher 2)
| The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | CD Projekt RED |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Windows POL CD Projekt NA Atari PAL Namco Bandai RU 1C Company ARG Synergex de Argentina Xbox 360 |
| Engine | RED Engine |
| Version | 2.1[2] (November 21, 2011) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows[3] Xbox 360[4] |
| Release date(s) | Microsoft Windows INT May 17, 2011[5] Xbox 360 INT Q1 2012[6] |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc, download,cloud computing |
| System requirements | |
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a third-person role-playing video game developed by Polish studio CD Projekt RED for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. It is a sequel to the 2007 video game The Witcher, and was released internationally on May 17, 2011. Like its predecessor, the game is based on the book series of the same name by Polish authorAndrzej Sapkowski. The game has been a critical and commercial success selling around 1 million units.[9]
Contents[hide] |
[edit]Plot
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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings contains many different paths and storylines, along with multiple endings. As in the first game, the player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans that have been genetically enhanced and trained to fight monsters from a young age.They have special Powers, different in each Witcher. These include Alchemy, Magic, and Sword Handling (swordsmanship).
[edit]Prologue
During the prologue, Geralt is interrogated in a prison of the kingdom of Temeria by Vernon Roche, the commander of a group of Temerian special forces known as the Blue Stripes, regarding the assassination of the king of Temeria, King Foltest. Geralt recounts the events leading up to Foltest's death, during which he acted as Foltest's bodyguard. During an uprising against Foltest by noble families of Temeria, Foltest personally leads the battle in order to recover his illegitimate children, Anais and Boussy, who are being held by the rebels. Once Foltest finds his children, he is killed by an assassin disguised as a blind monk, who escapes before Geralt can react. Geralt is then found by Temerian forces and mistaken for Foltest's killer. After hearing Geralt's confessions, Roche decides on Geralt's innocence and aids him in escaping the prison. The two, along with Triss Merigold, a sorceress, Geralt's companion and, up until Foltest's assassination, royal advisor, then travel to a trading post named Flotsam, in search of the kingslayer.
[edit]Chapter 1
Upon arrival to Flotsam, Geralt, Roche, and Triss are ambushed by Iorveth, with Triss's magic saving them from his archers. Geralt discovers the assassin is a witcher in league with a group of Elven rebels known as the Scoia'tael. The assassin is also revealed to have killed another king: Demavend, the king of neighboring kingdom Aedirn. Upon arrival, Geralt walks upon Zoltan and Dandelion about to be hung in the city square. After a scrap with the guards, the commandant of Flotsam, Loredo, sets them free under certain conditions, and asks Geralt to meet him in his mansion. After he and Roche disable Loredo's ballista and find him hoarding merchant goods, Loredo tasks Geralt in killing the Kayran, a monster disrupting the town's trade routes. After killing the Kayran with the help of sorceress Síle de Tansarville, Geralt meets a Scoia'tael lieutenant on the prison barge who claims the kingslayer, known as Letho, intends to betray Iorveth, the leader of the Scoia'tael. After telling Iorveth this information, Geralt and Iorveth decide to confront Letho, who reveals his plans to kill Iorveth. Before the two can capture Letho however, Roche arrives with an armed force. The player can make the choice of either assisting Iorveth (which results in the slaughter of nonhumans in Flotsam) or Roche (which results in Iorveth's capture and a feast in Flotsam). Geralt then engages in a duel with Letho. Geralt is defeated, but Letho spares his life after revealing that Geralt once saved the lives of Letho and his band of witchers. Letho then kidnaps Triss and forces her to teleport both of them to Aedirn. The player now again can choose whether to assist Iorveth or Roche, changing the path of the second chapter accordingly.
[edit]Chapter 2 (Iorveth)
If Geralt assists Iorveth, the pair commandeer a prison barge and after either killing Loredo or saving the elven women in the prison tower he set fire to, set sail for upper Aedirn. There, a meeting is held between the king of neighboring kingdom Kaedwen, King Henselt, and a unified army of rebels, led by the deceased King Demavend's son, Prince Stennis, and a rebel commander known as Saskia the Dragonslayer. A fight breaks out, but is interrupted when an ancient curse is activated and spectral soldiers attack the humans. Geralt and Iorveth arrive just in time, assisting Saskia and Prince Stennis out of the battlefield, aided by the sorceress Philippa Eilhart, Saskia's advisor. The rebels then hold a meeting. Saskia intends to unite the loyalist forces under Prince Stennis, the dwarven forces of the town of Vergen, and the Scoia'tael, led by Iorveth, into a single fighting force and defeat King Henselt, then declare the formation of a free nation, led by Saskia herself as Queen. As the meeting nears adjournment however, Saskia is poisoned.
Geralt is tasked with two missions: recovering ingredients to formulate an antidote for Saskia, and recovering magical artifacts with which to lift the curse that has descended upon the battlefield. During the process, a mob of peasantry accuse Prince Stennis of poisioning Saskia, in which Geralt can either let the crowd kill him (and obtain his royal blood for the cure for Saskia) or let him set up a tribunal (in which Geralt gets royal blood from Henselt in his camp). With Geralt's help, Philippa Eilhart succeeds in curing Saskia. Geralt also discovers that Triss was abandoned by Letho upon arrival, and was subsequently found and captured by spies from the empire of Nilfgaard. Before Geralt can recover her, she is taken by the Nilfgaardian forces to Loc Muinne. Geralt then enters the battlefield himself to reenact a historic battle and end the curse. With the curse lifted, King Henselt and his forces attack Vergen, but the rebels defeat the Kaedweni army and Henselt is forced to acknowledge Saskia's terms. During the battle, Geralt discovers Saskia is actually a dragon taking human form. Iorveth notices that Saskia is acting strangely, ordering Dethmold to be executed without trial, but before he and Geralt can react Philippa teleports Saskia and herself to Loc Muinne. Geralt and Iorveth then discover that Philippa had placed a mind domination spell upon Saskia, and the pair has no choice but to follow her to Loc Muinne.
[edit]Chapter 2 (Roche)
If Geralt assisted Roche however in Flotsam, Roche has Geralt assassinate Bernard Loredo, the commandant of the town for being a spy for Kaedwen (and in the process Ves helps a captive elf woman raped by Loredo give birth to a son, however she is unable to prevent the shattered woman's suicide). After leaving the elf's son with a caretaker, the Blue Stripes set sail for upper Aedirn. There, a meeting is held between the king of neighboring kingdom Kaedwen, King Henselt, and a unified army of rebels, led by the deceased King Demavend's son, Prince Stennis, and a rebel commander known as Saskia the Dragonslayer. A fight breaks out, but is interrupted when an ancient curse is activated and spectral soldiers attack the humans. Geralt and Roche arrive just in time, assisting King Henselt out of the battlefield, aided by Henselt's two advisors, the mage Dethmold and the sorceress Síle de Tansarville. Geralt is tasked by Henselt to lift the curse from the battlefield so that his forces can march on Vergen, as well as to lift another curse from Henselt himself, placed upon him by another sorceress, Sabrina Glevissig, whom Henselt had executed three years prior.
Geralt also discovers an insurgency within the Kaedweni army of loyalists convinced Henselt is conspiring with Nilfgaard, and continues his search for Triss. He discovers Triss has been taken by Nilfgaardian spies, but they leave for Loc Muinne before he can confront them. After lifting Sabrina's curse from Henselt, an attempt is made on the king's life by two witchers, Serrit and Auckes, in league with Letho. Geralt defends Henselt and kills Auckes. Using necromancy, Dethmold allows Geralt to delve into the dead witcher's memories, and Geralt discovers the kingslayers are in league with Síle de Tansarville, who has already fled to Loc Muinne, mortally wounding Serrit along the way. Geralt then lifts the curse from the battlefield, and Henselt begins his march. Roche turns out to be the leader of the insurgency within the Kaedweni army. Henselt and Dethmold, finding out about this, have every one of Roche's men under his command hanged, except for Ves (who was raped by Henselt himself). Geralt and Roche follow Henselt to Vergen. They arrive too late, and Síle de Tansarville and Philippa Eilhart escape to Loc Muinne, with the entranced Saskia in tow. Geralt and Roche defeat the remaining Kaedweni forces, and Geralt can choose whether to allow Roche to execute Henselt.
[edit]Chapter 3
Finally, Geralt arrives at Loc Muinne, with either Iorveth or Roche depending on whom he assisted previously. The mages have called for a meeting at Loc Muinne to establish a new magical ruling body known as the Conclave. All royal leaders are thus meeting at Loc Muinne. Philippa Eilhart and Síle de Tansarville intend to use the meeting to establish their own power, and ordered the assassination of King Demavend to set in forth this chain of events. They intend to use the still-entranced Saskia as leverage at the meeting. Geralt discovers that Nilfgaardian spies are also at Loc Muinne, with Triss as their hostage. If Geralt arrived with Roche, he discovers that Foltest's illegitimate daughter, Princess Anais, has been kidnapped by Dethmold. He is given a choice between rescuing Triss or rescuing Anais. If Geralt arrived with Iorveth, he discovers that Philippa has been captured by the king of Redania, King Radovid, and her eyes put out by him. He is given a choice between rescuing Triss or rescuing the now blinded Philippa, who is the only person capable of lifting the spell from Saskia.
If Geralt rescues Anais with Roche, resulting in Roche brutally killing Dethmold in revenge, Geralt and Roche have a choice to send her either to King Radovid and the Redenians or John Natalis and the Temerians. If Geralt rescues Phillipa, she assists him and Ioverth in getting the dagger but escapes. Triss being rescued, regardless of who Geralt assisted, results in the ambassador of Nilfgaard's death, as well as the revelations of the Lodge's involvement in the plot and Triss's role through Triss after she is rescued.
The meeting between the royal leaders and Síle de Tansarville commences. If Geralt assisted Saskia and Iorveth, Saskia declares her plan to create a free nation with herself as the Queen. If Geralt assisted Roche and chose to rescue Anais, either King Radovid takes her under his protection and declares Temeria a protectorate of Redania, or is put under Natalis's care until she becomes of age to rule. If Geralt assisted Roche and chose to rescue Triss, Roche will be declared an outlaw and the rule of Temeria will remain unsettled. However, the meeting is interrupted when Nilfgaardian forces arrive with Letho, who reveals the sorceresses' entire plot, or, if Geralt rescued Triss, the two arrive and then accuse Síle. Radovid then orders Síle's arrest, but she forces Saskia to revert to dragon form and escapes.
Geralt chases down Síle, but she manages to activate her teleportation device. However, the device has been tampered with by Letho, and will kill her instead. Geralt can choose to let her die or save her life and allow her to escape. Geralt then battles Saskia in dragon form and ultimately defeats her. If he assisted Saskia and Iorveth and chose to rescue Philippa, he is able to break the spell over Saskia's mind, otherwise he is given a choice between letting her live or finishing her off.
[edit]Epilogue
If Geralt rescues Triss, either Iorveth will be seriously wounded by Phillipa when attempting to secure her dagger and can be put into care by Triss or Roche, outlawed by attacking the Kaedwan camp alone, will have Anais and gets her to safety for the future of Temeria.
Geralt then finally confronts Letho, the kingslayer, who frees Triss from the Nilfgaardians if Geralt did not save her. Geralt can choose to talk to Letho, who then reveals a wealth of information. Letho is a witcher from the school of the viper in the south, along with Serrit and Auckes. The group was once saved by Geralt, and Geralt learns he turned over Yennefer of Vengerberg to their care. They eventually made their way into Nilfgaard, where they were given a deal by the Emperor of Nilfgaard, Emhyr var Emreis, to destabilize the Northern Kingdoms by assassinating kings. In exchange, the Emperor promised to build a new witcher school for them. With the witcher schools destroyed and the training techniques and mutagens of old lost, Geralt, Letho, and the remaining witchers are a dying breed, the last of their kind. Letho agreed, and the witchers arrived in Kovir. There, they were hired by Síle de Tansarville and Philippa Eilhart to assassinate King Demavend of Aedirn. Letho then assassinated King Foltest and had the other witchers attempt to assassinate King Henselt, hoping to pin the further murders on the sorceresses as well. After hearing Letho's story, Geralt can either let him go or duel him to the death. Geralt then reunites with Triss and either Iorveth or Roche, and sets off to Nilfgaard to find Yennefer.
A concurrent plot of the game is the amnesiac Geralt's attempts to recover the lost memories of his previous life. After each major magical event, such as lifting the curse from upper Aedirn, Geralt recovers a few of his memories. He eventually remembers that he was slain when attempting to defend nonhumans from a pogrom. Yennefer, his lover, died trying to save him. His body was recovered by Ciri, his adoptive daughter, who brought Geralt and Yennefer back to life and then left them on the Isle of Avallach. However, the two were attacked by riders led by the King of the Wild Hunt, who then kidnapped Yennefer. Geralt chases after the Wild Hunt, whom he learns are an elven cavalry unit from another dimension who travel to his world to capture males for an unknown purpose, encountering Letho and his group along the way and in the process saving them from a monster they were hunting; together they track the Wild Hunt and eventually confront the riders. Geralt proposes a trade, him for Yennefer, which the King of the Wild Hunt agrees to without hesitation. Geralt leaves with the Wild Hunt and Yennefer, who lost her memory as a result of being with the hunt for so long, is left in the care of Letho. At some point after this Geralt escapes from the Wild Hunt and returns to his own world and is then found by the other witchers near Kaer Morhen and is then taken there to recover, thus beginning the events of the first game.
[edit]Development
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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was officially announced on September 18, 2009.[3] CD Projekt developed their own engine for the game,[11] unlike the first installment which ran on a modified version of BioWare's Aurora Engine. The game also incorporates the Havok physics engine.
On March 25, 2011, CD Projekt released the first gameplay video, which showcased a variety of different methods in which a player could complete a given level. Another gameplay video was revealed at Gamescom, displaying the many different characters and settings found in the game. The game features a branching dialogue system with full voice acting which was cast, directed and recorded in London, England. It was also confirmed that the game would have 16 different endings.[12]
On April 14, 2011, CD Projekt announced during their CDP Days 2011 Spring Conference that retail copies of the game would featureSecuRom DRM. However, the protection would still allow for infinite installations on an infinite number of PCs, with the ability to play on up to five PCs at any one time. It was also confirmed that the game would feature no censorship between regions.[13] The Witcher 2 was also distributed through several digital distribution services such as Steam and CD Projekt's own service "Good Old Games". The version sold on GOG.com was the only version that did not have any DRM at release.
On May 3, 2011, Namco Bandai confirmed that the Australian release of the game would be modified to meet the MA15+ rating. The edit specifically relates to a side quest in which Geralt is offered sex as a reward for completing the quest. The Australian version will see Geralt decline the offer automatically.[14] Three weeks prior to this announcement, the game was removed from the Australian Steam store, causing outrage amongst the Australian gaming community.[15] Additionally, CD Projekt's digital distribution service Good Old Games announced that the price of the Australian version would be increased due to licensing issues, but that customers could still pre-order the game for its original price 17 hours before the change.[16]
[edit]Marketing
The May 2011 issue of the Polish version of Playboy Magazine featured the character Triss on the cover half-naked.[17]
In Russia, publishers 1C Company released a real-life nude calendar with copies of the game, featuring Ukrainian model Klodi Monsoon as Triss.[18]
GOG promoted the game by reducing the price of The Witcher a week prior to the release of the sequel, encouraging players to import their save file from the first game to the second.[19]
Steam offered three promotional The Witcher 2 items for Team Fortress 2, consisting of a hat of hair, a sword and a necklace, which were limited to the game's Scout class.[20]
In May 2011, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk gave American President Barack Obama several gifts after his visit to Poland, including the Collector's Edition of The Witcher 2.[21]
[edit]Release
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was released for PC on May 17, 2011 at retail and for digital distribution services such as GOG and Steam.[5]
On June 2, 2011, an Xbox 360 version was announced, with CD Projekt confirming that it would be released by the end of the year.[4]However, on August 1, 2011, the Xbox 360 release date was pushed back to the first quarter of 2012 to give the team "more time expanding and polishing certain elements of the gameplay" and to allow the developers time to deal with legal issues surrounding distribution rights for the game. [22]
[edit]Reception
| [hide] Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | PC: 88.01% (45 reviews)[23] |
| Metacritic | PC: 88/100 (76 reviews)[24] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Eurogamer | 9/10 [25] |
| GameSpot | 9/10 [26] |
| GamesRadar | 10/10 [27] |
| GameTrailers | 9.4/10 [28] |
| IGN | 9/10 [29] |
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings received generally favorable reviews. It has a metascore of 88/100 based on 76 critic reviews.[24]
Critics generally praised combat mechanics, customization, graphics, environments, immersiveness and storytelling.[27][30][31][32][33] PC Gamer felt that combat mechanics and the game's ending were the weaker point of the game.[30] The game garnered a number of perfect scores, with GamePro saying that "The Witcher 2 embodies everything that's good about PC development, and everything that makes it, in my mind, the best platform out there."[34]
A major source of contention about the game is the difficulty of the combat, especially during the game's first few hours. Some critics such as Eurogamer have praised the difficulty of the prologue, explaining "[The game] treats you not as a player...but as an adult, free to make your own mistakes and suffer a plot in which not everyone gets what they deserve." [25]
[edit]Updates
At launch, many critics and gamers complained about activation problems, registration issues, and performance on high-end systems with both nVidia and AMD cards. The 1.1 patch of the game also resolves some of the above noted issues.[35]
Note that patch 1.1 removes the DRM.[36]
Players who purchased The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings through Steam have had to download several 9GB patches to update the game to versions 1.1 and 1.2 respectively. In contrast the 1.1 patch for non-Steam purchasers was only 15MB. In an interview with Eurogamer.net,[37]developer CD Projekt stated they were aware of the issue and working with Valve to resolve the problem.
Patch 1.2 brings plenty of fixes for a large number of issues, addressing broken quest lines, eliminating some balancing problems between the main character, Geralt, and his enemies, while improving features like the save game import system, which allowed files from The Witcher 1 to be brought into the new game.[38]
CD Projekt Red later released new patch 1.3 which includes a plethora of fan-requested improvements, including difficulty adjustments for the game’s Prologue, support for a variety of aspect ratios and a host of other gameplay tweaks and fixes. Next to the long list of changes, this update also brings along free DLC - a quest called "A Sackful of Fluf".[39]
On August 10, they released a hotfix 1.35 addressing certain issues that might have been caused by the Patch 1.3. Major problems addressed by this hotfix include: shadows not being displayed correctly in 3D Vision and Steam achievements not being registered.[40]
On September 27, CD Projekt Red released changelog for the update version 2.0,[41] which was released two days later. Three big features are added by The Witcher 2 2.0, including the new Arena gameplay mode, in which players can fight it out with waves of enemies, a newTutorial system that slowly introduces all the complex systems used by the RPG, and a special Dark difficulty mode, which offers a proper challenge to players as well as unique rewards in the form of Dark items. The patch also brings a variety of improvements and bug fixes, from the overhauled targeting system to enhanced parrying, which is no longer dependent on the amount of Vigor, as well as plenty of other things.[42]
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