REVIEW: Has "Call Of Duty: Black Ops II" Exhausted All Of Its Ideas?!

Activision sure doesn't like to rest on their laurels. The last "Call of Duty" game to be released was only a year ago, and in that time "Modern Warfare 3" was pushed as a big, flashy alternative to other FPS-games. It didn't stand out that much, as gamers and hardcore fans alike witnessed the Activision trying to cash new checks off the same idea.

In "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2," Treyarch steps in to do the heavy lifting, tightening up and expanding upon, almost, everything in just about every possible way. But are these changes revolutionary enough to crack the top position being held by that "other" first-person-shooter, "Halo 4"...?

We go over the good, the bad and the ugly about Activision's war-time actioner, which you can scroll through to read by using the gallery above.

"The game as a whole feels like a much more complete experience." -

Treyarch has always been considered the more brazen developer when it came to the "Call of Duty" series. So, it comes as no surprise as in "Black Ops 2," you can respect the developer for doing something as ballsy as mixing two different time periods to tell a tale about war, lost and revenge over Trent Renzor's vicious soundtrack.

Playing around with the tried-and-true formula is a win-win for Treyarch and Activision, who create an experience that stands up alongside their "Modern Warfare" series," and stretches itself out to deliver moments that feature actual choice and consequence. A step in the right direction when you consider the growing cast from "Black Ops" includes a few noteworthy faces, and takes the series in a much needed direction.

Gamers actions in the single-player campaign can even change those future events, and not just only the game's ending. You're made acutely aware of how one's actions could have made the world a different place, but overall it's a welcome addition to "Call of Duty" and its sterilized "wash-rinse-repeat" style of gameplay.

"At its root, 'Black Ops 2' is a cover-shoot-push-repeat shooter, just like previous incarnations." -

"Call of Duty: Black Ops" fans managed to earn themselves an experience that was fresh, unique, while following a historic narrative. "Black Ops 2" attempts to do the same by tying in the Iran-Contra scandal as a backdrop to our bleak future in 2025. Instead, Treyarch and "Black Ops 2" walk right into the same pitfalls that previous titles such as "Modern Warfare" (by developer Infinity Ward) fell into during their two incarnations.

The characters you come to know and appreciate in "Black Ops," are utilized little in the game. Which overall, leaves the characters presented to play with in "Black Ops 2" a bit to be desired. While they are voiced excellently (Rich McDonald and Michael Rooker, respectively), both characters come off as a little uninteresting in the game as Commander David Mason and Harper.

"Overall, this is not the best COD in the series, but one you should play for multiplayer!" -

In the end, Treyarch should not be making the same exact mistakes that Infinity Ward made with past "Call of Duty" games. When it comes to a telling a proper story, "Black Ops 2" takes some strong leaps in ensuring optimal excitement. But they fail to create any characters that will leave a lasting impression, or that you even actually care about.

That aside, Treyarch improves the franchise with the addition of dynamic narrative-branching segments. The ability to customize your load-out before heading into battle is a small added perk to making "Black Ops 2" enjoyable. When you dive into the game's meatier missions, you will be impressed by the HUD commands and your ability to command the troops around you.

The storyline involving those characters in "Black Ops" and "Black Ops 2," finds players hunting down another dangerous terrorist, while changing history as you've come to learn it. Treyarch may not have rivaled their former developing partners in grandiose scale or a plume, but "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" will make a healthy addition to gamers looking to keep their collection current and their kill count on high.

Don't take our word for it, you can watch the trailer for yourself below: