..Call of Duty: Black Ops..

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The Call of Duty series is one of the most well-know gaming franchises and for good reason. Both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games and Call of Duty: World at War have offered realistic visuals, heart-pounding action, intense combat, well-developed storylines, an expansive multiplayer mode, and explosive set-pieces and firefights that could only be seen in a high budget Hollywood film.  Call of Duty: Black Ops, the seventh game in the wildly popular series, intends to one-up its predecessors with a more varied campaign and gameplay, and new online features.

- Move over DeNiro, there's a new Deer Hunter in town -

Unlike previous Call of Duty titles and unlike most first-person shooters, Black Ops' storyline tells the stories of different soldiers through history, allowing players to assume the role of various characters throughout the campaign mode.  Each level will have its own setting, missions, and weapons according to the time period and location.  From screenshots and video, the storyline appears to take place mostly during the Cold War era.  With the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, however, there will be little surprise if at some point the storyline takes place during present day.  The radical change in time and environments will span across more than ten levels and will send players to various locales like Russia, Laos, Cuba, and Vietnam.  Soldiers will need to battle through tropical forests, snowy mountains, deserts, and more to experience the whole campaign.  Although the storylines will vary, each focuses on military cover-ups and Special Forces conducting black-ops behind enemy lines.

With the overall storyline focusing on black-ops, the campaign mode will include more opportunities at stealth.  Players will also have the opportunity to drive vehicles including a helicopter and a Blackbird, and scripted cinematic moments appear to be more frequent and varied.  Black Ops will also feature a dedicated cooperative campaign for up to four players that offers different levels and scenarios than the single-player campaign.

- The shifting campaign focus will keep things interesting -

Of course, it wouldn’t be Call of Duty without an online multiplayer component and COD: Black Ops offers more customization and modes than ever before.  Online players will be able to customize their soldiers with new gameplay-effecting perks and visual enhancements like personalized gear and weapon decals.  Game types will not only include standard team deathmatch, capture the flag, sabotage, and domination variants, but a new mode called Combat Training, in which, either offline or online and either alone or cooperatively, players can combat AI opponents with selectable difficulties.
   
The premiere first-person shooter series that is Call of Duty will continue the good fight with Call of Duty: Black Ops this November 9th.

Scott Vanderheyden He's always enjoyed the artistic craft of video games and received a Bachelor in Fine Arts for Animation. He also creates his own games!

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