Game Reviews – Call of Duty: Black Ops And FIFA Soccer 11
With the next installment in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series already announced for a fall release (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3), I figured I’d take this moment to review a game that I should have reviewed months ago in the form of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Better late than never, I guess. But I’m sure there are plenty of things that are best to never happen at all.
Anyway, Black Ops is different from the Modern Warfare franchise as it tackles its own challenges and agendas. Which means the guns are outdated, the tactics aren’t anything new, and you’ll end up trying to assassinate Castro early on in the game – all while dealing, in typical Call of Duty fashion, with a storyline that doesn’t really make very much sense. Not that anyone cares about the storyline anyway. What really matters is the online play.
New for this game is the ability to practice against bots on multiplayer maps something I personally feel EVERY game needs to include. The only thing I didn’t understand was why I needed to be signed into Xbox Live to play against non-human opponents. Why couldn’t this be an offline feature? Sometimes games just boggle my mind. But regardless, for beginners to the game, this mode will help you in a big way when it comes to learning the maps before setting foot into an online warzone.
The level-up system in this version is far superior to its previous incarnation. I love the fact that I could just purchase whatever guns and upgrades I want with a point system. I found it balanced the game out much better and just made things more enjoyable. Nothing more annoying than having to complete certain tasks with a weapon to unlock its upgrades. This feature was rock-solid.
As far as the actual gameplay goes, there was nothing here I really haven’t seen before. Kill-streaks. Okay. Target systems. Okay. Some ‘new’ weapons… not enough. If anything, it was just an overhaul of Modern Warfare 2, and not that this is a bad thing, but I really don’t want there to be a new game coming out every year with the exact same features and just better polish. I’m sure many people feel the same way.
Why can’t there just be metric fuck-tonnes of DLC instead of a new game every year? I’d pay for new maps, guns, killstreaks, and features. I just don’t like having to pay $69.99 for something when there’s another version of the same game coming out one year later. Now, I may sound like a hypocrite considering I support sports games such as EA Sports’ NHL series, but when the core of a game comes in the form of online play, then it’s pointless to pay so much more for the same thing.
And yet, they won’t stop any time soon. Call of Duty sells too well for that to happen – which is why I only rented this game. You can’t expect me to pay money for this, now can you? Please. But the fact of the matter is that there’s nothing about this game that makes me want to spend about seventy dollars. Especially not when another game is coming out one year later. It’s pointless.
With this being said, however, Black Ops is still an amazing first-person shooter, just like how Modern Warfare 2 was back a year or so ago. But there just isn’t enough of an upgrade to this game for it to deserve a purchase if you already own the previous installment. However, maybe Modern Warfare 3 will make you want to invest some of your cash. Who am I to judge? Especially on Forget The Box. I voted Conservative for Christ’s sake. Which is why I guess I’m reviewing a war-based game… *shifty eyes*.
Oh, and did I mention ZOMBIES?! Yeah. Fucking. Zombies. If that doesn’t make you stiff, then I would say you’re not into necrophilia. And if it does… I’m sorry for you.
Should you buy it? Meh. It’s not even a rental-worthy title either, if you want to get places in the online mode. But if you don’t own Modern Warfare 2, go ahead and… well, wait for Modern Warfare 3. Really. Regardless, if you want this game, here’s my score:
8/10
It’s still good. Don’t get me wrong. But I’ve done this before. It was fun the first time. And the second time. But now it’s starting to get old. Switch it up. Let her go on top… or something. Really.
Fifa Soccer 2011
For a Canadian, I really seem to enjoy football. No, I’m not talking about Handegg. I mean football. Pretty much soccer. You know, the sport that’s been around way before a little thing Americans like to play that happens to have the same name as the biggest sport the world has to offer. And since it’s the biggest sport the world has to offer, obviously there is a video game to go with it. This year’s FIFA 11 is something that football (soccer) fans should really consider sinking their teeth into and playing, given the wide assortment of teams, leagues and options at your disposal.
The first thing about FIFA 11, if you’ve read my review of World Cup South Africa, are the controls: very similar to its predecessor, but tuned up for a far more realistic experience. The ball behaves in a way that feels authentic. The players move, tackle, and shoot just as they should, and even the goalies get the job done in the way they behave.
The wide number of modes truly makes this an experience to behold. Numerous tournaments and leagues are available to play, ranging from the English Premier League to Italy’s Serie-A. Throw in leagues from South Korea and Russia and you have one hell of a package, with many leagues, tournaments and more customizable options than a white canvas with a rainbow in hand to paint with. Well, actually, rainbows only contain so many colours let’s put it this way, there are more options than I can name off.
The be-a-pro mode returns in good form and now lets you try your luck as a goaltender, which, in case you haven’t guessed, is similar to just standing around all day waiting for something to happen. I’m not saying football is boring; I’m just saying that for a goalie, most of the time, it pretty much is just that boring as hell.
Online play is as fun as ever and it’s a blast to compete in a variety of modes. League modes are fun to play too, and with such an insane number of stadiums, athletes, fans, and fun to behold, this is clearly one of the best football games to ever come out. The atmosphere the game creates is dynamite and gets the job done in my books.
The game gets an 8.8/10.
I’d advise you to play it, but just like with Call of Duty, I’m behind on game-reviewing. Who knows, maybe it’s best to wait for Fifa 12… but do yourself a favour and at least rent this game. It deserves your money more than you do.
May the force be with us all.
