First Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Trailer Finally

   Looks like Treyarch can do it again, where Infinity Ward has failed big time with MW3.  My impression is they (Treyarch) is giving a slight Battlefield 3 tweak in game play but still keeping the entire Call of Duty feeling  intact.  The newer HUD looks refreshing and what appear to be ribbons (or in-game attributes) have a quicker, more streamlined view.  However, November 13 is still so far away.

One More Week

   November 8 can't come soon enough.  I am really looking forward to this game.  This multiplayer trailer really makes it exciting and gets you amped up for the game.

The Win is Most Important

   From my youtube video's description:  I planted the bomb and called my napalm strike over it. The enemy can clearly see me die by flames yet still ventures out into flames to lose.

SOCOM 4 Beta

    After a few days of trying to get a code from the socom.com forums giveaways I was finally successful on Friday.  Quite surprisingly I was "instant" reply number 15 of 50 for the day's giveaway. 
    I played a few games after the 1.5 GB downloading and it is very fun.  The game play is very similar feeling to MAG, at least that is what the game modes feeling gives off.  I haven't yet played the "classic" round based play but the respawn play feels very polished.  After one night's playing I can happily say it is a fun game experience and I can only imagine even more fun with a single player campaign and more than 2 online maps.

SOCOM 4, only one month away!

    With the first wave of beta invites going out a couple days ago out come the youtube videos showing off this game further, and this game looks to be stellar.  Sadly I did not get an invite so I'll have to wait until April 5th when it goes public for a week before launch.  Majority will stick to the "classic" game play Socom is known for, and for good reason, it is unique and rewarding.  Much like MAG you can play respawn as well, although it will probably be unranked like previous Socom games before it making the "classic" modes the core.
    I have been watching numerous videos and the game play mechanics look to be quite similar to MAG, after all this game is made by the same developer.  The biggest difference being this is third-person perspective where MAG is a first-person game.  The environment in this beta level looks close to MAG's graphics, similar colors mixed with familiar looking vegetation.  Pacing looks perfect, appears a tad quicker than MAG and not as fast as twitch shooters like Call of Duty.
    The video below is a good example of the similarities between MAG and Socom 4.  It's a cut montage style, fun nevertheless.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Review

   At this time I am reviewing the multiplayer portion of Black Ops, however I will review the single player campaign soon (as soon as I beat it.)
   Black Ops is the biggest selling game of the year and it delivers.  The big thing about multiplayer in this Call of Duty is variety.  There is so much to do in the multiplayer side it is almost overwhelming.  In World at War the Zombies co-op was the highlight for most players pretty much outshining the competitive multiplayer.  In Black Ops it is every bit as impressive only this time the multiplayer can hold its own. 
   The competitive multiplayer games are even more deep than ever offering more of everything and improving on what Modern Warfare 2 did wrong.  Killstreak rewards have been toned down but not to the point of uselessness.  Ranking up and unlocking newer weapons is still the goal for many and this game has weapons and attachments that one can spend almost as much time menu surfing than actually playing.  Perks are more balanced and don't modify the game not nearly as much as in Modern Warfare 2. Stat tracking is massive showing everything you do in-game with detail down to the gun and where you are hitting your targets; and you see these same stats of your friends and even recent players.
   Wager matches are the new modes here offering a good diversion from the other multiplayer mayhem.  It is a fun way to see who the quickest draw with a pistol is or who is the most skilled with every weapon.
   Here's an example of a wager match "one in the chamber"):



   A training mode with AI bots for you to practice or test out weapons is also added.  It even generates player names from your own friend list to name the bots which is a fun addition.  Black Ops also records every multiplayer game (from the past week) for you to watch later from different angles or player's perspective.  Although a direct save ability to the PS3's hard drive would have been nice but this could potentially be added later perhaps.  This is the best Call of Duty games since the fourth installment.  Be sure to check back later for my review of the single player campaign.