Music, Style & Culture

Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360)

A home from home for any first person shooter fan.

Anyone who's played the recently released Medal Of Honour will tell you one thing - it made us really want Call Of Duty: Black Ops. The annual excitement around the genre-dominating war shooter has quickly become as much of an event as the release of a new Football Manager, with last year's Modern Warfare 2 ramping things up to levels that might be even considered pretty damn silly.

Might, but weren't. What sets CoD's single player mode apart from its many peers is the depth of the story. While the campaign may be linear, the scripting, dialogue and plot make others look about as immersive as a saucer of milk. With production duties alternating between Infinity Ward and this year's incumbents Treyarch to ensure a new game each year, the latter may have traditionally been the poorer cousin, but have really delivered this time round.

This time round you're in the shoes of Alex Mason, a US black ops agent during the Cold War. Unlike previous instalments, you're sticking with one character throughout - no snuffing it for storyline purposes during a nuclear fallout here. Indeed, one of the strengths of Black Ops' single player mode is that it's (kind of) believable - there's even a few appearances from political figureheads of the era, complete with comedy accents. Unintentionally, of course.

Gameplay wise, Black Ops will be a home from home for any first person shooter fan - no surprise given how much recent games have borrowed from the Call Of Duty series. Campaign mode may come in on the short side (those with the temperament may finish it in one sitting, with a solid day's play being enough to blitz through), but if it's quality over quantity you're after, there's no need for disappointment.

After all, multiplayer has always been a pretty vital part of CoD. There are a few tweaks here, primarily in the form of CP - an in-game currency used to buy weapons, perks and rewards. Experience points still help you level up, but it's this new introduction that will let you buy pretty much whatever your heart desires. Customisation is the name of the game, allowing you to personalise your character loadouts down to the smallest detail.

You can even earn CP with contracts, or bet in wager matches, buying into a winner (or top three) takes all multiplayer game. New game modes include One in the Chamber (you start with one bullet, for each player you kill, you get another) and Gun Game (start with a pistol, upgrade your weapon with each kill) - all of which add something to the established order.

Black Ops may hold similarities with Infinity Ward's finest moments, that's no bad thing - Treyarch have upped their game and proved with the enough resources they can deliver an instalment that more than matches the highlights of the franchise. And yes, there are zombies.

Rating: 9/10