Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Everything We Know

88
Lee Bradley

The dust has settled on last night’s official Black Ops II unveil and we now know a whole lot more about the world’s biggest shooter. For the latest entry to the series, Treyarch has shaken things up considerably. Black Ops II may well adopt the same set-piece driven thriller formula that we’ve come to expect, but what we’ve seen hints at the most radical departure for the series in years.

But what are those changes? From the game’s future setting, to horse chases, zombies and more, read on for a comprehensive breakdown of everything we know about Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

IT'S SET IN 2025... AND THE 80s.

We expected the series to make a jump into the future, but Black Ops II will feature flashbacks to the past too. Around a third of the game will be spent in the 1980s, as Alex Mason (from Black Ops 1) navigates the end of the Cold War, coming up against fledgling bad dude, Raul Menendez. 

The bulk of the storyline, however, is set in 2025. It follows Mason’s son David in a world of high tech gadgetry and fearsome military tech. David is also on the tail of Menendez, who by this time has grown up into a fearsome killer, a monster capable of bringing the world to its knees. 

FRANK WOODS IS BACK

The last time we saw Sgt. Frank Woods, he was flying out of a window, grappling with Victor Kravchenko. Now Kravchenko had a belt of live grenades, making Woods’ survival seem unlikely. But somehow he did it.

Woods is the game’s narrator. Still alive in 2025, he explains what happened in the 1980’s while also explaining why it is relevant in 2025. He’s the narrative glue, so to speak.

IT'S WRITTEN BY THE CO-WRITER OF BATMAN BEGINS AND THE DARK KNIGHT

The 2025 fragment of the story is set during a future War over the rare earth elements used to build essential technology and military weapons. As mentioned in the trailer, chaos erupts when Raul Menendez hacks into the army’s drones, advanced robotics and security systems and lays waste to L.A.

All the evidence points to Menendez making a memorable antagonist. Crucially, the game’s writer David Goyer created The Dark Knight’s version of the Joker. Look at what Heath Ledger did with a pencil, then imagine what Menendez can do with a robot army.

THERE WILL BE A BRANCHING STORYLINE AND 'STRIKE FORCE MISSIONS'

Typically, Call of Duty games are linear affairs, fiercely controlling what you do and where you go. Black Ops II looks set to change all that by allowing for a branching storyline. 

At certain points in the campaign players will be given the choice of a number of Strike Force missions. Whichever you pick will set your story on a different path.

Yet there’s even choice within this, as shown in one of the game’s missions as US forces attempt to sink a docked freighter. Usually, you would take control of a player character and one-man army your way through it, destroying everyone as you go. However, in Black Ops II’s Strike Force missions you can switch things up a little. 

You can take control of aerial attack drones, you can jump into a small tank called the CLAW, you can control other troops and basically approach these side-missions however you see fit.  Use up all of these resources, however, and you will fail, something that will have lasting consequences on the single-player portion of the game.

HORSE CHASES, DOGFIGHTS AND MORE

The debut trailer points to a number of interesting elements, some of which have not been discussed yet. Amidst the fast-cut action of the trailer we see a fighter jet dogfight and a crashing helicopter (there’s always a crashing helicopter in FPSs, that’s the rules). Will we be in control during all of these moments? It looks likely.

Meanwhile, horses have also been confirmed. In a mission set during the 1980s in Afghanistan, we’ll see a protracted gunfight that takes place on horseback. Apparently, all of the horse animations were motion captured, so everything will looks surprisingly believable. You’ll just be trying to avoid the knackers yard. 

IT'S NOT SCIENCE FICTION

Oliver North has history. In the late 80s he was convicted of selling weapons to Iran, before being cleared on appeal. Now he’s acting as a consultant on Black Ops II. You can watch him and the game's other advisors explaining their involvement with the game below. It's not science fiction.

ZOMBIES ARE BACK

While we don’t know much concrete info just yet, we do know that the popular Zombies Mode will make a return in Black Ops II, with a new world and new modes. Indeed, Treyarch boss Mark Lamia said that it’s “our biggest, most ambitious zombies effort ever.”

THE MULTIPLAYER IS SET IN 2025 TOO

Though the single-player campaign may jump around in time, the game’s multiplayer will stay rooted in the future. Two maps were shown off; one on a rural Yemen island called Socotra with a tree at its center. The other is set in Los Angeles following a drone attack. It’s a chaotic map with toppled buildings and smoking, burning rubble. 

What’s more, Treyarch want to take the multiplayer to the next level by really embracing E-sports. Indeed, they want to make E-sports a mainstream proposition. They didn’t reveal exactly how they would do that, but expect sponsored tournaments with TV deals and some big, big prizes. You had better get practicing.

So there you have it, everything we know about Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Expect more, lots more, in the coming weeks as we move nearer to the game’s November 13th release date.

Comments
88
  • Yay! Zombies!
  • Zombies are back? HELL YES!
  • I suppose some credit has to be given to Treyarch for taking a different approach with their call of duty games and not just flogging a dead horse. Still judging by most comments about the new game most people only buy it for the zombies, and Treyarch must know that, pretty sad really but that's what will sell their games not any new ideas they come up with.
  • Will be playing the campaign and zombie's... Not even coming close to CoD Multiplayer since Black Ops I
  • Will there ever be another like Cod4? Probly not. Sucks for us!
  • @3: Hard to judge based on two comments by saying people only by Treyarch CoD games because of Zombies? While I love zombies, I'm not going to buy it for that. I actually preferred the MP of black ops over MW2 and MW3 as well as the story set in 2025 and having flashbacks in the 80s. Not to mention strike force missions sound interesting to say the least. With that said I hope they have some new surprises like a new game mode or something to keep the MP fresh from previous CoD games.
  • It's good to see them trying something new.
  • Everything we don't want to know...
  • Terminator Zombies FTW!!! Just kidding anyway the games SEEMS good waiting for other videos and news.
  • Things that COD players should know are, cod come every year, zombies will bein every treyarch game and infinity wards games will always be MW... Thank god for treyarch.
  • Only 2 zombie maps on launch = no buy I'm not planning on spending 60 bucks on zombie maps again.
  • Zombies is making a return! sweet! id like to know more about it... maybe 2 disks.. one black ops.. one zombies and cram all the older maps on that disk too? .. sigh i can dream.. still looking good so far
  • Looks surprisingly good and different. But I will not be tricked again.
  • Insert Generic comment about the sub par Zombies add-on which they tend to overprice for DLC and add hardly any maps for but hey we like to be ripped off we're gamers with no taste*
  • @6 I said judging by most comments about the new game, not judging by comments 1 and 2 on this thread. But lets see how many on this thread alone mention zombies and you get the general idea.
  • Pass.
  • Treyarch is definitly better than infinity ward at making cod games. I personally have always enjoyed their take on cod much more.
  • Battlefield 3 is out why make another Call of Duty?
  • Worth buying for the zombies alone. Haters gonna hate.
  • @18 because not ever one likes Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty sells
  • Yes the '80s.
  • i think it'd be cool and a little different if they'd made multiplayer both 80's and futuristic. still looks nice though.
  • has anyone seen this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17924190 glad i don't live in Germany anymore OT I'll give this a rent, i would love for the MP to be back to the WaW or CoD4 stages , without too many silly killstreak , perks
  • The trailer looked pretty bad, not even trying to troll. Hopefully it was just bad video quality.
  • @24 Yeah, I'm not trying to troll either, and I agree. I'll be picking up the hardened edition day 1, so it's not like I'm a hater. Woods is like Price. You just can't kill him.
  • I'd rather it stayed purely in the 80's, with a kick ass 80's soundtrack, Miami Vice suits (rolled up sleeves of course) and flock of seagull haircuts. Not sure how that would fit in to Call of Duty, but it's what I would like to see.
  • Also, (and sorry for double post) Will there be a mission to find Olly North's gold as well?
  • PLEASEEeee DONT.. i repeat DONT! have anymore of them Easter egg bullshit in zombie mode... i just wanna kill and survive again...
  • Maybe just maybe. This may be worth all the hype
  • Just curious, but what are E-sports?
  • Zombies aren't back they never left...
  • zombies. great. :eye roll:
  • day 1 buy :)
  • #28 They aren't making you do the easter egg in the first place, hence the term "Easter Egg". It's there for whoever wants to do it, completely optional.
  • Another easy 1000 hell yess.
  • Wait there bringing zombies with the game ? Im surprised i really thought they would bring out a separate game just for it to make more money. but anyway i quite like call of duty and i generally think zombies are for scrubbs and is mostly populated by 12 year olds #just saying. :)
  • Don't know what to make of this.
  • @30 Competitive gaming. Look at Starcraft and League of Legends for good examples.
  • excited for campaign and zombies! also, Woods alive hell yeah!
  • #24,its not Treyarchs fault that you dont have the brian compacity to complete the easter eggs they put in Zombies!!takin out the easter eggs would totally be a step backwards for the game.im def. a fan of the easter eggs!and like #28 said "THERE OPTIONAL!!"
  • Boo zombies!!! It's sooo boring. More focus on the campaign, they're always too short because they focus on the zombie modes.
  • @40 Before insulting peoples "brain capacity",you should probably learn how to read/count . ot love the fact that new zombags are on the way, spec ops missions just cant compete imo.
  • I dont know about everyone else but i notice a hell of a lot of people that play cod stop playing MP and play more Zombies. On another not, sucks that Germany have all Microsoft products banned! Glad im not from there!
  • NO THANK YOU
  • Metal Gear Solid 4 *cough*
  • hahaha they know that the everyone is getting 100% sick of the multiplayer aspect of this game, thats why they are going to have these retarded tournaments which you will most likely need to pay just to get involved with it. then you can go on and play some little kid who only plays that game 24/7 and exploits every little bs that the horrible game has to offer. i'll PASS. Single player maybe and Zombies maybe CoD Black ops II = Rent.
  • New Killstreak: Horse Stampede
  • Whether you love CoD or hate it, you have to admire the fact that every year, Treyarch tries to break push the series out of its comfort zone.
  • @24/25 I completely agree. Don't get me wrong, I loved Black Ops 1, and it's the first CoD game I got to the highest prestige on, but this game looks a bit ridiculous compared to Blops 1.I still fully intend to buy it day one, but I'm a bit worried.
  • Sorry for the double post but @40 do you not realize that you look 100% retarded when you attempt to say someone lacks brain capacity to do something, yet misspell multiple words?
  • Yes it's Crysis Call of Duty with horses!
  • Lol I love the fact i'm getting negative feedback for saying the truth. Cod fanboys just as bad as the Halo ones.
  • @36 and anyone else who bitches about Zombies. Its very fun if you run a team of 4 and if rumors are true then 8 on blops 2. You guys must hate horde-type game modes b/c zombies is def the best horde-type mode around. Also the only reason its populated with 12 yr olds is b/c you and them are the only ppl that cant find enough ppl to play with your whiny ass long enough to do a private match.
  • Yay everybody is soo excited for zombies ..... Really? Activison why dont you just come out with coz Call of zombies and make the fanboys drool ... Then you can take their money just as fast....
  • http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9778718&rrid=B3B21144-EF7E-4E8A-94A2-A2C363B3C849
  • @18 because like you it sucks! @31 another douchebag avatar,eye roll!
  • It's nice to see something FAR different from what we've gotten already, but I don't know if it's going to be enough to warrant a purchase.
  • Just because of zombies im getting it, even though every CoD's multiplayer pisses me off I still tend to play them and idk why?
  • @53 u wish bitch the best horde mode is in gears 3
  • Colour me interested. I enjoy COD no matter the setting, MP options (which I rarley play) or what engine is running the damn game. I'm intrigued and will most likely pick this up.
  • After seeing the trailer last night, which popped up on a Hulu vid oddly enough, all I could muster was a resounding "meh". I came here to articulate that, but after reading the details above, that may have changed. I'm not a huge Call of Duty fan, but I've always enjoyed the games' campaigns. I've never been much for competitive multiplayer, though, so I've never had a reason for a Day One purchase. I guess I'll keep my ear a little closer to the ground on this one.
  • @50 I apologise, I have no intention of sticking up for the other guy... but really? Since when has perfect spelling and Grammar been the absolute epitome of intelligence? Just because a person may not be as adept with spelling or grammar, doesn't mean they aren't specialized in other sub-sets... a particle physicist could have somewhat below average spelling techniques, does that immediately make that person 'a retard'? If I remember correctly, Einstein himself was never particularly well-known for his spelling. OT: I'll be honest I wasn't really sold on it... but that trailer... damn, it just sort of struck a chord for me. Just a shame university's going to leave me completely poor... then again, it comes out 2 days after my birthday ;)
  • Can't wait. Battlefield 3 is just total shit, I've more thoroughly enjoyed the CoD games. Now, if only CoD has destructible environments, then we wouldn't need any BF games anymore.
  • Zombies are back!!! Now I'm interested
  • Sounds pretty damn good. Can't wait for some MP details.
  • flashbacks to the 80's in Afghanistan on horseback? Rambo 3 anyone? i like bf3 over mw3 but am excited to see what treyarch will do with this one, loved the first black ops. oh i forgot to leave a zombie comment
  • Hmm dont know what to make of it all..
  • I've never been excited about a COD game as much as this!!!!
  • I have my hopes up.
  • It looks interesting but it won't be a day 1 buy for me as Halo 4 is out a week before. I prefer Treyarch to IW.
  • There is a difference between being different and original, and being different for the sake of being different. Learn Treyarch, learn good.
  • Random CoD comment
  • They forgot the part where the story is basically the exact same thing as Homefront.
  • Returning Zombie mode you say? Might be the 1st CoD I pre-order & pick up day 1. Just started BlOps and LOVE the zombies mode
  • I give them credit for trying something different this time. They are taking risks and everybody knows it.
  • Im praying that the Hardened Edition will include zombie maps from Black Ops 1 and if we are lucky, World At War. If they were to do something like that, that would be pretty kick ass. If its confirmed that they will do something like that, ill consider getting it. Meanwhile, im just focusing on preordering the $60 Version.
  • I'm actually excited for this one! Bring on the hate and crap, I don't care.
  • @5 You realize that every CoD game 'since' MW1 has used that same exact engine, right? Everything we've been playing since then 'is' a CoD4 clone and I think that's partially why people have grown tired of it lol. Until they completely reinvent the engine, it's always going to be the same shit. Hopefully IW will realize that and make a new engine, because tbh, it's getting quite dated. Another reason people always reference CoD4 as the best is because for a lot of people, that was their first CoD. I've been played since CoD2 launched on the 360 and haven't missed a single one since and have given them all atleast 100+ hours online. I appreciate CoD for what it is. But atleast Treyarch have the balls to go outside what people want and continually add things to their games, keep the multiplayer balanced and routinely update their games with patches. Infinity Ward is miles behind Treyarch imo and until they stop thinking about just the money, Treyarch will continue pumping out the better quality games. My only 2 wishes for Black Ops 2 multiplayer: No quickscoping and no head glitches. Then I'm a happy customer.
  • Nice, 1/3 of the campaign set in the 80's, my wishes have been answered. This is looking exciting. I also hope that they carry over the weapons from the campaign, the G11 iz a freakin' beast!!!
  • Bunch of fanboys here and most of them are in for the zombies and they say the multiplayer is terrible but they continue to play it. Battlefield 3 and it's dlc will take up the times space of MW3 and Black Ops 2 Just Sayin'
  • @80 people still play battlefield?
  • @81 Yup there's still plenty of people alive and kicking, not as much as in the launch date obviously. And well to be honest It feels great that the COD franchise will have something new this time, of course it's gonna be the same multiplayer formula but I've got my sights on Campaign and Zombies:)
  • I liked Black Ops but after playing MW3, I was done with playing the CoD Series.... but Black Ops II seems hard to pass down. Maybe I'll wait when the price goes down.
  • #83 Price going down lol mate you will be waiting at least until the next cod.
  • Why is it that I cant say Oliver North's name without singing it like Stan Smith in American Dad.
  • I love how everyone is fapping over zombies...it's a war game. gtfo nerds. Treyarch probably is getting 70% of their sales because of the zombies mode..how does that not get old? This looks like a complete fail with this future shit....I'd rather a new Timesplitters be made....see you all on D3.
  • Now what I really want to know the answer to (and kind of already do, knowing Activision) is when the hell they are going to use a new game engine... and you know, maybe change or even add to the death animations (which have remained the same since Call of Duty 1 on PC; no I am not exaggerating). Here's the history of the Call of Duty game engine debacle: Call of Duty 1 had its own engine based around a modified Quake 2 frame. Call of Duty 2 made a brand new engine, but still based on Quake 2 framework. CoD4 made another improved largely on the CoD2 engine, but yet again, Quake. Now here's the interesting, and some might say, incredibly maddening part: World at War, Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, Modern Warfare 3, and it appears, Black Ops 2, all use the same engine as Call of Duty 4. That is utterly pathetic. In comparison, Crytek makes a brand new engine for every single game they release: FarCry, new engine - Crysis, new engine - Crysis 2, new engine.. you get the point.
  • There will be no Nazi zombies... It will be Nazi robots.
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