Call of Duty: Black Ops II

This transcript is from an episode of the Never Ending Backlog podcast where the host, Zach, reviews Call of Duty Black Ops Two.

Takeaway 1: Call of Duty Black Ops Two provides both an engaging single player and multiplayer experience, despite some resolution issues.

The host, Zach, expressed his frustration with the game's resolution issues, particularly when playing on a triple monitor setup. "57 60 by 1080 did not work. The aspect ratio, everything was spread out super far," he said. However, once he switched to playing at 1920 by 1080, he found the game to be enjoyable and well-optimized.

Zach also touched on the game's multiplayer mode, which he has played for more than an hour. He praised its quick matchmaking, saying, "Within 3 seconds, no elaboration, 3 seconds, I was actually in a full match, ready to go." However, he did encounter some hackers during his multiplayer experience, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, Zach still recommends the game for its engaging gameplay and storyline.

Takeaway 2: Call of Duty Black Ops Two's numerous cutscenes can be both immersive and frustrating for players.

Zach discussed his mixed feelings about the game's heavy use of cutscenes, which he believes can sometimes hinder the storytelling experience. "I like the storyline involved in games, but I think you can tell the storyline through the game, through dialogue, while playing the game," he said.

He also mentioned that the game features recognizable voice actors, such as Michael Rooker, which adds to the immersion. However, he still found the constant cutscenes to be a hindrance to his overall enjoyment of the game, saying, "It seems like every three minutes there's a cutscene. It is so frustrating."

Takeaway 3: Call of Duty Black Ops Two offers players a glimpse into future technology, even if some aspects are unrealistic.

During his review, Zach pointed out a particular moment in the game where the player's character uses a full-sized Jaws of Life tool to open a door without any hoses attached. He found this detail amusing, given his background as a firefighter. "I know this is supposed to be in the future. I want to get to that future," he said.

Despite the somewhat unrealistic portrayal of future technology, Zach still enjoyed the game and its overall storyline. He concluded, "Call of Duty Black Ops Two will be uninstalled, mostly because it's twelve gigs on my hard drive... It was a good game. I'm assuming it was amazing in 2012. I'm excited to have played it for an hour."

1. "The game, not surprisingly, did not run at 57 60 by 1080."

2. "There are a ton of cutscenes. Like a ton of cutscenes."

3. "The nice thing about Call of Duty is it does pick up recognizable voice actors."

4. "There are a few sections where I actually had to use button combos in the campaign."

5. "I jumped in online and there's the full match, there is a person on our team who was spinning rapidly in circles while walking around."

6. "The best price has been $12.88. The current price is $59.99, which is insanity."

7. "Overall, it was a fun storyline, and I can imagine it was probably awesome in 2012."

8. "Call Duty Black Ops Two will be uninstalled, mostly because it's twelve gigs on my hard drive."