As one of the many longtime fans of Call of Duty who was disappointed by MW3 from the previous year, this was a refreshing change of pace.
You play as CIA Agent William "Case" Calderon in 1991, a member of a black ops team comprising of past characters reprising their roles, like Frank Woods (Damon Victor Allen). Newcomers include Troy Marshall (Y'lan Noel) the green commander of the team, assassin Sevati Dumas (Karen David) & tech expert Felix Neuman (Seamus Dever). They're all assigned to conduct covert operations against a paramilitary group named Pantheon, which plans to take control of the CIA.
The main campaign stretches across levels like a swanky hotel in the fictional city-state of Avalon, the deserts of Syria and Iraq, a black site in Washington DC, and a final showdown in Russia. The missions allow you to choose either fast paced and tense action or stealth and surprise. Besides your common weapons, you'll also use spy gadgets, like the new homing throwing knife and classic remote controlled exploding RC cars. There are cash deposits you can collect and use to purchase upgrades for your equipment. But the biggest highlight is the new "Omnimovement" system, a dynamic new addition to combat that allows you to sprint, slide, and leap in any direction to give you an edge over your enemies.
Multiplayer mode was a blast and is some of the best I've played in COD in years. There are already 16 maps (12 core 6v6 maps, and 4 strike maps). Scud is my favorite so far. It's great for beginners looking to get a feel of the game and well suited for almost any combat style, especially snipers thanks its long lanes and large number of windows. Smaller maps, like Warhead and Payback, are good for practicing with the Omnimovement system. It's still early in games run, so stay tuned for new maps that may strengthen your playing experience, depending on your combat style.
The leveling system rewards you for good performance and allows you to upgrade your weapons and equipment to increase your performance in battle. Level grinding is fairly quick and easy, plus any upgrades you seek make them worth the effort. I consider the XM4 the best weapon to start with and perhaps the best gun overall once it's fully levelled up. Otherwise, I suggest the Model L or the KSV that you can unlock at level 7. Of course, there will be some flaws, like lagging, but it didn't happen to the point where it ruined the entire experience for me. Hopefully these issues will be fixed in future updates.
Zombie mode returns and is as gruesomely frightening as ever. Slaughtering hordes of the undead may feel stale and unoriginal since it's been around since "World At War", but as a zombie fan, I still love it.
In the end, this is a great game with plenty to keep you busy for a while, and it's a breath of fresh air after MW3's failure and a must play for fans of the series.
