14 DAY TRIAL // Call of Duty: Black Ops was one of the most anticipated games of the year, as its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, set a sales record, and because Treyarch, its developer, promised to deliver a lot of new features and extra modes, as opposed to the previous game made by Infinity Ward.
So, did Treyarch manage to take the Call of Duty franchise to a whole new level or does this just feel like a new mod for Modern Warfare 2? Let's have a quick look.
The beginning of the game is pretty ambiguous, as the main character, Alex Mason, is being tortured by unnamed people and forced to recollect certain missions he went on.
The first is one of the most important though, as Mason is forced to remember the mission he and his partners had in Cuba, specifically, trying to assassinate Fidel Castro, which at that time just led a successful revolution against former dictator Batista.
The beginning is a bit shaky though, as you're escaping from the Cuban army on the streets of Havana, but it quickly falls into place as you assault a compound where Castro is rumored to be.
You can clearly see that the studio has definitely improved the pacing of its story, as the action never lets down.
The shooting never stops, and you're never forced to stay in the same area for too long, or go through long corridors where you just shoot everything that moves.
The actual assassination attempt of Castro is very well handled, even though it was a bit hard to differentiate it with all the killing you did earlier.
Perhaps it would've been for the best if Treyarch actually slowed down the shooting a bit before the assassination.
Afterward, we are forced to flee the compound, and get to the airfield in order to escape.
Once again Treyarch proves it learned its lesson, as you're just tasked with defending the plane with a mounted machine gun.
While that may drag on for a while in other games, you barely spend a minute behind the weapon, as you immediately jump out of it in order to protect your comrades from the debris on the field.
Sadly, you are captured by the Cuban army, so you're going to have a lot of adventures ahead of you.
Overall, at least from its opening mission, Call of Duty: Black Ops definitely impresses and delivers a very engaging story.