Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Black Ops

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and Treyarch and published by Activision (Square Enix in Japan). It is the tenth installment of the Call of Duty series, celebrating the series’ 10 year anniversary. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 19, 2013. It was released later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on January 28, 2014. The PlayStation 4 version contains Blu-ray 3D quality, making it more high-def.

Modern Warfare Black Ops is the first game in the Call of Duty series to be a crossover between the Modern Warfare series and the Black Ops series. It is also the second game in the franchise to feature future warfare technology.

It is also the last game developed by Infinity Ward and Treyarch before both video game development companies merged together in 2014 as Infinity-arch.

Gameplay
Unlike previous Call of Duty entires, Modern Warfare Black Ops ' milliatry aspect takes on the stealth genre of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and the action-adventure genre of Tomb Raider. The game's heads-up display is much different than compared to other heads-on displays from other Call of Duty games. The lower left-hand corner features a mini-map and compass for navigation, and a simplified objective notice above it; the lower right includes a compact ammo counter and health meter. New gameplay elements include dual-scoped weapons, target spotting for pointing out hostiles to allies, and use of vehicles in single player mode.

Campaign
The player assumes the role of various Tier 1 upgraded operator characters called “Tier 2 operators” during the campaign, changing perspectives throughout the progression of the story, which like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1, 2 & 3 is divided into three sets of missions called "Acts". Each mission in an act features a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads up display, which marks the direction and distance towards and from such objectives. Damage to the player is shown by the percentage of blood splatter shown on the screen. The player's health regenerates over time. Mission objectives vary in their requirements, ranging from having the player arrive at a particular checkpoint, to eliminating enemies in a specified location, to standing their ground against enemy squadrons, manning mini-guns and other weapons, and planting explosive charges on an enemy installation. Some of these objectives can be failed, and may or may not hinder progression of the story. The player is also accompanied by fellow soldiers who sometimes can or cannot be issued orders.

Co-op mode/gameplay
Modern Warfare Black Ops is the first Call of Duty game in the series to include an online Two-Player Drop-In/Drop-Out co-op mode for its campaign.

When playing in co-op, the guest player is allowed to complete the same objectives as the host player. The host and guest player are also allowed to revive their partner if their health is down.

Multiplayer
The entire Killstreak reward system has been revamped. Killstreaks are now known as Pointstreaks, and kills are no longer the only way to increase the player's pointstreak. Completing objectives such as planting the bomb in Search and Destroy or capturing a flag in Capture The Flag awards points towards the player's Pointstreak. Pointstreak rewards are organized into three different "strike packages" called Assault, Support, and Specialist.

The Assault strike package works the same as the Killstreak reward system in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops: the player must earn more and more points without dying. Once the player is killed, his or her points are reset to zero. Likewise, the Specialist strike package rewards players with perks after every second consecutive kill. Upon death, however, the player loses all the perks and the points are reset to zero. In contrast, the Support strike package are awarded based on the total points that the player has earned over the entire match, regardless of how often the player dies. It is important to note that if a player switches to a custom class with a different reward system (either assault or specialist) during game play, all points are automatically reset to 0. Players are allowed to choose which Pointstreak rewards they want to use when they gain it during the match, rather than choosing them between rounds.

Along with revamping the entire Killstreak reward system, Modern Warfare Black Ops also has a completely modified Ranking and Unlocks system, which does not use a currency system for unlocks. The player's primary weapon levels up alongside the player, and unlocks a number of "Proficiency" perks such as Attachments, (allows two attachments and is a successor to the "Bling" and "Warlord" perks), Kick (reduced recoil while aiming down the player's sight) and Focus (reduced flinching while under fire). Only one Proficiency can be put on a primary weapon. Another new addition is the ability to equip "Hybrid Scopes" on a weapon, such as a Reflex Sight a magnifier similar to an ACOG on the same weapon, and the player can switch between the scopes. Modern Warfare Black Ops introduces a new "Prestige Shop" which will unlock only after the player has selected the option to prestige for the first time. The "Prestige Shop" allows Prestige players to use tokens they gain from using the Prestige option to buy exclusive features such as double XP and an extra custom weapon class.

Modern Warfare Black Ops utilizes Treyarch's hot fix system to fix bugs and glitches. Modern Warfare Black Ops features a local and online split-screen option.

New game modes have also been added:


 * Squad Deathmatch: the same multiplayer mode in Battlefield 3 where it pits four squads against one another whose goal is to reach a score of 50 kills before any other squad.


 * Team Rush: a downsized version of the Rush Gamemode and instead of having 24-32 players in a game it's reduced to two squads, equaling 8 players in a game (up to 4 players per team).

There are 12 different tier two units from ten different nations that players can choose from. Reserving the game will give players access to additional content, including additional weapons and perks.

In addition to the nationalities, there are six distinct classes that players select from: Spec Ops, Sniper, Assaulter, Demolitions, Heavy Gunner, and Point Man. Each class has specific benefits and abilities that are unique to their class. These nationalities and classes are only available in multiplayer mode.

Characters
The playable characters of the game are; Sonic the Hedgehog, the leader of Task Force Hero and the main protagonist of the game, G.U.N. Ranger unit Commander Shadow the Hedgehog, G.H.O.S.T. operative Corporal Henry "Rock" Weston, Delta Beta Force operator Lieutenant Captain SpongeBob SquarePants, and T.U.F.F. Puppy operator Dudley Puppy.

In co-op, the guest player assumes the role of either; Ash Ketchum, who is also the second main protagonist, E-123 Omega, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Silver the Hedgehog, and Kitty Katswell, depending on what mission the host player and guest player are playing.

The game also sees the return of former Task Force 141 Cpt. John "Soap" MacTavish (voiced by Kevin McKidd) as a playable character in co-op, former S.A.S. Cpt. John Price (Billy Murray) and Russian informant "Nikolai" from Modern Warfare 1 2 & 3. The protagonist of Black Ops 1 & 2, Alex Mason returns as well along with Frank Woods.

Other non-playable characters (NPC) include; Delta Beta Force operatives Patrick Star, Captain Eugene H. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks and Squidward Tentacles who serve as SpongeBob's teammates. McGarrett's teammates of Five-0 include; Detective Sergeant Daniel "Danny" (or "Danno") Williams, Detective Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua.

The game features two main antagonists instead of one from the previous Call of Duty games (except World at War). The primary antagonist of the game are Vladimir Makarov’s son Rezone Makarov and Lieutenant General Shepherd’s son General Sam Shepherd.

Plot
The game takes place in the year 2037 in the cartoon world where the characters from Pokémon, Sonic X and Hawaii Five-0 along with Nickelodeon characters and the characters from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II are in a slime-kinetic cyber war to stop the enemy named “Robotic Gear Cartel soldiers” (R.G.C. for short) from conquering the Earth.

Development
On February 7, 2013, Activision confirmed that a Call of Duty game was in development and would be released Q4, 2013.

10 year anniversary
Rumors went around that Call of Duty 10 would be the series' 10 year anniversary installment and that Infinity Ward and Treyarch would develop the game together. On April 29, 2013, Activision confirmed that Infinity Ward and Treyarch were developing Call of Duty 10 together. On May 31, 2013, Modern Warfare Black Ops was announced.

Downloadable Content
The first major DLC entitled Splinter Cell Ghost was announced on January 7, 2014 and released for Xbox 360 on January 28 and PC and PS3 on February 28. The pack contained five new multiplayer maps - Downhill, Hydro, Mirage, Off road Hurry and Grinder.

The second major DLC pack entitled Tomb Raider Hunt was released for Xbox 360 on April 15, 2014 and will come out for PC and PS3 players on May 15. The map pack consists of three multiplayer maps, entitled "Scared Caverns", "Cliff-jump Shantytown" and "Burning Village".

Cast
Some cast members from SpongeBob SquarePants, Sonic X, Pokemon, Modern Warfare series and Black Ops series reprised their roles.
 * Jason Griffith as Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Veronica Taylor as Ash Ketchum
 * Kevin McKidd as John "Soap" MacTavish

Marketing and release
On May 20, 2013, Activision released the first gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Black Ops on YouTube ahead of its official premiere during the NBA Western Conference Finals. On May 29, 2013, Activision announced Call of Duty: X-Elite, the new upgraded social service for the Call of Duty community to track and compare statistics, create videos and access premium content. The service is fully integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Black Ops, and launched on November 19, 2013 to coincide with the game's release. On June 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m., the first live gameplay co-op demo of Modern Warfare Black Ops was presented by Robert Bowling and David S. Goyer at the 2013 MuchMusic Video Awards. The demo was previously slated to appear on June 11, 2013 at E3 2013, however, the demo was delayed due to development difficulties.

Retail versions
Modern Warfare Black Ops was released in four different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard, Hardened, Veteran, and Prestige. The standard version consists of the game and an instructional manual, and is the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform. The Hardened Edition consists of the game and manual (which are packaged in a steel book case), an art book, and a token that allows one to download Call of Duty Classic, a hi-definition version of the original Call of Duty game, from Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Store (Classic was released individually on December 12, 2013). The Prestige Edition contains all of the elements of the Hardened Edition, but also includes a set of fully functioning night vision goggles, imprinted with the Modern Warfare Black Ops logo, and a stand modeled after the head of the character Sonic the Hedgehog. The goggles are powered by five AA batteries and can see up to 50 feet in absolute darkness. On September 10, 2013, Activision and Microsoft jointly announced a special, limited Modern Warfare Black Ops version of the Xbox 360 with a 250GB hard disk. The unit is highlighted by special game product branding and includes two wireless controllers and a headset. This is the first Xbox 360 to come with a 250GB hard drive. On September 12, UK and rep of Ireland retailer GAME announced a Veteran Edition of Modern Warfare Black Ops would be exclusive to rep of Ireland and UK. It will come with a 12" (30.5 cm) tall statue of Sonic the Hedgehog with interchangeable arms and weapons; has the same contents as the Hardened Edition. In September 2013, a Veteran Statue Bundle of Modern Warfare Black Ops was posted on the EBGames website and is available for all platforms.