Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter game created in 2010 by Treyarch and published by Activision. It was released worldwide in November 2010 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. A separate version for Nintendo DS was made by n-Space. Aspyr later released the game for Mac OS X in September 2012. It is the seventh game in the Call of Duty series and follows Call of Duty: World at War.
Set during the 1960s Cold War, the game’s single-player story follows CIA operative Alex Mason as he tries to remember details to find a numbers station that tells Soviet sleeper agents to use chemical weapons in the United States. The game includes locations such as Cuba, the Soviet Union, the United States, South Vietnam, Hong Kong, Canada, and Laos. The multiplayer part of Black Ops has several objective-based game modes played on 14 maps. Players can choose better weapon options and earn rewards for killing enemies. A type of in-game money called COD Points lets players buy weapons, character customizations, and weapon attachments.
Development for the game started in 2010. Unlike earlier projects where Treyarch worked on multiple games at the same time, they focused only on Black Ops during this project. Different teams within Treyarch worked on specific game modes. Black Ops uses an improved version of the IW 3.0 engine from World at War, allowing for larger levels and better lighting. Music was composed by Sean Murray, and the game includes songs by the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Eminem. Avenged Sevenfold also made an original song for the game. Marketing for the game began in April 2010.
Critics praised the game’s story, voice acting, darker tone, and multiplayer modes, though some criticized its linear gameplay and technical problems. It is now considered one of the best games in the series. The game was nominated for Game of the Year by several media outlets and award shows, including the Interactive Achievement Awards, British Academy Games Awards, and Spike Video Game Awards. Within 24 hours of release, it sold over 5.6 million copies, breaking the previous record set by Modern Warfare 2. The game sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling game in the United States at the time and one of the best-selling games of all time. A sequel, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, was released in 2012. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, set between Black Ops and Black Ops II, was released in 2020.
Gameplay
Black Ops is a first-person shooter game that keeps the same way of playing as earlier Call of Duty games. The player controls a soldier who can carry and use different weapons (only two at a time), throw grenades and explosives, and use other equipment as weapons. If a player is close enough to an enemy, they can kill them with one knife strike. A character can use three different stances: standing, crouching, or lying down (prone). Each stance changes how fast the player moves, how accurate their aim is, and how hidden they are. The player can drop to the prone stance while running (called "dolphin diving") and can sprint briefly before stopping.
When a player’s health is damaged, the screen turns red to show the damage. Health regenerates over time. If a player is near a live grenade, a marker on the screen shows where the grenade is, helping the player decide whether to move away or throw it back. New weapons in Black Ops include crossbows that fire regular bolts or explosive ammunition, a shotgun that shoots Dragon’s Breath rounds, and ballistic knives.
During the single-player campaign, the player controls different characters, changing perspectives throughout the story. These characters are secret agents working behind enemy lines. Each mission has goals shown on the heads-up display, which shows the direction and distance to these goals, as in earlier games. Friendly troops are present throughout the game. While the game is mainly a first-person shooter, some levels let the player pilot a Hind helicopter or guide troops from an SR-71 Blackbird aircraft. The campaign also includes scripted cinematic scenes.
In online multiplayer, players choose from different team-based game modes. For example, in Team Deathmatch, the team with the most kills wins. In Capture the Flag, players take the enemy’s flag and return it to their base. Free For All is a mode where players are not on teams. At the game’s release, 14 multiplayer maps were available, with more added later as downloadable content.
Black Ops keeps the experience points and unlockable rewards system from Call of Duty 4. The multiplayer focuses on socialization and customization. The "Create-a-Class 2.0" system lets players personalize their appearance and upgrade perks. Weapons can be customized with writing, emblems, attachments, and camouflage. Even the reticle (the targeting circle) can be changed.
Weapons can be customized with attachments, such as a red dot sight or a reflex sight. These sights have similar traits, but the red dot takes up less screen space, which many players prefer. Character models depend on the first-tier perk chosen, not the weapon type, as in earlier games. Face paints can be unlocked. New custom killstreak rewards include explosive R/C cars, guided missiles, and controllable attack helicopters.
A currency system lets players buy weapons, cosmetics, accessories, and clothes. Players can gamble with "COD Points" in a playlist called "Wager Match," which includes four game modes. Time-limited tasks called "Contracts" can be purchased for more currency and experience points. The progression system is not available in local split-screen multiplayer. In split-screen play, all customization options are already unlocked. Players can no longer set game rules like win conditions.
Players can play solo or with friends against AI opponents in "Combat Training," which has its own progression system. Online split-screen is available on Xbox 360 and PS3. Guest accounts can earn ranks but reset after logging out. On Xbox 360, a second Gold Xbox Live account can keep a player’s progress. Without an Xbox Live account, up to four players can play split-screen against AI opponents by adjusting settings.
For the first time in the series, clips of online gameplay can be recorded. Some features removed from the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, like leaning around corners, mod tools, and dedicated servers, return. Dedicated servers are only available through Game Servers. Steam is the only platform for Black Ops on PC, and the game uses Valve Anti-Cheat.
The Wii version includes in-game voice chat, a first for Call of Duty. Nintendo and PDP partnered to release the PDP Headbanger Headset for the Wii.
A zombie-themed survival co-op mode called "Zombies" can be played with up to four players online or in split-screen co-op. Originally in World at War, this mode was updated for Black Ops and future games. It takes place during World War II and the 1960s, following four soldiers: "Tank" Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Doctor Edward Richtofen.
In this mode, players fight waves of zombies, starting with an M1911 pistol. Points are earned by killing zombies or repairing barricades, which help expand the map, access better weapons, or upgrade existing ones. Zombies break windows to attack players. If a player is attacked too many times, they fall and must be revived by another player within a time limit. If not revived, they respawn in the next round with their weapon progress reset. The game ends when all players fall. The base game includes three maps: "Five," "Kino Der Toten," and the unlockable "Dead Ops Arcade."
"Dead Ops Arcade" is an unlockable mode accessed by typing "DOA" in the main menu’s data terminal. It is a retro-style twin-stick shooter version of the Zombies mode. It includes extra lives, unique mini-maps, and zombie bosses. Players can play it with up to four people online or in split-screen co-op.
Synopsis
In April 1961, CIA agents Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Joseph Bowman joined Operation 40 to help Cuban exiles during the Bay of Pigs invasion and to kill Fidel Castro. Mason killed a person who looked like Castro and had to stay behind so Woods and Bowman could escape before being captured by Cuban soldiers. The real Castro handed Mason over to Soviet Army Major General Nikita Dragovich. Mason was sent to a harsh prison camp called Vorkuta, where he met Viktor Reznov, a former Red Army soldier. Reznov told Mason about his past, including his work with Dragovich, Colonel Lev Kravchenko, and a Nazi scientist named Friedrich Steiner. In October 1945, Reznov and his friend Dimitri Petrenko recovered Steiner and a chemical weapon called "Nova 6" from a Nazi base on Baffin Island, as ordered by Dragovich and Kravchenko. Dragovich betrayed them and wanted to test Nova 6. Reznov watched Dimitri die in a terrible way before escaping when British soldiers attacked their position. Reznov destroyed Nova 6 but was captured and sent to Vorkuta.
In October 1963, Mason and Reznov started a rebellion, but Reznov stayed behind so Mason could escape. In November, Mason returned to the United States and met with his handler, Jason Hudson, and attended a meeting at the Pentagon, where President John F. Kennedy ordered Mason to kill Dragovich. Mason felt anxious and had disturbing visions during the meeting. Mason’s team went to Baikonur Cosmodrome, rescued another agent named Grigori Weaver, and destroyed a spacecraft and scientists working for a group called Ascension. Mason seemed to kill Dragovich in a car explosion, but he doubted Dragovich was truly dead and spent the next five years searching for him.
In January 1968, Mason’s team was sent to Vietnam as part of MACV-SOG. After defending Khe Sanh from a North Vietnamese attack, the team entered Hue City during the Tet Offensive to rescue a Soviet spy, who was Reznov. They confirmed Kravchenko was in the Vietnamese jungle and went to Laos to recover Nova 6 from a crashed Soviet plane. They were captured by Viet Cong and Spetznaz forces led by Dragovich. Bowman was killed during a game of Russian roulette, but Mason and Woods escaped and flew to Kravchenko’s base, where they reunited with Reznov. Woods stabbed Kravchenko, but Kravchenko set off grenades, forcing Woods to push him out a window; both were believed dead.
Meanwhile, Hudson and Weaver questioned Daniel Clarke, a British scientist who helped the Soviets recreate Nova 6, in Kowloon Walled City. Clarke told them where Dragovich’s secret facility was on Mount Yamantau before being killed by Dragovich’s men. Hudson and Weaver attacked and destroyed the facility but received a message from Steiner, who asked them to rescue him from Rebirth Island in the Aral Sea. Mason and Reznov also went to Rebirth Island and killed Steiner just as Hudson and Weaver arrived. Although Mason claimed he saw Reznov kill Steiner, Hudson and Weaver saw Mason do it and heard him call himself Reznov. With Steiner dead, Mason was the only one who could decode the location of Dragovich’s radio station. Hudson and Weaver captured Mason and questioned him.
Hudson explained that Dragovich had hidden agents who planned to use Nova 6 in the United States after sending numbers over a radio. Dragovich had brainwashed Mason in Vorkuta to kill Kennedy, but Reznov had reprogrammed Mason to kill Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Steiner as revenge. In reality, Reznov had died during an escape, and Mason’s visions of him were hallucinations caused by the brainwashing. Mason remembered the radio station was on a ship called the Rusalka in the Gulf of Mexico. Mason, Hudson, and Weaver attacked the ship, and Mason and Hudson entered Dragovich’s underwater base below it. Mason stopped the radio broadcast and killed Dragovich before escaping with Hudson. Weaver declared victory. Later, footage from Kennedy’s assassination showed Mason was at Dallas Love Field, suggesting he may have carried out his original mission.
Development
In May 2009, Activision, the game publisher, was looking for permission to use music from the Vietnam War era. This led people to guess that the next Call of Duty game, called Call of Duty 7, might be set during the Vietnam War. In November 2009, just days before Modern Warfare 2 was released, Activision officially announced a new Call of Duty title for 2010 during a financial meeting. In February 2010, a casting call for Call of Duty 7 led to new guesses that the game might take place during the Cold War, with some battles in South Vietnam. On April 30, 2010, the game was officially named Black Ops.
The game uses an improved version of the World at War engine, which was itself better than the one used in Call of Duty 4. It runs at 60 frames per second on all platforms except the Wii. It also uses streaming texture technology, seen in Modern Warfare 2, which allows larger game levels, such as "Payback," where the player controls a helicopter. Lighting effects have also been improved. Call of Duty: Black Ops supports 3-D imaging created by the game engine. This feature is available on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions.
For Black Ops, Treyarch focused only on this game, unlike past projects. However, different teams worked on separate game modes. Treyarch used motion capture technology similar to the one used in the movie Avatar, which helps create realistic facial expressions and captures actors’ full performances. The studio also worked with special forces veterans from both sides of the Cold War: Major John Plaster (US Army-Ret.), who served in the MACV-SOG during the Vietnam War, and former Soviet special forces operative Sonny Puzikas. Puzikas taught Treyarch how Spetsnaz soldiers would react in combat, such as rolling out of the line of fire. The game’s Spetsnaz AI characters are modeled after Puzikas, including his tactics, movements, and appearance. Although the game has a historical background, the secret nature of Cold War black operations allowed the studio to create its own fictional story. The game also lets players reduce or turn off blood and profanity.
On November 9, 2015, it was announced that Black Ops would be backward compatible with the Xbox One. Originally planned for December 2015, the date was changed to 2016. Black Ops was the sixth-most requested Xbox 360 title for backward compatibility. On May 17, 2016, the game became available through Xbox One’s backward compatibility. Soon after, sales of the Xbox 360 version increased by 13,000 percent.
Black Ops features the voices of Sam Worthington as Alex Mason and Ed Harris as Jason Hudson. Gary Oldman reprises his role as Viktor Reznov from World at War and also voices Dr. Clarke. James C. Burns voices and performs as Frank Woods. Ice Cube voices Joseph Bowman and is the multiplayer announcer for the SOG faction. Gene Farber voices Grigori Weaver, Emmanuelle Chriqui plays a live-action character named Numbers, Eamon Hunt voices Nikita Dragovich, Andrew Divoff voices Lev Kravchenko, and Robert Picardo voices Secretary Robert McNamara. Dimitri Diatchenko, an American-born actor and musician, voices the Spetsnaz faction and other characters due to his strong Russian accent.
Call of Duty: Black Ops includes Vietnam War-era music, such as "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones, which is played during gameplay, the credits, and as an Easter Egg in the multiplayer map Nuketown. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s "Fortunate Son" is also featured. Eminem’s "Won’t Back Down" (featuring Pink) is used for the credits and appears as an Easter Egg in the Zombie map "Five." In the "Call of the Dead" zombie map, the song "Not Ready to Die" by Avenged Sevenfold is an Easter Egg. The original music was composed by Sean Murray, who also composed Call of Duty: World at War, and Kevin Sherwood composed music for the Zombies mode. The soundtrack was released on November 9. The use of The Rolling Stones’ music in the game increased the band’s music sales. "Gimme Shelter" sold 2,000 copies the week before the game’s launch trailer was revealed, 5,000 the week after, and 11,000 the week after the game’s release. "Sympathy for the Devil" saw a similar increase as gamers discovered the band’s music.
The game’s score was composed by Sean Murray, and the official soundtrack was released on November 9, 2010. A second soundtrack, containing music from the Zombies mode, was released on January 25, 2011.
Marketing
Call of Duty: Black Ops was first introduced when its official website launched on April 30, 2010. A teaser trailer was shown on GameTrailers TV Episode 310. In early April 2010, unmarked envelopes containing USB flash drives with coded files were sent to gaming news outlets and high-profile Call of Duty fans. These files led to a mysterious teaser site for an unknown game, and updates were added later.
Similar to the marketing for Modern Warfare 2, the first full-length trailer for Black Ops was shown on ESPN during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 18, 2010. At E3 2010, Mark Lamia, the studio head, played Black Ops on stage during a Microsoft conference. Activision announced that the Xbox 360 exclusivity for additional content, which began with Modern Warfare 2, would continue until 2012. A version of the ESPN trailer with Eminem’s song “Won’t Back Down” was released on June 14, 2010, before an E3 conference where Eminem performed. A multiplayer teaser trailer was released on August 9, 2010, showing killstreaks, weapons, and other multiplayer features. A full multiplayer reveal happened on September 1, 2010, sharing more details about multiplayer gameplay.
Chrysler created a limited-edition Call of Duty Jeep because the Wrangler appears in Black Ops. In late September, a viral website called GKNOVA6 was updated with blurry footage of zombies. On October 11, a single-player trailer aired on ESPN during an NFL game. The same trailer was shown the next day in the UK during a football match. On October 29, the official launch trailer was released online and later shown during an NFL game on October 31. The trailer includes the song “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones and was directed by Rupert Sanders, who later directed Snow White and the Huntsman and Ghost in the Shell.
Like Modern Warfare 2, limited editions called “Hardened” and “Prestige” were available. The Hardened Edition includes a SteelBook case, a medal with a display case, four exclusive co-op levels, and an avatar outfit for Xbox Live or PlayStation Home. The Prestige Edition adds a remote-controlled car modeled after an in-game reward, which provides video and audio feedback. In Japan, Square Enix distributed the game in two versions: subtitled (November 18, 2010) and dubbed (December 16, 2010). Both versions removed scenes of dismemberment and gore. Germany also censored gore and removed the song “Sympathy for the Devil” and Nazi symbols.
Black Ops was released for mobile phones and smartphones. This version is a side-scrolling shooter set in the Vietnam War in 1967. It has a different story and characters and was developed by Glu Mobile and published by Activision.
Treyarch released the “First Strike” Map Pack for Xbox 360 on February 1, 2011. PlayStation 3 received it on March 3, 2011, and PC players got it on March 25, 2011. The pack includes new multiplayer maps: “Berlin Wall,” “Discovery,” “Kowloon,” “Stadium,” and a Zombies map called “Ascension” set in a Soviet launch site.
On April 11, 2011, Activision and Microsoft announced the “Escalation” Map Pack. It includes four new multiplayer maps: “Zoo,” “Hotel,” “Convoy,” “Stockpile,” and a Zombies map called “Call of the Dead,” based on George A. Romero’s zombie movies. The trailer features actors Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, and Michael Rooker. A zombified version of George A. Romero appears in the trailer. The map was released on May 3, 2011, for Xbox 360, June 2 for PC, and June 10 for PlayStation 3.
The “Annihilation” Map Pack was released on June 28, 2011, for Xbox 360 and July 28, 2011, for PlayStation 3 and PC. It includes four new multiplayer maps: “Hangar 18,” “Hazard,” “Drive-In,” “Silo,” and a Zombies map called “Shangri La” set in a jungle shrine.
The “Rezurrection” Map Pack was released on August 23, 2011, for Xbox 360 and September 22, 2011, for PlayStation 3 and PC. It includes five Zombies maps: four remastered maps from Call of Duty: World at War (“Nacht Der Untoten,” “Verruckt,” “Shi No Numa,” “Der Riese”) and a new map called “Moon.” In “Moon,” players fight zombies in zero gravity.
Reception
Call of Duty: Black Ops received mostly positive reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, except for the DS version, which received mixed or average reviews. GameSpot gave it a score of 9.0 out of 10 and said the game "delivers an engaging story and exciting multiplayer." Edge magazine was less positive, giving it a 7/10 and noting that the game felt more like an update than a new sequel and was not very different from earlier games. Some reviewers said the game played like a rail shooter, which means the player has limited control over movement. PC Gamer called the PC version "barely interactive."
Reviewers also said the PC version had technical problems, such as slow performance in multiplayer, which made the game hard to play for some users. Players reported serious bugs in the PlayStation 3 version, including issues with 3D televisions. PC World noted that user reviews were less positive than critics’ reviews. By November 12, 2010, three days after release, the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions had average user ratings of 3.1, 3.1, and 1.8 stars on Amazon.com (on a 1 to 5 scale), with many PC users complaining about lag and bugs.
In January 2011, an Activision customer service representative warned a player that the company could shut down the game’s servers on PlayStation Network at any time. After some media attention, Activision’s social media manager said the company had no plans to do this.
The Daily Telegraph praised the game for its fast action, intense moments, and exciting soundtrack. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii version 90% and said it was a great shooter with most features from the HD versions, except for split-screen multiplayer. Martin Gaston of VideoGamer.com gave the Wii version 6 out of 10, saying the game had poor artificial intelligence, lower-quality graphics, and movie-style scenes that hurt gameplay.
In February 2011, the Xbox 360 version was named the top title of 2010 by GameSpot. At the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now called the D.I.C.E. Awards), Call of Duty: Black Ops was nominated for "Game of the Year," "Action Game of the Year," and other awards.
Within 24 hours of its release, Black Ops sold 4.2 million copies in the U.S. and 1.4 million in the UK, breaking records for the largest entertainment launch. It sold more than twice as much as the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 in its opening week, earning $360 million. Worldwide sales reached $650 million in five days, surpassing the previous record held by Modern Warfare 2. By November 22, it remained the best-selling game in the UK despite a large drop in sales. Some estimates said it sold 18 million copies and earned $818 million, falling short of Modern Warfare 2’s sales and revenue. By December 22, worldwide revenue from Black Ops exceeded $1 billion. Sales stayed strong for months, and it remained a top seller in February 2011. In March 2011, The Hollywood Reporter named Black Ops the best-selling game in the U.S. It held the title in the UK until Grand Theft Auto V surpassed it in 2014. By August 2011, Activision said the game had sold over 25 million copies. By November 2013, sales reached 26.2 million copies.
Cuba criticized the game for showing American soldiers failing to kill Fidel Castro, instead killing a body double. A Cuban website said the game might encourage harmful behavior in young players.
Later reviews called Black Ops one of the best games in the series. Critics praised its Cold War story and characters, with some highlighting the voices of actors Sam Worthington and Gary Oldman. The game’s multiplayer introduced new features like more customization, CoD Points, and modes like Gun Game. Maps like Firing Range and Nuketown became popular and were reused in later games. The Zombies mode was also praised for its creativity, including larger maps and retro arcade-style gameplay. Some reviewers said the game did not change the Call of Duty formula as much as earlier games in the series.