This game is the Grand Daddy of the first-person shooter genre, and while the plot does not disappoint, it's less-than-stellar execution detracts from an otherwise fantastic product.

It's a unique story. Ahead of its time graphics and A-list voice actors help make up for the game's deficits. 

Weaves Action, Story, and Plot - Full of Twists and Turns

Black Ops takes place between 1961-1968 and features Alex Mason, the main protagonist. Mason is an operative for the CIA, with missions taking place throughout the world.  The game opens with Mason being interrogated for events that you cannot remember. You play the game through Alex Mason's memories. This feature adds a unique twist on a well-established format.

As usual, the gameplay weaves action, story, and plot together, throwing a slew of twists and turns your way. Some of these are predictable, some are not, but at least the ending is clean and sensible. Furthermore, the gore and intensity of the game are incredibly prevalent (though there are settings that allow you to turn down the violence). The competition is intense and unrelenting.

One of the biggest positives about this game, unquestionably, is the plot.

One of the biggest positives about this game, unquestionably, is the plot. The characters are multi-layered, engaging and human. The plot is compelling, and you want to do more than blow things up - you want to complete the story.

Gorgeous Graphics

As always, the graphics are one of the game's biggest strengths. The graphics are gorgeous, and the scenery, vistas and various locations are particularly stunning.

Sam Worthington ably voices Alex Mason, and other A-list actors lend their voices to the game as well, including Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, and Ice Cube. The addition of these voices adds a degree of gravitas you'd expect out of a Triple-A title.

Varied and Unique Gameplay

The gameplay is varied and unique, featuring a slew of different settings and control schemes. Sometimes you are the hero on massive shoot-em-ups; other times, you're in stealth mode, controlling wild pieces of equipment. Despite the change in pace, the gameplay does sometimes feel repetitive, as many of the things you do have been done in other CoD games.

If the single-player missions get boring, fear not, as a multi-player mode, also provides a ton of fun. Teams can play on a variety of missions and maps, although when the game first rolled out, reports of server disconnections and bad lag were relatively frequent. Thankfully, it appears that these issues are now under control. Furthermore, a progression system ensures that even casual players can have fun and enjoy themselves without running into professionals that will utterly destroy them.

Like most Call of Duty games, you have to contend with a wonky artificial intelligence system. Unfortunately, the AI lacks in many cases, as your fellow soldiers will often fail to fulfill objectives and walk right into enemy fire. The enemy soldiers are often no better, to the point that you wonder if this game was play tested at all. 

Furthermore, artificial control often stops you from doing what you want. Enemies refuse to die. Invisible barriers prevent you from progressing, etc. The game forces you on a linear track that can ruin the impressiveness and make the gameplay feel far more artificial than it should.

Triple-A Graphics with Technical Limitations

Technical problems and the game's linear nature often slow it down, forcing users to stick to playing the game exactly as the creator's intended. As a result, the immersion of the game is broken, and it's gorgeous graphics are overshadowed. Multi-player gives a welcome break and adds replayability, but it can't distract from the fact that many technical aspects of the game feel broken. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops features triple-A graphics with single-A technical limitations, broken AI and artificial limits.