Call of Duty: Black Ops II Multiplayer Blowout - Part 1

Over the past year I have personally become consumed with Modern Warfare 3 and the Call of Duty series as a whole, learning the intricate details of what makes the series so appealing to the mass market, learning the tricks of the trade and scrambling for inside information on the future of the series and how the next instalment will differ from the one I spend quite a large portion of my current gaming time playing. It’s been quite an arduous process sifting through all the apparent ‘in the know’ leaks that have emerged, with lists of possible weapons, perks, maps and a bunch of ideas and features that were claimed to be coming to the final code. Thankfully, with the multiplayer trailer coming out earlier this month and now a tonne of gameplay streams readily available from Gamescom most of it can be pieced together and with that I’ve compiled a list of what I feel you guys will be most interested in and my opinions on the direction they’ve chosen to take.

* Any of the items and features listed here are subject to change as they’re not based off of the final code, but most - if not all - are highly likely to be included.

Weapons

The heart of what makes the multiplayer of any great first-person shooter tick are the array of weapons at your disposal, and with Black Ops 2 there will be a large variety to choose from, with early hands-on gameplay impressions pointing towards quite a balanced set. As with previous titles they’ll be broken down into your usual categories of Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Light-Machine Guns, Sub-Machine Guns, Sniper Rifles and Secondary Weapons, which in this case are broken down into Launchers and Pistols. The first noteworthy thing to pick up on here is the absence of Machine Pistols that featured in Modern Warfare 3 and faced constant criticism from the community for being overpowered and overused in online matches.

In addition to the categories above there is also an Assault Shield that can not only be used as a barrier to shield yourself, but it can also be planted into the ground so that fire can be returned through a small gap cut into its face. If the hit detection is fixed for the shield then I can see myself frustrating a lot of people in a lot of lobbies using this play style. You can also choose to have no weapon selected and stack up on Perks, so that you’re running around like Superman using your default Combat Knife to hack and slash your way to victory.

Here is a list of currently confirmed weapons that should appear in the multiplayer.

Assault Rifles - AN-94, SMR, M8A1, Type 25, SA58, Sig 556, SCAR-H
Shotguns - m1216, Seiga 12, R870-MCS
Light-Machine Guns - LSAT, QBB-LSW, Mk 48
Sub-Machine Guns - MP7, Chicom QCB, PDW-57, Skorpion EVO 3, MSMC
Sniper Rifles - DSR-50, SVU-AS, Ballista
Secondary Weapons, Launchers - SMAW, RPG, FJH-18AA
Secondary Weapons, Pistols - KAP-40, Tac-45, Executioner, u23-R
Other - Assault Shield, Tactical Knife, Special Knife?
No Weapon - Combat Knife

So as you can see it is a pretty comprehensive list with some interesting sounding weapon names thrown in. The only aesthetically unchanged weapon to make an appearance seems to be the MP7, although the rate of fire and damage seems to have been adjusted with keeping balancing issues in check, with it easily being the best all-round weapon in Modern Warfare 3. This is obviously something they were looking to address, with it boasting a good rate of fire, good damage and the ability to take out enemies quite adeptly at any range. A variation of the much-loved SCAR makes a welcomed return only now with a prefixed H, as does a more compact and durable version of the Type 95 called the Type 25. There aren’t too many details on how the Tactical Knife will differ from the Combat but the latter doesn’t seem to have a lot of range and you seem to remain somewhat stationary when using it, so perhaps with the Tactical it will allow you to lunge. There isn’t a whole lot known about the third confirmed knife, so for now let’s call it the Special Knife.

Attachments

Weapon attachments will now be split into two categories of their own – Primary Attachments, which can be equipped on Assault Rifles, and Secondary Attachments, which can be equipped on Pistols. Shotguns and such won’t need added attachments as they’ll already be powerful enough on their own, without the need for upgrades. Assault Rifles can have a combination of any two attachments, whilst Pistols get just the one, although both of these can be increased by one with the use of a Wild Card, but I’ll touch upon that in an upcoming section.

Here is a list of currently confirmed attachments that should appear in the multiplayer.

Primary Attachments - Reflex Scope, ACOG, Target Finder, Hybrid Optic, Suppresser, Fast Mag, Adjustable Stock, Quickdraw, Grenade Scanner, Millimeter Scanner, Grenade Launcher, Select Fire, FMJ, Extended Clip

Secondary Attachments – Reflex, Suppressor, Extended Clip, Fast Mag, FMJ, Dual Wield, Laser Sight

Select Fire is the one that intrigues me most, offering you alternate fire modes that can be changed on the fly, such as choosing to burst fire your weapon or setting it to fully automatic to tailor to your specific shooting style and preference. Target Finder will highlight enemies when they enter your field of vision making them easier to pick off. Fast Mag will replace the Perk known as Sleight of Hand because in Black Ops 2 there will be no perks that directly enhance the performance of your weapon. The reason for the split is to give each item a specific focal point to help avoid confusion between items and to stop people coming up with overpowered gun combinations such as the current PP90 with Suppressor, Rapid Fire, and the Steady Aim Perk that allows for more precision when firing from the hip.

The 10-Point System

Creating a class is now a different animal than most veterans of the series will be used to, where selecting set perks, set weapons and set equipment is a thing of the past. You can also kiss goodbye to Deathstreaks, yes, you heard me right; it seems Treyarch have actually listened to the community - go figure. Instead players will now build the ultimate set-up where they can spend their 10 points on an amalgamation of anything they so wish. So if you wanted to run around like a maniac from a slasher movie you’d select loads of perks, no guns and a simply use your Combat Knife. However, if you want to create a more balanced class you’d try and throw in a bit of everything to satisfy your needs. The bottom line is many of the restrictions you previously faced have been eradicated for a system that caters specifically to your needs in any given situation.

Wild Cards

You can break the barriers down even further with the use of Wild Cards in the new Create-a-Class system that allow you to use up one of your points to achieve something you previously wouldn’t have been able to, such as adding a third attachment to your Assault Rifle or a second attachment to your Pistol. This takes customisation to a whole new level and really let’s each person express their individuality and fulfil each extraneous preference they may have in setting up the perfect class for that scenario.

Here is a list of currently confirmed attachments that should appear in the multiplayer.

Primary Gunfighter - Allows up to three attachments for your Primary Weapon
Secondary Gunfighter - Allows up to two attachments for your Secondary Weapon
Overkill - Allows the use of two Primary Weapons
Danger Close - Allows the use of a second piece of Lethal Equipment, but must be same as your first
Greed Perk 1 - Allows the useof a second perk from that section
Greed Perk 2 - Allows the use of a second perk from that section
Greed Perk 3 - Allows the use of a second perk from that section
Tactician - Allows the use ofa second piece of Tactical Equipment, but must be different to your first

The added Perk options are definitely interesting as it’s essentially granting you a Specialist Bonus before you even get a single

Kill and then adding in Killstreaks on top of those is something I can see becoming quite devastating under the right circumstances. The equipment options don’t thrill me all that much but I’m sure to some it will be a fantastic addition. For the small percentage of time I personally use them it probably won’t be worth the effort of exhausting one of just ten valuable points. What I’d also like to see is a hidden eleventh point become available to those who reach the highest level of the highest Prestige in an effort to push people to move through the levels and grant them the chance to gain that small advantage.

Well that’s it for the first part of our Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Blowout, here’s hoping there’s something in there that tickles your fancy - the 10-Point System in particular is something I cannot wait to tinker with for hours on end in search of that perfect setup. Be sure to check out the second part of our feature coming soon highlighting Perks and Killstreaks (Scorestreaks).

Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Blowout – Part 2
Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Blowout – Part 3

Craig Bryan, NoobFeed
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