Call of Duty Black Ops II dares to go to 2025 with a branching narrative campaign and renewed competitive multiplayer. Memorable villains, original Strike Force. An ambitious CoD that delivers.
Activision first-person shooter blending 1980s operations and a near-future 2025. Published by Activision, released in Brazil in November 2012. Campaign with multiple endings based on choices, expanded cooperative zombie mode, highly customisable online multiplayer and drones. Brazilian version.
Call of Duty - Black Ops II review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
Its signature lies in a sharp contrast between two eras: on one side the gritty, earthy 1980s Cold War (Afghanistan, Angola, Panama); on the other a sleek near-future 2025 of drones, holographic interfaces, neon and clean lines. This visual clash between a dirty past and an antiseptic future shapes the entire staging.
Jack Wall's soundtrack matches the game's near-future setting with cold electronic and industrial textures. The coup: Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) wrote the main theme, lending it a taut darkness and a sound unlike anything else in the series. That collaboration sets the score apart, balancing martial rigor with a modern, throbbing pulse.
Alternating between the Cold War and the near future, this entry introduces choices that genuinely bend the fate of its characters. Carried by a charismatic antagonist and unexpected dilemmas, the tale gains in depth and consequence. This narrative boldness stands clearly apart from the routine of the warfare blockbuster.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
The sequel introduces choices that shape the campaign and a more tactical futuristic multiplayer, without losing any of its legendary snappiness. The Zombies mode grows further, for frenzied co-op evenings. Customising your classes and climbing the ranks stays fiercely addictive. Snappy, rich and superbly made, a multiplayer FPS that renews the formula with flair.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Its branching campaign and Strike Force missions open the show, but the hook is the futuristic multiplayer and its "Pick 10" class system: ten points to distribute freely across weapons, perks and attachments, for endless customization paired with ranked League Play. Zombies grows with TranZit and the Grief mode, players versus players versus the horde. The AI stays repetitive, but the freedom to build pulls you in without pause.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
The branching story choices that sway the ending already invite a campaign replay, yet it is the whole ecosystem that holds you: densely customizable competitive multiplayer, Strike Force missions and a Zombies mode enriched with secret-laden scenarios. Mastering maps and unlocks soaks up months. That versatility is why players keep returning long after release.
The Japanese version of Call of Duty Black Ops II, issued in dubbed and subtitled forms for the local market, a bit less common than the Western editions. This release mainly appeals to fans of Japanese runs of a worldwide shooting franchise. Its interest lies in this localization work and local run rather than scarcity.
Better with friends
Co-op Zombies is enriched here by Grief mode, where two teams of players clash mid-horde without being able to shoot each other, and by the ambitious TranZit linking its zones by bus. The competitive side gains ranked League Play, structuring the climb through divisions. The era's official servers are no longer guaranteed, but the thrill of sabotaging your rivals while surviving the undead remains a treat among friends.
Is Call of Duty - Black Ops II still worth playing in 2026?
Black Ops II remains one of the most ambitious Call of Duty games, almost the only one to dare a branching campaign whose choices genuinely alter the ending. Its leap to 2025 and its Strike Force missions give it a distinctive flavour, and Raul Menendez stands out as a memorable antagonist. The Zombies mode extends the proven formula generously. The competitive multiplayer suffers from server desertion on PS3. For its daring campaign, its careful writing and local Zombies, the title keeps real interest today.
