Lately the talk about Black Ops 2 has all centered around the reveal trailer for the multiplayer mode and the social competitive features which the trailer hints are included. The latest news is no exception, coming from journalists who were invited to Treyarch’s offices in Santa Monica to play an alpha build of the next Call of Duty game.
One of the new features is Shoutcasting. This allows people to actively spectate on matches online as they are being played. Spectators can comment while the games are live, contributing to a live headset discussion which unfolds along with the match. While this is perhaps the most prominent piece of news, it’s not all that emerged from the alpha test. We also have learned that classes are now far more customizable. You’re given ten points which you can distribute among items, and you aren’t constrained as to how you spend those points.
What else is new? Perks are no longer used to modify guns; guns are now only modified through attachments. There’s also some indications that the game may not be as camper friendly as initially suspected. For example, one perk called Ghost hides you from UAVs, but only if you’re on the move—not if you’re camped out and sitting in one place. Most of the new technological gear in the game is not available through the class creation screen (although some of it is).
You can earn the use of various deployable weapons through Score Streaks. Instead of just earning Score Streaks through kills and flag captures, you can now earn them for providing support actions. If for example you get a UAV up in the air supporting your team, you’ll earn points when other members of your team score kills. Many players in the past have complained that COD does not support team play, so this is a great step in the direction of doing so. It seems to us at this point that Black Ops 2 is perhaps going to be a more balanced game in many respects than its predecessors after all. Do you feel optimistic about the news, or do you still feel the game favors campers too heavily? Do you think the Shoutcasting feature sounds engaging? Sign up for our Call of Duty forums to discuss your opinion of the latest developments with other COD fans!