[tab:General Info]

OXM reckons, unsurprisingly, that this will be ‘one of this year’s very biggest, and best’ games

The graphics, as we saw in the teaser trailer, are amazing – in particular buildings are demolished brilliantly and include ‘dynamic shadows’ that build tension

‘Black Ops has a different, grubbier vibe to MW2′

Treyarch is approaching the game as ‘3 games in one’ – single player, co-op, and multiplayer

There’s ‘dedicated co-op’, suggesting a departure from WaW – Treyarch ‘changed the subject’ when asked about zombies 🙂

Treyarch has taken ‘creative risks’

There are more than 200 people working on Black Ops

The difference between World at War and Black Ops is similar to the difference between CoD2 and CoD4

[tab:Campaign]

You’re a member of SOG (Studies and Operations Group) working in deniable ops during the Cold War – we knew that.

There’s fighting in ‘Vietnam, the frosty Russian mountains, the Laotian undergrounds and everything in between’

Naturally, you’ll be fighting the North Vietnamese Army

In ‘WMD’, the mission USA Today played, you are, indeed, controlling the SR-71, and you issue orders to soldiers down below

In ‘Victor Charlie’, you start off in a crashed helicopter in the Huong River, and make your way upstream; swimming, with only a knife

In ‘Payback’, you’re in a fully-controllable helicopter – you drive it and shoot it

[tab:Gameplay]

‘Stealth plays a big part’

Rappelling: you’ll be able to feel ‘each crash back into the cliff side with a bone-jarring thud’

You can call in air support to decimate NVA buildings

Your player has a voice, unlike other CoD games

[tab:Weapons]

The crossbow was confirmed

As was the ‘dragon-breath’ flame-throwing rounds for the SPAS-12

The M202 ‘Grim Reaper’ rocket launcher was name-dropped

And, (thanks to WePlayCoD), the guy in the full-page picture is holding a MAC-10

Vehicles return, ‘but not the way you remembered them from WaW’

[tab:Multiplayer]

Multiplayer began development early on, such that some single player levels are based on multiplayer maps

A beta is ‘being considered’ (though, since it’s in a 360 magazine, it may be 360-exclusive)

We’ve heard it before, but Treyarch will be improving multiplayer from suggestions, and acknowledged the under-the-map glitches that plagued WaW’s launch

Matchmaking for consoles has been improved (although as we learned earlier, PCs will almost certainly get dedicated servers)

Create a Class 2.0 – improved character customization includes kit and appearance items!

[tab:Pictures]

[tab:Summary]

So, overall, a few bits we knew before, a few we kinda guessed, and a few genuinely exciting prospects. I’ve always liked the stealth missions, so I’m hoping stealth really does play a ‘big part’ like they say. Customization for Create A Class sounds great, as does a fully controllable helicopter. I honestly can’t wait.

New video release with a few seconds of new footage, the world premiere should be interesting.

[tab:END]