My Favorite Video Game of 2011 - Call of Duty: Black Ops

Of all the different games I've played this year, Call of Duty: Black Ops has been the best one. I consider this quite an honor, considering games like Portal 2 and Halo Reach, which are widely regarded as fantastic games, did not make the cut.

Graphics:
Call of Duty: Black Ops has some of the best graphics I have seen in any FPS (First-Person Shooter) to date. They are only overshadowed by Modern Warfare 2, which had slightly more better detail in aspects such as glass and water. The leaves on the trees move in an unpredictable fashion, fire does not seem to repeat itself, but burn and change like real fire would, etc. The graphics of this game are truly outstanding.

Sound:
This is the only place where Call of Duty: Black Ops truly lacks compared to other games. I own an Astro A40 Headset, which I use to locate enemy players by listening to their footsteps, reload animations, and callouts (such as when their character yells "GRENADE!"). In Call of Duty: Black Ops, the sound system seems very flat. It is much harder to locate players behind you, and it seems like there is always an unexpected interference, may that be a rocket launching on the map "Launch" or a train moving through the map on "WMD."

Weapons and Weapon Balance:
This game contains a wide variety of weapons in all classes (LMGs, Assault Rifles, SMGs, Snipers, and Pistols). What really matters about the weapons in this game is that they are extremely well balanced. Most weapons take about the same about of bullets to kill an enemy, have well-balanced strengths and weaknesses, and reasonable recoil (as oppose to Modern Warfare 2, which had nearly no recoil at all). This is what makes a good Call of Duty game, and TreyArch (the main development company) definitely nailed it on this game.

Killstreaks:
This game has customizable killstreaks, meaning that you can choose which killstreaks you earn and at what level. For example, a weaker player can choose an RC-XD car, which is only a three kill streak, and have more luck at getting it than if he were to choose Dogs, which is an eleven kill streak. Better players may choose higher killstreaks though, and have an bigger advantage and do better if they do reach that higher kill count. Players may choose three different kill streaks.

Zombies:
This is my favorite part of the game. Fending off infinite waves of zombies, upgrading weapons, and working together with friends could not be more fun! I love this game mode, and in every new map pack, there is always a new Zombie map that presents a new challenge. Couldn't be more fun!

Overview:
Black Ops is a fantastic game and is, by far, the best Call of Duty so far. It is almost perfect, except for the fact that its sound is so terrible and flat. It is a great game, and it is a definite purchase.

Last words though...Modern Warfare 3 has just released some gameplay trailers... and looks pretty amazing. It won't come out until November 8th, but maybe you should hang on to your 60 dollars until then... It is a 2011 game, and could possibly be the best one, but it hasn't been released yet! Same with Battlefield 3! Both of these games have extreme potential!