Xbox Addict

Black Ops Multiplayer, Setting Detailed

We’ve heard scant details on the upcoming Treyarch title Call of Duty: Black Ops, but a new magazine feature is letting loose with much more information than we had before. The latest Official Xbox Magazine (via WePlayCOD) breaks down the new additions. As expected, players will spend at least some of the time fighting the North Vietnamese, but the lead character has a secret agenda as well. In the trek through Vietnam, the player will enter water engagements with a trusty knife, provide intel from an SR-71 Blackbird, and even take control of a helicopter.

The spread also shares more details on the multiplayer aspect. The co-op mode will feature separate levels, built specifically for it. Treyarch strongly hinted at a beta, and said they’ll be improving this game’s multiplayer based on player feedback from World at War. The developer also promises improved matchmaking, along with an enhanced Create-a-Class for added character customization.

"We’re all-in on this," said Treyarch head Mark Lamia, committing all of his over 200 staff to working on Black Ops. "We’ve taken some creative risks. We want to do something different than we’ve done before. It’s time." He also reportedly remarked that they "want the game to speak for itself."

It’s good to hear that Treyarch is taking risks, and basing a game on what is arguably the most unpopular war in American history is a bold choice, to say the least. These kinds of risks might be necessary to help the game rise above the noise of the Infinity Ward drama and, as Lamia hopes, help the game find its own identity.