[PREVIEW] Call of Duty: Black Ops - 15 Years Later

By the time Activision deployed the original Black Ops in November 2010, Call of Duty had already revolutionized online multiplayer. Alongside Halo 2, Call of Duty 2 in 2005 proved itself a must-play online experience for Xbox 360 owners, thanks to well-balanced gameplay and a variety of modes that weren’t even held back by the limited player counts on console. Treyarch's Call of Duty 3 multiplayer raised the stakes one year later despite tepid reception at launch, having introduced its console-only audience to revelatory features like the multiplayer class system and grenade cooking. Larger maps and vehicles debuted in the 2006 chapter as well, though nothing could hold a candle to what came next in the fourth mainline title. 

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare long held the honorific of the series’ best installment for both the single-player campaign and multiplayer suite. Killstreaks, perks, weapon customization, and the level-up system all first appeared in the landmark 2007 release, which endures to this day, its influence permeating nearly every major online shooter; so when World at War came along the following year, expectations soared through the roof. The Treyarch-created Nazi Zombies mode set World at War apart from the rest of the pack, meaning the studio had its work cut out upon taking the helm yet again for Call of Duty’s 2010 outing. 

Enter Black Ops, the new sub-franchise whose debut emphasized social features and character customization, all while providing players with a treasure trove of multiplayer options. 15 years after hitting store shelves for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii, Black Ops remains not only a seminal Call of Duty title but also a genre-defining experience with a pedigree that many would argue has few competitors. 

This is Call of Duty: Black Ops, 15 years later.