Miklós already posted the official reveal trailer, the sneaky bugger. What the trailer reveals: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a direct sequel which takes place during the fictional second Cold War in the year 2025. You play as David Mason, son of the previous game’s protagonist Alex Mason.
But there is much the trailer did not reveal.
Fans of the series have their expectations: they want a huge, bombastic single-player campaign full of explosions, firefights and interesting characters. They want a rich, deep and rewarding multiplayer experience that’s easy to learn but difficult to master. They want the guns to feel good, responsive and weighty. True fans want the game to run at 60 frames per second, because anything less is an unacceptable compromise.
It’s not hard to say that Call of Duty fans are some of the most loyal in the industry, but at the steep price of being possibly the most demanding.
Last month Activision invited us to visit Treyarch Studios in Los Angeles for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and we saw much, much more than the trailer highlights. Branching plotlines, real-time strategy “Strike Ops” missions where you control multiple squads and vehicles in a sandbox environment, and a detailed look at what goes into designing the concept behind a franchise that has to meet and exceed the high expectations of its fans.
When a franchise reaches the kind of success Call of Duty enjoys, people become jaded towards it, thinking that success equals not having to innovate anymore. Black Ops 2 is a clear shout of defiance at that idea, creative in ways nobody expected.
What we saw at Treyarch Studios was an incredibly passionate, dedicated team that loves what they do, is proud of what they have accomplished, and cares about its community and fans. You’ll be able to read all about it in the upcoming June issue of NAG Magazine.
