What we know about Black Ops II thus far

If you've been living under a rock the past day or two, you are likely unaware that Activision officially announced Call of Duty: Black Ops II – their next big task in the first-person shooter genre. The reveal was inevitable – I mean the franchise is still one of the most popular in history…media's history. Nevertheless, apart from the trailer, most folks have been wondering just what the upcoming shooter will include. Fear no more, though, because GameZone has got you covered. Here's what we know about "Blops 2" thus far: 

  • It's officially Black Ops II, not Black Ops 2.

Yes, we're aware it's easier to type out 2 instead of II, but Activision has made it very clear that it's actually II. Hopefully this isn't one of the "major enhancements" in the game.

  • The game will include a revamped zombies mode. 

Zombies are back, and boy do they sound better than ever. According to Treyarch, the entire mode has been revamped: more zombies, bigger playgrounds, and better, deadly weapons. “I’m not going to hide it from you – it’s a Treyarch game, we’re making Zombies. It’s a huge world, running inside the multiplayer mode. There are new game modes; it’s bigger and better," said Treyarch's Mark Lamia. 

  • It's futuristic, but not science-fiction.

Activision and Treyarch have made it very clear that the game will span several decades, or simply, two eras –  the Cold War of the 1980s and the second Cold War taking place in the year 2025. The story's antagonist is present throughout both eras, and his power may or may not increase has time passes. Interestingly enough, Treyarch insists that though it's futuristic title at its core, it's not "science-fiction." Today's economnic situations and the struggle for worldy power will be taken into consideration; you'll feel that "advanced war-fighter" feelings, while living today's military-focused world. Nevertheless, the game will feature weapons and vehicles never seen before, especially in a Call of Duty game – take the Quadrotors for instance. 

  • Treyarch's main focus is storytelling. 

​David Goyer, one of the game's lead writers, said “Let’s rewrite the rules of storytelling in Call of Duty.” Characters won't be your normal good guys and bad guys – we'll bet our life savings on that. “We wanted to create the most compelling villain that Call of Duty has ever seen,” added Dave Anthony. “You understand who he is as a human being. One minute you will understand where he’s coming from, and the next minute you will see him do something that you cannot support in a million years.” In addition, Treyarch is getting insight from some of the military's top veterans, including Lt. Col. Hank Keirsey. 

  • Multiplayer WILL be different: Treyarch promises it and fans expect it. 

​“Multiplayer is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. We’ve stripped the game back a lot and started from a very core place," said game design director David Vonderhaar. Treyarch's focus for multiplayer will mainly be to reach as many play styles as possible, while creating a revamped experience for gamers to fall in love with. Lets face it, the online stuff is getting boring, old, and hack-tastic; fans deserve something thrilling – something that will be a breakthrough in the FPS genre. 

  • Treyarch mocapped a horse.

Yup, the trailer featured a horse. The internet's response, you ask? "Who cares about the graphics, story, and online component. I just can't get over the fact that a HORSE…A FREAKING HORSE, was including in the trailer." Not only was the horse revealed, it was mocapped for the game. We're still wondering if this is Call of Duty or the next on-the-rails Fable title. 

Well folks, that's all we know thus far (at least everything we felt was important to tell you). We'd like to thank Activision's Dan Amrich and blog, which listed several of these points. What are your opinions of the upcoming hit thus far? Seriously, we're curious. Let us know by commenting below. 

Source: [One of Swords]