What Were the Most Iconic Elements of Black Ops II?

[Electric Jesus]

As another title reaches the end of its life cycle, we are faced with that ever-present question: what will we remember this game by?

World at war was always famous for the Wunderwaffe DG-2 and it popularized the original four perks. It introduced hellhounds, pack-a-punch, teleporters, and most of zombies as we know it.

Black Ops was often remembered for Mustang and Sally and the Thundergun. PhD Flopper was also a main focal point of BOI maps. This was the game where Easter Egg hunts became a big deal.

So how will we remember Black Ops II?

I think the Raygun Mark II was a particularly prevalent weapon. Buildables are a given.

What do you think? What did you find noteworthy or remarkable in BOII?

Please don't say something like lag or lack of effort. This is not another of the thousands of threads that focus on negativity. Stay nice. Stay classy.

-EJ

[The Twirp]

I will remember BO2 for its diversity in the maps. I may not enjoy all of the maps, but they are certainly all unique.

TranZit started us off with new weapons, new ways of transportation, and a map size we had never seen before.

Die Rise brought verticality.

Nuketown has a new (and sometimes annoying) way of getting perks.

Mob of the Dead had the retriever, Brutus, and a cool shotgun wonder weapon, as well as new way to upgrade it.

Buried brought flying as well as ultimate camping spots.

Origins has the staves, giant robots, generators, Panzers, and a lot of other stuff.

Each map is...different. Can't say as much for WaW and Bo1 maps. While they do all have differences, they are still very similar.

Bo2 was good year for zombies, although I would've done a few things a bit different if I were king ;)

[GameChanger]

Good thread, friend. Nice to see positivity in regards to Black Ops II for once.

Off the top of my head, I'd say Black Ops 2 showed us a map could be slower-paced and still good. Having actual objectives instead of the usual Hoard Kill Repeat was a welcome change in the series.

Our new cast of characters show that you don't have to be super obvious stereotypes in order to be a funny/entertaining character. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I hope the 04 don't come back in the vanilla maps of Black Ops III: Ghouls (working title).

More to come when I get time (read: never)

[MegaAfroMan]

Other than the buildables I think the one thing the maps had in common, was that they really didnt have things in common.

Each map did have some very unique trait to it that seperated it and playing styles of it from the other maps.

Also, the idea of stat tracking was rather nice, even if the end result with the ranks wasn't as favorably viewed.

[Electric Jesus]

One thing I really liked that they mixed up was the power system. As efficient as Germans may be, throwing one giant switch to turn on the entire map is redundant. Some people thought MotD took this change too far and complicated it too much, which is understandable. However the conversion generators were beautifully done. Namely because they can be turned off without turning off your perks after buying them like with turbines.

It was a really nice breath of fresh air to hear "thump-thump SCREEECH" on mob of the dead when entering afterlife, or maxis yelling "CONVERSION PROCESS ACTIVATED" or whatever instead of the famous "CLUNK wubwubwubwub"

So much onomatopoeia.

[Stop Mocking Me0]

As another title reaches the end of its life cycle, we are faced with that ever-present question: what will we remember this game by?

World at war was always famous for the Wunderwaffe DG-2 and it popularized the original four perks. It introduced hellhounds, pack-a-punch, teleporters, and most of zombies as we know it.

Black Ops was often remembered for Mustang and Sally and the Thundergun. PhD Flopper was also a main focal point of BOI maps. This was the game where Easter Egg hunts became a big deal.

So how will we remember Black Ops II?

I think the Raygun Mark II was a particularly prevalent weapon. Buildables are a given.

What do you think? What did you find noteworthy or remarkable in BOII?

Please don't say something like lag or lack of effort. This is not another of the thousands of threads that focus on negativity. Stay nice. Stay classy.

-EJ

DEFFINANTLY the sheild needs to be in there...

Likely eletric cherry too, as it's the only bo2 perk to appear Twice so far...

And because there was no super-gun for tranzit I don't think we have a gun representative... Maybe galvaknuckles?

[MysteryMachineX]

I think it was the additional characters. I liked the playable characters, but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about interesting and unique characters with which the players could interact. I'm talking about a floating electrical man named "Him". I'm talking about a demonic zombie sentient prison guard named Brutus. I'm talking about a heavily armored mech zombie called a Panzer Soldat. I'm talking about an ominous and tragic ghost lady named Sarah. I'm talking about a naive and helpful giant with no name. I'm talking amazing. I'm talking big. I'm talking Thor. Odin. Freya.

[MegaAfroMan]

Or of course our friend Maxis in drone form...

[InfestLithium]

Buildables and variety.

Nothing is more exciting then grabbing your buildables and using them just for fun on every map, whether it's simple like the Zombie Shield or an Elemental Staff/Sliquifier/Acid Gat Kit.

The variety relates to a major overhaul of change from the mode of transportation to (like what was said before) the process of turning on power. It's just incredible how much of a difference each map is.

[Mr. Jay]

There was not a blue print with the maps, so tough to find any links or consistency.

Each map was unique to its own that you might think they were designed by different teams. The weapons are different wall or box; the styles are different with each map, the extras are different; and even banks are included in some maps but not others.

Hard to lay a finger on a few things to say there was a theme to BO2.

There was not.

[Rissole25]

Other than the buildables I think the one thing the maps had in common, was that they really didnt have things in common.

Each map did have some very unique trait to it that seperated it and playing styles of it from the other maps.

Also, the idea of stat tracking was rather nice, even if the end result with the ranks wasn't as favorably viewed.

Probably this. I like that they were vastly different from each other, especially if you compare them against the Black Ops maps.

[PINNAZ]

The Gameplay Mechanic features.

The features of gameplay really stood out for me. From using Buildables, the addition of different style weapons not just a gun or a wünderwaffe from the box, Building the Jet Gun & sliquifier, the Spork, Retriever/redeemer. Trample steam & subsonic resonator, to "HIM & "the Big Guy", so many additions of individualization.

The maps are so very different, though I wish there were more maps like Survival - Town. Small fast paced maps that I can have fun for an hour just spraying Zombies instead of taking a generation just to get setup.

But my stand-out feature would be the colours & animations that we're put into Black Ops II. Such beautiful looking maps. I feel like they really tried to step up on these gameplay features & lift the bar of the gameplay rather than just running circles with a Pack-a-Punched Gun. (Which contradicts my last paragraph)

Though they left out a lot of hard to find storyline as per previous games & instead spoon fed us with cinematic videos, Treyarch chose to improve gameplay rather than the hidden story a lot of us expected. (Though the story is somehow more complicated because some things were never built upon, maybe in the next game this will be explained.)

PINNAZ Rating - Black Ops II: Zombies - 6/10

Improved/implemented on some things, and sadly lacked on implementing things which could have been a step above any other COD: Zombies title.

[Chopper]

Buildables, no crawlers and awful PAP.

Those to me were the 3 most iconic and game changing aspects of BO2.

I think the replayability of BO2 is seriously hampered by the difficulty of PAPing.

I actually quite like the system of having to work for PAP. However, they should have at least added an option in custom game for PAP to be automatically on.

The inability to quickly PAP ruins so many potentially amazing challenges.

If not the custom game option, then at least make the initial PAP really difficult and then once achieved, every other game is much easier.

Buildables....I don't mind doing some stuff. What annoys me the most is that it takes 45 minutes to get 2 staffs on Origins, and 30 minutes for 1. Both games would be on round 12 or so.

Round 12 on a normal map takes around 15 minutes. It does irritate me that something that I have completed literally at least 50 times, still takes the same amount of time. They should have added a feature where once you have done it x amount of times, it becomes easier next time.

[Boom115]

The melee weapons is what I will remember the most from Black OPs 2. An electrified knuckle duster that allows you to punch a zombie square in the face. The classic prison shiv; along with the ever so epic golden spork. Last but not least a Bruce Lee inspired punch that sends zombies flying across the map.

Also check this out:

THIS

[sh3baproject]

the diversty in each map. nuff said

[ThrowAmonkeyBomb]

For everything it is and has been.Lol.For the diverse maps,the new features,the way its been played and will continue to be.Perma perks,buildables,new features,new weapons,and new enemies. :)

[Lenne]

The different HUD(s).

[tEfugleskremmel]

I loved that the diversity of the maps dictated using different strategies for each one. I also liked that crawlers died if you just left them, it made your choices early on have a higher impact on the time you had to do things at later rounds when egg hunting. I know I'm in the vast minority on this subject, but personally, they nailed it in BOps II. Every map was sprawling, beautifully detailed yet layed out in such simplicity. Mob Of The Dead is the go to prime example for its elegance. It is the perfect map, it brought new features, phenomenal characters and story as well as building on map elements from Tranzit and Die Rise. It was massive with new modes of transportation and buildables like Tranzit, and featured some verticality with points to drop off to lower levels of the cell blocks as well as the vertical spiral in the citadel. Mob Of The Dead is the pinnacle of BOps II Zombies, but really, this instalment had everything I had hoped for, regardless of what most other think, I was completely satisfied. There was map, weapon and character diversity from start to finish. As far as the story of the N4 is concerned, I really think the unanswered questions were just the beginning for them. You can't tell me Buried was the end for these characters, and we are likely in for a treat in the next instalment. Hopefully everyone's irrational hate boners for them will have subsided enough to understand how stories are told and accept that we weren't told everything in an effort to make these characters stories more dynamic as it goes. All said, the overall legacy of this round of Zombies will be that Treyarch got very ambitious, added a plethora of new features and mechanics where previously it was just turn on power, buy perks, run in circles. Sure, it wasn't perfect as a whole, but it is far superior than its predecessors. Hopefully with time, more people will agree with me, until then I'm content to play my favourite instalment in this saga over and over until we get what's next.

[Tasha]

The uniqueness and fresh feel to each individual map. Almost every map feels like its own 'experience' now,

largely thanks due to the exclusive Soundtracks Treyarch's audio department composed for each map since Mob.

The themes you hear when you entering specific areas,

the stingers you hear when you advance to the next step during the easter egg -- It's the same short tune, starting with just one instrument for the first step, and with each step you succesfully complete you keep hearing that same tune but each time with more instruments added in, referring to the progress you and your team are making.

Ingenius.

So yeah, definitely the music.

[Reaper2909]

Double tap 2.0 is the most iconic thing in bo2.

Buildables are nice and a good feature but nothing is better then double tap 2.0.

Remember how hard the old maps are with only double the firerate and not shoot 2 bullets at once.

DSR 50 and Double Tap 2.0 are one hit headshoot to round 48 or 49 when i remember correctly.

Thats truly insane.

[PINNAZ]

Double tap 2.0 is the most iconic thing in bo2.

Double-Tap II sure is a great addition. It's either my first or second perk that I get. Though it's potential doesn't kick in until round 10ish. And in early rounds it's not really required I guess.

Best Perk-a-Cola of Black Op II?

[Hells Warrrior]

Script errors

Honestly, buildables.

[JakeDuck]

One thing I really liked that they mixed up was the power system. As efficient as Germans may be, throwing one giant switch to turn on the entire map is redundant. Some people thought MotD took this change too far and complicated it too much, which is understandable. However the conversion generators were beautifully done. Namely because they can be turned off without turning off your perks after buying them like with turbines.

It was a really nice breath of fresh air to hear "thump-thump SCREEECH" on mob of the dead when entering afterlife, or maxis yelling "CONVERSION PROCESS ACTIVATED" or whatever instead of the famous "CLUNK wubwubwubwub"

So much onomatopoeia.

I too really liked the new objectives, it gives me hope that they'll expand on the side modes a bit. I feel like Origins was the start of a zombie Domination mode, or maybe King of the Hill.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the new game modes. Even if they are flawed, I'm willing to bet that they will be a lot better next year. Zombies has switched to a multiplayer engine rather than a coop campaign engine, everything is changing.