Call of Duty: Black Ops II Trailer

The future is black? I'm not sure this is going in a good direction...

My brother and I always joke about 1812/ civil war Call of Duty. Everyone just lines up and fires.

"Make Ready!!!!"

All I got to say is eh.

They really just need to stop. Unless they take it back to the American Revolution.

That's horrible. I actually loved that Black Ops was in an over-the-top version of the 1960's. I was hoping the next one would be an over-the-top 1970's. But jumping into the future annoys me, not only can they not continue any of their characters' stories, but the Invasion of the US Mainland plot has been done to death lately.

That's horrible. I actually loved that Black Ops was in an over-the-top version of the 1960's. I was hoping the next one would be an over-the-top 1970's. But jumping into the future annoys me, not only can they not continue any of their characters' stories, but the Invasion of the US Mainland plot has been done to death lately.

This thread made me laugh quite a bit.

But it'll have zombies.

That's horrible. I actually loved that Black Ops was in an over-the-top version of the 1960's. I was hoping the next one would be an over-the-top 1970's. But jumping into the future annoys me, not only can they not continue any of their characters' stories, but the Invasion of the US Mainland plot has been done to death lately.

"This is a direct sequel to Black Ops," Lamia says, adding that one of the central characters from the previous installment, Sgt. Frank Woods, is alive and well in the sequel. Rather than lead off from the previous game, Black Ops 2 will feature two distinct time periods: the 1980s vintage Cold War, and a grounded future in which the United States and China are embroiled in a new Cold War. The idea, Lamia admits, is to show some parity between both periods and allow players to get a better glimpse into the characters involved. Technology and the reasons for battle change, but the objective remains the same: win at all costs.

In Black Ops 2 players will play as former protagonist Alex Mason in the 1980s, and as his son, David Mason, in 2025. The two periods are entwined with the return of Woods and a new villain, Raul Menendez. The story arc spans the Mason family and Woods, and plot out the rise and fall of Menendez. Working with David S. Goyer, who helped co-develop the story for The Dark Knight, Treyarch has decided to shine a more detailed light on its villain. Players will see the breaking point for Menendez in the 1980s to better understand his motivations for terror in the future. We see a man go from good soldier to bitter terrorist, and his story is as important to the entire plot of Black Ops 2 as any other character we meet. "It's a character study. It's a story about these characters," Lamia explains to me later.

Throughout the campaign, players will be given the choice to take part in 'Strike Force' missions, with a key objective that can shift the landscape of the greater battle between China and the United States. Sometimes multiple missions will be available, but only one can be selected. Based on the success or failure of these missions -- and you can actually fail to accomplish your objective -- the campaign story will change. There are also choices within levels. In a mission shown at the event, players were given the choice between covering their team with a sniper rifle from a perch, or hitting the ground alongside their squad. According to Lamia, player choice can also lead to the death of key characters during the campaign.

To keep things even, and to show off the near-future technology Treyarch has added to Call of Duty, Black Ops 2 multiplayer will take place exclusively in 2025. Though the developer wouldn't go into detail on the franchise's most important component, game design director David Vonderhaar noted it was important for the team to strip the entire multiplayer down to the most important pieces, to ensure Black Ops 2 would have the "best gameplay system that you can have, period." Two multiplayer maps were shown: a destroyed downtown Los Angeles map called 'Aftermath' and a map called 'Yemen,' set in a deserted island town. A more detailed multiplayer reveal is expected later this year.