Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

***UPDATE*** After having spent substantial time with Black Ops, I stand by my initial impressions. The overall balancing has proven to be exceptional as there is no single "money" class to exploit or be forced to use in tough games. The maps are fun, weapons and upgrade system a blast and all of the customization available makes the game really enjoyable. There is a big negative. As mentioned in my original review - connection is a serious issue. Lag, framerate drops, freezes...pretty much any connection problem you can think of applies. Patch 1.04 is on the way from Treyarch to address some of these issues, but connection certainly mars what is an otherwise great online experience. ***END UPDATE*** I'm about 42 hours into the game. I would consider myself a hardcore-console gamer (if there is such thing). I logged 25+ days on MW2 and have spent time with BFBC2, Killzone2 and pretty much every other game that involves shooting other people in the face - online. The review is aimed at people who may have been turned off after MW2. Campaign mode - I wouldn't know cause I don't play it. I hear it takes 6 hours, so probably just a rental if that's all you're interested in. Online * The fixes - noob toobing, commando, stoping power, one man army, boosting, tactical insertions, stacking killstreaks, explosive radius nerfed - ALL GONE. If that means anything to you, then you already love this game. *The Mechanics - best in the console market. Period. The guns are NOT all the same. No more UMP45 across the map kills. It also requires more hits to get a kill. This is good and bad - see connections below. *Graphics/Sound - The maps look phenominal, but the player models are mediocre. The music ambient sound effects are great, but I'm not impressed with the sounds of the guns. *The Maps - my first impression is that they are amazing...BUT... and this is one big but - they are not sniper friendly. I'm not a sniper, so I don't care, but I have some friends that already hate the game becuase the wide open lanes in MW2 are non-existant. There are varied levels, tunnels, etc. - but camping just seems much more difficult. *Connection - still P2P, no dedicated servers, and that sucks. Ultimately, regardless of skill level, connection will be the deciding factor in your enjoyment of the online game (also why I give it four stars) *Wager Games - also known as online crack. Being able to wager your money (which is required to purchase the items you've unlocked and their attachements - it's not automatic anymore) is like playing poker online. There are multiple game types, all very new and add a whole seperate dimesnion to online shooters. Definately the best innovation for FPS's in a long time. *Split Screen - for all online modes is awesome. I have 2 PS3's in the house and can accomodate 4 players with them in an online match. It's about time that option was available. Overall, this is a must buy if you are a COD fan. If you were turned off by MW2 - which many were, and rightfully so, at least give it a try. The Zombie mode, Training mode and wager matches are a blast and give everyone a shot at having a good time - not just experts and 12yr old, foul mouthed racists.