12 Days Of Christmas: Dime’s Holiday Gift Guide – Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2

Okay, so maybe the timing isn’t perfect, but in light of the holiday season, we’ll be putting together an online gift guide for all of you last minute shoppers. Think clothes, gear, sneakers, music, video games and basketball products… basically everything we at Dime are really feeling at the moment. This is the sixth submission in Dime’s 12 Days Of Christmas…

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On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

6. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2

5. AIR JORDAN 11 RETRO (BRED)

4. ROCK ‘EM APPAREL’s “TACKY SWEATER” CUSTOM NIKE ELITE SOCKS

3. EASTWEST x MITCHELL & NESS “BLEACHED DENIM” SNAPBACK COLLECTION

2. REEBOK’s QUESTION MID IN BLACK/GOLD

1. NAS – ILLMATIC “GOLD EDITION” DELUXE BOX SET

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 dropped last month, but there were many who held off on the initial release. First, there was the presence of Halo 4, which split a few of the consumers down the middle. Then, there’s the online gaming community, who use their anonymous platforms to go hard at many titles, especially the well known ones. Despite all of that, Black Ops 2 still broke their launch sales from last year. Why? Because the game is really freakin’ good – it’s probably the best game from the franchise I’ve ever played.

The campaign mode is sick, the best one yet. The characters make you feel for them. The story is engrossing, and even lets you control parts of its ultimate destiny. And the missions – as well as the optional side missions – play out in a handful of different locations, from yachts to deserts to jungles to inner cities.

[RELATED: Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review]

Zombies are back again as well, and the Tranzit mission mode brings a new element to the game. I’ve never been a huge fan of zombies – would MUCH rather have something similar to Modern Warfare‘s Spec Ops mode – but I’ve spent a considerable amount of time riding the bus on this map. It’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Then there’s multiplayer, which underwent a slight transformation as well to increase the fun. League play is here to help better differentiate the players based on skill level. The maps are solid, even if many of them make you feel like a mouse in a maze running on a huge grid. The wild cards are a huge bonus – for someone like me who would rather move slowly, pick my spots, and light up the players who only want to run and gun – this is great. Currently, I’m rolling with three attachments on the Type 25 because of the wild cards, and I’ve disregarded all grenades. For once, my classes finally feel like they’re totally mine. I may not necessarily have an advantage on the other players, but it feels like it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 didn’t reinvent the wheel of first-person shooters, but it’s enough entertainment to definitely warrant a spot on that holiday gift list of yours.

Is this the best CoD yet?

Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.

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