E3 2010: Black Ops demo sends players into space

While Activision works out its Infinity Ward problems, Treyarch's keeping busy with Black Ops, the Cold War Call of Duty.

At their closed demo last week, a small room of people were shown two levels that were meant to convey the game's variety. The first stage is called "WMD" and has players infiltrate a Russian base. The entire process takes several steps, starting with the off-site stealth jet you're tasked with flying. The player can control acceleration in the interactive take-off sequence, and once you've breached Earth's atmosphere, you'll be assisting ground troops by scanning for enemies. Once you have successfully led the troops to safety, you take control of them and continue the mission from the ground.

Much of the following gameplay is familiar territory, back to scaling ice walls, breaking into Russian bases, and shooting anything that moves. The new crossbow weapon is more awesome than it sounds, perfect for silently taking out and/or blowing up enemies. You can only fire one shot at a time before having to reload, but the results are a pleasure to watch. Schadenfreude? Yes, please.

The WMD level ended as players are making their escape down a cliff, only to get caught inside an avalanche. The second stage, called "Payback," boasts much nicer weather and covers an incredibly embarrassing time in US military history: the 1960s. Troops have been deployed in Laos following (inaccurate) intel claiming the Russians have taken root in the Southeast.

In Payback, the player is tasked with stealing a helicopter from the people who killed your buddies. When you successfully pull off the heist, the chopper is at your complete command. The objective is mostly "blow everything up" as you fly through the river valley, eventually taking out a bridge to ruin your enemies' day. Treyarch was quick to point out that the airborne sequence is "not on rails," though they didn't specify how far you're allowed to deviate.

If you're a Call of Duty fan, nothing anyone says will stop you from getting Black Ops. Based on what I saw though, Treyarch is trying their damndest to match IW in every way. The studio has already promised an engrossing narrative, and gameplay is more interactive than before.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is set to arrive later this year, on November 9, 2010.

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