Over the last couple of years Call of Duty has gone stale, becoming a disjointed mess with a nonsensical, far-fetched plot (Im looking in your direction Modern Warfare 2 and 3). It began so well with the utterly superb Modern Warfare, followed up a year later by my personal favourite, World at War, taking you back to the games WWII roots. But it all became unstuck when I found myself fighting off invading Russian soldiers in a Virginian suburb from the roof of a fast food restaurant in Modern Warfare 2. The settings and stories might have changed but almost everything else has remained the same; the game-play, the tactics, the guns, everything. Its become all too familiar and far too cinematic. Im going to hazard a guess that Black Ops 2 will inevitably feature the same fast-paced no-time-to-catch-your-breath unrelenting action the series has had since 2007. Some might argue why change such a efficient formula but I want more than simply pressing B and watching as my character sneaks up on someone, chokes him out then stabs him in the throat while Im left wondering when Ill get a go before another cut-scene interferes my enjoyment. Meanwhile, Assassins Creed has gone consistently from strength to strength every year, adding new and exciting features and new settings. 2010s Brotherhood fixed the problem of repetitiveness, upgraded the multiplayer and added a new management system allowing you to could call upon recruits for help and send them on missions across Europe. It was fun being a boss. And this year, the new instalment has been totally rebuilt from the ground up with everything tweaked and improved making for more natural and fluid game-play.
