7. Story
Though Treyarch mustn't be caught in the same trap that Infinity Ward fell into with Modern Warfare 3, and imbalance their game too far in favour of story-telling, rather than gameplay, the story of Black Ops 2 will still be a major influence in the game's overall success. With David S Goyer involved, somewhat typically the story sounds exceptional: set in two different time periods the 80s and 2025 we follow the events of two Cold Wars, united by the influence of one malevolent force, namely Raul Menendez, who escalates the new Cold War between China and the US over rare minerals. Not content with simply meddling in those wars, Menendez - who promises to be a truly compelling villain - also turns the US armys drone army against them, enacting the Skynet situation that requires the intervention of a set of human soldiers with the skills to sort out that sort of escalated military situation. The appeal of the story comes in part thanks to the plausability factor of the story - because all of the tech involved is based in reality, and the story's events channel some innate human fears regarding loss of control Black Ops 2 will have real resonance. That's not to say we should all immediately fear that our toasters are going to rise up and attempt to become our overlords, but they are pertinent social concerns nonetheless. It's a well-versed sci-fi story, and it is one that also finds roots in the same fears that escalated the Cold War, which will add weight to that side of the story as well. If Treyarch can successfully tell the story they want to, with enough engaging gameplay to balance the story-telling elements, as well as tying up some loose ends from the first Black Ops, which has been suggested, then Black Ops 2 will certainly be a success.