4. Parallel Storylines
The Call of Duty games are frequently maligned for their stories, which are usually completely forgettable, coasting on the fact that the lavish set-pieces and action will keep most players satisfied. Still, some of us do want more, and Black Ops 2 looks keen to try and deliver that, with a dual-timeline story set in both the 1980s and 2020s, which will hopefully keep the action feeling a little more fresh than we're used to. So that we don't get bored with the futuristic setting, cutting back occasionally to a more recognisable war-zone isn't a bad idea, but more importantly it provides Treyarch with some context in which to ground the current story, so it seems a bit more authentic and relatable (absurd though it surely will be). This (hopefully) greater focus on the storyline and therefore, the characters, combines with the less-linear approach to demonstrate that Treyarch seem to be paying more attention to the actually backdrop for the carnage this time. If this game can help raise the series' reputation as a relatively hollow FPS game, then that can only be a good thing for all.