PSVita Call of Duty: Black Ops for PlayStation Vita deemed an “embarrassment”

[JoeCool]

I was reading Yahoo and this was in the headline.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is getting rave reviews, and judging by the early numbers we're hearing, it's bound to be another seriously big seller.
But not all versions of the game are created equal.
Just witness the stunning fall of Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified for the Playstation Vita. Intended as a companion to the console game, it was supposed to be one of the handheld's biggest holiday titles.
That's not going to happen, at least if critics have anything to say about it. Reviews of Declassified are just starting to roll in, but with an unthinkably low 29 rating on Metacritic, it's already got a shot at going down as the worst game of 2012.
Game Informer calls the title "appalling," "a complete embarrassment for gaming's biggest franchise" and "an absolute mess," citing artificial intelligence that is literally suicidal (hiding behind a car and shooting into it until it explodes) and a ridiculously easy campaign mode, which reviewer Dan Ryckert completed in just 42 minutes.
"If you're looking for a fun single-player shooter experience, you'd be hard pressed to find an experience less complete than Declassified," he writes. "In dramatic fashion, it completely fails to live up to the high bar of quality gamers expect from the Call of Duty name. It's also a discouraging sign for gamers like me who shelled out $250 for a Vita in the hopes of console-quality experiences on handheld. I can't recommend Declassified to anyone."
Giant Bomb can't, either. Reviewer Jeff Gerstmann dings it left and right, noting "the game feels too small to be entertaining, with maps so tiny that you'll literally spawn with an enemy in your crosshairs... or vice versa. This would be a questionable purchase at traditional downloadable pricing. But at $50? No way."
Other sites, including IGN, haven't published their review because review copies were not sent out in a timely manner. Pocket Gamer, who went out and bought one anyway, thinks that was by design.
"Call of Duty: Black Ops - Declassified is a cynical, half-baked, tired little mess of a game, and Activision knows it," writes reviewer Peter Willington, adding that it "gives a middle finger" to fans.
What happened? While it's hard to say definitively, there are rumors that development and production of Declassified were severely rushed, with game makers having no more than 8 months to put the title together. Even for an annualized franchise, that's a Herculean task.
The bigger question is what this might mean for Vita sales this holiday. Sony had high hopes that the game would give the Vita a sales boost during the holidays, even offering a bundle of the game and system.
But if reviews remain this low -- and there's little reason to think they'll turn around in a significant way -- it could be more bad news for Sony's handheld gaming device.

Well, there it goes. Do you agree?

 

[MadMike]

I was reading Yahoo and this was in the headline.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is getting rave reviews, and judging by the early numbers we're hearing, it's bound to be another seriously big seller.
But not all versions of the game are created equal.
Just witness the stunning fall of Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified for the Playstation Vita. Intended as a companion to the console game, it was supposed to be one of the handheld's biggest holiday titles.
That's not going to happen, at least if critics have anything to say about it. Reviews of Declassified are just starting to roll in, but with an unthinkably low 29 rating on Metacritic, it's already got a shot at going down as the worst game of 2012.
Game Informer calls the title "appalling," "a complete embarrassment for gaming's biggest franchise" and "an absolute mess," citing artificial intelligence that is literally suicidal (hiding behind a car and shooting into it until it explodes) and a ridiculously easy campaign mode, which reviewer Dan Ryckert completed in just 42 minutes.
"If you're looking for a fun single-player shooter experience, you'd be hard pressed to find an experience less complete than Declassified," he writes. "In dramatic fashion, it completely fails to live up to the high bar of quality gamers expect from the Call of Duty name. It's also a discouraging sign for gamers like me who shelled out $250 for a Vita in the hopes of console-quality experiences on handheld. I can't recommend Declassified to anyone."
Giant Bomb can't, either. Reviewer Jeff Gerstmann dings it left and right, noting "the game feels too small to be entertaining, with maps so tiny that you'll literally spawn with an enemy in your crosshairs... or vice versa. This would be a questionable purchase at traditional downloadable pricing. But at $50? No way."
Other sites, including IGN, haven't published their review because review copies were not sent out in a timely manner. Pocket Gamer, who went out and bought one anyway, thinks that was by design.
"Call of Duty: Black Ops - Declassified is a cynical, half-baked, tired little mess of a game, and Activision knows it," writes reviewer Peter Willington, adding that it "gives a middle finger" to fans.
What happened? While it's hard to say definitively, there are rumors that development and production of Declassified were severely rushed, with game makers having no more than 8 months to put the title together. Even for an annualized franchise, that's a Herculean task.
The bigger question is what this might mean for Vita sales this holiday. Sony had high hopes that the game would give the Vita a sales boost during the holidays, even offering a bundle of the game and system.
But if reviews remain this low -- and there's little reason to think they'll turn around in a significant way -- it could be more bad news for Sony's handheld gaming device.

Well, there it goes. Do you agree?

I completely agree with what the reviewers are saying. Declassified is, at best, a mediocre experience, and at nearly the full cost of its console brother. I don't understand how people can be content with paying $50 for less than half of the game that can be purchased for $10 more. And I certainly don't understand how people cannot be sickened that the (arguably) most important game of the year was given to a worthless developer that has never released a decent game. The only good thing in this entire situation, is that CoD fanbois are so completely and utterly blind that they will accept this filth as a masterpiece and it will still end up selling Vitas.

 

[Murphy]

I'm not a COD fanboy, but reviewed the game honestly and praised what was good about it - the multiplayer.

It is without a doubt a missed opportunity, somewhat of a disappointment. If you are after a serious alternative to the console CODs this is not it, but it is the only viable option on the Vita and is some fun.

We don't know when Killzone will be out, but this will fill a hole until then. It just might need a significant drop in price first.

 

[Buramu]

It seems most people are enjoying it. Those who know what to expect from a CoD game (fun and addictive multiplayer experience, lackluster/short single player campaign just to 'tick the box') get their money's worth from it.

I don't know what's up with the professional gaming journalists. When it comes to Vita games they all suddenly go into diva-mode, lose all common sense and start churning out sensationalistic tabloid pulp. If you don't know as a pro reviewer that CoD is all about the MP and should be reviewed accordingly, you deserve to be fired on the spot.

Still the best way to attract eyeballs for your advertisers, I guess.

 

[Murphy]

Still the best way to attract eyeballs for your advertisers, I guess.

At the expense of a video game system. Don't get me wrong, the game is not a msterpiece and I think my thoughts sum that up. But the game is achieving the lower echelons of the scoring system that are seldom used.

I haven't played Burning Skies so you will all have noticed that I made no reference to it in my review, yet the general conccensus is that Declassified is better than Resistance.

Sony need the gaming press for the coverage it gives to a system. You'd have to question whether they are better off without them.

 

[Buramu]

Sony need the gaming press for the coverage it gives to a system. You'd have to question whether they are better off without them.

I agree, they need them. I have no idea what Sony have done to disgruntle them. Surely it can't be simply because Activision didn't send out free review copies in advance.

 

[Murphy]

I agree, they need them. I have no idea what Sony have done to disgruntle them. Surely it can't be simply because Activision didn't send out free review copies in advance.

It extends way beyond this specific title.

 

[DuhWhitePanda]

Why are they all basing this off of the single player? I believe the developers have come out and said they focused on the MP. My problems with the game, which I have not stated are due more to the controls of the Vita itself.

 

[CUD]

Why are they all basing this off of the single player? I believe the developers have come out and said they focused on the MP. My problems with the game, which I have not stated are due more to the controls of the Vita itself.

Well the devs can't exactly tell reviewers "oh don't worry about the singleplayer being short since we focused on the multiplayer." Especially since the multiplayer is so lacking.

 

[DuhWhitePanda]

My point was, most reviews dont even mention multiplayer and if they do its like a paragraph. They base their review almost solely off of single player. That'd be like me reviewing Assassin's Creed Liberation almost solely based on its multiplayer. Its bound to fail when you review a mode which in the franchise is basically thrown on.

 

[CUD]

My point was, most reviews dont even mention multiplayer and if they do its like a paragraph. They base their review almost solely off of single player. That'd be like me reviewing Assassin's Creed Liberation almost solely based on its multiplayer. Its bound to fail when you review a mode which in the franchise is basically thrown on.

From what I've heard, had they focused their reviews on the multiplayer they wouldn't have scored it any better as that aspect doesn't seem to be so great either.

 

[DuhWhitePanda]

Maybe, but to me it plays a lot like a stripped down version of COD which is to be expected, but the Vita itself limits the game control. The analog sticks are almost useless for any competitive online shooter game.

 

[Buramu]

From what I've heard, had they focused their reviews on the multiplayer they wouldn't have scored it any better as that aspect doesn't seem to be so great either.

Impression I get is that people are thoroughly enjoying it and describe it as the genuine Call of Duty experience in handheld form. Sounds ecactly like what it should be.

The only people who seem to incessantly criticize it are 'pro' reviewers and people who haven't played it and are going by the Metacritic scores.

Odd that.

 

[Digitech]

I, for the most part, agree with the reviewers in the case, is this game worth $50.00? Certainly not! But in my opinion, this is because of the lacking content mostly. Now mind you, the AI in the single player are as dumb as rocks at times, however, the total experience {multiplayer included} should score a bit higher than what the mass reviewers have been ascribing to it.

Do I feel ripped off? Yes. However, is it a horrifying to play? No.

 

[Murphy]

From what I've heard, had they focused their reviews on the multiplayer they wouldn't have scored it any better as that aspect doesn't seem to be so great either.

Compared to the console versions it isn't. But they have not really spent significant time with it either.

This is not the leading edge game that would have made all the difference.

But it is fun, and is in no way as bad as is being made out.

Unit 13 has no competetive multiplayer, only single player plus co-op missions and no cohesive story. Disjointed missions, albeit 30 plus 10 bosses but nothing realling linking them together. It is visually no better and no worse than CODBOD. If there is replayability it is in outscoring your best scores and earning stars to progress to the next level. It's also particularly grindy to level up the characters.

http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-vita/unit-13 - 71 MC

CODBOD does have comptetetive multiplayer, it has no co-op missions but has disjointed missions with no cohesive story and nothing linking them together. It is visually no better and no worse than Unit 13. If there is replayability it is outscoring your best scores and earning stars to get trophies and progress to the next level. it's also particularly grindy to level up in multiplayer but through this mode offers plenty of opportunity.

http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-vita/call-of-duty-black-ops-declassified - 31MC

 

[CUD]

Impression I get is that people are thoroughly enjoying it and describe it as the genuine Call of Duty experience in handheld form. Sounds ecactly like what it should be.

The only people who seem to incessantly criticize it are 'pro' reviewers and people who haven't played it and are going by the Metacritic scores.

Odd that.

Genuine CoD in handheld form? Why have I heard it is lacking the majority of game modes of its console counterparts and features few maps that are quite small in size?

 

[DuhWhitePanda]

Genuine CoD in handheld form? Why have I heard it is lacking the majority of game modes of its console counterparts and features few maps that are quite small in size?

How big are the maps supposed to be when its 4 vs 4. Make them bigger and people will be crying that the maps are too big and its hard to find people. Make the maps big enough to keep a good pace, people cry they are too small. The game modes are enough in my opinion. Its a handheld, it doesnt need community play lists like Infected or bullshit game modes like capture the flag.

 

[x-MortalGod-x]

I wish there was more team play modes though. Like HQ, force people to move and do the objective or lose.

 

[CUD]

How big are the maps supposed to be when its 4 vs 4. Make them bigger and people will be crying that the maps are too big and its hard to find people. Make the maps big enough to keep a good pace, people cry they are too small. The game modes are enough in my opinion. Its a handheld, it doesnt need community play lists like Infected or bullshit game modes like capture the flag.

Considering it's 4v4 it seems appropriate that they're small, I've just heard complaints about the map sizes. There may be an issue with the spawn points as I have also read that players spawn in very close proximity that they'll spawn in your sights or you in theirs which seems like a valid complaint as being spawn fragged is quite frustrating.

How many maps are there though? I've heard there's not a substantial amount.

It being a handheld game doesn't really justify the lacking range of multiplayer modes, it most likely comes down to laziness, time constraints and/or a limited budget.

 

[DuhWhitePanda]

Those people who complain about spawns clearly have never played any other COD games. Spawn points are brutal in every COD game, especially on blops 2 Nuketown. I think there are 9 maps. I'm not sure though as I dont play the game on a daily basis like I do Blops 2.

I play Declassified if I feel the need for a quick 2 am cod fix or between classes, or when classes are just really boring.