Last night in L.A., Activision and Treyarch played host to a large number of gaming journalists to show off Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer for the first time. But before all the fraggin', RC car explosions and cross-bowing took place, Treyarch detailed some of the additions they are bringing to the Call of Duty multiplayer experience.
Firstly, for newcomers who are scared to faced the most hardcore of CoD players online, Treyarch has introduced a new mode called "Combat Training." This is an offline multiplayer mode where players can play against bots and friends, unranked, to practice their skills before hitting the internet big time. This mode also has a completely separate progression/leveling system.
Secondly, Black Ops will be the first Call of Duty title where you can customize the look of your soldier. You can do this via the Tier 1 perks you unlock by playing online.
Also, there have been two new killstreaks added to Black Ops. The first is called the "Death Machine" which is a devastating mini-gun. The second is the "Grim Reaper," a special rocket launcher.
But the biggest multiplayer addition to Black Ops (so far) is the inclusion of the wager system. Players will now be able to earn points (called CP or CoD Points) which can be spent on multiplayer upgrades. Players will then be able to take these points into matches and place bets. The top three players in a match take the entire pot and split the winnings. Everyone else leaves empty handed.
There are four types of "Wager Matches"; One in the Chamber, Sticks and Stones, Gun Game and Sharp Shooter. To best explain how Wager Matches work, here is a handy trailer:
Finally, as teased in the initial Black Ops multiplayer trailer, a Theater Mode has been added. This mode, much like in the Halo titles, allows players to record and share videos and screenshots with friends.
Be on the lookout for some hands-on impressions of Black Ops here on CraveOnline soon. And come back for more on Call of Duty: Black Ops as we get closer to its November 9, 2010 release.
