Is Black Ops 2 Better than Black Ops 3? A Call of Duty Expert‘s Perspective
As a passionate Call of Duty gamer and content creator, in my opinion Black Ops 2 is the superior game compared to Black Ops 3. Although Black Ops 3 made innovations in some areas like Zombies mode, overall Black Ops 2 features better multiplayer map design, more balanced weapons, an iconic arsenal of guns, and core gameplay that stays truer to Call of Duty‘s fast-paced run-and-gun roots.
Graphics and Visuals
Being released in 2015, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 clearly has an edge when it comes to visuals and graphics over 2012‘s Black Ops 2. However, Black Ops 2‘s visual presentation has aged surprisingly well and still looks great for a last-gen title. Both games feature the polished production values expected from the Call of Duty franchise, with detailed weapon models, smooth animations, and cinematic single-player moments.
Black Ops 3 introduced a new graphical engine that allowed for more dynamic environments with elements like fire that react realistically to the player‘s actions. Explosions and smoke/particle effects are also more advanced in Black Ops 3. That said, Black Ops 2‘s maps like Raid and Express remain all-time fan favorites for their clean, balanced layouts which contribute to competitive multiplayer.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Perhaps the biggest divergence between the two games is Black Ops 3‘s advanced movement system, which totally altered Call of Duty‘s classic first-person shooter gameplay. Black Ops 3 introduced:
- Wall running
- Power sliding
- Thrust jumps
- Swimming
This gave players new mobility options to quickly chain movements together and elevated the pace of matches.
Comparatively, Black Ops 2 plays like a more traditional Call of Duty focused on fast-paced gunplay. The classic run-and-gun feel is widely regarded as peak Call of Duty multiplayer. Black Ops 2 also had Pick 10 for custom loadouts – still hailed as the best create-a-class system ever seen in COD.
There are merits to Black Ops 3‘s unique take, but ultimately the advanced movement divided fans as it strayed too far from Call of Duty‘s core identity.
Weapons
The arsenal of weapons available in multiplayer is another area where Black Ops 2 wins out. The game struck the perfect balance between having variety in each weapon class while also ensuring tight balancing so no guns felt useless or overpowered.
Nearly every gun – from PDW-57 SMG to DSR 50 sniper – had its niche and fans. Other iconic Black Ops 2 weapons include:
- AN-94 assault rifle
- MSMC submachine gun
- M8A1 burst-fire rifle
- Ballista sniper rifle
Black Ops 3‘s stockpile of guns failed to reach the same heights in diversity, balancing, or sheer memorability besides the KN-44 assault rifle and 205 Brecci shotgun.
| Black Ops 2 | Black Ops 3 |
|---|---|
| Balanced selection of perfectly tuned guns | Less diversity between weapons, some guns clearly superior |
| Each weapon feels unique with strengths/weaknesses | Redundancies exist; many guns don‘t stand out |
| Features iconic all-time great COD weapons | No single weapon as memorable besides KN-44 |
Maps
Strong map design is what gives competitive Call of Duty multiplayer longevity. And in this area, Treyarch hit it out of the park with Black Ops 2. Fan favorites like Raid, Standoff, Slums, Express and more provided the ultimate arena for fast-paced 6v6 matches and expertly blended the three-lane approach with verticality.
Black Ops 3 maps trended larger and more complex to complement the advanced movement system. This facilitated wall running and verticality at the cost of simplicity – maps like Evac and Hunted have convoluted paths and lines of sight. Quantity over quality was also an issue in map packs.
Simply put, Black Ops 2‘s maps represent the pinnacle of Call of Duty map design.
Zombies
Zombies mode saw incredible expansion and innovation with Black Ops 3. The game launched with Shadows of Evil and eventually received 8 more maps through DLC packs – the most Zombies content ever at that time. New features included:
- Gobblegum consumable buffs
- Weapon kits for customization
- Easter eggs on each map
- revamped perk system
However, Black Ops 2 Zombies hit all the right notes in terms of map design, Easter eggs, and overall fun factor. It laid the groundwork with maps like Mob of the Dead and Origins. Black Ops 3 built successfully on top of that foundation.
Multiplayer
The stellar quality of Black Ops 2‘s multiplayer is what cements it as the better Call of Duty game for most players. The Pick 10 create-a-class system with Wildcards allowed unmatched customization of loadouts. Scorestreaks further rewarded objective play.
The introduction of League Play also catapulted Black Ops 2 multiplayer into the echelon of competitive gaming. It became a popular esport and maintained a huge following years after launch.
Conversely, Black Ops 3 made missteps – advanced movement divided fans, weapons weren‘t as memorable, and the skill gap shrunk with design choices like automatic health regen.
Campaign
Black Ops 3 attempted an ambitious campaign but it was poorly received due to the confusing, convoluted story. You play as an enhanced cybernetic black ops soldier with abilities like wall running from multiplayer. The narrative jumps between different time periods and has multiple endings.
Black Ops 2‘s campaign wasn‘t groundbreaking but offered a fun thrill ride to stop a villain‘s plot of sparking a Cold War in the near future. The player makes pivotal choices that branch the story in different directions. Overall it was a more focused, enjoyable single-player experience.
Post-Launch Support
A key indicator of a Call of Duty game‘s quality is its longevity and how long it sustains an active playerbase after launch. Black Ops 2 dominated for years, remaining one of the most played Call of Duty titles.
Meanwhile, Black Ops 3 bundles now sell for budget pricing just a few years later. Its community dropped off more rapidly after launch once Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered released the following year.
Simply put, Black Ops 2 just had far more staying power.
While Black Ops 3 made valuable innovations, particularly in Zombies mode, the complete package of Black Ops 2‘s stellar maps, balanced multiplayer, iconic weapons, and core Call of Duty gameplay allow it to edge out its successor. Treyarch nailed the sweet spot between modern and classic with Black Ops 2.
Although now over a decade old, Black Ops 2 remains has never been dethroned as the best multiplayer experience in Call of Duty history according to many players and critics. And that‘s the key reason why it‘s still the better game compared to Black Ops 3 which strayed too far from what makes Call of Duty great.
