The future is black, we’re told, but not entirely hopeless on the sustainable energy front. That much is evident in the very first multiplayer trailer for Black Ops 2, seen through the eyes of a player on a map overshadowed by wind turbines. The implied narrative is a fight between council planners and local residents, who apparently really don’t want this rubbish going on in their backyard.
Over the course of the two-minute trailer it becomes evident that while the core experience of online CoD remains much the same, Black Ops 2’s future shtick has seeped into its very foundations. Remote-controlled drones swoop and peck like TNT-stuffed seagulls, and a microwave transmitter is planted to slow enemy movement speed – and possibly sight – across a bridge.
Elsewhere riot shields are employed, and a tomahawk is applied to a man’s head from great distance. The results are, just to be clear, lethal. Oh, and a man shouts at the end, in the manner a commentator might.
Activision are currently winding down Modern Warfare 3’s release schedule in preparation for Black Ops 2’s launch – its two final DLC packs, The Chaos Pack and Final Assault, are due to arrive in the next month.