Gamescom Black Ops Round-Up

The Gamescom trade fair has kicked off and plenty of new COD7 Black Ops previews have been posted around the internet. If you have the time, check out these previews from various gaming sites, they are worth the read.

GameSpot: Call of Duty: Black Ops Updated Impressions
It's a tense sequence that sees you making a desperate escape while swimming through murky water with more than a few dead bodies in it. If the sight of those bodies sinking to the bottom of the river while you're trying to swim to the top of it doesn't grab you, then the level's rollercoaster pacing will...


IGN: Gamescom: Call of Duty: Black Ops Impressions
A number of weapons were available for use, including scoped rifles that could cripple enemies with a short burst and a crossbow for when it was best to stay hidden. Or, if you don't want to listen to the advice of your teammates to keep quiet, you can affix an explosive bolt to your crossbow bolt and send it into a tanker truck. The result, in case you hadn't guessed, is a giant explosion that draws the attention of everyone in the area, including the guy manning the alarm...


Shacknews: Call of Duty: Black Ops Hands-on Preview
Chaos breaks out when the Activision rep fires a single shot to scare the enemies surrounding the helicopter and he hands me the controller. Immediately the action feels familiar as I fire into crowds of Russian Special Forces who attempt to take cover, unaware of my position. Dismantling the area is simple from atop a hill and the action goes silent.... Josh Olin has revealed that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will have local matchmaking, thus allowing players to search for games within their area. Modern Warfare 2's "improved" matchmaking wasn't up to the job, so this is good news for all console owners. Treyarch has also confirmed that PC gamers will be receiving extra goodies: leaning, dev console and modtools. Black Ops will be open for modding sometime post-launch.

Last but not least, here are four new screenshots from Gamescom, click on an image to enlarge it.