The future is black.
This game was special seeing this was one of the games i was heavily anticipating in 2012 and was surprised on the sci-fi near future direction the series and the franchise as a whole taking in. (at the time, nowadays its 2 years out from being considered "modern")
It (mostly) did not disappoint. Put it like this. Campaign is by far, not only the best of the "futuristic" cods, not only the best campaign of the black ops series, and that's saying a lot given the past 2 games but also the best written Treyarch CoD campaign its not even funny. Multiplayer, while being completely overblown and overhyped while many overlooking a lot of shit that was frustrating, is solid. and Zombies... well.. that was the disappointing aspect. Like only 2 of the 6 maps were actually well rounded experiences by comparison, and one of them is executed far better than the other. I think you can guess which maps i'm referring to.
Campaign is the best part of BO2 by far. The thing that makes it stand out from the others including the games before is the branching storylines. This is the only CoD other than Cold War that manages to do that, except much more in depth given the amount of time the devs got to make such branches, even the little things you'll do in the story, leads into something else completely. Including the strike force missions, which isn't really fond of with most but i definitely enjoyed it as a change of pace between campaign missions despite its faults with the Ai soldiers just being absolute glue sniffers. or the RTS overhead "tactical view" being just sluggish in controls. Which is a huge problem given its supposed to be a FPS/RTS hybrid and what little knowledge i've known of RTS, that's no bueno. Would rather just play as the grunts on the ground in first person or one of the drones/walking tanks. Really reminds me of the older CoDs where you were really a cog in the wheel and not a one man army protagonist. Then there's the story, which involves Alex Mason and his son David "Section" Mason dealing with a tragic revenge plot by a Nicaraguan gunrunner named Raul Menendez that spans across between the mid to late 1980s to 2025. All after Alex crosses paths with him with an OP saving his battered friend Frank Woods gone awry. And Woods tell David all the stories about Menendez in a retirement home and why he's launching a cyberattack upon the world and fancies himself a revolutionary into a populist movement called "Cordis Die". Now this story is very bittersweet by the end because you'd lose a lot of people throughout, some Canon, others optional or just made the wrong choices and having to witness brutal consequences without spoiling too much. It has you spend some time with each of the side characters including standouts like admiral briggs (played by Tony Todd) or Harper (played by Michael Rooker), very, very briefly throughout the story and has you make decisions that'll affect them in huge ways. In terms of gameplay, its a lot more custom than before. Sure its your linear campaign shootouts but it does have little deviations here and there's a perk called "Access points" which can net you some extra equipment like throwables (Mortar Bombs and Molotovs make a comeback after WAW), Mines, Bear Traps and Flak Jackets, and for the future missions, being able to have drones shoot enemies you target, Galvaknuckles (a brass knuckles/tazer hybrid that'll make enemies vomit when hit) or a straight up invisible/translucent camo cloak. On top of all of these, You can also Create your own custom class like in Multiplayer. From Attachments to Perks, Grenades, and even whole weapons that you can unlock through the campaign and also additional challenges. With all of these innovations, This campaign is very replayable.
As for MP, its funny seeing a lot of discussions online getting nostalgic after witnessing its MP just get eviscerated for such gimmicks like the shock charges, the quickscoping, the lag compensation (back when i played on PS3), the target finder/LMG combos, bouncing betties, the head glitching and the campers. Now all of that being said, Is it the worst Blops multiplayer? No, not by a long shot. That goes to Black Ops 4, i vehemently hated that cobbled together overwatch knockoff hybrid pile of dogshit. Is it solid? Yes, in spite of the aforementioned gripes, and it being very SMG/Sniper dominated, and the removal of the customization of your soldier and removal of the extra gadget slots that BO1 had. It winds up having its own system famously known as the "Pick 10" within the create a class. where you have up to 10 slots to pick your gun, sidearms, attachments, perks, lethal/tactical grenades, and wildcards. You'd have to sacrifice something in order to build a proper loadout. I can see where they are going with this, gotta build a class with a competitive edge but at the sacrifice of say grenades for extra attachments or perks. Thing is, This just gives an incentive to just straight up have the map be dominated by the likes of DSR50 snipers, MP7s, AN94s with a shit ton of perks on top of that. Went from its theoretical customizable premise to just straight up pigeon holing into using this certain type of class setup. The things it did well where the introduction of score streaks, rewarding gamers to PTFO-ing (play the fucking objective) and getting kills instead of just going on a killstreak, the score streaks themselves really taking advantage of the future setting, Including the quadcopters and little AGRs from the campaign, a "hunter killer" drone which you can chuck or "YEET" at an enemy and it'll explode on 'em. or the highest streak being a whole swarm of that which'll make the lobby quit FAST. and then there's the Maps which ranges from those i actually love (Grind, Raid, Magma, Express, Standoff, Plaza, Rush, Hijacked, Yemen) and those i don't give a shit about (Meltdown, Overflow, Mirage, Cove, Detour, Aftermath), and its definitely a testament on how these maps were solely designed made for BO2's gameplay, because remastering them for BO3-Cold War just doesn't fit with those types of playstyles what-so-ever. I occasionally go back to this MP via the Plutonium client which does fix the issues of Lag, Host migration, etc. of the issues i mentioned earlier but now going back 11 years later, just made me remember all the shit many just gloss over.
Zombies, well this was a disappointment back in 2012 where we only had the Tranzit/"Green Run" pseudo-open world Map and Nuketown Zombies. Throughout those years we had either a choice of a huge map filled with fog to cover up or mitigate the issues of the 7th gen consoles and its old ass engine that's a heavily modified IW engine, which itself was a modified idtech3 engine, or a Multiplayer map turned zombies map with an RNG system where perks and Pack a punch drop from the sky.
Though it wasn't all bad, it does have a new version of Double Tap called "DT 2.0" which not only is rapid fire but also does 2x the damage and has a change of shooting the equivalent of 2 bullets for the price of 1. A new perk in Co-op (Yes, unfortunately exclusive to Co-op) called "Tombstone" which when you die and respawn in the next round, you can get all of your weapons and perks back. A New mechanic that's in most of the BO2 zombies maps called "Buildables", and these are basically survival tools you can make on a tool bench akin to Dead Rising 2. Though these require 3-4 parts to build, on Mob and Origins you can carry multiple parts at once vs Tranzit, Die Rise and Buried you have to hold one piece at a time. Tranzit had the most of these, most of which were straight up useless. Most of the time you wouldn't need to use a turrent or an electric trap because both needed a electric turbine. and the shield is more so useful as protection than actually use it to hit zombies or worse, actually setting it down and leaving it to break within a few hits unless you picked it up. Then there's the J E T G U N. So basically, it was hyped up on being the next wonder weapon with the likes of Thunder gun except instead of blow, they hit the switch to S U C C to suck in the zombies right into it, like a jet turbine. Only thing is, It breaks after like 30 continuous seconds of usage, so you're just stuck having to press and hold the fire button for a few intervals to prevent it from breaking. You may think "oh ok, then we can just rebuild it", except, Remember the aforementioned Parts system? Where you can only carry 1 at a time? Its a depressing wonder weapon, mainly on how it has so much potential yet its squandered. And lastly, 2 mechanics that were only in Tranzit, Die rise and buried are the Bank and the locker. Banks can store points you usually earn in zombies up to 250k points and can withdraw at any time. Lockers can store any non WW weapon in a fridge, even pack a punch and can be taken out at any time.
Now throughout 2013, You have maps like Die Rise which takes place in Chinas skyscraper which includes sweatshops, restaurants and hotels/stores. Good idea on paper, only to find out that its all based on verticality and DOESNT HAVE THE ONE PERK THAT ALLOWS FALL DAMAGE TO NOT EXIST. Even worse, it trolls you by teasing it to you via an easter egg troll but you can never buy it. That plus the wonder weapon being a makeshift squirt gun that shoots out a purple substance akin to fabuloso but a lot more bubblier and slippier. for both you AND the zombies. and a new perk that's a quasi-replacement for quick revive, called "Whos Who". and it involves you go into a limbo state when you go down to revive yourself with nothing but a pistol. and i do mean NOTHING. so if you go down, that's it. So, you have a map that has no way to mitigate fall damage, a perk that legit is more risk than reward unless you're skilled enough and a gun that slips and slides you all over the place. Its definitely as frustrating as it sounds.
At this point, All hope was lost for a GREAT zombies map, Until Mob of the Dead comes along. A Zombies map made by at the time "Campaign team" led by Jason Blundell instead of the "Zombies team" whom made the maps from WAW-BO2's Tranzit, Die Rise & Buried led by Jimmy Zelinski. A standalone map that is separate from the main zombies story (well now its been retconned smack dabbed into the middle of it thanks to BO3-4), All involving 4 gangsters in Alcatraz Prison: Billy Handsome, Sal Deluca, Al "The Weasel" Arlington and Finn O'Leary. All played by celebrities Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen. All starred in such crime classics such as Goodfellas, Sopranos, Reservoir dogs and The usual suspects. Blundell really had an A list celebrity cast, for a zombies map set in Alcatraz prison, this gotta be some Call of the dead self aware wink wink nudge nudge shit- NOPE. Its a somber story of 4 gangsters having to try and escape the prison via a makeshift plane after a botched escape in reality, only to realize they're in a hellish purgatory with a zombie outbreak and in a loop of trying desperately to escape but wont be able to unless they break the cycle. All while introspectively thinking about their regretful pasts and feeling nothing but remorse. This is the most somber, depressing, most memorable and well written story in zombies. Even when you go down in Co-op you can hear their regrets and them recounting their past while bleeding out.
All of this while being juxtaposed with a gameplay that's beautifully intertwined with the story/easter egg without being convoluted or too "Hand-Holdy". Thanks to the new mechanic "Afterlife mode", now this time Completely replacing quick revive in solo, whenever you go "down" you can go into this mode, solve puzzles, gain parts of the escape plane or the new wonder weapon, "The Blundergat" (exactly as it sounds like an unholy combo of a blunderbuss and a Gatling gun) and revive yourself. Thing is, You have to revive yourself since its on a timer, and you got a limited amount of time before you fully bleed out. (or go into a down state in co-op)
On top of that, there's an upgrade than can turn an blundergat into an "Acidgat" which shoots out 3 canisters of acid to melt zombies. a lot of things really fit into this theme of being a hellish prison, the new perk "electric cherry", unlike the previous perks where their sole purpose is to get you or your stuff back, it does an AOE attack by shocking zombies while reloading your gun. Tying into the whole "death by electric chair" thing that's happened to 3 of 4 of our mobsters, and that is a mode transportation going from the golden gate bridge to back into the prison. Then there's the acidgat and traps like the acid shower for the zombies. You can get a "Golden Spork" as a melee weapon that is very powerful, and a special tomahawk called the "Hells Retriever" which can go through a ton of zombies and even grab powerups in impossible range.
I can go on for hours and hours but Mob of the Dead was the peak of BO2 Zombies and not even the follow-ups Jimmy's "Buried", The last map with the Tranzit crew for BO2 and Blundell's "Origins", A Semi-reboot/prequel map in an alternate universe with different version of our OG crew called "Primis" (Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen) can really follow it up. BO2 Zombies is what i liked to call "over-ambitious, a little confused with its identity with some bright spots here and there". Even more so given all the modes, Including a "Turned" mode which is a PVP mode about 3 player controlled zombies vs 1 poor bastard trying to survive the longest to make it out, And "Grief" which for the first time is a 8 player mode for zombies, a 4v4 mode to see which side wins, in Green run's town and Buried, its the CDC vs CIA. In Mob, its the prisoners vs the guards. On top of cut content that can be summed up as a page long if not more. Including a mode called "Meat" which you play hot potato between two teams and the one who has the rotten "meat" is the one zombies swarm. and the other PVP mode being "race" which is pretty self-explanatory. The weakest installment overall for CoD Zombies compared to BO1 & BO3.
Overall, Black Ops 2 is a solid but Mixed bag in terms of modes. Certain things like Campaign and MOTD is arguably Treyarch's peak in terms of writing, MP is solid but not the Peak CoD multiplayer as its made out to be, even thought this back in 2012/2013. and Zombies, 50% of it is just not good, even frustrating at times. the other 50% is actually solid though Origins is a royal pain in the ass with the panzersoldat and Buried is almost a snoozefest with how easy it is with its new wonder weapon the Paralyzer, a gun with unlimited ammo that freezes zombies into place and kills em but needs to be on a cooldown, but unlike the jetgun, it. does. not. break. and a new perk called "Vultures aid" which can make you temporarily invisible to the zombies within a green gas.
A solid, even if a bit over ambitious, followup to one of my favorite games.
This game was special seeing this was one of the games i was heavily anticipating in 2012 and was surprised on the sci-fi near future direction the series and the franchise as a whole taking in. (at the time, nowadays its 2 years out from being considered "modern")
It (mostly) did not disappoint. Put it like this. Campaign is by far, not only the best of the "futuristic" cods, not only the best campaign of the black ops series, and that's saying a lot given the past 2 games but also the best written Treyarch CoD campaign its not even funny. Multiplayer, while being completely overblown and overhyped while many overlooking a lot of shit that was frustrating, is solid. and Zombies... well.. that was the disappointing aspect. Like only 2 of the 6 maps were actually well rounded experiences by comparison, and one of them is executed far better than the other. I think you can guess which maps i'm referring to.
Campaign is the best part of BO2 by far. The thing that makes it stand out from the others including the games before is the branching storylines. This is the only CoD other than Cold War that manages to do that, except much more in depth given the amount of time the devs got to make such branches, even the little things you'll do in the story, leads into something else completely. Including the strike force missions, which isn't really fond of with most but i definitely enjoyed it as a change of pace between campaign missions despite its faults with the Ai soldiers just being absolute glue sniffers. or the RTS overhead "tactical view" being just sluggish in controls. Which is a huge problem given its supposed to be a FPS/RTS hybrid and what little knowledge i've known of RTS, that's no bueno. Would rather just play as the grunts on the ground in first person or one of the drones/walking tanks. Really reminds me of the older CoDs where you were really a cog in the wheel and not a one man army protagonist. Then there's the story, which involves Alex Mason and his son David "Section" Mason dealing with a tragic revenge plot by a Nicaraguan gunrunner named Raul Menendez that spans across between the mid to late 1980s to 2025. All after Alex crosses paths with him with an OP saving his battered friend Frank Woods gone awry. And Woods tell David all the stories about Menendez in a retirement home and why he's launching a cyberattack upon the world and fancies himself a revolutionary into a populist movement called "Cordis Die". Now this story is very bittersweet by the end because you'd lose a lot of people throughout, some Canon, others optional or just made the wrong choices and having to witness brutal consequences without spoiling too much. It has you spend some time with each of the side characters including standouts like admiral briggs (played by Tony Todd) or Harper (played by Michael Rooker), very, very briefly throughout the story and has you make decisions that'll affect them in huge ways. In terms of gameplay, its a lot more custom than before. Sure its your linear campaign shootouts but it does have little deviations here and there's a perk called "Access points" which can net you some extra equipment like throwables (Mortar Bombs and Molotovs make a comeback after WAW), Mines, Bear Traps and Flak Jackets, and for the future missions, being able to have drones shoot enemies you target, Galvaknuckles (a brass knuckles/tazer hybrid that'll make enemies vomit when hit) or a straight up invisible/translucent camo cloak. On top of all of these, You can also Create your own custom class like in Multiplayer. From Attachments to Perks, Grenades, and even whole weapons that you can unlock through the campaign and also additional challenges. With all of these innovations, This campaign is very replayable.
As for MP, its funny seeing a lot of discussions online getting nostalgic after witnessing its MP just get eviscerated for such gimmicks like the shock charges, the quickscoping, the lag compensation (back when i played on PS3), the target finder/LMG combos, bouncing betties, the head glitching and the campers. Now all of that being said, Is it the worst Blops multiplayer? No, not by a long shot. That goes to Black Ops 4, i vehemently hated that cobbled together overwatch knockoff hybrid pile of dogshit. Is it solid? Yes, in spite of the aforementioned gripes, and it being very SMG/Sniper dominated, and the removal of the customization of your soldier and removal of the extra gadget slots that BO1 had. It winds up having its own system famously known as the "Pick 10" within the create a class. where you have up to 10 slots to pick your gun, sidearms, attachments, perks, lethal/tactical grenades, and wildcards. You'd have to sacrifice something in order to build a proper loadout. I can see where they are going with this, gotta build a class with a competitive edge but at the sacrifice of say grenades for extra attachments or perks. Thing is, This just gives an incentive to just straight up have the map be dominated by the likes of DSR50 snipers, MP7s, AN94s with a shit ton of perks on top of that. Went from its theoretical customizable premise to just straight up pigeon holing into using this certain type of class setup. The things it did well where the introduction of score streaks, rewarding gamers to PTFO-ing (play the fucking objective) and getting kills instead of just going on a killstreak, the score streaks themselves really taking advantage of the future setting, Including the quadcopters and little AGRs from the campaign, a "hunter killer" drone which you can chuck or "YEET" at an enemy and it'll explode on 'em. or the highest streak being a whole swarm of that which'll make the lobby quit FAST. and then there's the Maps which ranges from those i actually love (Grind, Raid, Magma, Express, Standoff, Plaza, Rush, Hijacked, Yemen) and those i don't give a shit about (Meltdown, Overflow, Mirage, Cove, Detour, Aftermath), and its definitely a testament on how these maps were solely designed made for BO2's gameplay, because remastering them for BO3-Cold War just doesn't fit with those types of playstyles what-so-ever. I occasionally go back to this MP via the Plutonium client which does fix the issues of Lag, Host migration, etc. of the issues i mentioned earlier but now going back 11 years later, just made me remember all the shit many just gloss over.
Zombies, well this was a disappointment back in 2012 where we only had the Tranzit/"Green Run" pseudo-open world Map and Nuketown Zombies. Throughout those years we had either a choice of a huge map filled with fog to cover up or mitigate the issues of the 7th gen consoles and its old ass engine that's a heavily modified IW engine, which itself was a modified idtech3 engine, or a Multiplayer map turned zombies map with an RNG system where perks and Pack a punch drop from the sky.
Though it wasn't all bad, it does have a new version of Double Tap called "DT 2.0" which not only is rapid fire but also does 2x the damage and has a change of shooting the equivalent of 2 bullets for the price of 1. A new perk in Co-op (Yes, unfortunately exclusive to Co-op) called "Tombstone" which when you die and respawn in the next round, you can get all of your weapons and perks back. A New mechanic that's in most of the BO2 zombies maps called "Buildables", and these are basically survival tools you can make on a tool bench akin to Dead Rising 2. Though these require 3-4 parts to build, on Mob and Origins you can carry multiple parts at once vs Tranzit, Die Rise and Buried you have to hold one piece at a time. Tranzit had the most of these, most of which were straight up useless. Most of the time you wouldn't need to use a turrent or an electric trap because both needed a electric turbine. and the shield is more so useful as protection than actually use it to hit zombies or worse, actually setting it down and leaving it to break within a few hits unless you picked it up. Then there's the J E T G U N. So basically, it was hyped up on being the next wonder weapon with the likes of Thunder gun except instead of blow, they hit the switch to S U C C to suck in the zombies right into it, like a jet turbine. Only thing is, It breaks after like 30 continuous seconds of usage, so you're just stuck having to press and hold the fire button for a few intervals to prevent it from breaking. You may think "oh ok, then we can just rebuild it", except, Remember the aforementioned Parts system? Where you can only carry 1 at a time? Its a depressing wonder weapon, mainly on how it has so much potential yet its squandered. And lastly, 2 mechanics that were only in Tranzit, Die rise and buried are the Bank and the locker. Banks can store points you usually earn in zombies up to 250k points and can withdraw at any time. Lockers can store any non WW weapon in a fridge, even pack a punch and can be taken out at any time.
Now throughout 2013, You have maps like Die Rise which takes place in Chinas skyscraper which includes sweatshops, restaurants and hotels/stores. Good idea on paper, only to find out that its all based on verticality and DOESNT HAVE THE ONE PERK THAT ALLOWS FALL DAMAGE TO NOT EXIST. Even worse, it trolls you by teasing it to you via an easter egg troll but you can never buy it. That plus the wonder weapon being a makeshift squirt gun that shoots out a purple substance akin to fabuloso but a lot more bubblier and slippier. for both you AND the zombies. and a new perk that's a quasi-replacement for quick revive, called "Whos Who". and it involves you go into a limbo state when you go down to revive yourself with nothing but a pistol. and i do mean NOTHING. so if you go down, that's it. So, you have a map that has no way to mitigate fall damage, a perk that legit is more risk than reward unless you're skilled enough and a gun that slips and slides you all over the place. Its definitely as frustrating as it sounds.
At this point, All hope was lost for a GREAT zombies map, Until Mob of the Dead comes along. A Zombies map made by at the time "Campaign team" led by Jason Blundell instead of the "Zombies team" whom made the maps from WAW-BO2's Tranzit, Die Rise & Buried led by Jimmy Zelinski. A standalone map that is separate from the main zombies story (well now its been retconned smack dabbed into the middle of it thanks to BO3-4), All involving 4 gangsters in Alcatraz Prison: Billy Handsome, Sal Deluca, Al "The Weasel" Arlington and Finn O'Leary. All played by celebrities Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen. All starred in such crime classics such as Goodfellas, Sopranos, Reservoir dogs and The usual suspects. Blundell really had an A list celebrity cast, for a zombies map set in Alcatraz prison, this gotta be some Call of the dead self aware wink wink nudge nudge shit- NOPE. Its a somber story of 4 gangsters having to try and escape the prison via a makeshift plane after a botched escape in reality, only to realize they're in a hellish purgatory with a zombie outbreak and in a loop of trying desperately to escape but wont be able to unless they break the cycle. All while introspectively thinking about their regretful pasts and feeling nothing but remorse. This is the most somber, depressing, most memorable and well written story in zombies. Even when you go down in Co-op you can hear their regrets and them recounting their past while bleeding out.
All of this while being juxtaposed with a gameplay that's beautifully intertwined with the story/easter egg without being convoluted or too "Hand-Holdy". Thanks to the new mechanic "Afterlife mode", now this time Completely replacing quick revive in solo, whenever you go "down" you can go into this mode, solve puzzles, gain parts of the escape plane or the new wonder weapon, "The Blundergat" (exactly as it sounds like an unholy combo of a blunderbuss and a Gatling gun) and revive yourself. Thing is, You have to revive yourself since its on a timer, and you got a limited amount of time before you fully bleed out. (or go into a down state in co-op)
On top of that, there's an upgrade than can turn an blundergat into an "Acidgat" which shoots out 3 canisters of acid to melt zombies. a lot of things really fit into this theme of being a hellish prison, the new perk "electric cherry", unlike the previous perks where their sole purpose is to get you or your stuff back, it does an AOE attack by shocking zombies while reloading your gun. Tying into the whole "death by electric chair" thing that's happened to 3 of 4 of our mobsters, and that is a mode transportation going from the golden gate bridge to back into the prison. Then there's the acidgat and traps like the acid shower for the zombies. You can get a "Golden Spork" as a melee weapon that is very powerful, and a special tomahawk called the "Hells Retriever" which can go through a ton of zombies and even grab powerups in impossible range.
I can go on for hours and hours but Mob of the Dead was the peak of BO2 Zombies and not even the follow-ups Jimmy's "Buried", The last map with the Tranzit crew for BO2 and Blundell's "Origins", A Semi-reboot/prequel map in an alternate universe with different version of our OG crew called "Primis" (Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen) can really follow it up. BO2 Zombies is what i liked to call "over-ambitious, a little confused with its identity with some bright spots here and there". Even more so given all the modes, Including a "Turned" mode which is a PVP mode about 3 player controlled zombies vs 1 poor bastard trying to survive the longest to make it out, And "Grief" which for the first time is a 8 player mode for zombies, a 4v4 mode to see which side wins, in Green run's town and Buried, its the CDC vs CIA. In Mob, its the prisoners vs the guards. On top of cut content that can be summed up as a page long if not more. Including a mode called "Meat" which you play hot potato between two teams and the one who has the rotten "meat" is the one zombies swarm. and the other PVP mode being "race" which is pretty self-explanatory. The weakest installment overall for CoD Zombies compared to BO1 & BO3.
Overall, Black Ops 2 is a solid but Mixed bag in terms of modes. Certain things like Campaign and MOTD is arguably Treyarch's peak in terms of writing, MP is solid but not the Peak CoD multiplayer as its made out to be, even thought this back in 2012/2013. and Zombies, 50% of it is just not good, even frustrating at times. the other 50% is actually solid though Origins is a royal pain in the ass with the panzersoldat and Buried is almost a snoozefest with how easy it is with its new wonder weapon the Paralyzer, a gun with unlimited ammo that freezes zombies into place and kills em but needs to be on a cooldown, but unlike the jetgun, it. does. not. break. and a new perk called "Vultures aid" which can make you temporarily invisible to the zombies within a green gas.
A solid, even if a bit over ambitious, followup to one of my favorite games.