Treyarch's director of communications John Rafacz recently spoke to Digital Spy's Ben Lee on what to expect from Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, set for release on November 13. The development team, he explains, didn't just rest on their laurels and repeat the formula from the first game. Rather, Rafacz says, the team has put a lot of effort into forging new ground in every aspect of Black Ops 2 while still feeling true to the Call of Duty franchise.
"The team really wanted to push on story and particularly how you see character development within that narrative. And they loved how moving to the Cold War opened up opportunities for new weapons, toys and ultimately gameplay," says Rafacz.
David S. Goyer who wrote the story for the first Black Ops, has written the narrative for the sequel as well. But, Rafacz points out, the game doesn't promise to just slap on a near-future setting (the game is set in 2025): things like tone and character development are described as being refined as well.
Much like narrative, gameplay has been retooled as well. While things like the beloved zombie maps and multiplayer will remain, Rafacz promises Black Ops 2 to offer jacked-up weaponry and more diverse gameplay (more free-roaming areas, for instance), but each mechanic has been selected "where it makes sense and when it serves the story best."
"We like to think about it in terms of innovations," he said. "Whether you are a fan of single-player, zombies or multiplayer, you will still come to those experiences with the core side of Call of Duty," says, Rafacz, who added that the company has great interest in offering new experiences for players—ones they've never before seen in the Call of Duty universe.
Among some of the new toys players will be able to play with are a sniper rifle that uses modular wave technology and fires electronically-charged projectiles. There’s also mechs, or what the team calls “cognitive land assault weapons”, drones, FA-38s, and strike fire.
Read the rest of the interview here.
