The Call of Duty franchise has turned out some of gaming’s biggest releases for nearly a decade, and with the upcoming release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, developer Treyarch is looking to push the envelope further to create an unrivaled multi-player experience. The major focus of Black Ops’ multi-player system is customization.
  Modern Warfare helped introduce the concept of perks and classes to players. You could add different physical perks, such as extra running distance and more health, and weapon perks including extra bullet damage or steady aim. This separated the game from the pack, as most previous online shooters gave everyone the same attributes and weapons. World at War and Modern Warfare 2 expanded on the perks and bonuses that players could earn, adding kill streak bonuses for getting consecutive kills without dying. This would reward the player with small bonuses like a radar sweep of the map, all the way up to helicopters and fighter jets that could literally get the upper hand on the opponent.
  Modern Warfare 2’s ultimate kill streak—if you were skilled enough to pull off an amazing 25 kills in a row—was a nuclear bomb that could be called in to destroy the entire level, ending the match! Black Ops is adding more rewards to the kill streak menu, notably a remote controlled car. This isn’t your little brother’s RC car, though. You can pilot the toy around the map, and when an enemy is in sight, pull the trigger for a killer explosion!
  Black Ops will also let you physically customize your character and gun. You can add sticker designs to your weapon of choice, making it look like a rock band’s tour crates. Your character will also be customized based on the perks you choose, so the aforementioned explosives technician will end up looking like the guys from The Hurt Locker, and snipers will wear the cape full of leaves to help with disguise and to blend in to the surroundings. The Call of Duty series continues to amaze with each new release, and Black Ops looks very capable of continuing the strong tradition when it releases November 9th in the U.S. The game hasn’t been rated yet, but it will likely be rated “M” for Mature.