Narzack

I'm playing through the single-player campaign for Black Ops at the moment.  And I realized that Treyarch really does make second-rate Call of Duty games.  It really pales in comparison to the thrill ride of CoD4 and MW2.  I think one of the major reasons is that Treyarch seems to confuse chaotic with epic.  Most of the game is just loads of characters running around and shooting with constant gunfire and explosions assaulting the ear.  There's no tempo, no controlled orchestration of setpieces.  It's like the game is constantly running at 11, which kind of leads to fatigue and boredom.  

Infinity Ward really knew how to manipulate the player with music and with moments, both grand and small.  The tone and tempo varied, and the gameplay was fun, and the single-player was a real thrill ride.  This contrasts with Black Ops, which resembles an drum solo at full blast for eternity.

But then again, I have terrible taste in everything.