There are not many games that hold the stature and appeal of 'Call of Duty'. 'Black Ops' was always going to be one of the biggest releases of the year because of the cult following for the series.
It's competing with some major brand names in other entertainment genres, and that can only be a good thing for the gaming industry.
Luckily, all the hype is justified. It's a spectacular shooter and another welcome addition to the series.
Every fan was counting the days to its release and now I find myself in the midst of one of the greatest stories in the series.
There are some notable additions to this game and, as always, change will be controversial.
But the same gameplay element is present and that obviously means we have a fantastic game on our hands.
Time is going to dictate whether this is a true classic. I've yet to fully delve into the multiplayer arena and for 'COD' that is such a massive feature of the game.
I'll be back with more information next week, but for now here's a clip from the launch of the game earlier in the week.
Held at the Battersea Power Station, it's great to see such hype over a new title and no matter what the conclusions, this is likely to be near the top of the 2010 sales figures.
Rory Houston
