Another year, another Call Of Duty. It seems that the Call Of Duty games are as much of a yearly franchise as all the major sports titles. Gamers can almost pinpoint a release window for the next title, from the moment the previous has been released.

Gamers have a love/hate relationship with AAA franchises that release annual installments; On one hand its great to see more of something you love, but as we've seen time and time again, fatigue can set in.

At this week's GAME Conference, the publishers were out to show off the big titles coming in the run up to Christmas and into 2013 . One of the most anticipated games of the show was Call of Duty: Black Ops II , a sequel that promises some interesting changes to the traditional series gameplay.

There is a lot contained within Call of Duty: Black ops 2 and I am glad I bit the bullet and made the purchase. The team at Treyarch definitely feel like they are winning the race in terms of trying to bring innovation to the series compared to the very worn-out Modern Warfare franchise.

Pick 10 Create a Class system in multiplayer mode; No longer losing weapons when you prestige; Futuristic setting and Strikeforce missions show a progression in the franchise

Sometimes feels stale and a retread of previous Call of Duty games; Game engine is starting to look dated

A brave attempt to shake up the Call Of Duty formula, but although all the new ideas are interesting not all of them fully realised.

Still the best infantry-based multiplayer in gaming, and with some excellent new maps and weapons; Innovative campaign mode, with some very successful story branching; Greatly expanded Zombies mode

Many of the new story mode ideas seem underdeveloped, particularly Strikeforce; Multiplayer has changed little and Zombies mode is often poorly paced

The Call of Duty franchise has continually steamrolled the competition, and as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 releases this holiday season, it enters a field crowded with competition. Just the past few weeks alone have brought us Borderlands 2 , Halo 4 and Medal of Honor: Warfighter , with two of those...

Cinematic storyline with branching moments feels truly epic; Multiplayer has been kicked up several notches; New options add lots of replay value

Was the zombie mode worth the hype; Strike Force levels have atrocious AI

If you're reading reviews for Call of Duty: Black Ops II , you've either bought the game already and are looking to see if you agree with reviewers, or you're on the fence about it.

The best online mode since Modern Warfare

The multiplayer maps are fantastic; Pointstreaks fix the emphasis on kills; Incredible online infrastructure; Zombie adventures on a bus

The campaign isn't very good

Change is as good as a holiday, they say. And I hear the best place for a holiday in the 25s is the floating man-made island of Colossus with its thousands of rooms, dubstep-heavy nightclubs, fresh sea air and harboured terrorists.

Jetpacks with rigid wings. Gloves that can adhere to any surface and support your body weight. Advertisements that feature your face when you walk by. The campaign in Call of Duty: Black Ops II has some interesting ideas about the future of technology, but what about the future of this massively...

Great campaign scripting; Story choices are often tough and encourage replay; League play offers a new stage for the familiar multiplayer combat

Zombies mode is stagnant; New codcasting tool is hamstrung