Everybody hates Call of Duty: Vanguard right now but maybe in 10 years' time, people will mellow out. That's how things usually go. This is an analysis and retrospective of Call of Duty: Black Ops not Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This is the first one, from 2010. Things can get confusing with the callbacks to older games. The Modern Warfare 2 remake got announced just there, and that just straight up has the same name. Anyway, enjoy this video essay. I poured a lot of love into it.

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Resources:    • The Weird Genius of Black Ops 1: Reso...  
Campaign OST:    • Call of Duty: Black Ops OST (By Mission)  
Other Music:    • The Weird Genius of Black Ops 1: Music  

00:00 Intro
02:58 Meat and Potatoes
05:42 Fidel Castro
08:36 Vorkuta
13:15 Mason are you OK?
15:25 Last level of the first act
18:43 Woods! You look like hammered sh*t
20:42 Return of the King
21:52 Hudson's favourite activities
24:15 Reznov's darkest day
27:35 Reznov's greatest deed
30:24 He was so young...
31:53 The best vibe in Black Ops
32:33 He was so young Part II
34:50 Blackbird jumpscare
36:06 Steiner's bargain
37:35 You can't kill ME!
40:42 The real Rebirth Island is even more interesting
42:24 My name is Viktor Reznov
44:14 My name is Viktor Reznov Part II
44:58 Dudson
45:45 Mason is not OK
47:28 Viktor Reznov
50:48 Where? Cuba.
52:01 Nikita Dragovich
52:47 Friedrich Steiner
54:16 Weaver the butt monkey
54:41 The home stretch
56:10 Oswald compromised
57:03 Final thoughts