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Call of Duty®: Black Ops II similar games & best alternatives

Call of Duty®: Black Ops II

PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360 • 2012

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Quick resume

Pushing the boundaries of what fans have come to expect from the record-setting entertainment franchise, Call of Duty®: Black Ops II propels players into a near future Cold War

Global score

86/100

Genres

Action, Shooter

buy on steam r/CallofDuty

Similar games

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Call of Duty®: Black Ops

  • Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War

  • Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®

  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection

  • Marathon

  • Shatterline

  • Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

  • Destiny 2

  • Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
Outsiders

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Shatterline

  • Retro Commander

  • Kingpin — Life of Crime
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Autonomy

    Virgo Versus The Zodiac
  • Competence

    Battle Dome
  • Competition

    Battlefield™ V

Pros

  • Engaging and branching campaign story
  • Addictive multiplayer with customization
  • Best zombies mode in franchise
  • Nostalgic and immersive gameplay
  • Good graphics and sound design for its time

Cons

  • High price for an old game
  • Multiplayer and zombies playerbase diminished
  • Security risks with vanilla multiplayer
  • Some bugs and crashes reported
  • Lack of official support and dlc issues

Analysis

Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Competition, Fellowship, Domination. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Story, Domination. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Value.

How to use the graph
Similar games map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: the game you are viewing on this page.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
  • Hover a dot for a quick preview; click to compare it in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

Motivations

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players make meaningful choices affecting story endings and character development, with freedom to customize equipment and combat style."

    Capsule for Virgo Versus The Zodiac Virgo Versus The Zodiac

    "Players have significant control over loadouts, weapon customization, and campaign choices affecting story outcomes."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    4

    "Gameplay requires skillful aiming, strategic positioning, and teamwork; players experience challenges and receive feedback."

    Capsule for Battle Dome Battle Dome

    "Gameplay requires skillful aiming, strategic use of perks and scorestreaks, and mastering multiplayer mechanics."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    4

    "Multiplayer modes emphasize competition with ranked play, leaderboards, and skill challenges against other players."

    Capsule for Battlefield™ V Battlefield™ V

    "Multiplayer modes emphasize player-vs-player competition with leaderboards and prestige systems."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Players report long sessions and nostalgia-driven habitual play, especially in multiplayer and campaign."

    Capsule for Praetorians Praetorians

    "Players report habitual play and nostalgia-driven long sessions, especially in multiplayer and zombies modes."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    3

    "Cooperative modes against zombies and team-based objectives encourage working together."

    Capsule for Madness Cubed Madness Cubed

    "Zombies mode and some multiplayer modes encourage teamwork and cooperative play."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Customization of weapons, relics, skill trees, and loadouts allows creative player expression and experimentation."

    Capsule for Sairento VR Sairento VR

    "Customization of weapons, classes, and playercards allows personal expression and creative loadouts."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    2

    "Competitive multiplayer includes power-ups and aggressive tactics to dominate opponents, but generally balanced interactions."

    Capsule for BlazeRush BlazeRush

    "Competitive multiplayer includes elements of dominance such as killstreaks and power plays, but also balanced interactions."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Players use the game to relive childhood memories and immerse in a whimsical fantasy world, escaping real life."

    Capsule for Little Big Adventure – Twinsen’s Quest Little Big Adventure – Twinsen’s Quest

    "Players use the game to escape reality, relive childhood memories, and enjoy immersive story and gameplay."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -3

    "Players engage primarily out of intrinsic interest and nostalgia rather than obligation or external pressure."

    Capsule for Halo: The Master Chief Collection Halo: The Master Chief Collection

    "Players engage from intrinsic interest and nostalgia rather than obligation or external pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    3

    "Varied weapons, upgrade cards, and branching story paths encourage trying new strategies and approaches."

    Capsule for Snezhinka:Sentinel Girls2 Snezhinka:Sentinel Girls2

    "Branching campaign paths and weapon customization encourage experimentation with strategies and story outcomes."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    2

    "Adventure mode and secret discoveries provide some exploration, though multiplayer maps are more familiar arenas."

    Capsule for Samurai GUNN 2 Samurai GUNN 2

    "Zombies mode maps and campaign offer some exploration, though multiplayer maps are more familiar and tactical."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    3

    "Customization of weapons and skins supports player self-expression."

    Capsule for Zero Caliber VR Zero Caliber VR

    "Playercards, weapon skins, and class setups enable self-expression."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    3

    "The futuristic setting and sci-fi elements provide an imaginative fictional experience with some surreal characters."

    Capsule for 1bitHeart 1bitHeart

    "Futuristic setting with advanced tech and fictional story elements provide imaginative fiction experience."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    3

    "Community play and multiplayer modes foster group identity and shared experiences."

    Capsule for SCP: Nine-Tailed Fox SCP: Nine-Tailed Fox

    "Community and social play in multiplayer and zombies foster group identity and shared experiences."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    3

    "Players develop skills through challenging combat, multiplayer progression, and mastering character abilities."

    Capsule for Gears 5 Gears 5

    "Players develop skills through multiplayer progression, weapon mastery, and campaign replayability."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Game is sedentary with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for Parkitect Parkitect

    "Game is sedentary with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement, especially in multiplayer."

    Capsule for Titanfall® 2 Titanfall® 2

    "Requires focused attention and continuous engagement, especially in multiplayer and campaign."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    1

    "Social interactions exist but are mostly surface-level within multiplayer and community contexts."

    Capsule for Men of War: Assault Squad Men of War: Assault Squad

    "Some social interaction exists but mostly surface-level in multiplayer and zombies modes."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    1

    "Some players lead teams in multiplayer but overall balanced group dynamics."

    Capsule for Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare® (2007) Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare® (2007)

    "Some players may lead teams in multiplayer or zombies, but mostly balanced group play."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Strong emphasis on leveling, unlocking weapons, perks, and prestige progression."

    Capsule for Deadswitch 3 Deadswitch 3

    "Strong emphasis on leveling, unlocking weapons, prestige, and DLC content progression."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    1

    "Fast-paced and intense gameplay with some flow, but also moments of tension."

    Capsule for Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel

    "Game offers moments of flow but also sustained tension and fast-paced action."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Engaging visuals, sound design, and intense combat provide sensory stimulation and emotional excitement."

    Capsule for Dying Light Dying Light

    "Engaging visuals, sound design, and intense combat provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    3

    "Multiplayer ranking and prestige systems offer social recognition and status among peers."

    Capsule for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011) Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011)

    "Prestige ranks, unlocks, and multiplayer recognition contribute to social status."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    4

    "Campaigns with branching narratives and character development provide narrative immersion."

    Capsule for Age of Wonders Age of Wonders

    "Narrative-driven campaign with branching paths and character development offers strong story immersion."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    4

    "Game requires planning, problem solving, and tactical decision making."

    Capsule for Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD

    "Campaign choices, multiplayer tactics, and zombies strategies require planning and problem solving."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    4

    "Gameplay includes suspense, risk, and adrenaline from combat and battlefield scenarios."

    Capsule for Isonzo Isonzo

    "Gameplay includes suspense, risk, and relief from challenges, especially in multiplayer and zombies."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    -4

    "Many reviews criticize high price for an older game, recommending purchase only on sale for good value."

    Capsule for Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

    "Players widely criticize the high price for an old game, recommending purchase only on sale."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    4

    "Combat, killing, and destruction are core gameplay elements."

    Capsule for SCP: Secret Laboratory SCP: Secret Laboratory

    "Combat, destruction, and shooting are core gameplay elements in all modes."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    3

    "Zombies mode and campaign emphasize survival against waves of enemies and threats."

    Capsule for Call of Duty®: Black Ops Call of Duty®: Black Ops

    "Zombies mode and some campaign elements emphasize survival against waves and threats."

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Last update: 15/05/2026