The walking dead

But these momentary retreads are the only minor flaws in an otherwise exhilarating campaign, the highlight of which is the latter part of the Vietnam War. Although only a few hours long, these levels provide the 'Nam videogame experience that Shellshock, Vietcong and Conflict Vietnam all failed to deliver in their time.

There's snow way forward

With fox holes, rat tunnels, monsoon rains, low-flying Hueys and The Stones' Sympathy for the Devil booming over the radio, it's as clichéd as you can imagine. But for anyone who ever wanted to go nuts in 'Nam, Black Ops serves up everything but the smell of napalm in the morning.

Black Ops' isn't just about the campaign mode, of course. There's a wealth of online and offline multiplayer modes, but late review code and a heavy press embargo make it impossible to draw thorough conclusions at this early stage.

I love the smell of napalm in the evening

The little I can share is that multiplayer has 14 maps at launch, similar in size and scope to MW2, with tight corridors, alleyways and – at their highest – two-storey buildings. One or two are slightly larger than the largest MW2 maps, but they're sill a lot smaller than Battlefield's. Eight standard multiplayer modes can be played by competing teams assuming the roles of US Special Ops, Spetznaz, North Vietnamese Army or Cuban Tropas depending on the chosen map. And there are five regular classes based around main weapon loadouts and classes custom classes.

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