A great multiplayer that is worth it, but disappointing in every other aspect.
Display:
Declassified's presentation is... acceptable. The visuals aren't the best but their not terrible either. It's in the "middle of the road" quality. It does look better than the epic facepalm that was the Gamescom Trailer so it's definitely nice to see the improvement. The menu's however look nice and "Call of Duty" like with the same style it has always been. About 80% of the A.I. Are clones so there's not much of a difference in what they look like. There are a few epic moments in Declassified but not too much so don't expect a lot.
Single Player:
The Single Player is decent-subpar. It's glitchy, the A.I. Can be really stupid like not getting to cover, running past you, just standing there not shooting you, and even though the missions are short, having no checkpoints will be frustrating. As I said, the missions are short (you can finish one in about 2-5 minutes without dying), so checkpoints really aren't necessary but after dying a few times and watching and listening to the same opening and dialogue can get really annoying. Overall though it's worth beating because you can get a bit of practice, there's only ten missions and can be finished in about an hour, and there's always some pretty easy trophies. The survival (horde) mode is actually fairly engaging for this portable Call of Duty game because the auto-assist isn't so heavy so it's good practice for aiming and for when you play online. The time trials aren't really exciting and sort of dull as you just hit targets.
Multiplayer:
The most exciting and positive part of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified. It really honestly feels like a portable sized version of what Call of Duty should be. Yes there could be some slight refining (Nihilisitic needed to refine the entire game in general though), and some network issues can be a little agitating but I haven't had much problem with the network and have been able to get into most matches. With customizable killstreaks, attachments for the guns once you level them up and use them, and the ability to prestige, it feels great and like classic COD. The matches are 4v4 so it's not big but the maps are small enough to make it seem about right except when the sentry gun is deployed on maps like nukehouse or container because it can feel cheap as you spawn in front of it and it kills you super fast. In general though, the multiplayer is addicting and fun in my opinion and is the main and really the only reason why Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is worth-while game. Game modes = TDM, Kill Confirmed, A game-mode with a mix of TDM, KC, and Dropzone, and lastly Free For All. Some additional notes, there is no in-game chat, you can only while in a party and the screen-shot feature is disabled for the game (hope it gets patched or something).
Story:
As far as I'm concerned, the story is basically non-existent. You won't find a Call of Duty style story, just loose plots to basically set up for the thrown together missions you plow through.
Sound:
The sound quality isn't great and definitely could use some work. Guns can sometimes sound cheap while at some moment it can sound fairly decent.
Controls:
The controls basically follow the Call of Duty style controls. The melee and reloading feature should have been interchanged because it feels really natural like in Unit 13 where you just tap the gun icon to reload which liberates a button which could be used to knife because sometimes the knifing can be awkward when you have to tap the screen to initiate it. Overall though, if you have liked the COD style controls in the past, this game won't disappoint.
Overall:
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is disappointing because just like ACIII: Liberation, it had the potential to be more. The Single Player aspect has much to be desired and the game definitely felt rushed and not refined. I will say though that the Multiplayer has been great for a portable and I definitely have been satisfied with it. For people looking toward this game basically for the multiplayer, I would highly recommend it because it's fun, however, if you're really wanting to get it for the single player and the story then do not get this game because that aspect is a big disappointment. Hopefully in the future there will be another game that will learn from this game and really build on making an absolute joyful shooter for the Vita. But for now, Black Ops Declassified is a good pick for an entertaining multiplayer. It was universally despised by critics but I don't believe it deserved such a low scoring review.
Pros:
Multiplayer is great.
Controls feel a lot like "Call of Duty"
Buy retail new and get a free digital copy of Call of Duty: Roads to Victory
It's Call of Duty on the Vita
Auto-Sprint feature is innovative
Cons:
Sound can sound cheap
Single Player Campaign is bad
Time Trial isn't interesting (but at least optional)
Some controls like knifing and reloading could have been better
A.I.
Glitchy
Little to no refinement.
Graphics could be better.
Can't take Screen-shots