I was oblivious, but I remember my friend being like, "Have they acknowledged the Russian guy... Like at all?" Me being a little kid was like "Yeah multiple times." 😅
Remember, Reznov right trigger finger was blown off in Vendetta, that was the reason he couldn’t snipe anymore and was a submachine gunner to the rest of WAW, all of his hallucinations in BO1 and the one in BO2 still have that trigger finger attached so it’s obvious it isn’t him that saved him
@@babykdotyt It depends, does he have his right trigger finger in Vorkuta? Because that was real, so if he does have it there then it is something forgotten by treyarch
Reznov's right index finger was blown off in Stalingrad back in WAW. That's why he gave his sniper rifle to Petrenko because he could no longer use it. However every time Mason hallucinates seeing Reznov, including in Afghanistan, he has all 10 fingers.
That could've been an easily overlooked mistake by leaving it on his hand though imagine the complexity of writing a story like this and keeping everything canon or not contradictory
BO1 still fascinates me to this day. I know at its core it’s a pretty simple arcade shooter but the themes it tackles makes it seem so much deeper than it actually is. At almost 15 years old I still feel like I’m going to uncover something hidden in the game.
Enjoy your childhood and friends while it’s all still around. Good to see the generation after mine is into the hood CoD games and older games in general. I replayed Black Ops about a week ago and there was so much I missed when I first played it at 13. Hope you replay this amazing game when you’re older too, it’ll give you a new perspective on it
the thing about about Mason being put back into service after Vorkuta is explained in e-mails between Hudson and another guy (cant remember his name) but I can say that many people of the CIA where definitely not happy about Mason being back alive and put into service, Mason also got several warning due to his paranoid behaviour regarding the numbers, Reznov and Dragovich specifically. Mason suffered greatly after coming back into service. The only reason we see mason in "stable" condition is because every mission is about hunting the 3 new targets, Dragovich, Krevchenko, Steiner and only then can Mason actually focus because he is following the number sequence. The numbers that are played while Mason sees Reznov can also be translated into information/lore
Sometimes I feel like the Mason living ending was a last minute decision or was never 100% intended by Treyarch. Everything about it is so coincidental and strange, like Woods choosing not to shoot (who he believes to be) Menendez and Mason just being missing for 30 years with zero explanation. I think the Woods and David at Mason's grave cutscene at the end adds just the right amount of melancholy to a mostly good ending, and highlights the losses and sacrifices war brings. I think "this is the price we pay for what we do" and David choosing to walk away from being a soldier is a stronger ending than Mason just appearing and cracking a joke with Woods and talking to his son about the time he fell off a tree.
true, but it is intended as a secret ending, because you are not supposed to think that you can do anything but shoot menendez in the head it's just an extra fan service ending
Even if you managed to resist killing kravchenko and collect the CIA document (both of which later will give you hints of not trusting hudson in panama), it still feels weird that both the player and woods could guess that Hudson betrayed them and especially that Mason was about to die in a first playthrough. This is the kind of choice you'd only find out on RU-vid or by accident The Mason living ending is sweet and all but him dying feels more canon and impactful
There’s many hints of a cia mole, and who is a close cia friend? Hudson. Not saying he is a mole, but that he’s just cia, and the central intel agency is not to be trusted right now. Woods says a few things about how that mission felt off. It’s not a last minute decision, it goes on throughout the game
the recent cod nostalgia wave is my favorite thing on youtube rn. i learned about cod in 2010 as an 8 year old during the lead up to bo1 and i thought it was the most insane game i ever seen. still kinda feel that way. graphics still hold up too
bo1 + bo2 have SUCH a great storyline. i think these unsolved mysteries really make the stories more interesting but i do need some closure.. great vid !!
Or Mason's programming kicks in due to seeing Kravchenko earlier, which caused him to hallucinate Reznov in a near death experience. When in reality, he somehow undid his ties and helped the others. But like you said, it doesn't explain where the canteen comes from though.
@channel45853 That's true. But the screen did turn a red hue and time seemed to speed up when they all were passed out. Sure, it could be from Mason being beaten, choked, and thrown into the sand dehydrated. It just doesn't make sense for their saviors to be random travelers. Why would non military people be riding through what was an active warzone not a few hours ago? Presumably the Russians were there for some time prior to CIA/Chinese intervention
@@channel45853But you have to remember, he was in the middle of a desert, so if it isn't the number, it could very much be the heat and exhaustion compund with his PTSD.
Its worth noting the cutscene at the end isnt the only hint towards Mason killing Kennedy, he also mentions Oswald and says "second shooter" while recounting HIS own memories during revelations
I think the implication is that mason did kill jfk due to the numbers but didnt align himself with the russians due to his will. Steiner says that his will is too strong to be fully indoctrinated into the numbers and dragovich just leaves him at vorkuta bc hes too unpredictable. Thats why reznov was able to manipulate the numbers into new targets. So mason carried out the numbers programming like dragovich wanted but didnt get fully brainwashed (he didnt even learn that there were other projects like nova 6 and the russians had sleeper agents embedded in the US.
@lookatmyzombies9377 as well as the OP's reply, Stalin himself was known for exiling and or jailing war hero's like the Marshall Zhukov to frame himself as the primary war hero of the Soviet regime and further build the media cult around him known as the 'cult of stalin'
@@babykdotytReznov also made a comment about how the Soviet government believed soldiers who made it to Berlin weren't loyal no more so they were tossed into the camps.
In the second to last mission of BO1, the one where Mason finally pieces everything together, one of his lines is "proceed to target, Oswald compromised". Oswald being lee Harvey Oswald, and the target would have to be JFK. For me, this line has always confirmed it that Mason killed jfk.
The original modern warfare series and the black ops series will never be overshadowed for their story telling abilities. Cried when ghost was shot, developed ptsd from nam anytime I see numbers for some reason. 10/10 would enlist again.
You put into words EXACTLY what I feel about the BO series. BO1 hooked me and is my personal favorite COD to date, but the storyline and plot that started in the first BO never reconciled as I expected. BO2 was such a weird sequel that it went parallel halfway through and did a whole future warfare arc with another villain. Again when BOCW rolled around, it went and did its own thing, rarely addressing the multiple mysteries surrounding BO1. There were teases throughout the sequels, but it was always the Mason and Reznov story that intrigued me. I feel like there's a whole chunk of game missing in between the events of BO1 and BO2 that should tie up the loose ends.
Also when Woods is talking about Reznov rescuing them in the desert he says no to David guessing tricky vic saying he’s just like his old man but doesn’t say no when David says just Reznov. I’ve always assumed that “tricky vic” was the fake Reznov that’s in Masons head and Reznov was the real Viktor Reznov. So Woods believes that it was really Reznov but is confused why he didn’t stick around
It's amazing seeing the theories still flowing out of the game so many years later. I got a theory of my own that there may originally been more characters who were brainwashed before the total number got cut down.
Just replayed black ops 1 campaign on steam This year again since the PS3/360 days and I gotta say it still hits HARD. Makes me want to play WAW again.
He is alive, but the Soviet’s used Reznov as a scapegoat to make him kill the president. It worked, but it backfired so now Mason was after them. Reznov survived, but he wasn’t really there physically.
Amazing video, definitely my favourite cod game of all time, such an interesting story that actually has personality compared to most military shooters Also on a separate note, a few years ago an official call of duty mobile comic book came out to coincide with an in game event. In the comic it’s revealed that reznov was alive and found in a cell by captain price. I doubt and hope it’s not canon but regardless still interesting
I’m pretty sure Alex didn’t come out of hiding because Menendez had a massive army now and a vendetta against him and woods. I also think that Reznov survived because there’s way too much proof for it, I think that he was supposed to have some sort of importance in BO3 before that became whatever that story is about
what i found to be the most compelling for the "reznov is still alive theory" is that there was no real evidence for reznov having died during the escape at all. it's absolutely plausible that he was simply re-captured, only to escape again at some point later, eventually leading up to him freeing mason and the crew in afghanistan in black ops 2.
I think the most possible answer or theory is that Mason could have been in a coma or injured for awhile. Itd be nice to have extra missions or cutscenes for this path to explain more to the players. Hell he could have been hearing the numbers again or been manipulated for other dirty work or ended up just like he was in vorkuta, which he would find a way to escape and eventually find a way back to woods and david until hearing about Menendezs uprising.
Archetype? Revive to a previous bodily state? 115! I'm putting my money on the zombie first leaking into the main campaign first, cuz it's basically already doing that in Modern warfare 3, and the Russians are trying to recreate Richtofen's work. Reznov must have been a test subject before he ever had a chance to escape. I've heard of something like this happening in the CoD mobile comics, but I did not expect them to bring this to the main campaign universe.
I always forget what an absolute beast Menendez is this dude nearly kills Alex Mason in hand to hand combat (an insanely impressive feat) gets shot in the face! Only survives because his men were so fanatically loyal to him that they jumped on the grenade that he pulled the pin on! LOYALTY! Menendez was a genuine monster.
I remember my dad going to get this game after I preordered it he worked next to a GameStop I was 11 and he never questioned what games I wanted to play he watched me play this entire campaign in the living room of our house bo1 holds a very special place in my heart my favorite cod of all time
Sick vid dude, the appreciation really shows why people still say this was CODS peak, I hope new gen players get to fall in love with these games like we did.
Such a Simple Fun Game I Love Black Ops Using Ingenious Tact Themes to Exponentially up It’s Vibe Beautiful piece of History With tons of History Trivia Much more than most give It Credit Awesome
I'm excited for BO6 but the real world conspiracy tie in with the CIA regarding the assassination is what made the original so incredible imo. Like it takes balls to make such a metal end credits scene implying the main character murdered the president is metal af.
I think the person in the desert was maybe rezenovs son, he looks different compared the previous appearances, different facial hair, and still has all 10 fingers. Which would explain why he didn't explain anything or interact with the crew
Firstly, excellent work on your videos(I was introduced to your channel through your BO2 Campaign video). Secondly, you gave logical explanations for why Alex didn’t show up until thirty years later in the one ending, but I just don’t think it makes sense for him to be in hiding or away for *that* long. That is why I find it to be most logical, *SPOILERS* , that Alex is killed by Woods.
2:58 I remember reading that many players would die when following reznov in that spot towards the light because THEY were spotted but not reznov even though the light shines on him too. I’ve died to this multiple times thinking it was a bug but makes sense because of the twist
I would discard Reznov being the one in the desert, mostly bc he had his finger intact, one of the features Reznoov had was his missing finger, which he lost during the stalingrad masacre, most likely being someone else and Mason just aluccinate it was Reznov
Another thing ive wanted to know (this might be nothing) When I played advanced warfare for the first time, during the opening scene I saw the back of a mans head as he gears up. The hair looked so much like David Masons and I was convinced it was for the longest but i have no idea. I dont even know if they take place in the same universe.
Reznov was always my favorite character in waw. i felt so connected with him once in a wii campaign session that i shouted “DONT WORRY REZNOV, WE WILL GET THE GERMANS AFTER THE TRASH GOES OUT”. i was 8 and he needed me to keep those bastards off him. please bring the man back.
The difference in writing quality between 1 and just that small audio clip from 4 is staggering. I wish we'd get another cod story as good as WaW or Bo1.
for reznov in the desert theory it could have been weavier think about it reznov has been shown of taking 3 forms one in masons subconcious mind, two as mason himself during rebirth island killing stiener, and three when woods and kravchanco fall out of the window with grenades blowing up we see a silouette of woods telling mason he would be okay and then it cuts to reznov asking mason if he's okay with this in mind we can assume mason hallucinates reznov to be someone he knows so it could have been weaiver checking up on his old team while he works from behind the scenes during black ops 2
You can't use the future games as evidence though, I mean, black ops 2 was the last game with the original actors and script writers. So I would advice away from those crappy games. Nice video, I didn't know a few of these things!
We technically never saw Reznov die on screen. It’s only implied and mentioned by Hudson. Reznov’s surviving and Mason’s hallucinations can co-exist. It seems reasonable to me that Reznov survived while Mason still had hallucinations inspired by Reznov.
He is still alive for Sure, if the times reznov appears in bo1 we’re all in masons head, that would mean only mason knows what he looks like and everyone else just knows rumors of him
