Payback (Black Ops)

Payback is a single player level in Call of Duty: Black Ops set in Laos. In this mission, the player will operate a Mi-24 Hind. Although the player has full control of horizontal movement, they cannot control vertical movement.

Overview
The level begins with Mason and Woods in a wooden cage. The Vietcong then takes them to room with VC and a Soviet Interregator, with a table in the centre, to play Russian Roulette. Mason sits down with Bowman sitting opposite. The VC get a Python and tells Bowman to "play" to which he refuses and insults the Soviet, who kills Bowman by hitting him on the head with a pipe saying "next". When Bowman gets "removed" off his seat, the player sees Woods coming into the picture and sits where Bowman was sat; Woods asks Mason what the plan is, while the VC is getting impatient. The VC spins the guns which lands on Woods after some "words" he gives the gun to Mason which the bullet is in just as he is about to pull the trigger he shoots the VC and the Soviet escapes while Woods and Mason chase him through heavy reinforcements, finally they shoot the Soviet as he is about to escape through the door. The 2nd part of the mission is where they ambush some VC guarding a Russian Hind Mason pilots it then he has to go to the POW compound while on the way encounters SAMS HINDS Ground forces and RPG's. When they finally reach the compound. Mason and Woods infiltrate the compound.

Mason finds captured American soldiers and Reznov in holding cells. When they search the rooms Mason finds Kravchenko, who beats Mason. Just when he is about to knock Mason out, Woods sneaks up behind and stabs Kravchenko in the back who retaliates by pulling the pins on his grenades. Just before Mason meets his sudden doom Woods dives at Kravchenko and throws himself and the Russian through the window, after which they both die in an explosion. Reznov returns to Mason and they find the documents leading to Rebirth Island.

Trivia

 * While there were other levels planned for the player to control aircraft in the series, this is the first not scrapped.


 * This is the third time in Call of Duty series, the level begin with the player and his squad were captured. The first time was "Semper Fi", second time was "Their Land, Their Blood" in World at War.
 * And this is the second time in Call of Duty series, the player watches their companion's execution outside of battle. The first one was "Semper Fi".
 * Woods swearing at the top of his voice when he is playing Russian Roulette is the only time, during gameplay, that the word "Fuck" is not censored in captions..
 * The Russian roulette scene in this level seems to pay homage to a very similar scene from the movie "The Deer Hunter", in which two prisoners are forced by the Vietcong to play Russian roulette, even the conversation between them, and the loud scream before pulling the trigger are near identical.
 * This level was presented at E3, but only the helicopter portion is shown. Even the text at the bottom left hand corner that begins each level was shown at the part where Woods and Mason hijack the helicopter.
 * The title of this level may be a reference to Woods wanting to avenge the death of Bowman.

E3 Demo
thumb|400px|left|E3 2010: Call of Duty Black Ops Press Conference Gameplay