What stands out about Strike Missions is that they represent a very different mode of gameplay. The player takes the role of a commander in control of a handful of squads and equipment. As commander, the player must direct and position these assets in a strategic manner to achieve some set of objectives (e.g. defend three designated points on the map for ten minutes). The command view is very RTS-like, but it doesn't end there. This is still Call of Duty, after all, so the commander can choose to take direct control of a single asset (soldier, drone, whatever) at any time.
A typical Strike Mission starts like so: commit your troops and equipment to some plan, change to direct control of a key unit (the player is generally a much more capable shooter than the AI), achieve some objective, return to command mode and re-evaluate troop orders, then return to directly first-person control.
Is it fun? I was taken aback at first, but it grew on me. This isn't a brand-new idea in the gaming industry. Take a look at Savage and Savage 2 from developer S2 Games. Both are fairly successful "indie" RTS-FPS titles. Both are multiplayer games to boot. I'm sure you can imagine the interesting player interactions involved there.
The Strike Mission game mode is fun but only mildly engaging. It feels a lot like the multiplayer portion of Mass Effect 3 - it's a game apart from the game players bought and could easily (and perhaps more appropriately) stand on its own as a F2P title.
What surprises me most about Strike Missions in Black Ops 2 is that it doesn't exist as a multiplayer mode. I see this as a huge missed opportunity, but who knows - if Strike Missions turn out to be popular with players, maybe they will return with some enhancements in Black Ops 3.
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