The next (possibly last?) Call of Duty Black Ops DLC was officially announced this morning, after an earlier leak. 4 new multiplayer maps and yet another zombies environment for your murderous competitive enjoyment.
The maps coming this month have been discussed at length and detailed else where so allow me to chime in on something less vital to the run of the mill fan than size and choke points but something I think is far more important. Atmosphere.
Seen in the trailer below one of Treyarch’s goals for this map pack is to be more visually dramatic than their previous outlays and from the released footage and screenshots? they’re succeeding admirably.
here is a visual breakdown of my 3 standouts from that trailer.
Hangar 18:
An homage to Area 51; Hangar 18 is a concrete laden, industrial looking level with the same grey tones we are used to from maps like Grid and Launch but with a couple of flamboyant differences. The main area, the hangar, houses an SR-71 Blackbird as it’s multi tiered centrepiece, SR-71s are good to look at on any day but as the focal point of a level like this it’s a nice touch, they were the height of technology in the 60’s after all. On the more fanciful side of things you can see an interactive Arc-reactor like Sci Fi generator room, likely below the main hangar area, it’s a nice change from the habitually bland offerings usually found in Call of Duty maps.
Hazard:
An apparent homage/reimagining of Cliffside from World at War (after the leap forward taken by Cod4 I just couldn’t get excited about a WWII setting again) Hazard is a Resort/Golf course mash up that is easily the most enticing looking map I have seen from a game developer for a long time, with the tongue in cheek colourful nature we usually find in fan made maps. Hazard is verdent fairways, lush foliage, rolling hills and gaudy signage. Unlike Treyarch I never thought of a Golf course as a killing field but the idea of looking out across the green through the scope of an SVD? sounds like a uniquely amusing experience to me.
Shangri-la:
The next entry in the Black Ops zombies mode, a pretty exciting addition from Treyarch. Shangri-la; Often thought of as a reference to the mythical spiritual city of Tibetan lore known as Shambalah this is a huge departure from what we have seen up to this point. Ancient carved temples, soft inviting skies, lush tropical overgrowth, pristine waters flowing from miniature pools all a backdrop to the defence of your comrades from the blood-letting horde of undead. Juxtaposition like this works great in zombie fiction, the corruption of the pure as it were. There is also a distinctive Indiana Jones feeling from this map, bamboo spike traps and mine cart coaster rides through what looks (at a glance) like an archaeological set up. We don’t just see a departure in the environment art here either, mask wearing ghouls, monkey zombies and robe clad female undead will be coming for your brains in Shangri-la, not to mention a very ominous burning corpse seen above.
New, original ideas from Treyarch this late after the game has been released is a refreshing change, and it may even be worth the $15 it costs you to get in. we’ll find out on June 28th
Via Gamespot>
-Expatriategamer