The New "Escalation" Map Pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops

In the last few days, the developers for Call of Duty: Black Ops have announced their second download-able content pack, "Escalation." This map pack includes 4 new multi-player maps and one new zombies map.

Hotel - The Swanky Havannah HotelConvoy - Aftermath of A Fictional Soviet Ambush in Old School AmericaZoo - An Abandoned Soviet Era ZooStockpile - A Suburban Russian VillageCall of The Dead - Zombies Map

Each of these multiplayer maps bring something new to the game, and they all work to increase the variety of gameplay that a player will encounter. In the developer interviews they discussed the demand for a wider range of engagement distances, meaning longer distance shots for snipers, and tighter corners for the run-and-gunners, and from the looks of these new maps I'd say they nailed it.

Multiplayer Map - "Hotel"

This swanky rooftop hotel in Cuba features a plethora of tight corners and flank paths that lend themselves to a "Run and gun" play style. Players who move fast on their feet will love the tight corners, and those who prefer to hunker down and camp may find themselves getting stabbed in the back a little more than usual.

"Hotel" also features a user-controllable elevator, allowing you to transit between the upper and lower levels of the hotel. Controlling the upper levels is key if you favor long-range engagement. A few sniper roosts sit above the pool area providing a great over-watch position, but watch your back or you'll end up getting humiliated.

Multiplayer Map - "Convoy"

If the soviets were to ambush an old-school American convoy, this is what the aftermath would look like. A giant hole has been blown out of the roadway, and a few divider walls separate the map. This map is divided up into a couple linear engagement channels that any assault rifle junkie would love, with a few stairways connecting the channels together.

This map provides some great engagement distance, but it also features enough protective cover to keep the short-range enthusiasts alive.

Multiplayer Map - "Zoo"

The only thing you should expect to see at this zoo is a few hostiles and your allies. This abandoned zoo features a range of elevation points providing some great over-watch positions. A monorail system flows throughout the map, allowing you to quickly travel between points, but leaving you fairly exposed to fire from below.

This map is probably best compared to "Carnival" on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, with it's larger areas and longer engagement distances. Expect to see some great camouflage backgrounds here, perfect to blend in with.

Multiplayer Map - "Stockpile"

This suburban Russian village is the home of a munitions stockpile. Expect house to house fire fights, and gain the upper hand by controlling the central building complete with user-controlled garage doors. This map provides the greatest variety of engagement distances, and it looks to be one of the largest maps for multiplayer gameplay. No matter what your game style, you should be able to find something in this map that suits you.

The central building on this map also features user-controlled garage doors, allowing you to lock the building down when it's under your control. These user-controlled features add a lot more to the gameplay in Black Ops, and it adds another level of strategy to the game.

Overall this map pack looks really interesting, and I can't wait to load them up and start playing.

Bryce Bertola is a weekend gamer who plays First Person Shooters online. Find him on Xbox Live using the gamertag RedMonster347.

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