Ever since its release back in November 2012, Call of Duty: Black Ops II has delivered a great deal of content for millions of players, between its enthralling single player campaign (dealing with the vile Raul Menendez and his overtaking of automated U.S. military defenses), its fun competitive multiplayer (complete with support from the now-free Call of Duty Elite), and the glorious return of Zombies. But, as you might expect from any given Call of Duty game, Activision and the developers at Treyarch are just getting started.
As you might have noticed, the publisher has offered a Season Pass for upcoming downloadable content for the game, which will mostly consist of new maps in both Zombies and Versus modes for players to compete and work together in. But up till now, it’s been a mystery as to what the first piece of content would be. However, thanks to a promotional poster that has been revealed at GameStop, we now have a better idea. Get ready to say hello to the Revolution.
This new pack will run about 1200 Microsoft points ($14.99), or free of charge if you’re a subscriber to the Season Pass, and it’s looking like it’ll arrive on Xbox 360 first on January 29th, with a release for PlayStation 3 and PC later this spring. Though we haven’t had a chance to see any of these maps in action yet – nor get a taste of the new weapon that’s being offered with it – we do have a few sparse details that are sure to get you excited, especially if you’re already at a substantial player level within the game.
The new Zombies map that will be introduced in Revolution is called Die Rise, and though details are scarce, it sounds like it will take place in an office building of sorts (a play on the term “high-rise”), with you barricading certain windows and entries into the building, while unlocking new weapons and areas with points you earn from kills.
Then there are the four general maps that will be introduced in the game, and, again, there are no official details yet, but here’s what we gather from the information that we have…
Hydro– this multiplayer map appears to take place in some kind of dam/spillway setting, with players scrambling to survive alongside fortified walls. It looks like there will be certain points where snipers will be able to set themselves up for a few quick kills, though, like previous maps, it should be moderately easy to take them down from behind, provided you aren’t picked off heading into the doorway first.
Grind– this particular map appears to be more wide-open than most, with a lot more room to run through what appears to be a village. Again, this is going off a singular screen shot, but we know how some players like room to run when it comes to getting their offense on.
Downhill– this map doesn’t appear to be as pretty as the previous ones, with a bit more dreariness with snowy surroundings. That said, it should be a great addition for those who loved the previous snow-based maps from previous multiplayer sessions.
Mirage– finally, this appears to be a good-looking central map, taking place in a completely different village setting than Grind, but with plenty of rooftop access for snipers, as well as room to run on the ground.
As you can see from the first image thus far, there’s something for everyone in the pack. But perhaps the most substantial addition is one that’s new to Call of Duty DLC – an entirely new weapon. Granted, the Peacekeeper SMG is likely to have similar effects to other assault rifles of that range, but having access to a new gun is bound to be exciting news for those looking to add something diverse to their loadout. How the gun performs remains to be seen, but needless to say, those who prefer their combat on the ground probably won’t be disappointed by their performance.
Activision is likely to reveal more official details about this map soon, probably by the end of this week or the beginning of the next, so we’ll have more in-depth strategies for you shortly following its official reveal.
In the meantime, though, we’re glad that Treyarch and Activision are keeping up on the status quo with downloadable content for Black Ops II, and hopefully it’ll live up to – and perhaps even expand upon – the great maps we’ve run across thus far. We expect to see these maps – particularly Hydro and Downhill – pop up as favorites on playlists.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II is available now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC.
Published: Jan 2, 2013 09:28 pm