EXPOSURES (VIDEO GAME) -- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 -- Revolution DLC

NOTE: This may not be very interesting for you, since this entry is very specific.

So... I'm a little late to the party, but the first download content (DLC) for Call of Duty: Black Ops II (called Revolution) finally got released this week for PS3 players. I tried it for a bit this weekend. Now I'm going to give my brief impressions.

The Revolution DLC includes four maps for Multiplayer mode, a new Zombies map, a new Zombie mode, and a new gun. Since I only play Multiplayer mode in Call of Duty, I'm just going to comment on that. The DLC is currently on sale for $15 CAD.

Hydro

I like that there are different levels to work with here. There's ground level, a waterway level underground, and one high ground spot. The map is very... grey. And very small.

Downhill

Here you're in a snowy ski lodge-type area. While sniping is a possibility since there are long stretches of pathways without any obstructions, the whiteness of the map would probably make you stick out like a sore thumb.

Mirage

This map looks really cool! It's like some Chinese palace that got flooded with sand. The indoors temple area looks really neat, at least to me.

Grind

Grind is a really colourful and fun map. It looks like a playground for skateboarders -- so lots of ramps and tubes. I think it's a fun map for sneaking up on others.

New gun -- Peacekeeper (SMG)

This gun right now is, well, meh. I could be really biased, though, since my guns of choice tend to be long-range sniper rifles, not close-range SMGs (though I have read in a thread that the Peacekeeper is supposedly one of the worst guns for close quarters combat). I'll have to level it more to see if it has any "fun" potential. Right now it just feels slow and clunky.

Overall Impressions

Overall, I'd say these four Multiplayer maps and the new SMG are... okay. I can't comment on if it's worth the money since I haven't tried the new Zombie map and Zombie mode. 

For me, since I'm a sniper, one of the things I was looking for were sniping spots -- spots where you can park your butt and stay shrouded under some kind of shade / shrubbing while you pick off anybody who comes into view. I think I only found one spot like that, and it's still a risky spot.

Out of the four maps, Grind and Mirage are the ones I find most interesting. Hydro looks promising, but the smallness of the map hinders it a bit for me. Downhill seems more like a map for close quarter combat, despite its allure for sniping.

One thing that I find a little disappointing about all the maps -- and believe me, this is probably really, really minor to others -- is the overall lack of object... "definition". There are very few objects that you can climb onto. Maybe I need more time with the maps, but a lot of objects that I thought I could climb on, I couldn't. That was very disappointing for me, since it restricts the possibilities of being "strategic" with your kills... and just possibilities overall. I mean, I can jump / climb onto a tank in the Standoff map in regular Multiplayer mode; I can't seem to jump / climb onto a tank in the Downhill map. If I'm wrong about this, I'll update this entry.

So, in conclusion, the DLC is decent. Unfortunately, the maps don't seem to cater to snipers, but other gunners can find some fun in them.

Here are two gameplay videos of the four new maps (played from the Xbox360):

This video briefly shows gameplay in Mirage, Downhill, and Grind.

This is a gameplay video in Hydro. You don't have to watch it all; it's about 9 minutes long.

If you've read this entry, thanks for reading! :)