Advanced Warfare was a bold move for the series; whilst fans will have certainly adjusted to its game changing mechanics by now, it was certainly something to split opinion. Curiously however, the first, of a series of four, map packs seems instead to focus on pleasing everyone. Four new maps of various sizes and playstyles (no re-makes yet) a new assault rifle, and of course bringing back the ol’ zombies. Have they played it too safe by trying to cater for everyone, or will it still retain the uniqueness that’s helped resuscitate the waning franchise?
Urban is this year’s Nuketown. It’ll likely be voted for by anyone with a penchant for shotguns and those possessing nippy reaction times. Certainly the smallest map of the game and a far cry from some of the maps in last year’s Call of Duty Ghosts. Urban’s quasi-futuristic design fits in place well with the general aesthetic feel of the main games’ campaign; with its blue hues helping to echo the police theme it’s based upon. The outer portions of the map’s square-like design are inevitably going to be the ‘safer’ way to traverse your way around; however balconies, ledges and windows ensure that you’re never too far from being spotted. The maze like barriers of which adorn the map promise tense gun battles with people funnelling through like rats, attempting to not give away their position by overusing the exo movement. Once confrontation starts however, battles quickly elevate and a game of vertical cat and mouse begins. Due to the, sometimes frankly horrific, nature of the spawns in modes such as Free For All and Team Deathmatch, it’s best to approach this map in the knowledge that you’ll likely die, a lot.
Drift is this packs’ resident snow variant; featuring a fairly predictable map-specific score streak too, I won’t spoil it, but I’m fairly certain you can guess what happens! A medium sized map, Drift plays best in objective type modes when you’ve got a fairly decent idea of where the enemies are going to be spawning from. A carousel resides as the focus of the maps large open area and can of course be used as a dizzying piece of cover for those with the stomach to take it on. The other side of the map plays host to some potentially long range gunfights. An elevated position is the ideal spot for snipers with a twitchy trigger, with the locations downside being the various routes of entry inside. A well-coordinated team could easily hold this power position and dominate the enemy with streaks.
Sideshow is the penultimate map here, and also one for any coulrophobics to be wary of. Set in and around a decidedly creepy abandoned inn, Sideshow displays how two opposing playstyles can actually come together and not be irritating. For those into ‘playing cautiously’, rooftops and long lines of sight will create perfect opportunities to set up a few tents and sit pretty. Those averse to sitting still for any many of seconds however, can equip the almighty ASM1 and flank to great effect. Sideshow, on any other Call of Duty game would be a horrendous mess of spawn trapping and sniping, yet due to the exo movement however, it’s actually great fun to play. With the ability to traverse the entire map in seconds, getting up behind people and disrupting their inattentional blindness is a rarely matched feeling.
Core is probably the weakest of the bunch in my mind; as a fairly large map, non-objective type game modes can play out in a somewhat leisurely pace. Long, winding flank routes and short, tight tunnels provide some variety in gunplay but you’re likely to be better off bringing an assault rifle and adapting to each situation as they come. Domination and Hardpoint could well be the saviours of this map and playing a roaming, harassment type role should serve you well. Set in the Gobi desert, amidst the ruins of a nuclear plant, Core is ultimately a little bland in general. The snippets of technology dotted about, however striking and interesting as they might seem, ultimately pale into the wash of sand.
AE4 is the name of the standard variant of your new toy in this pack; although if you’d previously purchased the season pass, you’ll have had access to it for quite some time already. Described as a directed energy assault rifle, it functions as you might expect. As is the case with Advanced Warfare, there are also several variants to unlock via getting lucky with the supply drops too, but the basic premise and utility is the same. It comes with its own optical sight (although others can be attached) and like all good energy weapons, you essentially have infinite ammo; with the downside being the overheating issues. But, provided you’re not too trigger happy and you remain accurate, it can certainly hold its own with the majority of other guns on the game.
Exo Zombies is likely to be one of the greater draws for some in this DLC pack, and rightly so too. Whereas the games’ standard co-op multiplayer was functional enough, it never quite hooked the zombie faithful, however that could soon change. The unfortunate four who happen to be around during what can only be described as an enormous cock up on Atlas’s side, must use the environment, weapons, care packages and more to survive as long as possible in typical zombie fashion. Keeping in line with the excellent performance of Kevin Spacey in the game’s campaign, we’re spared no expense here either. John Malkovich, Bill Paxton, Jon Bernthal and Rose McGowan are our celebrity foursome and are as suitably hilarious and enthralling as you might imagine. Ditching the crazed and convoluted zombie storyline of Treyarchs fame, we’re instead given a brief outline of their plight and roles during a cutscene at the start.
It’s (mostly) business as usual with the zombies, starting out at lower rounds they’ll take no more than a few bashes to the head, but progress past wave 15 or so and things really start to kick off. As ever with a zombie’s mode, it’s all about restoring the power as quickly as possible; never is that truer than here, especially seeing as you don’t start the game with your exo suit. Feeling strangely naked and mashing jump to no boosting avail, you’ll eventually start to make some progress. Once things (and oneself) are up and running, you’ll find many tweaks to the formula. The 3D printer is your new mystery box; weapons can be bought off the wall and upgraded at stations. Upgrades to your exo-suit can be purchased; care packages can be picked up outside and zombies get tougher alongside gaining new abilities to match and counter your own.
In all, the Havoc DLC pack seems to have something for everyone, the maps are varied between size, playstyle and appearance, it adds a new weapon (plus the potential for variants) and also includes a new zombie’s mode too. The maps, for the most part, should fit any game type well and the AE4 seems to be well balanced too. Exo Zombies will likely draw a crowd, in part due to its fan favoured theme, but also due to its own unique form of exo movement. The Havoc pack helps to freshen up the experience once more, and is a great start to this year’s season of DLC.
