Devastation, the second DLC pack for Call of Duty Ghosts adds four new multiplayer maps, another episode in the Extinction saga and an all new, dual-purpose weapon, the Ripper. Can Infinity Ward build upon the success of their previous pack by listening to the fans and catering for their requests?
Ruins is up first, an old Mayan temple that plays host to some of the better domination games due to its triangular base. As per usual in Ghosts, flank routes are commonplace; Ruins is no exception. Narrow catacombs slither under and around the map offering SMG’s and shotguns their roles, whilst an open centre lets assault rifles open up. Roam for too long however and it’s ironically safe to say that you’ll eventually be picked off by a sniper from the central overlook. With the map adorned by old, ancient Mayan structures and littered with plenty of greenery, you’ll find the Ghillie suit more of an issue than ever. As far as unique strike packages go, Ruins offers up something interesting too, with the fabled Predator making a stealthy appearance. Should you complete a field order and be fortunate enough to air drop a predator suit, you can utilise his shimmering invisibility, his wrist blades and of course the gloriously satisfying plasma cannon (which fortunately has a recharge delay). On top of this, even when killed, the fun doesn’t stop for the lucky player as the predator will drop to the floor and essentially unleash a K.E.M. strike onto the opposing team.
Behemoth harks back to the old styles in more than one way. Not only is there a field order for a ‘heli gunner’ that plays out almost exactly like the chopper gunner from Black Ops fame. The map also more closely resembles a three lane style affair opposed to the ‘all out chaos’ category approach most of the original maps seem to follow. Set upon an enormous earth excavator, Behemoth is a medium sized map with opportunities for some reasonable firefights down long corridors, so long as you beware the inevitably prone enemies. Despite the seemingly simplistic layout of the map, there are less travelled routes that serve as flank options if you’re against a particularly trapping team. Falling off the map to your death is remarkably easier done than said, especially whilst in those strafe battles that get a little out of hand. Despite it being a darker than usual map, the lack of tedious camping spots around corners helps keep the pace up too. A central viewing area gives those pesky snipers a mediocre view of either side of the map, but also seems to bestow a shocking amount of tunnel vision too, helping you get the humiliating drop on your unaware foes.
Collision takes its name from the enormous container ship which has found itself lodged into the Brooklyn Bridge, and plays home to aggressive styles of play. Those who favour SMG’s will enjoy the tight corners and relatively shallow lines of sight, whereas snipers will savour the higher grounds that overlook the centre of the map. Domination games in particular rely upon map control with the B flag being placed smack in the middle of what can only be described as a kill box; wrestling the centre of the map back from the opposition can be difficult if you’ve not got a coordinated team. Again, a specialised Field Order reward can also be earned on this map; if successful, you get to control two strafe runs in the infamous A-10 Warthog. Whilst not particularly great for racking up kills, it of course makes up for it with ‘that sound’.
Unearthed is the final multiplayer map in the Devastation package and as is becoming tradition, it features a remake of a fan favourite map from the series. Those who’ve been with the series for the past few years will recognise Unearthed as a reimagining of Dome from MW3, a small fast paced map that requires your head to be on a swivel. The familiarity of Dome remains but due to the upgraded visuals and alternate aesthetics, Unearthed does come across with a fresh feel. Despite the feeling of familiarity, there are several additions to convince you otherwise. Along with a moveable crane, giving you a vulnerable 360 degree view of the map, there’s also the maligned Venom-X weapon, ripped straight from the Extinction mode and available once per game via some carefully placed explosives… Keeping in theme with Extinction, the unique field order for this map involves three loveable Seekers that will hunt down the enemy and explode upon close proximity.
The Ripper, one of the larger draws to new content for me and others, is the new hybrid weapon available with this pack. Operable as either an SMG or Assault Rifle and swappable on the fly, it can not only suit most gunfight scenarios, but also opens up more flexibility with perk selections. Due to its high manoeuvrability and tighter hip-fire spread than most assault rifles, players can save points on ‘speed perks’ and put them to better use elsewhere. Whilst both the SMG and AR modes won’t surpass the Vector or the Remmington R5 in their respective classes, the extra functionality can often make up for any statistical weaknesses, provided you can keep the right mode available for the correct situation.
Mayday concludes the package with the next episode of Extinction, Ghosts’s answer to Zombies. Continuing on from the Nightfall epilogue, Mayday sees you boarding a Chinese ship in an attempt to rescue and extract a foreign double agent. Standing in the way of course is the very real threat of the Kraken. Combining huge bosses with the newly implemented crafting and new weapons gives a great incentive to jump into the horde. To greet you, the Seeders make their first appearance too; if you didn’t get on well with the Scorpions, you’re not going to like these either. On top of expelling a toxic gas, they can also spit out turret pods to ruin your day. Either way, Mayday gratefully expands on itself, offering more content with each episode; if you fancy a little coop and are into the story, it’s a great way to spend a few hours.
As an overall package, the Devastation set offers a great set of maps that appear to have been tailored for the fans requests. A balanced and unique hybrid weapon plus more Extinction content helps too. If you’re on the fence, this is categorically one of the better Call of Duty DLC packs; if you fancy some new content for Ghosts, there’s no better place to look.
