It has been three months since Treyarch was able to give the community the first taste in the downloadable content map packs, now they bring us an over-the-top experience with “Escalation”.
After the first content was released to the public Treyarch has been hard at work listening to the feedback and suggestions from the community to develop the four different multiplayer maps and an all-star cast of characters in the zombies map called “Call of the Dead”. The four multiplayer maps – Zoo, Hotel, Convoy, and Stockpile all provide a unique experience for all different play styles of players.
Zoo takes place in well, you guessed it, a zoo. The once vibrant attraction for children and family to experience has been abandoned and the enclosures are now able to be explored. Easily identifiable locations like the bear exhibit or the aquarium that now has the glass broke and fish no longer there provide an easy way for players to find their baring. The zoo once had a working monorail that would take passengers around the park to explore and view the animals from up above, but since then has stopped functioning and players will still be able to move from station to station by way of the tracks. Usually the team that can hold the track and the stations will have great visibility and advantage to those running around on the ground.
Naming the maps comes easy when you determine that the map is going to be based on the environment and theme. In Hotel players will find themselves in a casino atmosphere with slot machines, swimming pools, performance lounge with a piano, and working elevators. The map offers both close quarter combat and also options for sniping from the second floor of the hotel on each side of the map. There are many places to find advantages against your opponents when exploring the map like finding that one open stall in the bathroom that will conceal your position when trying to ambush enemies.
Stockpile will have players wanting to bundle up as it is set in a small town that is covered in snow. Multi-leveled buildings, small corridors, and broken walls will give players many options when wanting to move around the map. Once operational vehicles and farm equipment will play as cover spots for players to help avoid being spotted by enemies. One of the great features of this map is the controllable function of doors that are on the map. When players are near the door controls they can press X to either open or close the doors. Having control of the doors will provide great advantage and funnel enemies to certain locations that your team will ultimately have setup for a trap.
The last multiplayer map in the DLC is Convoy, on the 15 freeway leading towards Las Vegas that stopped warheads from being delivered because the ground is broken in the center. Players will find that this was once a fast way to speed through to Sin City, now has some local flair such as a rundown motel, gas station, and diner. Climb up the ladders that lead to the freeway signs for a tactical advantage and sightline that is perfect for sniping. Work together to take advantage of the sniping perches and watch the crater in the freeway for those players who will try and use the planks to climb out.
Now onto the zombies map entitled “Call of the Dead”. Not being a frequent zombies player, I was instantly intrigued in the way Treyarch was able to take well-known actors placing them into the game and the situation of having to face hundreds of zombies. The four main playable characters – Danny Trejo, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michael Rooker, and Robert Englund are on the movie set in Siberia where legendary director George A. Romero needs to do some reshoots. Not only do these actors look great, but players will also enjoy the dialogue that was created for each one, just adding more depth to the DLC, than just another generic zombie map.
Knowing that Romero in this level of zombies is the runner is important, since when he is shot he will start charging the players until he is cooled down again in the cold water. The map is immense and players will have to really work together and plan a strategy as I believe this to be one of the hardest zombie maps I have played. I just seem to always come back to this map no matter how many times I die as I just like to experience that real world interaction of famous actors inside my video games and shooting zombies is just great fun.
Overall this map pack proves that no matter if you are an occasional multiplayer person looking for some new environments to explore, or a veteran zombie enthusiast both type of players should pick up the Escalation DLC. You can now download the Escalation DLC that consists of four multiplayer maps and one action packed zombie map for 1200 Microsoft points or ($15).
Let us know what you think of the DLC either in the comments below or shout out in the forums!