Call of Duty: Black Ops – Annihilation Review

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Treyarch’s third Pack is all killer, no filler!

It seems like Treyarch are finding it hard to put a foot wrong at the moment. After already producing two quality map packs, they have only gone and done it again. Whether or not this will be the last Map Pack for Black Ops remains to be seen, but with Modern Warfare 3 only a few months away, Activision may well turn their focus to that.

Hangar 18
A massive map this one, with plenty of buildings to explore and places for enclosed firefights. It is, as the name suggests, set around an aircraft hangar (The Blackbird), you can even climb on top of the plane, but don’t expect to stay on there too long. This is my favourite map of the bunch.


Hazard
Set on a golf course, this map is almost one large open area, making it a haven for snipers. There are 2 strips of concourse running along either side of the green, which can sometimes be used to bottleneck your enemies (or vice versa). It makes for some interesting play, especially when a large group of you decide to head out into the open.

Silo
This is one large maze of buildings. Similar to Hangar 18, it has lots of confined areas, which means close quarter gunplay. You can expect to do lots of running and then end up with a shotgun in your face the moment you turn a corner. There are plenty of hiding places for those that wish to camp/recover, but as the map isn’t that large, it is likely you will be found by an opposing player soon enough. You will also have the added bonus of watching a missile launch every few minutes!

Drive-In
This map, like Hazard, is more of an open area with two raised structures at each end of the map for those that like to snipe or take the high ground. However, a player is highly visible at these points, and you don’t tend to last that long. As with Hazard, there are two strips of land on either side of the map, allowing players to try and flank the opposing side. This is a great map for Capture The Flag.


Shangri-La (Zombie)
This is not the best zombie mission to be honest. Call of the Dead was Treyarch’s best so far, but Shangri-La is still very good. If you have played any other zombie mission before, then you know what to expect. Set in a jungle, amongst the ruins of an ancient city, Shangri-La does hold a few surprises. First of all, there are a bunch of booby traps to look out for, which can deal you some serious damage. Then, there are the zombies themselves. Not only will they climb out of the ground as usual, but if you head underground, they will drop from the ceilings. You also have to be on the look out for zombie monkeys!

Annihilation is another fine showing from Treayarch. I know that some people may have gotten to the point where they no longer want to spend 1200msp on another map pack, but while it is of this quality, I have no problems in recommending it.

Review copy provided by publisher.
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Written by
News Editor/Reviewer, he also lends his distinct British tones to the N4G Radio Podcast. When not at his PC, he can be found either playing something with the word LEGO in it, or TROPICO!!!