Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Uprising (360) Review

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Witness the Uprising.

Reviewing Call of Duty DLC can be a difficult thing; how does one convey their opinion on four multiplayer maps, when there is no storyline and everyone already knows pretty much what to expect. The good thing about this review is it is only going to help people part with their cash that much quicker.

As usual, this newest pack includes four multiplayer maps, along with a separate Zombie story, starring four mobsters on Alcatraz. Treyarch has been doing this long enough to know what makes a good multiplayer map, which is why it is no surprise that these latest additions are up to the standard level of quality.

The four maps are Encore, Vertigo, Studio and Magma. All maps are relatively large in size, with no Nuketown substitutes here.

No team killing man!


Encore is set in an events stadium in London; the map is circular in design, with walkways running along the outside and a large open area in the center. That means a lot of the action takes place around the edge of the arena, with a lot of short intense firefights.

Vertigo, as the name suggests, is set atop a skyscraper with both outside and inside areas. There are lots of places to explore, which in turn means a lot of places for people to shoot others in the back. There is also the risk of actually falling off of the building. It reminded me a lot of Carrier, one of the stock Black Ops 2 maps.

Magma is slightly different. Set in a Japanese town that has been overcome by the destructive nature of a Volcano, much of it is already in chaos. Derailed underground trains, collapsed buildings and even massive holes in the ground all make for a great multiplayer experience. Most of the area is outside, with a few indoor sections that will allow for multiple routes through. Players have to watch out for the magma, which, of course, will burn them to a crisp.

Studio was my personal favorite from the bunch. Based slightly on Firing Range from the original Black Ops, but given a Hollywood spin. Set on a movie studio back lot, there are several references in this map. Each area is a different scene, from UFOs that have crashed, to model buildings, to even a T-Rex poking his head over a fence. The map also has multiple levels, giving players a bird’s eye view of the area and allows for picking off the odd combatant who hasn’t really looked where they are going. However, all of the high placements are rather open and a carefully placed shot will see soldiers taken out.

Currently, the game allows players to just compete in the four new maps in its own section of the multiplayer menus. This consists of Team Deathmatch, Domination and Mosh Pit.

He was aiming for the octopus.


Mob of the Dead is the new Zombie game, and is the highlight of the package. Set on Alcatraz, the goal is to guide one, or all, of the mobsters off the island. It’s all about fighting off the hordes of undead while unlocking the map and trying to find a way off the island. However, there are a few new additions to the game play, the most notable being the ability to leave the character’s body.

The starting cut scene sees four mobsters acting out their scheme to escape, however things go wrong when the zombies arrive and kill them all. The game then starts with players as ghosts, who not only need to possess one of the dead mobsters; but also comes with the ability to leave the body and float around the map. While in this ghostly form, players can also channel electricity, which can be used to fry zombies or power up electrical sub-stations and generators. It certainly spices up the game play, which was in danger of becoming a little stale. The four main stars, Ray Liotta, Michael Madsen, Joe Pantoliano and Chas Palminteri are awesome and ham it up just enough.

Uprising once again proves that the Call of Duty multiplayer game is very safe in Treyarch’s hands. There isn’t a dull map in there, and Zombie mode continues to improve and add to the experience. If there is something to moan about, it would have to be the cost of the DLC. Picking them all up can run you as much as the original game.

Review copy of game 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!!!