Call of Duty: Black Ops II Vengeance DLC Review

Although the summer video game drought is now in full force, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to look forward to. In what has now become almost standard bi-monthly DLC, Treyarch has just released its newest add-on for Black Ops 2, featuring four new multiplayer maps and one new Zombies map.

In a similar vein to the previous Uprising pack, the four new competitive maps consist of three entirely new experiences and one spruced up remake of a previous Black Ops stage. The first of these, Cove, takes place on a deserted island in the middle of international waters. The lawless ocean is a fitting place for organised murder and if you like your firefights to take place up close and personal, then Cove is likely to get you excited.

Probably one of the smallest maps on offer, the debris from a crashed airliner litters the tropical island and the mutilated cockpit forms the centerpiece of the mayhem offering the only opportunity to fortify your surroundings. Flat, straight beaches border the small arena too, providing some sniping opportunities whilst you lay in wait topping up your tan.

Rush is set in what we can only assume is an abandoned outdoor entertainment centre, as half the map is a dilapidated paintball course, with the other being an indoor sports hall. It’s a versatile stage, with paint splattered MDF boards and whitewashed walls offering up tight corridors perfectly suited to close combat.

Sniper nests overlooking the courtyard offer plenty of vantage points, with the indoor sports arena giving teammates the chance to bypass the mayhem by playing indoors with the conveniently placed foam pillars and blindingly fluorescent turf.

Our favourite of the bunch, Detour, takes place atop a heavily damaged suspension bridge. It’s a spectacularly designed map that promotes teamwork. The layered nature of the bridge means you can have teammates hold the many choke points of the surface whilst others descend into the bowels of the structure only to pop up like whack-a-moles and take pot-shots at the unassuming enemy.

Just take note of your footing, as we found ourselves on multiple occasions freefalling into the abyss through giant potholes in the floor.

That just leaves Uplink which is a remake of the Black Ops favourite: Summit. Taking place on a mountainside in a high tech, futuristic military base, Black Ops players will know it well. But Uplink is a great all round map with bottlenecks punctuating each side of the storm soaked map which all link into the multi-tier base in the centre of the complex.

Rounding up the package is Treyarch’s newest undead-fest, Buried. Like the previous offering of Alcatraz Prison, Buried is absolutely batshit crazy. Starting in a remote and abandoned processing plant, You’ll quickly find out that below you is a sprawling mining town full of Zombies, maze like cabins and a plethora of quirky easter eggs. Additionally, Buried is also home to a new ally, The Giant. This lumbering and incomprehensible fellow will help you to clear blocked areas and fell the Zombie horde when you feed him a staple diet of alcohol and candy.

Other new features include a new super weapon - the Ray Gun MK.II and the immensely helpful time bomb. This little gadget can be placed anywhere at any time and once activated, will return you to the wave in which you placed it. Buried feels much more confined and streamlined than Tranzit or Mob of the Dead, giving you the choice to simply fortify and defend an area rather than being forced to experience a hastily put together story that was never really needed in the first place. Those features are still there for the people that enjoy them, but you don’t feel like you have to move on at any point.

Like all the previous map packs for Black Ops 2, Treyarch has clearly put a commendable amount of effort into its latest offering. We hate repeating ourselves, but just as before, if you’re a massive Black Ops 2 fan, then a purchase is a no brainer, especially for season pass holders (who can download the DLC for free). For those that only casually play the seminal shooter series, there may be other games more deserving of your hard earned cash. Either way, Vengeance is another excellent addition to the series even if the value for money is still highly debatable.