For the past few years Activision has been following a very clear plan in regards to how it handles post-release support for Call of Duty: a collection of four map packs are released over the course of the year. These four map packs follow a very basic formula, three newly designed multiplayer maps, one remake of a “classic” Call of Duty map, and a map for the co-op mode of the year. Call of Duty: Ghosts is no different and we now, three months after the game’s release, get the Onslaught map pack.
Following the model, Onslaught features three new maps (Bay View, Containment, and Fog), a remake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s popular Scrapyard map (Ignition), and a new episode for Ghosts narrative centric, co-op mode, Extinction (Nightfall). Onslaught also features a new hybrid sniper/assault rifle (Maverick) for those looking to get their hands on some new weaponry.
Onslaught’s multiplayer maps come at a time when Ghosts core maps were starting to wear a bit thin for me, but added variety isn’t all that the maps bring to the table. This group of four quickly became my favorite selection of maps in the game. It all boils down to smart map design that works for the core game modes, something that many of the core game’s maps failed to do consistently.
The most hyped map of the bunch, Fog, is possibly the pack’s weakest. Set at nighttime in a swampy, foggy campsite, Fog is a map that I found hard to track enemies on due to its color scheme of dark blacks and blues. As a player of mediocre skill in the game, this can be something of an issue as more talented players easily, and consistently, picked me off from the darkness. Still, even at its worst, Fog manages to be more balanced than most of the core maps. It smartly uses different levels of terrain and a variety of tunnels and side passages to make the map feel more closed off than the core maps. There are still adequate spots for snipers to set up shop in but they don’t dominate the landscape and force players to be active on the map. This makes for a fast playing map where even a mediocre player like me can string together a few kills in a row and maybe even sneak up on a sloppy sniper.
Besides a particularly cool look though, the defining feature of Fog is that completing a field order grants the player the opportunity to play as Michael Myers of the Halloween franchise. Upon activating Myers, players transform into the Shape and attack enemies with an axe and brutal speed, all the while the iconic Halloween theme plays. It’s terrifying to encounter as an opponent and crazy, stupid fun to experience as the player.
Containment and Bayview round out the other two new maps. Containment is a multi-level map in a small town. The starting points are a church with multiple viewpoints across a ravine and a street corner across from a pair of local pubs. Control of the center of the map, where a pair of jackknifed tractor trailers sit, is the name of the game. From here players can take up vantage points on rooftops in doorways and by burnt out cars. Bayview presents a direct contrast to Containment as it is a labyrinth of open doorways and narrow halls that are wrapped around a boardwalk with an active trolley car on it. Much of the fighting takes place on the boardwalk and between a lighthouse and a two story restaurant but smart and quick players will find their way through the shops to flank their enemies and take up strategic positions. Because of its mostly tight quarters Bayview offers the fastest playing of the new maps and also feels the most balanced, making it in my mind the best of the bunch.
The final multiplayer map is Ignition, a remake of the “classic” Modern Warfare 2 map, Scrapyard. Scrapyard was certainly one of the best maps in Modern Warfare 2 and the Onslaught remake does it justice. All the features you remember from it are in play. Sniper positions on either end of the map, a series of tunnels in the middle and two giant structures to set up shop in on the sides. And it plays just as you remember it as well, lightning-fast and super fun. If it weren’t for the inclusion of Bayview in this pack, Ignition would be its shining star. As it stands, it is simply the second best map in the game. This highlights a major issue with Ghosts. The core gameplay is still insanely fun but Infinity Ward messed up some key features when it designed this iteration of Call of Duty. The biggest of these was map balance, something Infinity Ward was, once upon a time, quite good at.
The last piece of the Onslaught puzzle is Nightfall. Part of the Extinction co-op mode, Nightfall is the first episode in explaining the narrative as to why there are aliens everywhere. Not having a ton of experience with Extinction puts me at a slight disadvantage in talking about it but I did give both Nightfall and the core game mode a try and both feel and play about the same with Nightfall ramping up the difficulty much quicker though. As with any Horde type co-op mode you’ll want a team that works together and communicates. Playing with randoms is a sure-fire way to defeat as well as being called something derogatory.
I personally enjoyed playing on the Onslaught specific playlists over the 10 hours I sampled the pack more than I have with anything Call of Duty-related in quite some time. While a criticism about the fact that the DLC is better than the actual game is certainly a valid one, and one every player needs to wrestle with themselves when engaging with Call of Duty: Ghosts, the fact remains that this is great content no matter how you slice it. If you are playing still playing Ghosts, or plan on playing Ghosts, there is no way around it: Onslaught is a must.
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