In what has been the quietest Call of Duty downloadable content drop in recent memory, Ghosts third DLC Pack arrived less than a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it was lost in all the E3 madness or maybe I’m just not paying as much attention as I used to. Whatever the case may be, such a quiet DLC launch left me questioning whether Infinity Ward ‘mailed it in’. Are they trying to sneak a stinker DLC pack past us? With no gimmicky horror character included or big budget trailer to go along with Invasions release, I felt like my skepticism was warranted. But that all changed, once I played it.
Just like all the other Call of Duty content drops, Invasion includes four new multiplayer maps, and a new Extinction level. It doesn’t include a new weapon which will disappoint some but this omission didn’t bother me the least considering I already have a few favourites I’ve barely begun to master. Likewise, there are no fearsome action characters but rather you get a smattering of unique perks. One of which includes the Death Mariachi killstreak where you are armed with dual-wielding pistols and every kill turns enemy players into a temporary squad mate. It’s certainly entertaining but hardly gives you the same thrill you get when playing as the Predator or Michael Myers.
The first map I played was “Pharaoh”. As you would guess this map takes place on an abandoned archeological site in Egypt. This map is hands-down one of the more dynamic maps in the game as it features collapsing monuments and urns full of flesh-eating scarabs. It is a larger map and is incredibly detailed. It is easily one of the more stunning Call of Duty multiplayer maps available. The action seems concentrated to a few areas but “Pharaoh” is arguably the best of the new maps.
Unlike “Pharoah”, I was least impressed with “Departed”. Sure I had some fun in this map as it features the Death Mariachi perk and some of the vibrant colours pop; however, shot outs in this Mexican town felt all too familiar. This being said, many folks I played with seem to enjoy it as it did receive a lot of votes in the pre-game lobby.
“Mutiny” is a fantastic looking night map that takes place on a remote Caribbean island and features a somewhat large pirate ship. I enjoyed this map a great deal as some of the abandoned trading posts and narrow pathways offer up some intense battles. Last but not least “Favela” is a refreshed version of a Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer map. It takes place in a Brazilian shantytown and looks so much better this time around. The details are quite stunning where buildings that were once under construction are now complete. It remains a map where snipers can have a hay day but all in all “Favela” is better than it has ever been.
If you downloaded previous Ghosts DLC then you know it included two of the four of Extinction’s episodic narrative. With Invasion you get “Episode 3: Awakening”. Episode 3 builds on the existing storyline but let’s face it, much like Treyarch’s Zombie mode there isn’t a riveting storyline here. Despite this the new level is enjoyable with some new creatures and some new weaponry added to the mix. It is quite easily the toughest of the Extinction levels and should be a welcome addition for Extinction fans.
If Call of Duty fans were disappointed with what Ghosts offered out of the box, Infinity Ward has made up for it in a big way with some rock solid downloadable content. Call of Duty: Ghosts Invasion DLC maintains that momentum by keeping the CoD online community happy with yet another drop of four entertaining maps and a challenging Extinction level. If you have already downloaded the previous two map packs, there is no reason why you shouldn’t take the plunge all over again.
