Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC Collection 1 Review

The first DLC collection for Modern Warfare 3 is about to arrive for non-premium elite members on the Xbox 360, it is the biggest DLC Call of Duty has ever had. Is it worth picking up for the 1200 Microsoft Points price? Here’s a breakdown of what is in the collection.

Liberation

Set in the middle of Central Park this map reminds me a lot of Wasteland from Modern Warfare 2. With long paths for snipers and hidden entrances everywhere you really need to keep your guard wherever you are. Down the centre of the map runs a dried out river which acts as the battle’s focus point. A very large map which will favour players who have patience.

Piazza

This map is set in Italy and is instantly recognisable as such. It has a lot of small, tight paths criss-crossing over and under one-another so it is always worth keeping an eye on the multiple levels to make sure no-one gets the drop on you. A varied and close-quarters centred map, team work is required to cover all the possible entrances.

Overwatch

Remember Highrise from Modern Warfare 2? Well the premise for this map is basically the same; a battleground 70 storeys up. The map is split into three areas; the centre bridge, the second storey and the outside circle. The bridge allows sniping along it as it has the range but is very open to being attacked. The second storey looks down on the centre bridge (a great way to get unsuspecting enemies) and, at certain parts, the outside circle. This makes it the most important place on the map and controlling it is vital. The outside circle allows for quick manoeuvres around the map without going through the centre. This map is large and can cater to every type of player.

Blackbox

The last multiplayer map in this content collection, the way to envisage this map is to think “what would happen if Air Force One crashed into a rich neighbourhood?” The map is has a range of buildings looking over the centre which means that there will nearly always be enemies (and allies alike) looking down from the buildings for easy kills. In the centre of the map is the crashed plane which you can actually go in, getting to and from the plane makes you go across open ground though. For this map you need to eagle-eyed to spot enemies watching over the area and I would definitely recommend equipping the Marksman perk.

So those are the multiplayer maps (they are also playable in the Survival mode). They offer a wide variation of types of gameplay and environments. The level design is just so much better than any of the maps that shipped on the disc as there are hardly any camping spots (and if there are they are hard to defend at times). As well as these four maps you also get, for the first time in Call of Duty history, new Spec Ops missions.

Black Ice

In Black Ice you (and a friend) are tasked with racing into a mine on a snowmobile, fighting your way into the heart of the facility, planting a bomb and getting the hell out of there. It’s great to see the snowmobiles back even if for a short time. Although the level is exactly the same as the mine mission from the single player you are taking it backwards so it does feel slightly different when you play it.

Negotiator

My favourite thing about this new Spec Ops mission is the requirements to beat it. Usually all you have to do it go from point A to point B then do the objective and then move on. This still slightly true in Negotiator as you do move on a linear path but on your way you need to save hostages, the first of which is actually your friend who you play with. If you do not save enough hostages by the end of the mission you fail, even if you made it there. It’s a nice change to just survive and you will complete the mission.

The collection as a whole is a great buy, the 1200 Microsoft Points feel more worth it when there are Spec Ops missions to keep going back to as well. I will say what I say for every piece of DLC content though; it’s only worth it if you spend a good amount of time playing the game anyway. Most gamers will know this but I thought I would point it out.

9.5/10