Call of Duty 4 Map Pack

March 17, 2008 - In November of 2007 the gaming industry was formally introduced to the fourth installment in one of the most popular first-person franchises of the last decade. The hype train had been chugging for quite some time but unlike most big releases, Call of Duty 4 delivered the goods and then some. So much so that not even Bungie's epic conclusion to Halo could hold a candle to what is arguably Infinity Ward's greatest achievement. Nearly six months removed and COD4 is still atop the Xbox Live charts with Halo 3 nipping at its heels.

We recently traveled to Infinity Ward's Burbank studios to get our hands on the first round of downloadable maps. There are four in the pack; three main attractions and one small bonus map. After honing our skills on the new playgrounds and tooling around nearly every mode, we feel obligated to let COD4 addicts know it's time to budget some cash for early April. Oh, and put away the sunscreen, you won't be needing that for awhile.

First things first, the names of the new maps: Broadcast, Creek, Chinatown (modeled after Call of Duty 2's Carentan), and Killhouse. We'll begin with Broadcast. As you may have guessed it's basically ripped from the "Charlie Don't Surf" level from early in the single-player campaign. As with most COD4 maps there are both outdoor and indoor sparring grounds with multi-tiered structures that can be used to a team's advantage if played properly. The inside of Broadcast is an office environment complete with cubicles, a separate room with television equipment, a main lobby area and what appears to be a copy room that's home to a massive skylight where the enemy can try and get the drop on an unsuspecting opponent. The smaller outdoor portion features abandoned vehicles which can be used as cover as well as a staircase leading to the roof and the aforementioned strategic skylight.



We demoed standard team deathmatch, search and destroy, and domination on Broadcast and came away feeling as though the map was best suited for search and destroy. One of the two rotating bomb sites sits right underneath the skylight making for some interesting firefights. On more than one occasion I got caught trying to crash the enemy's party and was left with nothing more than a view of my dead body falling to the ground below. A sight made all the better by the new kill cams for grenade and rocket kills.



Next up was Chinatown which features the requisite neon lighting and ancient looking statues to go along with the many shops that provide the perfect reprieve from the showdowns that take place on the streets. While Broadcast showcased many alternate routes and relatively wide open spaces, Chinatown was more about close-quarter combat. The kind of stuff that shotgun-toting madmen dream about. The buildings have tightly wound staircases that can be dangerous if you aren't properly equipped. Snipers can try their luck at peeking out one of the second story windows in hopes of landing a few shots, but hiding places don't last long. The map was easily the most straightforward in the new pack, but that doesn't mean that deathmatch won't be a blast to play.

Last of the three main maps is Creek, the biggest map that has been in seen in Call of Duty 4 to date. As you might have guessed, it's an outdoor stage with rock faces that feature winding paths and trees and sandbags that provide cover at the top. It's perfectly suited for snipers to peer down on those trying to run along the creek and into the caves or up one of the paths to the small village with its shanty buildings and shacks. Creek was my least favorite as it was clearly geared towards long range battles and sniper exchanges. A few of the facets of Call of Duty 4's gameplay that have always escaped me.



The fourth map is called Killhouse and, as the name indicates, is all about putting a group of players in a small, confined space and letting them loose. It's based off of the training level that introduces players to the COD4 world and is sure to be home to some of the most heated battles in the game. Killhouse is composed of many small wooden structures with one lookout post sitting in the middle of the map. The level was fairly symmetrical with concrete walls and structures providing plenty of cover for those looking to flee a standoff. The roof is open so airstrikes and helicopters are a serious advantage if you can stay alive long enough to earn them.



Of the four maps that we tried, Broadcast was probably my personal favorite. It seemed to do a good job of providing players with different outlets to try and get the upper-hand. I never found myself pigeon holed into going the same route over and over and the skylight certainly provided us with plenty of harrowing moments.

Along with these four maps gamers will also get a retooled playlist. New additions include Variety Pack Team Deathmatch and Variety Pack Team Objective which will be the two playlists to have the new maps and only the new maps available. The rest of the modes will rotate the new maps the same as if they were among the originals.

The first round of new maps for Call of Duty 4 are set to be released on Xbox 360 and PS3 in April. The price point for the pack has yet to be decided.