The first DLC map pack for Black Ops is here and it’s great! Not only do you get four great new maps for the online component, but also a cool new map for Zombies to sink your teeth into. If you were at all querying whether or not to purchase this new map pack, you can rest assured that you’re getting your money’s worth.
Kowloon
This map pits you on the rooftops of Chinese city Kowloon. Plagued by rain and dark colours, this is one of the darkest maps in Black Ops. There’s definitely a sense that you’re running from building to building across rooftops, which seems to have been Treyarch’s intention. One of the most intriguing elements of this map's design is the unconventional route layout; there’s barely a straight and uncompromised path to be found, with movement from building to building normally involving a large jump across platforms. This makes combat a little bit more interesting, as you now also have to keep an eye out for small holes and gaps that you would otherwise expect to be there. Treyarch has done a great job of portraying the feeling of being on rooftops, thanks in part to the countless broken pathways and death drops.
Traveling from one point of the map to the other is made easy with the inclusion of a zip line, which improves speed but obviously makes you vulnerable to any enemies down below. It's a neat little addition, especially if you have an enemy waiting for a carepackage in the open area below.
Stadium
Stadium is set in and around a US ice hockey rink, with a central location and a number of fantastic flanking points making it a worthy addition to the map list in Black Ops. This is not a map to take lightly though; killstreaks will be aplenty and ratios will be hurt, thanks in part to the maps numerous dead ends and maze-like central corridor. The action is quick and intense on this map – think Terminal in Modern Warfare 2 – and with a number of decent vantage points, as well as the opportunity to flank your enemy at will, Stadium may very well propel up the ranks as the best map in Black Ops.