Ah, yes — finally we have some quality downloadable content again from Treyarch!

This time around, though, it is Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the DLC is titled First Strike. Honestly, the name is quite ironic, being as it is Black Ops’ first DLC. Anyways, here is a breakdown of what you get.

Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall is a very well put together map; it has something to offer every player. It has long corridors for snipers and close quarters for shotgun whores. One thing is actually pretty unique, and once you play on this map, you will notice it. Going down the very middle of the map is these giant red boxes on your minimap; don’t worry, though, you can go ahead and step into those! No, not really ... they are firing lines, and any player who steps foot in these red boxes is automatically dead before they can realize they made a mistake. It will also let you know that.

There are not too many perches for you snipers to sit on, as most of the combat is ground-level, with a few buildings that have a second story window. In these two-story buildings, though, the windows do not give you very good line of sight; usually it is a corner or something else is blocking your path.

For you close-quarter people, this is your chance to truly shine. There are a bunch of ins and outs and buildings ready for you to camp in a corner to shotgun some unsuspecting players. This is definitely a superb map.

Discovery

To be rather honest, Discovery reminds me a lot of the already current map called Summit. You might not recognize the name, but it is a snow level that is relatively small and has cable cars above you. Well, this is sort of like that map — just a little bit bigger and no cable cars. Except, you have a one-way trip to hell if you dare cross the bridge or go under it.

I must say, this particular map is a sniper’s haven, with a ton of wide-open ranges for you to choose from. On Discovery, you close-quarter people don’t want to bring your shotgun; machine guns and snipers only, people. I tried every single weapon on this map to see what fit best, and it appears that the Sniper class wins this one hands down. I will warn you, though, depending on the game type, you may find that the enemy is pretty well blending in. I had a hard time seeing enemies on this map; even on my big HDTV.

One thing I would like to point out regarding Discovery is that the map is large, and it was very well-designed. This is another superb map.

Kowloon

Ah yeah, the infamous Thundergun level in the campaign. This particular map is rather difficult to explain for me, as it is a little too simple. When I say that, it is not a bad thing; it is just plain. You have some ups and downs, as it is a bunch of rooftops and the occasional “OMFG, am I going to fall off the edge?” This map is best suited for SMG and Assault classes as there are no good places for a sniper. Other than a relatively small map (not as small as Nuketown), it is just mediocre. To be honest, this is my least favorite map.

Stadium

This is my favorite map out of the entire multiplayer portion of the DLC. If you are a Call of Duty fan, you should remember a certain map titled “Terminal” from Modern Warfare 2. Well, this map is Terminal — but with a better design and less airplanage.

Stadium is an insanely versatile map, utilizing each and every class — and utilizing them well. There are plenty of spots for people to camp, so I would really watch some areas. One thing you need to remember when you are playing on this map is to watch your back and strafe into corners. I say to do these simply because there are a ton of corners that you never know what is on the other side. I don’t know how many times I would run into a corner and get blown up by a C4 or Claymore. Face it; with this map, if you stick in one spot, the enemies are going to be funneled into your area, so be prepared. For you snipers, there are a lot of places to hide, including the stadium itself.

Ascension

ZOMBIES! Sorry, I had to get that out of the way before I began. This is more than likely the only reason you had purchased the DLC, right? Well, shame on you! This new zombie map is insanely huge — a lot bigger than “Five.”

When you begin, you will notice the little punch line: “The risen dead have overtaken a Soviet cosmodrome, and all hell has broken loose. The countdown to the zombie apocalypse has begun.”

Does that not sound just epic? It sure did to me, and man does that epicness carry over into the map. I am not joking when I say it is huge — multiple levels and plenty of windows to kill those pesky zombies. Now, I will not confirm or deny if there are any new additions or anything like that, because you just need to get in and find out for yourself. Go ahead, because you know you are one of those people who simply bought this DLC for this map. See, I wanted it simply because I love the work Treyarch does, and this map would be no different.

Overall this is an epic DLC. It’s definitely worth the purchase. Awesome job, Treyarch!