More Fun To Rage Over | Call of Duty: Ghosts – Onslaught DLC Review

Not too long ago I wrote a “polite” editorial claiming that Call of Duty: Ghosts’ multiplayer is the worst one in the series. I wrote it before the DLC Onslaught was released and left a little hope that those four maps would be better. I didn’t actually expect them to be any better, and was setting myself up for the inevitable disappointment. I was wrong. While Onslaught is not groundbreaking or life-changing in anyway, the four maps you are given in Onslaught are well designed and are now my favorite maps in all of Ghosts. Plus a new level in Extinction mode makes this DLC even more appealing.

Before we get to the maps, let’s break down the latest gun that you will receive for purchasing the DLC. The Maverick doubles as two guns: an assault rifle and a sniper rifle. You can’t switch the Maverick on the fly in-game, you have to select it from the class list in the menu like any other weapon. As a sniper the Maverick is pretty similar to the other sniper’s out there. It is a one shot kill waist up with low recoil. There is a pretty aggressive tracker scope attached that may be even more useful than a thermal scope.

The Maverick also can be used as an assault rifle, which is how most people use it. The fire rate is average at best, and probably a little slower than most guns, but the baby packs a mean punch. Land a few fits with this gun and you’ll take down anyone. Not to mention it has almost no recoil and very little weapon sway, the gun is highly accurate at long range and close range. Everyone uses this gun now and with good reason. It is highly effective, which really means, it is overpowered, but hey, Call of Duty isn’t about being fair, it’s about winning—well actually no. It’s about your KDR probably.

Moving onto the maps I’ll start with the one that has been brought back and updated from Modern Warfare 2: Ignition. In one way it is fun to play on a map that I loved a few years ago, but in another way, it feels almost cheap that the developers are selling us the same map we’ve already played. There have been some changes made, so at the very least the map wasn’t copy and pasted into Ghosts. Of course it looks much prettier than before, and there is a lot more detail added. More importantly, gameplay wise there is now an underground tunnel to help you move between sides without being stuck in the open. Anyone who hasn’t played this map before will probably enjoy it for how well constructed it is. Those who have already played it, you will certainly feel the nostalgia. Getting the sabotage care-package in this level will ignite the test engine, essentially burning anyone near it or in the tunnel to a crisp.

The next map is Containment. This map takes place in an urban environment. The main feature is a dried riverbed splitting the map in half, with buildings on each side. There is a bridge in the middle connecting the two sides, but has a truck carrying something nuclear that causes your radar to scramble. It is a nice little touch that makes running up the middle even more dangerous. You can fight back and forth across the riverbed, or storm the other side, and fight in and out of buildings. There are multiple paths to cross sides, so you won’t be bottlenecked into one small area. There are sniper spots, but they can’t see over the whole map, which is a nice counter-balance system. You only have to deal with snipers if you go that way, but you can always sneak around. The sabotage in this level is a mortar strike that blows up the bridge in the middle, altering the terrain, and of course, killing anyone near it.

The best looking map is probably Bayview: a seaside resort and another small urban environment. There are plenty of buildings to run in and out of and paths to flank. There are a couple high spots for snipers to perch on and pick off unsuspecting victims. What really sets Bayview aside is the trolley that moves North and South on the West end. It sounds gimmicky, and I honestly can’t argue against that. What I do know is there is strange enjoyment in riding that trolley into enemy territory. The first time I played the map, three other guys jumped in with me. Like a carnival ride, we rode along the tracks shooting at anything we could see. We didn’t last very long, and there are almost no tactical advantages to riding in it, but frankly, it’s just fun. There was one time I laid down in the trolley to try and sneak into enemy territory. It worked well the first time, so I tried it again, only to find someone put an I.M.S down on it, virtually making it moving minefield. The Sabotage in this level is a mortar strike.

Last, but certainly not least, is Fog. This eerie little cabin in the woods has one main house to fight over, some open swampy area, and then a bunch of twisty paths in the middle. There are plenty of corners you need to check, and a lot of matches tend to revolve around a tug-of-war over the house. People tend to hide a lot in this match, or run around with shotguns. All the twists and bends make it ideal for close quarters combat. There are still places to snipe from, but they can’t overlook the entire map. The best part of Fog is the reward for earning a Sabotage care-package. You become Michael Myers, wearing a plastic hockey mask, holding a hatchet, and running around wreaking absolute havoc. Gameplay wise, you are just a Maniac in another skin, but it fits the level so perfectly. The music even changes to the theme from Halloween. There is nothing more bone chilling than hearing the melody begin playing, and then seeing a crazed maniac sprinting at you.

The four multiplayer maps in Onslaught are all small to medium sized, so of course, if you like big maps you won’t like this DLC.  All four are incredibly well designed, with proper sightlines throughout each level. Unlike many of the other Ghosts’ maps where it can be hard to find people because they are either too big or designed too complexly. These maps are all small and simple, because sometimes simple is best. There are rarely any bottleneck points to get trapped in, snipers can’t control the entire map, you can always find people, but you aren’t constantly being shot in the back. The best way to describe these maps is with one word: fun. That’s all you really want out of maps, isn’t it?

After I purchasing these four maps, I can’t even go back and play the others anymore. I’ve tried and hated all the original maps, and I am perfectly content with playing these four maps over and over until the next DLC comes out. They really are that much better, but that could also be due to how bad all the other maps are. In that regard, these maps really aren’t anything that special, there is no great environmental interaction, or really anything to set these maps aside from all the other Call of Duty maps over the years. These maps could only be so much fun to play, because the other maps in Ghosts are so bad, it is hard to say for sure.

No need to worry, I didn’t forget about the Extinction mode, which I’m sure many people will purchase this DLC solely for the purpose of playing Extinction. Onslaught is the first chapter in the Extinction series that the other three DLCs will expand on. There were some tests that went bad maybe, or perhaps they were done on purpose, but frankly, I don’t really care about the story. I only care about how much fun the level is. It only took me a few attempts to beat the original Extinction mode, so I was a little worried this level wouldn’t pose much of a challenge. I’m still trying to decide if it was harder or not.

The only real challenge of the first original Extinction level is the ending, when you need to run back to the helicopter and all hell breaks loose. In Nightfall, the ending is easier comparatively, because it is a boss fight that was easier than I thought it would be. The difference in Nightfall is the individual hives, because those are certainly more challenging. The enemies are tougher and there are more of them from the very beginning. By the fifth hive I was already fighting two Rhinos. Still, I was able to beat Nightfall by my fifth try, so I can’t claim it is definitely harder. I really wish it was longer as well, I was a little surprised by how short the level is. There are also no new classes or perks, which would have been nice to see. Nightfall is still undeniably a fun time to be had with friends, and is the start to an interesting series of Extinction levels.

Having said all these good things, I do have to state there really isn’t anything too different here. I wasn’t blown away with anything special, and I’m not saying “You must buy this DLC!” You get some new maps, a new round of Extinction, and an overpowered gun. This DLC isn’t life changing to the Call of Duty series in anyway, and it isn’t something you want to purchase if you weren’t a fan of Ghosts. The DLC maps are far better than a majority of the original maps; however, so if you like Ghosts’ multiplayer, but just don’t like the maps, then this could be exactly what you need. I recommend this DLC for any COD lovers out there who are looking for some smaller and better designed maps. The Extinction mode doesn’t disappoint either, even if it wasn’t as challenging as I was hoping (that’s what relics are for I suppose). Onslaught may not be anything amazing, but it is still fun and a good way to kick off the Call of Duty DLCs.

This review is based off a retail copy of the Playstation 4 version of Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught developed by Neversoft and Raven Software and Distributed by Activision.