First, let's talk multiplayer maps. After all, this is where
Call of Duty thrives; the often-cited statistics regarding its history are capable of inspiring crippling fears as to where we're going as a species, but spend five minutes with the competitive play, and you'd easily understand why.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III -- Descent offers three fresh faces, as well as a bizarre twist on a classic.
Rumble is set in a stadium. Sounds kind of stale to you? Well, I didn't get a chance to explain that this stadium hosts battles between giant robots. The stadium is attractive and colorful, in the sense that it's amazing that it's as clean as it is. I'm not saying it's clean by any stretch, but considering what it plays host to, it's immaculate. It reminds me of the classic Gears of War 3 map Thrashball, but experienced with Black Ops III's verticality. It's great fun.
Berserk takes competitors to a long lost Viking village. Harsh conditions abound, from the frigid snowscape to its hazardous cliffside location. A pair of gargantuan sentinels stand watch over this ghost town, and they cut an imposing figure across the horizon, in the same way that Game of Thrones' Titan of Braavos does. Standards flap in the freezing wind, horns blow in the distance, and the muted color palette helps to deliver a moody, oppressive ambience.
Cryogen feels inspired by the Purgatory sequence from Mass Effect 2; this penitentiary, constructed in the middle of the Dead Sea, features a handful of exterior and interior locations to hold your engagements. The cells may be full, but the inmates are no threat, as not only are you the one with the guns, but they are encased in cryogenic stasis. Most of these map packs feature a distinctly futuristic offering, and this one fits the bill.
Empire rounds out the package with a strange but appealing take on Raid, a fan favorite from Call of Duty: Black Ops II. You see, it's just like Raid, if it was decorated like a villa from the Roman Empire. Strange? Yes. Random? Yes. Awesome? Yes.