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Call of Duty: Black Ops II DLC brings killer halfpipes ‘exclusively’ to the Xbox 360

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Call of Duty: Black Ops II Revolution DLC
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Worldwide mega-publisher Activision has released the latest salvo of news on the upcoming “Revolution” downloadable content pack planned for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and the wealth of information is simultaneously worrying and impressively inventive.

Central to Activision’s press release is word that the Revolution DLC will be offered “exclusively” to those players who enjoy Black Ops II via Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console. We put quotation marks around that word because as usual this exclusivity deal is a momentary agreement. Though the press release repeatedly trumpets the arrangement — Microsoft no doubt paid a hefty sum for this scheme — it also states that the Revolution DLC will debut on the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 29 “with other platforms to follow.”

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As for what’s contained in the downloadable addition, Activision’s PR representatives apparently decided that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a full video preview of the DLC pack must be the equivalent of a million-word description. Thus, below this text, you’ll find footage of developers from Treyarch walking prospective players through the list of features found in Revolution. This includes four new multiplayer maps, a new map and gameplay mode for the fan-favorite Zombies mode, and Call of Duty’s first DLC weapon, the Peacekeeper.

In case that clip isn’t enough, have a look at Activision’s official description of Revolution:

Revolution takes players to unexpected new locales the world over. “Downhill” is set in the ski country of the French Alps, where players fight their way down the slopes and through a ski lodge, while avoiding the moving hazards of the mountain’s gondola system. Opponents must dodge the floodwaters in “Hydro” as they contend for dominance of this hydroelectric dam facility in Pakistan, filled with treacherous spillways. “Mirage” pits players in competition amidst the sand dunes of a dilapidated luxury resort in the sandstorm-devastated Gobi Desert, where a range of long-distance and close-quarters combat will mix up the action for all play styles. Finally, “Grind” transports players to the historic birthplace of skateboarding, California’s Venice Beach, where they will battle it out through the ramps and half-pipes of this massive, epic skate park in a multiplayer environment comprised of unique curved architecture requiring players to adapt and learn new ways to take cover. Each map in Revolution delivers a uniquely exhilarating new landscape for tactics and battle.

Revolution also delivers a lethal bonus multiplayer weapon, the “Peacekeeper.” This powerful SMG, accompanied by its own set of weapon challenges for additional XP, is unlocked to all Call of Duty: Black Ops II fans that pick-upRevolution.

Additionally, Revolution transports players to the Far East, where they will attempt to overcome a zombie infestation inside a series of collapsed skyscrapers towering over the remains of an obliterated Chinese city. In this new and original Zombies map, “Die Rise,” players will wield powerful, upgradable Wonder Weaponry as well as combine new buildable devices to fight a relentless army of the undead throughout Escher-esque sceneries over a deep and perilous chasm. And in a twist, Treyarch has added a new game mode, “Turned,” where players can finally complete against each other as a zombie!

As the press release and below vignette point out, the most impressive aspect of the Revolution DLC lies in its creative new maps. The “Hydro” map for instance, includes periodic flash floods that can instantly wipe players out, while “Grind” drops virtual soldiers into the middle of a skate park in Venice Beach, California. Further, the new “Turned!” gameplay mode finally allows fans of Call of Duty’s Zombies to play as shambling, flesh-hungry corpses tasked with chomping on other players.

The one truly worrying aspect of the Revolution DLC however comes in the form of that new weapon it offers. We don’t have enough information on the Peacekeeper to fully evaluate it just yet, but if the gun is noticeably more powerful than the weaponry the game offers by default, players could easily face a situation where they’re forced to buy the Peacemaker just to remain competitive in Black Ops II’s online multiplayer components. It could turn out to be a simple aesthetic design change, but given how readily Activision is hyping this addition, we expect the Peacemaker to offer some level of novel functionality.

The Revolution DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be available for purchase on the Xbox 360 as of January 29. If purchased individually the addition will set you back $15, though you can pick it up at a discounted price as part of the Call of Duty: Black Ops II season pass.

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Earnest Cavalli
Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
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