Call of Duty: Black Ops

CHICAGO – Clearly, Activision and Treyarch aren’t satisfied with dominating the shooter market for only part of the year; they want the entire calendar. How else to explain the most ambitious DLC expansion plan in console shooter gaming history?

CHICAGO – Proving yet again that they know how to keep fans happy with their downloadable content, Activision and Treyarch have released another excellent batch of multiplayer maps for their mega-hit “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” The DLC named “Call of Duty: Black Ops — Escalation,” available exclusively on the Xbox, includes four new maps and a new zombie adventure named “Call of the Dead” that would be worth the $15 price on its very own.

CHICAGO – Like most hardcore gamers, I’m not as easily impressed as I used to be. From the beginning of “Crysis 2,” and several times during my experience with the game, I was simply blown away. Whether it’s from the stunningly beautiful graphics (the best yet in the history of the Xbox), the deep customization that makes the game unique, or an incredibly deep multiplayer experience that is the most addictive since “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” this is a title that I know I will be playing on and off for the majority of 2011. It’s incredible.

CHICAGO – Do you judge a game based on quality or quantity? When players get to the end of the shockingly-brief single-player campaign of “Homefront” (under 4 hours on normal difficulty), they’re likely to think they’re being punked and the fact is that the multi-player is a kid’s wading pool compared to the depth of a title like “Call of Duty: Black Ops.”

CHICAGO – Are you exhausted by the original maps in “Call of Duty: Black Ops”? Have you played them so many times that you literally have them memorized to the point that you can dream about their every twist, turn, and hiding spot?

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Ascension

CHICAGO – This 11-image slideshow contains the official press images of the new maps soon-to-be available for “Call of Duty: Black Ops” in the DLC entitled “First Strike.” The add-on will be available on the XBLA on February 1st, 2011.

CHICAGO – We may be a little late to the wrap-up of the 2010 video game party, but there’s still time to take one final look back at the year that was before we get (more) addicted to “Little Big Planet 2” and “Dead Space 2.” What were the outstanding titles of the last twelve months? And what games will you still be playing in 2011? Chances are, these are the ten titles that won’t be leaving your console anytime soon.

CHICAGO – “Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam” is the best multiplayer DLC ever released. With some of the best-designed maps, period, DLC or disc-based, along with new weapons, vehicles, trophies, and even music, this is simply a must-download release. Even if you haven’t picked up “BBC2” in months and have departed its world for that of “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” this amazing release will suck you back in.

CHICAGO – It could still fall prone to some of the multiplayer glitches and failures that marred the experience with “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” but as of November 2010, “Call of Duty: Black Ops” is an amazing success and stands as one of the best games of its kind ever released.