The DLC Map Pack entitled ‘Annihilation’ for Call of Duty Black Ops which some say in the best content yet for the game, is now available for the Playstation 3 and the Windows PC.  It includes the 4 multiplayer maps along with the even more unique than any other, the zombie map ‘Shangri-La’, just watch out for the monkey’s – they will steal your money.  Our review of the DLC and here is the official press release.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Call of Duty®: Black Ops detonates its latest downloadable content pack on PlayStation®3 and Windows PC gamers with the release of Annihilation, the third DLC pack for the critically acclaimed and best-selling title.

Fans have logged billions of hours in Call of Duty: Black Ops since its record-setting debut in 2010.  Annihilation packs four of the most varied and intense Black Ops maps to date, along with a new Zombies experience filled with countless hours of new gameplay.

The Annihilation content pack includes:

• “Hangar 18,” buried deep within the military black site Area 51, where gamers will battle through experimental weapons labs, the SR-71 test hangar and a mysterious autopsy room.
• “Drive-In,” where players engage in close-quarters combat through a 1960s drive-in theater, complete with snack shack and a classic arcade.
• “Silo,” a massive multilevel battleground tucked within a super-secret Soviet era nuclear missile site.
•  “Hazard,” perched on the verdant Cuban cliffside, where gamers traverse a coastal golf course fit for a dictator. This is the only set of links where the hazards shoot back.
• “Shangri-La,” the all-new Zombies experience, which transports players to a mythical paradise overrun with the undead. Face off against new species of zombies and navigate a treacherous labyrinth of underground caverns, all set within a lost jungle shrine.

“Annihilation delivers four of the best Black Ops multiplayer maps, and a mind blowing new Zombies experience with Shangri La,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “With Annihilation, fans are really going to have a lot of fun continuing to play Black Ops online for a long time to come.”

Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language.  For additional Call of Duty updates and information, visit us on the web at www.callofduty.com/blackops, www.facebook.com/codblackops, and also via Twitter @Treyarch.  In celebration of this launch, Treyarch will host Double XP across all platforms, including Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Windows PC, starting Friday, July 29th through Sunday, July 31st.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Call of Duty and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Windows PC is a registered trademark of the Microsoft group of companies.

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.

Predictably enough, Black Ops gets a new map pack. This one adds four multiplayer maps, and one Zombies mode map.

It’s become a predictable routine, down to the point of it being like clockwork now. Every year, Activision will release a ‘new’ Call of Duty game in November, which will go on to break records at retail, and then in the numbers of hours clocked in online. Activision will then proceed to follow the title up with two expansions, which will add 3-5 new multiplayer maps to the main game.

Last year’s Call of Duty: Black Ops, developed by Treyarch, was the best Call of Duty game since Modern Warfare, with an excellent campaign and a fun to play multiplayer mode. The developers have since then added to the experience with Escalation, the first DLC set released for the title. The latest one, Annihilation, is notable for adding five more maps to the main multiplayer mode, which includes a Zombies map, Shangri-la.

Of course, at this point, if you’re reading this review, you probably already know the ins and outs of Call of Duty’s multiplayer already, and are most probably just wondering if the quality of the maps in this new set is worth the $15 premium that you’ll be charged for it. So, without stopping to explain the intricacies of Call of Duty’s fast paced gunplay, I’m just going to jump straight to the point and expound on whether the maps warrant the investment.

Of the four new multiplayer maps, Silo is probably the best new addition.

So, let’s cut straight to the chase. This map pack includes four maps for your regular multiplayer modes-  Drive In, Hazard, Silo and Hangar 18. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at just how well constructed these maps were. Whereas I wouldn’t call any of them balanced- but then again, if you’re looking for balance in a Call of Duty game, you’re doing it wrong- they all serve the core gameplay of the game exceedingly well.

Drive In is a small, highly packed map, with little room to hide. It provides intense non stop run and gun action, and it reminds me a bit of the Nuketown map in the core Black Ops game, as well as the Stadium map from First Strike. It’s got everything- a vantage point for snipers (behind the neon signs, just to save you trouble), as well as iron fences to take cover behind. It’s fun to play, and I can certainly see it becoming one of the more popular maps.

We then have Hazard, and this is probably my least favorite one of the lot. The map seems to favor long range shots, which means that this vast map is paradise for snipers and campers. Considering that Call of Duty is all about fun, face to face gunplay, this kind of kills the pace, and it seems to heavily favor camping. I personally try to avoid this map as much as I can, but Call of Duty’s rather, shall we say skewed, matchmaking often lands me in this one anyway.

The next two maps-  Silo and Hangar 18- are incredible, with the former being my favorite map of the bunch, as well as one of my favorite Black Ops maps overall. The map, which is modeled on a missile facility, has lots of narrow passageways, flank routes, warehouses to hide in, everything, and it favors the traditional Call of Duty gameplay, the kind that I prefer, the most. Hangar 18, on the other hand, a medium sized map, is great as well, especially with its vantage point in the center (although that can make you an easy target for any and every sniper). Unlike most other Call of Duty maps, Hangar 18 eschews the traditional vertical complexity in favor of a more two dimensional horizontal one.

Shangri-la is probably the best Zombies map yet.

Finally, there’s Shangri-la, for Zombies mode. It’s a romp to play through, and may just be the best Zombies map yet. If you enjoy Zombies mode, then Shangri-la would almost warrant the purchase of the map pack all on itself (except that the map pack is $15, and $15 for one map seems a bit excessive).

Ultimately, if you enjoy Call of Duty: Black Ops, and plan on playing it for some more time now (probably until Modern Warfare 3 hits later this year), then this purchase is recommended. I have some reservations still, based mostly on the price, but hey, the maps are high quality and well made, and above all, they’re fun. When playing Call of Duty, that, I think, is what matters the most.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is T-minus 13 days away from launching its latest content pack on the PlayStation3 entertainment system and Windows PC with the worldwide release of Annihilation, the third DLC for the blockbuster title from Activision and Treyarch.

“With Annihilation, the team at Treyarch and Activision has shown its continued commitment to bringing new and unique content to our fans,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia.  “Players are getting four of the best multiplayer maps to date with Hangar 18, Drive-In, Silo and Hazard.  They also get a brand new dose of thrills in Shangri-La, our latest Zombies offering, packed with deadly traps and dark secrets buried within the shifting walls of an ancient and mysterious temple.”

Stay tuned to GB for more info.