Call Of Duty: Ghosts Devastation DLC Review

As someone who still plays Call of Duty: Ghosts on a pretty regular basis, and still enjoys it quite a bit, the release of new DLC is always an exciting event for me. Unfortunately, I think we were all let down by the last add-on, Onslaught. It was over-priced and offered up a mostly bland serving of content. With this add-on, however, Activision is starting to make up for past mistakes.

Titled Devastation, the DLC brings us four new maps (one of which is a remake), a new weapon and of course, an additional co-op map for the Extinction mode. It’s all pretty standard stuff, and certainly nothing game-changing. That being said, thanks to the inclusion of the Predator, and some clever map design, this newest offering feels significantly improved from what we were given a few months back.

I think it makes sense to dive into the maps first as that’s likely where most people will spend the majority of their time. For me, personally, the one I enjoyed the most was Ruins. Set amongst some Mayan temples in a jungle, the map is made up of chambers, staircases and corridors, making it a great option for those who like to engage in close quarters combat. The environment used here looks great as well, with both the foliage and ruins of the temples exhibiting a ton of detail.

The best part about Ruins though is not the way it’s designed or how it looks. No, it’s the inclusion of the Predator. Yes, the same one that terrorized movie audiences, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, back in the 80s. The concept is similar to what we saw with Michael Meyers on the Fog map back on the Onslaught DLC. While some may call the whole thing a gimmick, I still think that it’s a great idea and offers something fresh and fun.

This time around, you’ll be able to use thermal vision to hunt your prey and melee opponents with your claw. The best feature of the character though is that when he dies, he self-destructs, taking out almost everyone around him. Of course, the Predator music accompanies the monster on the battlefield, letting everyone else know that they’re being hunted.

Again, some may not like the whole idea of introducing classic horror icons into Call of Duty, but I’m completely on board with it and in my eyes, the Predator is another great addition to the game.

The next map that stands out here is Unearthed (which is a remake of Modern Warfare 3‘s Dome). Complete with underground bunkers and cranes for sniping, I found myself constantly voting for it. Sure, it’s a bit small, but that just means that it makes for a more frantic battlefield, which I happen to enjoy. Also, if you know where to look, you’ll run into a nice little Extinction-related surprise on this map.

With the last two maps, it seems as if Infinity Ward got a bit lazy. Titled Collision and Behemoth, they both take place on a tanker and feel way too similar. While the long and narrow design is welcome, and helps you avoid getting flanked, I can’t figure out why the development team opted to have two of the four new multiplayer maps set on a boat. The only real difference between them is that Collision has a bit more room to run around and takes place in the daylight. Aside from that though, the two maps feel pretty close to one another and while neither of them are poorly designed, I just wish we had got another setting/environment.

If you’d rather spray your bullets into aliens rather than humans, then you may want to check out the new Extinction map. Unfortunately, it continues the boat trend as it also takes place on a tanker. Luckily, it’s still quite enjoyable. The Kraken boss is a blast to fight and some of the new alien species provide a welcome challenge. It would have been nice to see them set the level somewhere aside from on a tanker, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with it.

Finally, there’s a new SMG included here but since I’m more of an assault rifle guy, I quickly switched back to my Honey Badger after only a couple rounds of using the new gun. It controlled well and was actually quite powerful, but like I said, I stick exclusively with assault rifles in the game.

So, that just about does it for Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Devastation DLC. Is it worth the price tag? For CoD enthusiasts, absolutely. Two of the four maps are great, and while the remaining two are pretty similar, they still provide a fresh battleground for you to increase your K/D ratio on. If you only play the game occasionally though, or are on the fence about adding more maps into your playlist, I’d suggest giving it some serious thought. Even with the wonderful inclusion of the Predator, I’m still not sure if the DLC pack is worth its hefty $15 asking price.