Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package: The Verdict

01 Apr 2010 at 00:00:00 by Andy Alderson

So following a few weeks of moaning from the gaming community and another troubled multiplayer launch for Xbox LIVE (as is traditional these days) the mythical Stimulus Package has finally arrived and Modern Warfare 2 fans have their first instalment of DLC. Obviously, there'll be an army of COD-o-philes willing to cough up 1200 MS Points without question for the new content but, equally, some of you amateur shootists out there remain undecided on the Stimulus Package and the price probably isn't helping. Well, lucky for you IncGamers cares enough (gets paid) to offer our verdict on the new Call of Duty maps and whether they are worth the hefty price tag.

Well, let's start with the highlight of the Stimulus Package, new map Bailout. Set in a sprawling apartment complex, Bailout is one of two large maps in the new selection. It instantly conjures memories of the Exodus level in the single player game, with the suburban setting offering a great backdrop to the carnage. With a nice balance of indoor and outdoor sections, Bailout features some  wicked chokepoints, especially in Domination mode with a fiendishly-placed flag B. The level also features a main street which, thanks to an abundance of cover, isn't the sniper haven it ought to be and while Bailout as a whole does have numerous 'spots', it is yet to become dominated by campers. Modern Warfare 2 is at its best when it places the multiplayer action in an untraditional setting (like Terminal) and Bailout is an imaginative, colourful and thoughtfully arranged map.

And from the zenith of the stimulus package to the nadir. While Salvage is arranged pretty well, from an aesthetic point of view, it's the (unwelcome) antidote to Bailout. Firstly, as a setting it's a little lacking in imagination. The scrapyard is neither a particularly original or visually appealing setting, offering the player a kaleidoscope of grey and slightly greyer. While, from a tactical point of view, the map is cleverly arranged with high piles of tyres and cars providing cover from snipers and a warehouse or two providing some indoor action, it's all just a little uninspiring. The robust COD4 engine is capable of creating some beautiful environments and it feels wasted on Salvage.

Storm sits somewhere between Bailout and Salvage. Again it's a bigger map and while IW has again opted for a slightly prosaic setting – the industrial estate -  Storm offers more to the player than Salvage. The large outdoor areas are open enough for snipers to rack up a few points while there are also enough buildings and discrete wee alleyways to offer an alternative route if you find yourself pinned down. Indoor areas range from large multi-storey warehouses to small brick structures and there are enough nooks and crannies in the map to satisfy the most ardent camper. There's also some nice visual style in Storm, with one section of a warehouse containing mannequins which, I guarantee, you will find yourself shooting by accident during tense moments. Storm proved to be a blast in Search and Destroy, with the large, varied areas and wealth of cover making for some epic last man battles.

And then we have Crash and Overgrown, two fan favourites from Call of Duty 4. Crash has always been a great map and immediately brings back fond memories of the COD4 multiplayer beta. Expertly designed, Crash focuses the action around a downed helicopter boxed in by buildings and it's wise to avoid the centrepiece of the map unless you fancy being shot from four sides simultaneously. Snipers still rule the periphery of the lush green Overgrown and it's a map best suited to Domination mode, with well-spaced control points allowing for a variety of flashpoints. Arguably, Overgrown does not sit too well with the killstreak-heavy Modern Warfare 2 and, once the skies become populated with harriers and choppers, it has the potential to become an exercise in tedium. While it's nice to try out some of the new kit on the old maps (there are some great sentry gun spots on Crash, especially), you can't help but feeling a little short-changed. The maps are essentially the same as their COD4 predecessors and, given IW's history of tweaking re-released maps (eg Chinatown), it's disappointing that Crash and Overgrown remain unchanged.

As a whole, it's hard to say that the Stimulus Package is worth the price tag. With only one excellent new map on offer, a couple of mediocre efforts and two unchanged favourites, it's not exactly a stellar release from Activision and Infinity Ward. It's unlikely that, a few years down the line, gamers will be waxing nostalgic about Salvage in retro threads about Modern Warfare 2. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the Stimulus Package is that, for a brief period which is almost at an end, the playing field was level again. No-one knew the maps and with everyone searching for their perfect little spots, there was balance in the chaos. Don't expect it to last too long. 

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