Modern Warfare 2 is without doubt one of the biggest multiplayer games around, therefore new maps were always going to be welcome amongst its wide band of online followers. When Infinity Ward announced the Stimulus Pack for the game, there were no doubt a lot of happy people, but then came along the details, such as the 1200 MS point (£10.50) price tag and the fact that of the five maps included, two returned from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
So here we are, the new DLC has been released and having played it there is no doubt that the new maps are up to the same quality as those on the original disc, but you want to know if its worth it, and that is what we are here to tell you.
The three new maps on offer are Storm, Salvage and Bailout and they are all decent enough. The first map, Storm is set in an industrial environment, full of wooden pallets, containers and the like. There is a great many places to hide in Storm and thanks to this and its dull lighting, it is fantastic for game modes such as Search & Destroy and Sabotage. Bailout takes place in a war torn town, here there are abandoned hotels, old crumbling balconies perfect for sniping and also swimming pools which can be used for cover. This is probably my favourite map as it is quite unique compared to the rest, offering up something that at least feels a bit new. The final map of the new bunch is Salvage, here the area is covered in snow with stone pipes and abandoned buildings spread around the area, whether you like your combat close or not this map seems to have you covered, and not just in snow.
Most of the uproar regarding the Stimulus Package was due to the inclusion of Crash and Overgrown from Modern Warfare and to be fair these are probably the two best maps to be taken from the original game. Crash is a great map which complements any of the game types and is always popular even with those still playing the game now, while Overgrown was always one of the best for the sniper in us, as we could hide in the long blades grass to take the enemy out.
Whatever you want to say about Infinity Ward and Activision, they sure know how to make a multiplayer game. Everything included in the pack is very well designed and of high quality, but that doesn’t mean that it will sell.
There is no doubt that the Stimulus Pack is a fantastic addition to the online side of Modern Warfare 2, however it’s the price that is the main stumbling block and it could be this that is the games downfall. Sure hardcore fans are going to buy this at whatever the cost, however those who recently went out and bought Battlefield 2 and were rewarded free DLC on the same day the Stimulus Pack released, probably won’t even give it a second look.
