Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare [PS3]

Last of the three main maps is Creek, the biggest map that has been in seen in Call of Duty 4 to date. As you might have guessed, it's an outdoor stage with rock faces that feature winding paths and trees and sandbags that provide cover at the top. It's perfectly suited for snipers to peer down on those trying to run along the creek and into the caves or up one of the paths to the small village with its shanty buildings and shacks. Creek was my least favorite as it was clearly geared towards long range battles and sniper exchanges. A few of the facets of Call of Duty 4's gameplay that have always escaped me.

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The fourth map is called Killhouse and, as the name indicates, is all about putting a group of players in a small, confined space and letting them loose. It's based off of the training level that introduces players to the COD4 world and is sure to be home to some of the most heated battles in the game. Killhouse is composed of many small wooden structures with one lookout post sitting in the middle of the map. The level was fairly symmetrical with concrete walls and structures providing plenty of cover for those looking to flee a standoff. The roof is open so airstrikes and helicopters are a serious advantage if you can stay alive long enough to earn them.

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Of the four maps that we tried, Broadcast was probably my personal favorite. It seemed to do a good job of providing players with different outlets to try and get the upper-hand. I never found myself pigeon holed into going the same route over and over and the skylight certainly provided us with plenty of harrowing moments.

Along with these four maps gamers will also get a retooled playlist. Gone is Old School Free-for-all and the Hardcore modes are being condensed into one grouping. New additions include Variety Pack Team Deathmatch and Variety Pack Team Objective which will be the two playlists to have the new maps and only the new maps available.

The first round of new maps for Call of Duty 4 are set to be released on Xbox 360 and PS3 in April. The price point for the pack has yet to be decided.

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