MW3

Treyarch and Activision released the new video trailer for the latest DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops.




In continuing with past releases, the DLC will include 4 multiplayer maps and 1 zombie map.

Multiplayer Maps:

• Drive-In
• Hazard
• Hangar 18
• Silo

Zombie map:

• Shangri-la

Further detail about each map:

Drive-In
Close quarters combat focus. The map does look pretty small, with 4-5 buildings that facades similar to those of fast food outlets.

There seems to be some key vantage points here and great opportunities for call outs. As always, the playerbase is often split on the topic of small maps like Nuketown, where some enjoy the opportunity for fast-paced, close quarters combat and whereas some prefer large maps and the opportunity to 'hold an area down'.

Hazard
This seems to be a sniper map, as the video trailer describes it: 'Manicured fairways, cliff side coastal vistas and snipers hidden in the sand traps'. So according to the small blurb, this location is in fact a golf course intended for sniping and long-range gameplay.

Ah yes, LOTS of vantage points and quite a few lines of sight. Reminiscent of villa?

Silo
The blurb for this one is obscured in the trailer, the most legible text reads: 'Perfect for a super sized kill .. Add an extra helping of soviet'. Well, that helps doesn't it? Gameplay of the map itself shows a medium - large map, with even more vantage points and the use of snipers. It also appears as if the map is home to rockets hidden inside silo containers - can we expect another shaky, Launch style map?

So it looks like a large-ish, long-range combat based map? Big lines of sight and possibly some gattling guns?

Hangar-18
'A plate of experimental weapons, an SR-71, an autopsy room, with a side of mysterious black vans.' .. Interesting. On initial thought, I assumed the SR-71 would be some kind of mechanism where both teams or all players would be given the benefit of a blackbird for a short amount of time. When rationality kicked in, I realised that it was probably just the physical plane that would be inside of a hangar. Thanks, rationality. So this map appears to be some kind of government hangar.

This map actually looks incredibly interesting - but also reminds me of Stockpile (dammit). Seems like its going to be a lot of in-building warfare (close quarter combat). As you can see, the SR-71 is infact physically in the map, as are the autopsy rooms. I'm unsure of the size or 'type' of this map, but it looks like a medium sized battlefield.

Zombie Map:

Shangri-La

So, this looks interesting - the map is set in an 'Aztec' location with waterfalls and towering stairs leading to possible temples?

Looks like zombie monkies are set to return from ascension?

Also looks like some kind of trap-mechanism is available here? Although it seems to be automatically triggered, rather than something you buy and activate.

^ That'll be great for trains of zombies.

Set to make its return is also the quick revive (of course all the machines and dispensers will be returning for this map). Also being introduced are female zombies!

And some kind of water features/mechanisms? Will be involved. Presumably like the ice in 'Call of the Dead'.

The DLC map pack will first be available for Xbox 360, then released later for PS3 and PC. They'll probably follow suit and be priced at $15 US.

Well this all does look interesting, although I am not personally a fan of DLC. I skipped out on First Strike but did end up buying Escalation, only to be disappointed with the multiplayer maps and frustrated by George (and teammates that LOVE shooting him) in zombies. I'm not 'hard to please' by any means, but the multiplayer maps were in no comparison to the well-balanced stock maps available.

Main article can be found here that goes over gun information and leaks so just click this.

Multiplayer Info

Leaked and confirmed weapons:

• Scorpion

The Skorpion SMG featured in both COD 4 and Call of Duty Black Ops. Relatively high damage weapon with high mobility (as consistent with all SMGS). Famously used in Akimbo form by youtube commentator, xcaliz0rz (SUPRISE, BITCH!). Akimbo attachment is most prominently used in Black Ops.

• MP5

Said to be based on the mp5 from COD 4 rather than the mp5k found in Black Ops. Has a 'new look' (it's sexy) and hopefully has less recoil than the mp5k found in BO. According to Shaun Hutchinson, the mp5 did have significantly less recoiled when tested in Spec Ops mode during E3. 

• SCAR-H

Conflicting sources here, the Scar-H is listed on some sites as leaked whereas the Scar-L is featured on other sources. L is representative of light, and H of heavy. The weapon is set to make its return from MW2.
 

• MP412 pistol

Designed by the company that gifted us the Makarov (BO), this is a double action .357 magnum revolver.

• M21

Conflicting sources again on whether this is a variant of the M14 or a M21. The M14EBR was included in MW2 as a sniper rifle whereas the M14 was featured in Black Ops as an assault rifle. It looks to make a return in some form, in the next installment of Modern Warfare 3.

• RSASS

The Remington Semi-Automatic Sniper System will be introduced as a sniper rifle in Modern Warfare 3 as suggested by leaked screenshots.
 

• Model 1887

First making its appearance in MW2, the 1887 is infact making its returning in the next installment this November. The staggering range of this shotgun and the use of shotguns as a secondary in Infinity Ward's MW2 made for a somewhat 'unbalanced' weapon (as labelled by the userbase). Inscribed on this shotgun is 'Hasta la Vista'.

• P99 pistol

Developed in Germany, this semi-automatic pistol is set for inclusion.

• AK-47

An ever-popular assault rifle, the AK will be returning, conforming to its presence in COD4, MW2 and Black Ops. Although further development is expected, the new 'skin' is modernised and sleek, in contrast to its past appearances that had a significant inclusion of wood.

• ACR

With virtually no recoil in MW2, the ACR will be making its return. Not the most widely used assault rifle in the last installment of the 'Modern Warfare' series, however the rapidly increasing use of uncommon weapons (as popular in black ops - olympia, stakeout, uzi and skorpion use) may promote the use of such a weapon in the next game.

• Barrett .50 Cal

Present in COD 4 and MW2, this sniper rifle will be returning. 

• Striker

This 12-gauge Striker Shotgun will be returning from MW2. Labelled 'The New Striker' in screenshots.

• 3-20 Grenade Launcher

Developed by the US Army, the M320 will be present in MW3 (much to the dismay of various niche groups of the playerbase). Grenade launchers were much disputed in past titles, specifically MW2, where range and damage statistics qualified the weapon/attachment as over-powered and therefore over-used. 

• AA-12

This automatic shotgun will be present as it was in MW2.

• KSG

12-Gauge pump action shotgun, this weapon was developed in the US and will be introduced with the next installment of Modern Warfare.

• G-36

Developed by Heckler and Koch in the 1990s, this assault rifle will be included, as it was in COD4. 

• Magpul FMG

An interesting inclusion, this SMG is a foldable machine gun that was designed for covert-use and concealment. Made out of polymer material, the weapon is of a light-weight.

Maps:

• Alpha
• Alps
• Bootleg
• Bravo
• Brooklyn
• Carbon
• Coast
• Dome
• Exchange
• Hardhat
• Interchange
• Lambeth
• Meteora
• Mogadishu
• Paris
• Plaza 2
• Radar
• Seatown
• Underground
• Village

 Perks that will NOT be returning:

• Commando
• One Man Army
• Second Chance

Call of Duty Elite:

Contrast to previously thought (..well, feared) the majority of Call of Duty: Elite and its core features will infact be free to the COD playerbase. The service offers features such as stat tracking, multiplayer heat maps, clan making/joining, group creation and forums, video uploading capabilities and further capabilities that will be announced/discovered upon release. Also available is the option to sign up for a Beta for the Elite service, which can be found here.



Modern Warfare 3 will be available this coming November (2011) on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It is unknown at this point whether dedicated servers for the PC will be utilised, as this feature was excluded in MW2 and substituted for the use of a P2P connection system.