If you're still playing Black Ops, there's no reason to not buy this map pack. There are a number of gameplay tweaks, namely in the Zombies mode, and these help propel the Escalation Map Pack to greatness.

The underlying perception over the years, when looking at the Call of Duty franchise, has been that Infinity Ward is first team, and Treyarch sits on the bench to be used as a sort of rolling substitute every other year.

Great storyline and atmosphere; Diverse gameplay elements keep things intense and moving at a rapid rate from start to finish; Extremely addictive and rewarding multiplayer improves on Modern Warfare 2 in almost every way

Single-player campaign could have been longer; Hosting issues for local gamers

When a franchise consistently delivers massively popular, high-quality games, each new entry in the series comes laden with expectation. Call of Duty: Black Ops has some big shoes to fill, but it does so admirably.

Thrilling variety throughout campaign; Fractured story creates an intriguing atmosphere; New multiplayer currency system is invigorating; Combat training lets anyone enjoy multiplayer excitement; Theater lets you share and enjoy triumphs and failures

Short campaign

Hurray! Finally a Call of Duty where you can somewhat follow the story which succeeds to actually interest you from the intro to the hardly original – but decent nonetheless – final endscene.

Two years ago I made a formal apology to Treyarch. I was worried that Call of Duty: World at War would pale in comparison to the Modern Warfare titles that Infinity Ward developed in alternating years.

A thrilling and brutal single-player campaign that's one of the series' best. But will you be blown away by multiplayer the fourth time around?

Best campaign in years; Stunning set-pieces; Proper plot; Wager matches are brilliant

Enemy spawning/AI is still dodgy

Treyarch's opus finally arrives in a blaze of napalm and glory.

Like clockwork, every twelve months Activision rolls out a new title in the Call of Duty franchise and the public goes wild.  Sales go through the roof, the media falls in love with the game, and all is good.

These maps are pretty impressive and very well-designed. They range in size from small to large, and contain a lot of unique details. If you are considering expanding your Black Ops experience, the Annihilation Map Pack is the way to go.

Human nature suggests that we should be sick of Call of Duty by now. Black Ops is the series' sixth game in as many calendar years on Xbox 360, and we'd be well within our rights as gamers to not care about it anymore.

+ Glorious; reinvigorated multiplayer modes; + Intense; varied campaign; + Oodles of extras like Theater mode; Dead Ops Arcade; and Zork

? How long until the first documented case of Call of Duty gambling addiction hits the news