Already having a much smoother launch than its predecessor, the Resurgence Pack dominates the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 playlists. The five maps bring with them new strategies and further multiplayer variety, something that many of us who have sunk in an ungodly amount of time playing will surely appreciate. The timed exclusivity of this pack along with the Stimulus Package has proven its worth as sales dominate on the XBox 360 marketplace.
As with the Stimulus Package, three of the five maps in the Resurgence Pack are completely new (“Carnival”, “Trailer Park” and “Fuel”) while two are revamps of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare maps (“Vacant” and “Strike”). Activision has shown they have the power to set their own price point as years ago, many would have been up in arms about a $15 fee for only three new maps along with two they have played before.
Not surprisingly, “Vacant” and “Strike” both have very dated seen-it-before feels to them both. Even not having played them in the original Modern Warfare, they feel like incredibly generic scenery and layouts in comparison to many of the other maps in this game. “Strike” does nothing to make itself standout with its generic Middle Eastern city setting. “Vacant” goes on to feel like a map that has appeared over the years in everything dating back to Counter-Strike.
The new maps, however, do not disappoint. “Fuel” has a very different style to its layout as it sets up for an uphill battle. Though fun in a deathmatch, Sabotage is an interesting challenge as players must get used to either aiming up or downhill constantly. An attack from behind in either instance is almost instant death as a full 180 degree turn following by an incline is something even the sharpest players cannot escape from. Esthetically, “Fuel” doesn’t blow you away but the strategy involved makes up for it.
“Trailer Park” gives you what you’d expect from it. If war was to break out in America right now, you better believe one of the last places anyone would want to invade is a trailer park. Between cheap tin fences and swimming pools, there are too many nooks and crannies to hide in for a wild run and gun strategy. Teamwork becomes key here to draw out enemies from the amount of cover there is to run and duck behind. Visually, Infinity Ward nailed the essence of the white trash American stereotype with its delapidated neighborhood which for some reason has the remnants of a jet strewn about.
Without a doubt, the most impressive addition is “Carnival”. Forget the carnival campaign in Left 4 Dead 2. This is how you’d want to fight your way through a life or death scenario. The surroundings are incredibly eerie as you are forced to hug the sides of rides in order to survive and have brief moments of your own childhood flashing in your mind. Remember the tilt-a-whirl and how it made you throw up that ice cream cone?
Now it’s where you watched your buddy take a bullet in the head. The funhouse slide you laughed your way down? Now it’s covered in your squad mate’s blood. You can tell this was the level that both the design team and the art team had the most fun working on. Along with being visually impressive, it is also riddled with strategy . There are a plethora of sniper positions and defensible strongholds that make this one of the more treacherous additions to the game.
If you are a hardcore Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 fan then you have most likely already purchased this map pack. If you are still on the fence about it, just ask yourself if you need more variety in your multiplayer games. If the answer is yes, then the map pack is worth the purchase. Especially once integgrated in to the full Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 map rotation, the ever changing real of game types and maps to play them on is a great combination for any multiplayer FPS fan.
