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Every year about this time gamers begin to shift their focus from the older Call of Duty franchise entry, in this case Ghosts, to the new one, in this case Advanced Warfare. Despite that, though, the Call of Duty: Ghosts machine is still trucking along, and just recently released its third DLC pack, titled Invasion, for Xbox platforms.

As we have done with the past two DLC map pack releases, and those for Black Ops 2, we have put together a walkthrough video featuring a closer look at all four new multiplayer maps. These aren’t meant to be videos featuring gameplay, but rather a chance to see the layout of each map without concern for opponents or explosions.

By now most gamers are familiar with Invasion's selection, but for those who might not be, here's a quick rundown. The four maps included with the pack are titled Mutiny, Departed, Pharaoh, and Favela, and they are small and medium-sized maps that focus on detail more than scope.

If we're picking favorites, Mutiny is easily the best map out of the bunch. Its layout and design are unique for a decade-old franchise, and it proves that there are still plenty of themes for multiplayer maps to explore. Granted, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag may be the frontrunner when it comes to pirate ship-themed video game content, but this new map for Ghosts deserves to be in the conversation.

Call of Duty Ghosts Invasion DLC Trailer

The upgraded version of Favela deserves mentioning simply because it calls to mind Call of Duty's heyday, back when every subsequent release was a pop culture event. Later releases couldn't truly top the hype that surrounded those early last-gen releases, and none were arguably greater (in terms of anticipation) than Modern Warfare 2. Unfortunately, while previous upgrades of older COD maps have featured either a new design style or an expanded layout, Favela is nothing more than a visual upgrade for the same MW 2 map. On the one hand, it's nice to see the map exactly as we remembered it, even if it does feel like a waste not to at least try to improve upon the map in some way.

It's not in the video, but Invasion also includes the third episode for the Extinction campaign titled Awakening. If you're a fan of Ghosts' story-focused horde mode variant, Awakening seems to delve deeper (literally and figuratively) into the roots of the Cryptid invasion, and should set players up for an exciting conclusion.

Overall, the Invasion DLC pack boasts a stronger overall selection than the previous two COD: Ghosts map packs, but it doesn't feature any cool '80s movie crossovers, which is a shame.

What do you think of the map selection in Call of Duty: Ghosts' Invasion DLC? What older maps would you like to see done-up with improved visuals?

Call of Duty: Ghosts — Invasion is out now for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

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Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina