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Although many Call of Duty fans are eagerly anticipating more news about Advanced Warfare at E3 early next month, the previous series entry, Ghosts, is still trucking along. In fact, the third DLC map pack for the game is slated to hit Xbox platforms on June 2rd of next month.
Titled 'Invasion', this third DLC pack will include the usual bevy of Call of Duty: Ghosts accouterments — i.e. four multiplayer maps and a new episode for the Extinction campaign. Intrigued gamers can see each element in action in the trailer above, and then continue on for more details.
Like its predecessor, 'Devastation', 'Invasion' boasts four small-to-medium sized maps focused on the close quarter skirmishes that Call of Duty fans typically crave. It's a shame that, with next-gen hardware at their disposal, Infinity Ward couldn't have included some larger maps — not as large as Stonehaven hopefully — to fit a variety of tastes, but there's still one more DLC pack so don't count the possibility out just yet.
As far as Invastion's nuts and bolts, the four multiplayer maps are titled Departed, Pharaoh, Mutiny, and Favela, and each appears to offer a unique variety of styles and some nifty Field Orders to boot.
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Departed is set during a Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on the streets of a rural Mexican town. As expected, the storefronts and various other buildings are lined with items themed to the holiday, which should provide plenty of cover for players. Best of all, Departed boasts a Field Order unlock called Death Mariachi that turns the player into an undead, dual-wielding killing machine capable of turning any they dispatch into minions.
Pharaoh takes players to an archaeological dig site in Egypt, complete with secret traps and flesh-eating scarabs. Pharaoh's Field Order unlock is a bit more mysterious, but apparently involves the Egyptian god Anubis.
Then there is Mutiny, which surprisingly, is the first pirate ship-themed map in the Call of Duty franchise. It appears Infinity Ward has gone all-out for Mutiny — outfitting the map with cannon fire from enemy ships and an eerie atmosphere. And, in keeping with the pirate theme, the map's Field Orders unlock a set of ghost pirates to fight on the player's behalf.
And finally there's Favela, which is actually a remake of a Modern Warfare 2 map…also named Favela. While previous COD: Ghosts remakes have also featured new skins, Favela seems to be as close to a remake as you can get.
In addition to the new multiplayer maps, 'Invasion' also adds a third playable episode to the Extinction campaign: Ghosts' version of a story-focused horde mode. In this third episode, titled Awakening, players will descend into the underground fortress of the Ancestors — a race of "beings" responsible for the Cryptid invasion.
While most of the DLC attention is typically focused on the new multiplayer maps, IW has quietly been creating a compelling campaign for its Extinction mode — one that only seems to get bigger and bigger as it progresses. In other words, we can't wait to see what Awakening has in store for players.
Curiously, unlike the past two map pack reveals, this trailer does not include a potential tease for an '80s horror tie-in. We had hoped that Infinity Ward was establishing a pattern with their inclusion of Michael Myers and then the Predator, but that may not be the case. We're still hopeful though.
What do you think of the Invasion map pack for Call of Duty: Ghosts? Which map are you most interested in?
Call of Duty: Ghosts — Invasion releases June 3, 2014 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
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Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina