CoD: Black Ops First Strike DLC Release Date: February 1st

Great news for all you Call of Duty: Black Ops fans! Although the game has had its share of patches, I’m sure most of the fans were expecting really new stuff. About a month ago, Treyarch stated they will be releasing their first DLC pack, called First Strike, in February. And now they decided to tease CoD: BO fans with a trailer, which captures quite the essence of the novelties to be discovered in the DLC. Let’s get into details.
The video shows Dan Bunting, Treyarch Online Director and Josh Olin, Treyarch Community Manager talking about each of the five new levels (4 multiplayer maps+ a zombie map) that First Strike will bring. They also state the DLC will arrive on February 1st on Xbox 360.
Kowloon takes after the single-player campaign map also set in the Chinese city, but don’t think it is a only mere copy of the first. Everything has been completely rebuilt. This rooftop map is the only one to feature zip lines. Discovery takes place in Antarctica, to be more exact in a research station that used to belong to the German Nazis in WW2. It is sort of divided in two sides by an abyss. However the two sides are connect through a crossover, which automatically becomes a crucial strategic element. Berlin Wall is the largest level and will see you fight either on the Western side of the wall or on the grim Eastern part of the German capital. It’s very fit for snipers. It also features a no man’s land, which has some advantages, but beware of those turrets! Stadium takes place in an American hockey rink and is perfect for those of you who prefer close-quarters up-tempo action to sniping. Last, but certainly not least for those of you who enjoy playing in zombie mode, is Ascension, the above-mentioned zombie level.

Now to the bad parts. The pack will cost 1200 MS points (or $15), which I’m sure will be a setback to some of you. And another thing. There’s no word on when the first Call of Duty: Black Ops will be released on PC and PS3, although the guys at Gamesradar say that the map pack will be an Xbox exclusive for only a month. That’s because Microsoft signed a multi-year contract (ending in 2012) with Activision that will bring all future Call of Duty map packs on Xbox 360 first, as they announced at E3 2010.
But, put aside these issues, I’m sure there will be many who will be pleased with this CoD: BO release. Don’t forget to watch the trailer and feel free to comment.