Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 56 Ratings

  • Summary: This map pack features new multiplayer maps, including Kowloon and Berlin Wall.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Jan 31, 2011
    85
    Overall, Ascension feels like a perfect blend of old and new, making it a must play for zombie fans.
  2. Feb 10, 2011
    85
    It appears this is one CoD based DLC that's no rip-off, and thus First Strike is certainly well worth the buy.
  3. Feb 11, 2011
    80
    First Strike is a nice map pack with a lot of variety. Treyarch did a great job with the level design, offering different settings with this valuable downloadable content. Anyway, 1200 MP are too much for a single map pack.
  4. Feb 16, 2011
    73
    If you are a Black Ops nut, then I'm sure you will get your money's worth. If you are the sort of person who just dips in and out of Black Ops, you might be better served by waiting for the pack to go on sale in a few months time.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Negative: 3 out of 21
  1. The First Strike Map Pack is a must have for any frequent player of Call of Duty Black Ops. Treyarch did a great job of positioning the Domination Points and Demolition Points on the new maps as well. I find Domination to be best on Kowloon and Berlin Wall, Demolition to be best on Kowloon and Discovery. The Stadium Map gives you a little taste of Nuketown and is the place to go if you want to generate a lot of kills. If you are a Zombies player, you surely will not be unhappy with the new map there, and the soundtrack on the higher levels of play is awesome for sure. Is it expensive, maybe, is it worth it, for sure! Expand
  2. First Strike contains some of the best maps that Black Ops has to offer. Some of the map-specific obstacles like the auto turrets on Berlin Wall and the zipline on Kowloon might seem gimmicky at first, but their inclusion adds variety and challenge, and I never really found myself frustrated with them. On the other hand the only map I didn't really like was Stadium, which doesn't work very well for Team Deathmatch or Free-for-All. However I'm sure it would work better for objective modes (which I have yet to play on it.) Ascension is more of the zombie-killing fun we're all familiar with at this point, which is always good. Plus, there were monkeys! How can you possibly lose with that? Overall, First Strike is a solid but pricey download that is definitely worth your time if you have a lot of friends that play Black Ops. Collapse
  3. I give these maps a better score than Black Ops by itself. However, I think these maps should've been included with the game. I'm not likely to buy "Escalation" though as I've been warned by so many bad reviews and i think at this point, COD BO fatigue is setting in. For me, COD is always about Modern Warfare --so until MW3 comes out, I'm saving my money. Expand
  4. When I first heard that each map was to have its own unique environmental element, I was thrilled. But when it came to it these maps barely deliver. Kowloon is the most camper friendly map out of all the BO maps, with wide open areas and tonnes of hiding places its blind-siding value is high. Also the zip line is a bullet magnet and is therefore never really used, as well as baring little to no tactical advantage on all game types. Discovery is basically a long corridor which makes game turns game times like domination into a stalemate. The bridge is usually destroyed at the beginning of the round and makes no difference to the map anyhow. Berlin wall is aesthetically average. Game play wise, the middle of the map is a great big dead zone as any attempt to enter it will get you killed, surely if a team could take control of the turrets then there might be some advantage to having them, yet all they stand to do is make over half the map inaccessible. Stadium is in my opinion the most functional map of the pack, which isnt saying much. Expand

See all 21 User Reviews