Modern Warfare 2: Resurgence Map Pack Impressions

Yesterday Infinity Ward released the second and quite possibly the last map pack for Modern Warfare 2 along with a title update for the playlists. Being the avid Modern Warfare 2 player that I am I managed to drag myself away from the old west in Red Dead Redemption to check out the map pack. Here are some initial impressions.

Like the Stimulus Map Pack, Resurgence features a total of five maps. Three of these maps are brand new while two of them are updated versions of maps from the first Modern Warfare game. Those two maps would be Vacant and Strike. Now I never really played Modern Warfare 1 outside of being part of the multiplayer beta on the 360 in which Crash, Overgrown, and Vacant were the trial multiplayer maps; all 3 of which are now part of the map rotation in Modern Warfare 2. Because of this most of you may already be familiar with Strike and Vacant so I'll be covering the three maps which are new to us all. 

1) Carnival - Well this map is basically just what its name suggests. Players are tossed into an old, broken down and abandoned amusement park. As I was talking to fellow contributor, aBagorn, about it I compared it to Rust but he pointed out it's not exactly that small which prompted him to suggest it's more like Skidrow. I didn't exactly agree because I didn't think it's that big but in any case, it's somewhere between the two. It's a fairly small map with some straight forward routes between the points. Notable landmarks include the funhouse which has many shadowy hiding spots, the mock castle, the merry go-round, and the concession stand. There is a roller coaster which covers most of the part, providing players a change to climb up onto the rails and perch there should they be inclined to snipe. Thus far it is my favorite map out of the pack. 

2) Trailer Park - Again, a very unimaginative map title as its name implies exactly what it is. Players find themselves among broken down and empty trailers in a small trailer part with a above ground pool at the center of the map. This map is level and flat, thusly not allowing players to take the advantage of higher ground. It is very easy to get the drop on other players though once you get to know the map as most trailers have openings to paths that lead to other trailers, allowing you to traverse the map without being in the open for too long. I found myself taking advantage of this fact in order to flank the enemy team and take them out in silence before they knew what hit them. 

3) Fuel - Once again, not really unique in its title but I guess that's what we get in the dying days of Infinity Ward. Fuel is the biggest map out of the pack. It's a large oil refinery field with a few buildings intertwined throughout the map. I think it's by far the largest map they've done thus far. The middle of this map is very bare with the office buildings and depots off to the sides, providing high vantage points for people to attack those out in the middle of the field. However there is even more explored land to the sides of these buildings, providing rocks, trucks, tanks and oil drums for cover when teams come under fire. 

And there are my initial impressions. I'll leave you with the look at the pack from Inside X-Box. The map pack is available now on X-Box 360 for 1200 Microsoft points.