'Battlefield 4' Second Assault DLC maps revealed
The four maps in "Battlefield 4's" Second Assault add-on pack was announced in the Battlefield Showdown Event live stream in which top North American and European Battlefield players fought head-to-head in the game's multiplayer modes. Larry Hyrb of Xbox revealed the four favourite Battlefield maps that would have a makeover for the most recent installment. Enhanced with Battlefield's Levolution features, the maps are Caspian Border, Gulf of Oman, Operation Metro and Operation Firestorm.
Second Assault is one of the five planned "Battlefield 4" expansion packs and is set for release on Xbox One on Nov. 22 as a timed exclusive. The second DLC, China Rising, will be out on Dec. 3. Players can pay for a Battlefield premium subscription, which covers the five expansions as released from now to 2014.
"Battlefield 4" covers the span of the previous games and even blows it up with maps that sprawl virtual miles of space. The game's multiplayer levels don't feel as compromised as in "Battlefield 3" but when players are not in full levels, there can be a shortage of engagement. If they are in full ones, though, it can be exhilarating watching a resort hotel crumble under explosives and jets screaming overhead while they run and gun down other players to avoid a turret fire from a chopper attack onto the next capture point.
Levolution also adds a sense of unpredictability as it shifts game considerations. On Paracel Storm, an intense match of Conquest can be interrupted by a huge hurricane that sends boats off course and have enemies close to each other without even realising it. In Operation Locker, a blizzard would come down the complex, making it hard to spot enemies and frosting player red-dot sights. There is also complete destruction of big sections that adds unique tactical considerations to plenty of maps like whether to take out the dam and flood the valley or leave it intact and whether or not to decide yourself or let the other team do it.
"Battlefield 4" has the necessary elements for a good, narrative driven shooter game. It's well-developed with mechanics oriented around strategic movement such as vaulting over barriers and pulling the trigger during firefights. Battlefield 4 is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It will launch alongside Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this Nov.