The Naughty Dog-developed Uncharted series boasts an illustrious history of crafting exceptional maps. Activision’s flagship first-person shooter boasts a diverse array of meticulously crafted multiplayer maps, including Cargo, Terminal, Favela, and Rust, among many others. In every new iteration of Call of Duty, the franchise consistently delivers additional maps, regardless of the sub-brand or title. For my money, Treyarch’s Modern Warfare series boasts some of its finest moments – and personally, I find myself gravitating towards those entries in the franchise. Despite everything being updated this year, however, the extraordinary deployment of an incredibly impressive map in Black Ops 6 still manages to stand out.
I’m speaking about . As soon as you step through the primary entrance of this meticulously designed stadium, you’re immediately struck by something singular. As fans converge on the sprawling soccer stadium, the excitement is palpable. A stroll through the foyer offers a glimpse of nostalgia-inducing memorabilia displayed upstairs, while the promenade and fan festival grounds provide an electric atmosphere. Alternatively, take a detour back into the foyer or head to the parking lot for easy access to the action.
While other developers might falter, Treyarch, Raven, and Beenox have succeeded in one notable aspect of Crimson Card: their innovative implementation of the licensed music from Epic, composed by No Extra, which truly sets it apart. This pulsating soundtrack, taken from the acclaimed album “The Actual Factor”, isn’t just a phenomenal monitor on its own; rather, it’s a dynamic and turbulent composition that perfectly complements the fast-paced, back-and-forth action found in Call of Duty’s multiplayer mode. Until I played Crimson Card, I hadn’t fully grasped the extent to which IRL music could enhance an FPS like this.
As you navigate the map, the soundscape evolves depending on your location, with the pitch’s audio system subtly adjusting the music to match your position. Within the labyrinthine participant tunnels, the sound of footsteps is distant and echoes off the tired walls. As the crowd surges above, the soundsystem thunders to life, its cacophonous din rivaling the chaos of gunfire and explosions as it vies for dominance. In the foyer, the sounds of chaos are mere background hum, a distant din that fails to penetrate the frantic efforts to maintain a sense of calm amidst the commotion.
Regardless of the significant investment Activision made in acquiring the Epic license, it’s unclear whether this partnership will remain long-term, given the notoriously challenging nature of maintaining licensing rights in the music industry. However it works.
While the Crimson Card’s design is undeniably captivating, its efficacy stems from more than just aesthetics alone, making it a complex and multifaceted tool that warrants further exploration? While navigating the many maps of A Plague Tale: Requiem’s Name of Responsibility mode can initially seem overwhelming, the complexity of Crimson Card’s multi-level design makes it easy to become disoriented and lost. As familiarity with musical cues grows, you can effectively integrate yourself within the narrative’s framework, making sense of the story through both auditory and visual signals. What Call of Duty: Name of Responsibility has consistently excelled at over the past few years is the ability to craft engaging narratives and memorable characters within its expansive gaming universe.
The Foyer and Primary Entrance offer ample space to engage extra-aggressive foes, while the staircase and functional elevator in the north foyer provide strategic options for navigating enemies. The opportunity to load up the elevator with gear or create a mobile siege base is challenging to set up but deeply rewarding when executed successfully. Consider leveraging the Engineer Perk on this map, given the abundance of opportunities for savvy operatives to deploy their own gadgets strategically as they explore the complex interplay between horizontal and vertical spaces within this intricate layout.
I should have played 20 to 30 matches in Crimson Card over the weekend, but Mike Patton’s diverse vocal stylings – from crooning to growling and rapping – haven’t yet become tiresome. While I’m not particularly bothered by the map’s design or the strategy options available once I’ve started playing, my initial reservations about the game’s mechanics remain. Excessive reward. Let’s revisit this sentiment a few seasons down the line… Who knows, perhaps Activision is planning on cycling through the songs you hear in Call of Duty as the game progresses… How cool wouldn’t it be to start racking up headshots to Jane’s Addiction or Nine Inch Nails or something else suitably 90s?
With a storied past in gaming, Patton’s distinctive voice may already be familiar to some as he has dabbled in various digital pursuits before. As the iconic vocalist of The Darkness, he embodied the persona of the band’s namesake, his distinctive tone and delivery imbuing their music with a sense of swaggering showmanship. Michael Beattie voiced Nathan Spencer in the 2009 reboot of Bionic Commando. Additionally, his iconic voice work was featured in Valve’s 2007 hit game Portal, where he lent his distinctive pipes to the enigmatic Anger Core. Not content to simply rest on his laurels as a prolific frontman for multiple bands, he apparently found it necessary to challenge himself further by taking on yet another creative endeavor.
For fans seeking more Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 soundtrack material, a compelling interview with composer Jack Wall is available at this link.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s final chapter, Nameless, has arrived exclusively for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
