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Adam: Silo is a lot like ?°Hangar 18?± in some ways. It?ˉs a big map, and an outdoor one. You?ˉre inside some kind of large, heavily secured military complex. There are also some cool features to the map that have zero effect on the gameplay?- they?ˉre just cool. Specifically, beyond the borders of the map are missile silos that fire off a large rocket every few minutes. The screen shakes a little and other sounds are temporarily muffled, but it?ˉs so short that the impact is minimal. Unless a launching missile happens to distract you long enough for someone to walk up behind you and plant a knife in your back. That?ˉs where the biggestcheap monster beats headphones difference between ?°Silo?± and ?°Hangar 18?± lies. Pause too long on the latter map, and a sniper?ˉs bullet will inevitably find its way to you. There?ˉs a lot less range to work with on ?°Silo?±. The rundown missile launch facility is all tight corridors and cramped indoor spaces. There?ˉs a lot of ground to cover, but very few wide open sightlines across the map. This is the perfect map to break out the shotgun for and just run amok on. Ryan: ?°Silo?± is my favorite map in the new map pack, and I?ˉm not ashamed to admit it. Sure, it doesn?ˉt move as fast as ?°Drive-In?±, it isn?ˉt as visually stunning as ?°Hazard,?± and there are no alien autopsies going on, but there is a lot of freedom in this map. At first glance ?°Silo?± is a big map, but after you learn the pathways, you see that it isn?ˉt as much big as it is dense. There are multiple pathways??even one underground tunnel??sniper nests, and plenty of nooks to hide in, wait in ambush, or just use as cover from incoming fire. The people that learn this map first will have a huge advantage. It?ˉs not like you will get lost or anything, but learning where you can duck under cover is going to make a hugebeats solo michael jackson limited difference. While snipers will have plenty of options here, this map truly favors the players that like to constantly keep moving. There is always the fear of being snuck up on, but if you are fast and move with confidence, you can make your way around the map, racking up some kills on the way, and be gone long before anyone knows you were there. There is so much cover that stealth players will murder people here once they learn the map. Domination plays well here, and for a change, you actually have a chance of sneaking up and taking the B area without eating a grenade. It?ˉs not a good chance, but there is a chance. There are just so many pathways and alleys that campers will have a tough time avoiding being snuck up on. So while this is a dense map, it also moves well. ?°Silo?± is well designed and fun to play in almost any game type. Adam: The new zombie map is arguably the highlight of any map pack from Treyarch. ?°Shangri-La?±, the Annihilation pack?ˉs addition to the survival-based co-op mode, does not disappoint. The all-star cast and blockbuster sense of scale seen in the previous map, ?°Call of the Dead?±, is done away with completely. There?ˉs no preamble or postscript cutscene when you load up a solo match, and your zombie hunters are once again the familiar foursomebeats solo purple of Dempsey, Nikolai, Richtofen and Takeo. There?ˉs a new wonder weapon that transforms your foes into kickable voodoo doll zombies and ?three new special zombies: a stun-inducing Shrieker, a deadly, exploding Napalm zombie and rascally little monkeys which only pop up when pickups are left unattended. The furry little bastards steal said pickups and run off with them, though you can gun them down to get a random pickup back. In short, what we?ˉre looking at is more of the same creative lunacy we?ˉve come to expect from new zombie mode maps. There is no ?°best?± when it comes to these maps, but ?°Shangri-La?± is definitely a welcome change after the tense ?°holycrapwealwayshavetorun?± vibe of ?°Call of the Dead?±. There?ˉs no uber-boss hunting you at all times and there are no boss-specific rounds either. The Shrieker and Napalm zombies pop up in the midst of regular rounds far less frequently than regular deadheads do. It feels like pickups are more common since there?ˉs now no boss round ¨C and guaranteed max ammo boost at the end of it ¨C though that could be an illusion. ?°Shangri-La?± is smaller than ?°Call of the Dead?± and ?°Ascension?± before it; it may actually be the smallest one overall. There?ˉs a great deal of complexity, however. None of the traditional traps you?ˉre used to seeing, but lots ofmonster beats lamboghin funky elements. For example, one mud-filled room slows you down and prevents you from jumping unless you?ˉre walking on wooden platforms that automatically appear as you progress from one to the next. The platforms appear in a certain sequence, seemingly randomized, that lead you to one of the room?ˉs three possible exits. There is also an extended water slide and a mine cart you can ride on. The centerpiece, though, is the new easter egg. By far the most elaborate puzzle yet conceived for the zombie mode, you?ˉll have to perform a certain action to trigger the map?ˉs temporary (and unique) ?°eclipse?± mode. It has no effect on the gameplay beyond changing the color of the surrounding environment, but certain tasks must be performed in a certain order to complete the easter egg, learn more about the mode?ˉs ever-developing story and get a little bonus treat. Also, an achievement, if you?ˉre into that sort of thing. Ryan: Unlike Adam, for me the Zombie maps have always been a fun diversion from the multiplayer, but not much more. Treyarch obviously disagrees, and each subsequent zombie map is bigger, more complex, and more incredible than the last. ?°Shangri-La?± is no exception??except for the bigger part. The first thing to know about ?°Shangri-La?± is that it is not for the casual zombie game fans. This map is a love letter to the players that have passionately flocked to the zombie games. It requires teamwork??and not just the occasional ?°Watch my back?± teamwork, but a true coordinated effort. Even justbeats by dre ferrari moving through the trap infested map requires coordination. ?°Shangri-La?± is also the wildest of all the zombie maps. There are traps everywhere that can separate you and your team unless you coordinate, and turning the power on makes the map even more complicated as new waterways and pathways open up. The bosses of previous zombie maps are gone, but there are new mini-bosses of a sort roaming around that make things tough. I kind of miss the sense of presentation that ?°Call of the Dead?± had, but in terms of game play, ?°Shangri-La?± is a step forward. The zombie maps have come a long way from the simple mini-games that they were. They have taken on a life of their own, and Call of Duty is better for it. Adam: Overall, Annihilation is my favorite of the Black Ops map packs released so far. Treyarch may well be onto something with the remix of ?°Cliffside?± as ?°Hazard?± (someone, please bring back ?°Shipment?± from Infinity Ward?ˉs COD4!), but the new maps hold their own just fine. ?°Hangar 18?± is a highlight simply for being insanely cool, but ?°Drive-In?± is the standout for giving virtual soldiers a new meat grinder to duke it out in. Then there?ˉs ?°Shangri-La?±, the zombie map, which is a special kind of paradise. Ryan: The Annihilation map pack is the best of the three Black Ops expansions. The maps are balanced (with the exception of ?°Hazard?± which is still fun to play), they look good visually, and they will accommodate almost any game type. Each of the four new maps has something to offer, and they all offer a ton of variety. A lot of thought went into the design, and it shows. ?°Shangri-La?± is also an excellent addition and will keep fans of the zombie maps occupied for a long time. If this is the final Black Ops map pack, Treyarch is going out on a high note.