Call of Duty's suite of post-launch DLC has become, for me at least, a bit of a grind. Especially with 2011's Modern Warfare 3, it started to become difficult to tell the difference between one map and the next, new maps and old, especially given Infinity Ward and Activision's penchant for reusing environmental fixtures from the core game. Tearing through one urban wasteland after another in search of killstreaks and leaderboard supremacy became dull.

Treyarch (or whichever teams are backing them on this DLC,) however, has always had a knack for pumping out interesting map designs, and that penchant is taken to its logical extreme in Revolution, the first piece of DLC for Black Ops 2. And if this colorful and unique set of maps is any indication, we have quite a year to look forward to.

The centerpiece of the Revolution pack is the Grind map, which takes place in an abandoned skate park. This map brings vicious splashes of color to a series often criticized for its bland color palette; the yellows and oranges of the skate park's ramps are doused in bright red splashes of blood, and bathed in saturated lighting. Upon starting up a game in this map, I was blown away by how good Black Ops 2's engine can look when the developers start getting creative with the color and the geometry of the levels.

Grind's unique level geometry, which sees players fighting across half-pipes, loop-de-loops and verts, makes for an incredibly dynamic multiplayer experience. While a small map from a pure square-feet persepctive, Grind is made to feel large thanks to numerous hidden passages and shortcuts. This is a very dense map, and one that will take even experienced players a while to completely figure out. Going prone behind a grind spot or sniping from the top of a half pipe are but a few of the strategies at play in this level.

Despite its small size, Grind is well-suited to a variety of combat styles. Players can cut through the skate shop on the outside of the map, the enclosed rooms and corridors of which are perfect for shotgun and submachine gun play. Snipers, on the other hand, can excel outside, where the level's odd geometry can make for some unexpected vantage points.

Downhill is the next map in the set, and in many ways the polar opposite of Grind. While the latter is full of nontraditional cover and made to be extremely dense, Downhill takes place on a ski slope, and forces players into the open. This makes the level excellent for sniping, something I've never particularly enjoyed in Call of Duty games but a style which many players have adopted. Those players will be pleased with Downhill, the mountainous valleys and points of which make for great camping spots.

If you're in the market for some close range combat, your best bet is to head to the chalet at the peak of the slopes. A few winding mountain paths lead up there from the bottom of the level, and players adopting a sneaky playstyle will excel when taking these routes. It's expecially satisfying to sneak up behind the snipers who have been antagonizing you the whole game and dish out a little payback.

The counterpoint to the mountain paths is the lift station, which serves as a sort of choke point. Many of the map's paths converge on the lift station, making the area a near constant bloodbath. If you want to survive in here, you'll have to bring along a good submachine gun or shotgun, and a lot of grenades. Leveling the lift station with a rocket or with several well placed grenades can be a quick path to a killstreak if you know what you're doing, but more tactical players should avoid direct conflict at the lift. Instead of engaging in the fighting yourself, it can be a good idea to sprint to the lift station as soon as the battle starts and rig it with mines.

Oh, and there's also a moving ski lift that will sometimes cycle through the station and crush anyone below it. Yes, that's just as hilarious as it sounds when it happens to someone else. When you're in the middle of an intense battle and suddenly find yourself dead via ski lift... maybe not so funny.

The third map in the Revolution set is called Hydro. This map is the only one of the bunch that reverts to the series' standard grey and brown color palette, and as such it's disappointing from a visual standpoint. It might be boring to look at, but Hydro has it where it counts in terms of design. This is probably the smallest map of the bunch, and that can make it chaotic. As it happens, that's exactly how I like to play my Call of Duty. I had a blast lurking Hydro's tight corners with Ninja and a silenced SMG.

The tight, enclosed nature of the map can make it kind of a crapshoot for snipers, though. There are two walkways running parallel along the top of the map that make for decent vantage points, but since the walkways are parallel with each other it's easy for snipers to get caught up killing each other instead of searching for prey on the ground.

Hydro is a fast-paced and at times brutal map, but for my money I preferred the bright colors and non-standard geometry of Grind. Since both are pretty small maps, it makes Hydro stand out as the weakest one of the bunch, and one which could have pretty easily been cut. Still, I appreciate having a tight, closed-in area in which to flex my sneaking skills, which Hydro definitely offers. It's just too bad that Treyarch couldn't find a more unique gimmick for this one.

Mirage is the final map in the set, and another visual stunner. Set in a Chiense hotel in the aftermath of a sandstorm, this level plays around with multiple shades of red and brown, and makes for a level in which the desert weapon camo actually makes a lot of tactical sense. It's kind of refreshing, since usually weapon camo is less of a tactical choice and more of a personal flair option.

A direct route through the center of Mirage allows you to traverse the level pretty quickly, but only if you survive. The pagoda in the middle of the level can be a kill zone for snipers and close-range combatants alike, as everyone seemed to flock to it. Do a little more exploring, and you will stumble upon a few half-buried paths looping around the sides of the level. These paths allow players to utilize sand piles and ruined hotel geometry for effective cover, and lead around to a drained swimming pool and hotel room.

Tactically, Mirage is the most open of the maps. Any class can flourish here, unlike in the tight corridors of Hydro or the expanses of Downhill, which cater more towards certain playstyles. That makes Mirage great for casual and hardcore play alike, and it's sure to become a fan favorite in the coming weeks. Its unique visuals of a hotel drowned in sand help it stand out from the pack, too, making this one an all-around great map.

A new Zombies level is of course included in the Revolution pack as well. I sort of fell off of the Zombies bandwagon during the first Black Ops, where the levels became too large and the waves too difficult to effectively manage with two players (my go-to Zombies experience has traditionally been in splitscreen with a friend or roommate, not online.) Black Ops 2 brought me back into the fold with its Tranzit mode, and the new Die Rise map and Infected game type are enough to keep my love for the spinoff mode going strong.

Die Rise is a Survival map, and thus must be played in the more simple context of surviving as long as possible during a zombie outbreak. Like most Zombies maps, there are cola machines to loot, weapons to buy, and plenty of hidden goodies to find. I didn't find myself enjoying the map quite as much as the main game's lab area, which is full of mysterious characters and weapons, but it was enough to keep me playing the mode for just a little longer.

Turned mode casts players as zombies themselves, which is a fun twist on the classic gameplay formula of Zombies. In this competitive mode, players compete to find the cure and become human, at which point they must fend off zombified players and AI alike. The player who spends the most time as a human wins. Turned is a chaotic mode that lacks the already thin tactical edge of the rest of the game's competitive multiplayer suite, and as such I don't see it attracting too many dedicated players.

Finally, a new gun is included in the DLC. The Peacekeeper SMG is, unlike many submachine guns, a poor choice at close range, but deadly at medium to long distance. In this way, it almost functions more like an assault rifle than a submachine gun, which is frankly kind of odd. It won't be a part of my personal arsenal, but players who enjoy strapping scopes onto automatic weapons and going at it from a distance might enjoy it. I just can't help but wonder if there are certain assault rifles that might fill that role a little better.

Revolution's new gun and Zombies content aren't the best out there, but they contribute to a package that is overall one of the most creative and dynamic pieces of content ever released for a Call of Duty game. With the exception of Hydro, each map has its own unique visual language, and the varied looks and layouts of the levels serve to make even Call of Duty's tried and true multiplayer gameplay feel pretty fresh. Even for those who have tired of the series' post-launch DLC, Revolution is a sure bet.

Score: 9/10