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Spec Ops 2: Operation Bravo Expansion Pack
By Chris AbeleMultiplayer
Some other new features included in the v1.2 patch of Spec Ops 2 were new gameplay modes for multiplayer. I think I should first mention that the multiplayer portion of Spec Ops 2 is quite good, certainly making up for the single player portion of the game. The new gameplay modes included King of the Hill, Last Man Standing, and a few other modes of play. However, the patch had a greater impact on the game by way of its new maps.
Pow! Zap! Bam! Ziff! Bang! Batman would be proud.
Indeed, the tweaking that Zombie did do to the multiplayer game, especially the maps, is really what got me hooked. In fact, the majority of games being played three weeks after the patch’s release were modes such as capture the flag (team-based death match), death match, and co-op, all of which were originally released with SO2. By far, my favorite mode was capture the flag on the new ex-pack maps.
In particular, the jungle and arctic mission maps proved to be well designed for capture the flag. One more kudos should be inserted in here as well: the Spec Ops 2 lobby system is probably one of the simplest, but most effective, methods of setting up multiplayer games. I have never seen a better system, hands down. Its one failing? The system would not fare well if it was as heavily used as games like Rogue Spear and Delta Force.
There are a few bugs and gameplay complaints to be noted, however. In the death match mode, it’s far too often that you start within five feet of one of your opponents. The spawn points are so predictable that cheap players can simply rack up kills by sitting in front of the spawn points. This was pretty disheartening, and part of the reason why I found capture the flag to be a bit more interesting.
Here at least, you could rely on your teammates to protect the spawn points (usually located near the flag, or your base). The other noteworthy bug that persisted through both the original Spec Ops 2 and the ex-pack was my inability to find a stable host. I would frequently get dropped for no apparent reason. It did happen quite consistently, but no one I spoke with really had a good answer.
Other than those complaints, the rest of my Spec Ops 2: Operation Bravo multiplayer experience went over quite well. It was actually quite engrossing, and I found that the improvements offered especially by the new maps were significant enough to merit a surprising couple of late night/early morning gaming sessions.
