Infinity Ward and Activision have revealed 'Onslaught,' the first DLC pack for 'Call of Duty: Ghosts,' and while the expected bullet points of new maps and weapons are accounted for, the ability to play as 'Halloween's Michael Myers is a pleasantly unexpected surprise.
Michael Myers appears only on 'Fog,' a smallish battlefield that actually resembles the stomping grounds of Jason Vorhees more than the "smalltown Americana" of Myers' Haddonfield, Ill. Completing a special Field Order -- the game's side/bonus quests -- turns the player into the axe-wielding, Shatner mask-wearing killer as the other combatants are alerted by the iconic John Carpenter score.
(If you want to skip directly to the 'Halloween' part in the video, it begins at 59 seconds.)
The three other new maps -- Bay View, Containment and Ignition -- all appear to offer the standard mix of both long-range and up-close combat, with the Mexico-set Containment looking to be a more strategic affair.
Extinction mode, Infinity Ward's response to Treyarch's zombie mode, returns from the main game with "Nightfall," the first of a multi-part campaign that will span the entire DLC "season." Set in an Alaskan research facility, the over-arcing story will explain why the aliens are on Earth to begin with. The map will feature a new alien type that loves to jump and can become invisible, as well as a new large boss creature called "the cryptid."
'Onslaught' will arrive on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on Jan. 28, with PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC versions set to arrive after Microsoft's timed exclusivity ends (probably early March). It is included with the $50 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' Season Pass, though you can buy just this DLC individually for $14.99. As there will be a total of four DLC packs, buying the Season Pass will save you about $10 over buying them on their own ($50 vs. 4 x $15).