Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is seeing a bit of a resurgence among the fanbase, as new mods have arrived to bolster the experience and Modern Warfare 2 begins to come to the end of its life cycle. Many players still look back fondly on the jetpack era of Call of Duty, and Black Ops 3 is often regarded as the best game of this era, so it's no surprise that fans are slowly gravitating back to the multiplayer servers.
Black Ops 3 offers a gripping campaign and a fantastic, authentic Zombies experience, but Multiplayer is the centerpiece of this game. It features some of the best map design Call of Duty has seen in years, and while some do fall short, many of the base maps and DLC offerings have taken a one-way trip to the hall of fame. Here are some of the best options for players looking to drop into a game.
7 Skyjacked
Introduced in the first DLC for Black Ops 3, Skyjacked is a remaster of the fan-favorite map from Black Ops 2, Hijacked. While it doesn't quite measure up to the original, nostalgia alone does make this map a great deal of fun to drop into, and the structure and layout still make for an excellent range of close-quarter and long-range engagements.
Unfortunately, the map doesn't translate perfectly into the jetpack era of Call of Duty. It fails in places to make the most out of the new movement system, a mark of the truly great maps. That being said though, the aesthetics are fantastic, and being able to relive the map on PS4/Xbox One gen consoles certainly carries it away.
6 Combine
Perhaps the most controversial entry on this list is Combine, one of the most-played maps in the game that divided opinion among fans from launch to this day. Being one of the smallest maps in Black Ops 3, and possibly the most focused on the new movement, it was easy to accrue a massive lead or fall behind spectacularly, which would explain the divided opinion.
The glaring issue with the map was spawns. Killstreaks could easily be stacked to create unbreakable spawn traps, which occurred more and more in public matches as the game progressed. At launch particularly though, the focus on aerial movement and the fast-paced nature of the map made it incredibly fun to play and cemented it as one of the best in many fans' minds.
5 Redwood
Another excellent use of the new movement in the game was Redwood, with a ton of surfaces to wall ride and plenty of open space for players to use height to their advantage. It catered to pretty much any playstyle, and was perhaps at its best in a free-for-all mode, which can be a tough challenge for any map.
The only downside of this map in some fans' minds was its size, as it could make gameplay feel a lot slower than other maps in the game. However, this is also what endeared many to it. It was also one of few maps where the water area felt impactful, creating a ton of outplay potential, whereas in other maps it often felt redundant.
4 Nuk3town
The third iteration of Nuketown in the Black Ops series did not disappoint, and the developers rose to the challenge of making the small map work in the new era of Call of Duty better than any could have expected. The nostalgia and aesthetics of this map alone would be enough to score it a place on this list, but Nuk3town arrived with a lot more to offer.
While some fans weren't fans of the new iteration, this was more focused on the new movement features in the game rather than the map itself, a criticism that has largely subsided as the years have passed. It could become subject to some punishing spawn traps, but the sheer chaos, enjoyment, and stunning scenery made this one of the most enjoyable maps in the game to play, especially in a dedicated playlist that ran for most of the lifespan of the game.
3 Fringe
Fringe is a map that went easy on the aerial combat and wall riding features added in the game. Instead, it focused on classic Call of Duty action, which was a breath of fresh air even for players who loved the new movement. There was definitely the opportunity to take on enemies above the ground, but the main action focused on boots-on-the-ground fighting.
The centerpiece of this was the central lane with an open street and two upper windows at each end for snipers to hole up in, a feature of many classic maps in the franchise going back years. Fringe was a perfectly sized map for a balance of chaos and slow play and flowed perfectly in any game mode, which is a goal many maps failed to accomplish.
2 Hunted
Perhaps the most iconic map released with the launch of Black Ops 3, Hunted was a larger map that still managed to feel like there was never a dull moment. The central aquatic areas were a key feature of the map, and Hunted was perhaps the best use of them, bridging the gap between areas in a way that felt authentic and fun to use.
Hunted excelled in objective game modes like domination that pulled the focus of the chaos onto the iconic bridge area and was also perhaps the best map for utilizing every specialist in the game, as they all felt at their most impactful. The aesthetics of Hunted also certainly pull it up the list, but it flowed perfectly and catered well to any style of play.
1 Evac
One of the most featured maps in professional Call of Duty in the time of Black Ops 3 was Evac, which achieved just about everything it set out to do. Most Call of Duty players will be familiar with the three-lane system that most maps employ. Evac offered a perfect example of how this system can be employed subtly and effectively, while still providing a huge variety of buildings, terrain, and open space.
It also stands out as one of the best maps in utilizing the new movement, both aerial and aquatic, balanced with plenty of opportunity for boots-on-the-ground combat. While the top spot of maps in Black Ops 3 is hotly contested, most fans will place this in their top three, and the perfection of the design is why it will be remembered so fondly among die-hard fans of the game.