One Week Later with The Giant

[MegaAfroMan]

Greetings CoDz! A little over one week ago we got our first plays in of Black Ops 3, and boy were we excited. It had been an extra year longer in waiting than normal and the map director was confirmed to be the same as the mind behind Origins and Mob of the Dead, which in my opinion are the best playing map and the best feeling map respectively.

 

Now that Shadows has finally been solved (probably) and The Giant is still looking pretty quiet I'd like to share my views on the map and read about your own.

 

So first off the Easter Egg or lack thereof is extremely disappointing. I was really expecting an actual easter egg quest. Not just an updated Fly Trap with a mostly terrible reward. As far as I know the only other easter egg besides radios is the perk machine, which is cool enough sure, but I wish it wasn't randomized, and I wish it didn't require monkey bombs as the box never seems to want to give me them. By the time I usually do thaw the machine I already have my perks anyways, so there isn't really a point. It's just something to do.

 

The map is Der Riese for the third time. I'm not terribly upset but I was honestly expecting a more intact Der Riese really. I mean is this implying that Maxis Samantha and Richtofen were really hanging around an already burning ruined and abandoned facility? 

 

I think the new zombie AI (I swear they are more vicious) is balanced bythe new Pack a Punch effects and the Gobblegum. Although I really feel like the Wunderwaffe is kind of sad now compared to any gun with Blast Furnace.

 

I think the map is fun but that's not exactly a huge credit to Treyarch for repacking a map they already sold twice. I really was disappointed there wasn't more new features. But oh well, it is still fun and I'll still play the hell out of it.

 

If you have thoughts to share, I'd love to read em, so leave em below!

[Chopper]

I think Treyarch knocked it out of the park with SOE and messed up with The Giant.

 

Overall, I am disappointed with their development of BO3 zombies.  Excusing the completely reused mechanics in SOE is one thing; ignoring The Giant being DR with nothing new and really tangible is pretty shoddy.  If an EE is discovered, that might change people's opinions but I didn't really expect to be playing the same map on 3 different games with nothing new and improved.

 

Sure, there are some slightly new coop strategies which can be used, and camping will be fun with DT2.

But tbh it's not great all round for Treyarch, adding the connection and server issues on both PC and Xbox just is the sour cherry on a disappointing cake.

[Spider3000]

I like The Giant overall. I don't know, maybe it's because Der Riese is one of my favourite maps. But, like Chopper said, it basically is just the same map. I think Treyarch may have thought we wanted a complete remake with the same layout, which was probably the last thing anyone wanted.

 

There's a few things there too that make no sense. Richtofen and Maxis continued to work in a facility that was half destroyed? Sure, Treyarch did remove the hand from the power switch, but the hanging man is still there.

 

The Gobblegum machines don't really change up the map either, or the box and perks changing spawn each game. At the end of the day, it's still the same familiar layout, and you can get to Round 10 with having the entire map open, good guns, Pack-A-Punch, and a few perks.

 

Like I said, I do like it. But, if Treyarch were ever to remake another map, I'd like for them to change it up a bit. Add some extra rooms, or a new mechanic exclusive to that map. Not anything big, just similar in size to the Origins Dig sites.

 

Anyway, these were just my thoughts on the map. I'll still continue to play it, but I can't help but feel disappointed.

[RZArazorSHARP20]

People will find a way to complain about anything.  The Giant is a remake included as an extra, with tons of new features despite being the same Der Riese we've known.  You mean to tell me having SOE, The Giant and Dead Ops 2 isn't better than having just Tranzit?  Or Kino and Five?  Ridiculous.  Treyarch will never win with most of these people, who's only feedback is to complain.  You have new zombies.  Customizable zombies.  You got an old, classic map.  Aww they didn't give you an Easter Egg on an add on? Too bad.  Ok rant over.  Enjoy the game.

[Spider3000]

7 minutes ago, RZArazorSHARP20 said:

People will find a way to complain about anything.  The Giant is a remake included as an extra, with tons of new features despite being the same Der Riese we've known.

That's only true if you think the Gobblegum counts as "tons of new features". And that's also the main problem right there. It's pretty much the same exact Der Riese that we are paying for the third time. It isn't wrong to expect something more than the same exact thing we've had since 2009.

 

7 minutes ago, RZArazorSHARP20 said:

You mean to tell me having SOE, The Giant and Dead Ops 2 isn't better than having just Tranzit?  Or Kino and Five?  Ridiculous. 

Show me where anyone here has said that.

 

12 minutes ago, RZArazorSHARP20 said:

  Treyarch will never win with most of these people, who's only feedback is to complain.  You have new zombies.  Customizable zombies.  You got an old, classic map.  Aww they didn't give you an Easter Egg on an add on? Too bad.  Ok rant over.  Enjoy the game.

If you think our only feedback is to complain, when we have complimented Shadows, but are disappointed we got the same map for the third time in a row, then I don't even know what to say.

 

 

[steviewonder87]

I initially thought that The Giant was just Der Reise with a BO3 mod and snow (which it basically is) but I still have tons of fun playing it, it has to be said. I'd much prefer a new map to learn, but in some ways having something familiar is nice. Since I already know the map inside out, and it's relatively simple/small it was a good way for me to get to grips with the new BO3 features before I tried my hand at SoE - which, in my opinion, is a brilliant map.

 

I recently tried out the original WAW version, and it just looks AWFUL compared to the BO3 version, I really enjoy the new detail, fx, lighting, etc. seeing this on a new engine, but then again maybe as a mapper myself I appreciate the little things like that more than most.

 

Overall, apart from the few issues on PC (which are almost fixed now I think), I'm more than happy with my BO3 purchase. I can't wait to see what the DLC content will be like.

[Tasers]

Going by quotes Richtofen puts emphasis on turning on the beacon to contact Maxis and then Maxis confirms he knows where they are when the Fly Trap is completed, thus I guess completing the overall goal for this map by establishing the beacon. Quotes, radios, detail, and context of everyone's perception is all we have to go for here. I kind of wanted to go on a goose chase but I guess it's already over. Kind of lack luster but I am sure they will make up for it in the next sequel to The Giant.

Edited November 15, 2015 by Tasers

[RedDeadRiot]

It's lazy at best. With Black Ops I at least got ALL of the WaW maps at launch, not just one. Very disappointed. 

[Chopper]

@RZArazorSHARP20 Sorry Dude I paid my money so I'm entitled to bitch and complain anyway I like.

 

I expected 2 new maps, not a reskinned WAW and a mode that I couldn't care less for the first time out.

DOA was like a niche hit, loved by some but hated by many more.

 

In my opinion I would have liked to have seen SOE plus a new old style map.

Something like DR, Kino, Five, Verruckt etc.

 

And playing on PC the 5th day (first chance I got to play it) it took me 6 hours to get past round 8.  Over the course of 9 hours, including 3 coop games I had 12 lost connection to servers.  At least half of those didn't even actually kick me offline.

I can't play the PC version offline without doing a stupid hack which I'm not comfortable doing.

 

It's the same as BO2, you have to play the PC version online - if I could play it offline I wouldn't have an issue with this.

 

It's almost as if Treyarch have said we care more about preventing piracy (which is pointless when it's so damn easy) than providing a good gaming experience for PC players.

 

If you really believe that I and others who share a negative opinion only want to complain then you don't know any of us very well.

I understand you may be being somewhat flippant, and I agree that there is a lot of un-necessary negativity out there but there are also some very legitimate reasons to complain.

 

There is a reason that Treyarch are known as Trollarch, and putting DR back with no EE insight when people have spent 7 years desperately looking and discussing it is pretty low in my opinion.

 

And the worse thing, another 4 player required EE.  What the actual fuck were they thinking doing this again.

 

 

[TheSlushTurtle]

If you're gonna bring one back, you might as well bring them all back eh?

[The Clay Bird]

On 11/15/2015, 7:47:46, RZArazorSHARP20 said:

People will find a way to complain about anything.  The Giant is a remake included as an extra, with tons of new features despite being the same Der Riese we've known.  You mean to tell me having SOE, The Giant and Dead Ops 2 isn't better than having just Tranzit?  Or Kino and Five?  Ridiculous.  Treyarch will never win with most of these people, who's only feedback is to complain.  You have new zombies.  Customizable zombies.  You got an old, classic map.  Aww they didn't give you an Easter Egg on an add on? Too bad.  Ok rant over.  Enjoy the game.

the problem is that they created the expectations with the cinematic cut scene that they debuted at comic-con that made it appear that the Giant would have integral story points to it presumably played out in a full on EE side quest, and now that that hasn't materialized lots of people are disappinted.  I mean seriously, show Richtofen killing a different version of himself, and then don't develop that plot at all??  That is just strange as all get out