Like the Vengeance DLC pack before it, Apocalypse will include the usual offerings (four maps and a Zombies addition), but the designs of the new levels, and the intriguing additions to the core Zombies experience will definitely attract fans’ attention.

Although the maps may not have the same stunning gimmicks as those in store for Call of Duty: Ghosts, they do offer a good blend of close-quarters and ranged combat; beginning with Pod, an experimental Taiwanese city built into a cliffside in the 1970s. The retro design of the abandoned city means players will have to pick their way through - and over - buildings to get the upper hand.

The urban warfare trend continues with Frost, a snow-capped European city designed in two halves, divided by a canal with a single bridge connecting them. With the marooned Pacific launch platform of Takeoff compared to the first Black Ops’ Stadium stage, fans of fast-paced, close-quarters firefights are also in luck. Treyarch has also adapted the Courtyard map from Call of Duty: World at War into the new and improved Dig, based on two archeological dig sites in Afghanistan, designed to push the pace and action as much as the original.

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The feature of the map pack that will garner the most attention from curious fans, though, is Origins - the story-focused expansion alluded to in the recent trailer. Keeping up their practice of injecting unusual characters and styles into their Zombies game mode, Origins sees the return of World War I-era France along with the cast of the original Zombies map: Tank, Nikolai, Takeo and Rictofen.

The expansion may not be a story-driven campaign like we expected, but the description does promise something new (if not zombies, then robots?):

To make sure that Origins gives Black Ops 2 a proper sendoff, Avenged Sevenfold will be lending a track from their upcoming record, and legendary comic book artist Alex Ross has supplied artwork as well.

We expect screenshots and video on each new map to follow soon, so stay tuned to Game Rant for more updates. For now, let us know which features of Apocalypse you’re most looking forward to in the comments.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Apocalypse is available for Xbox 360 on August 27, with other platforms to follow.

Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.