Nuketown is the Single Worst Map in FPS History

Loot Ninja writes:

"I think Call of Duty: Black Ops is a great game. I am thoroughly enjoying the multiplayer as it I think it is the best effort in a CoD game thus far. However, the pock mark on the face of this game is Nuketown. The concept of having a map at a 1960′s era Nuclear Testing Site is a great idea. The map itself has great detail, creepy mannequins, a doomsday clock, and even Easter Egg mailboxes from in-game characters. Despite all this, playing on Nuketown is by far the worst thing about Black Ops multi. Here is why."

[RedDead]

It wouldn't be so bad if the spawn system wasn't so F**ked up

[fiercescuba]

I wrote this piece because the map itself has potential. The idea is really cool. The spawn system really makes it a disaster.

[FragMnTagM]

I never ever lose on that map when I have my team.

If your whole team is farther than the back of the house, the enemy team will spawn behind you. If you keep two people in the back two in the house and two near the vehicles, they won't spawn behind you.

[DarkTower805]

Its actually my favorite map of the game, as I assume many others as well. Every time it comes up in the rotation it gets played at least 4 times in a row. Sure, the spawning sucks, but what do you expect from such a tiny map.

Nuketown is pure chaos and adrenaline, which I like. If you're a camper or perfectionist who strives for perfect kdr, then I can see how this map might aggravate you.

[BakedGoods]

The map is the worst in FPS history because of...the spawn system? It's really not the map that's the problem then is it?

Sounds like the sensational title is just 'f0r teh hitz'.

[-Alpha]

Fixing the stupid spawn system is the top priority for TA apparently so hopefully everything gets ironed out

[frostypants]

Why did they make it so small? It could have been sweet if it covered, say, a full block, instead of just 2 houses.

As it is right now it's obvious that it was designed in a day. It feels like a bad user-content map from an FPS 15 years ago.

[Focker420]

Its definitely my favorite map of the game, but yes the spawns are ridiculous. They're fine on team tactical though. I wish they'd do like a 5 or 6 person free-for-all with the layouts from the wager matches. Oh and I wish they'd give me experience points for playing the wager matches. Kind of stupid that they don't.

[mzm119]

sounds like sour grapes.. you must suck

[wsoutlaw87]

i hate that map its to small for that many players. Theres nothing to it and that allows people to camp the entire time and still get kills

[DORMIN]

I like the design and style to it, the CoD spawning system not so much.

You hear they Activillian and Treyarch? FIX YOUR F*CKING SPAWN SYSTEM

[frostypants]

On the contrary, people who like this map tend to suck on the real ones. They like it because it makes getting kills so easy.

I'd bet that there's a high correlation between people who like this map and people who quick-scoped in MW2.

[mzm119]

frosty.. it's easier to get kills and it's easier to be killed. If I play well and win a FFA on a normal map it's usually in the 30-8 range. If I play well and win a FFA on Nuketown it's more like 30-20. It's a different style of map, that's all.

I find it tests my reflexes much more than the normal, tactical maps. There is no where to hide.

[Sarcasm]

I have to agree, I always stop if this map is picked. I think it has something to do with the stupid spawning. I cant recall how many times I've spawned, ran forward, and then 2 enemies spawn right behind me and kill me. It's highly frustrating, and people keep voting for it!

[Millah]

I love the map, it's the spawns that is the problem. Nuketown is just pure chaos, which is a nice change from modern campfare 2. I agree however that certain kill streaks should be limited on this map. Chopper gunner needs to have either a shorter duration in air (since it's impossible to shoot down when you're spawn killed), and the machine gun needs to have either limited ammo or an overheat period.

Otherwise I have tons of fun on the map.

[olLANDSHARKlo]

exactly, no where to hide, hence you can't camp. I love the map, campers will not.

[f789790]

The spawn system isn't that bad. It's a small map and some bad spawns are expected.

I want you to remember Rust. The map with a high point in the center that held noobtoobers raining grenades down on spawn points directly below it. That was the worst map ever made.

[NecrumSlavery]

The first few minutes of Nuketown are fun, but after everyone spreads out and the spawning goes haywire, everything turns into a huge shitshow.

I don't remember an issue this bad in Rust, and that was half the size.

other than that it's a really cool map. I know they went for a simple little map, but honestly it would better if they made the map(that side area) open, so they can clean up some of the sanity.

[AAACE5]

I hate to say it, but it was the first map I played in multiplayer and was unimpressed! I was scared all of the maps would be that bad! Luckily they aren't!

[AndrewRyan]

But I find the map fun, there is constant action, and you have to think alot about where you should be going and where the enemy team will be spawning. 70% mental, 30% skill.

[JsonHenry]

Yeah.. I think that if the spawn system was a little better about NOT putting you next to/in front of other players this map would not be so bad. I actually like the map. But not when it is 5 deaths in a row within a second of spawning. LAME.

[r1sh12]

Yea the spawn system is bad, but I think they have designed it the way they have to avoid spawn traps.
the problem with the new system is people tend to spawn very close to the person that killed them.
This actually is a decent map, a little too camp friendly but if you have a good team and make sure the other team cannot spawn behind you its easy wins and kill streaks.
I went 108 - 19 on this map playing demolition, we just spawn trapped them and made sure they didnt spawn behind us.

[frostypants]

"This actually is a decent map, a little too camp friendly but if you have a good team and make sure the other team cannot spawn behind you its easy wins and kill streaks."

Translation: if you spawn camp the enemy it's not so bad.

This is the DEFINITION of a bad map.

[Shackdaddy836]

It wouldn't be SO bad if people didn't vote for it over and over again until you leave the lobby....

It just gets annoying after 5 times inna row...

I usually dont get spawn camped a lot unless I play domination. Then its just ridiculous.

Sticks n' Stones is really good on this map BTW(at least for me it is)

[Super-Brad]

You can just quit that match and re-join the other hundreds of games.

[BrianG]

@ Above

I wish I could have played a match the other day. My bro picked it up and I wanted to try it out. Tried for 10 mins to get into all different match types, and when I finally got in a team death match the lag sucked.

I have a good connection, wired and wireless, over 10mbps download. So I don't know if they fixed those issues yet, haven't played it since.

[gaden_malak]

I like the map. It's fast and furious in Free-for-all. I get high scores, though never win.

But I agree doing it over and over in a row is annoying. But thankfully its easy to get another game.

[BloodyNapkin]

The spawns for this map is fine, cause it would be to easy to spawn trap a team on this board. Cause you can chuck a grenade almost all the way across the board.

They will fix spawns then everyone will cry the are getting spawn trapped by a bunch of partied noobs.

[wsoutlaw87]

exactly

[TheSadTruth]

All your negative points:

1. The map is entirely too small for 8 v 8.

2. The spawn points are way too predictable.

3. The killstreaks are way too powerful for a map of this design.

Are problems on every MW2/Black Ops map.

That's why it's a terrible FPS for the lowest common deoniminator of FPS players, the FPS pseudo-competitive console gamer. Where you get much reward for little work (spawn camping, kill streaks). If you think these are problems with this map, then you are playing the wrong game, because these issues affect ALL CoD maps since even CoD 4...

It's pretty ironic saying this is a bad map when the same qualities are what inadvertently draw you to this game.

The post above:

"sounds like sour grapes.. you must suck " by mzm119

is a perfect example of the ideology I'm describing. This pre-teen probably thinks the world of himself because he can aim his autoaimed controller at a narrow entrance and press a trigger.

Call of Duty.

[visualb]

when its all just about memorizing the map and knowing whats the best gun...thats it

then its just exploit the game

exploit the spawn points (as the article mentions), exploit the killstreaks, exploit it all until it becomes unplayable for other players...

[gaden_malak]

God elitists annoy me. Very few video games require skills. FPS certainly are not in that group.

People need to get over themselves and have fun in life.

[GhettoBlasStarr]

Its high action, never a dull moment. I like it because I don't have to runaround looking for campers!! NukeTown was the 1st map that I put in my playback file. I must not be the only person that feels the same because its always getting voted in.

[Blaster_Master]

Breath.

[DaddyPoppa]

look at this vid

[TheLastGuardian]

Even if the spawn system wasn't so F'd up it would still suck. Idk why, I usually like small maps. Shipment was one of my favorite COD4 maps but I hate Nuketown. Theres so many enemies in that small area, you don't know which one to gun for and as soon as you start shooting somebody behind you kills you. Getting killed every 5 seconds is not my idea of fun.

[Skizelli]

I'd like this map a lot more if it was opened up, say, the entire length of the street. Would be awesome since it's a court. I wouldn't call it the single worst map in FPS history, either. That title belongs to any one of the MP maps in the new Medal of Honor.

[360nPS3rTheSAME]

it plays just like the kz3 maps in beta. Coooool. Black ops is the best shooter on the market at least till the next cod comes

[LukaX23]

This article has the single most misleading title in history.

[ironcreed]

No argument from me. It's a spawn camping, nade spamming paradise. They should have just made it the size of a typical neighborhood block at the very least. As it stands, it is nothing more than a claustrophobic camp-fest culdesac. Just an awful design.

[frostypants]

The fact that people vote for it is proof that most gamers these days prefer fat kill streaks to actual gameplay.

It's a sad commentary on where things are headed. People care more about their stats than how they get them.

They'd rather shoot fish in a barrel than actually fish. It's as if the laziness of modern American youth has invaded gaming. Someone could write a psychology paper on this.

[wsoutlaw87]

thats cod for you. people want the glory of a large amount of easy kills with out any skill. Its just as much the older crowd and the young ten year olds as it is the teens who like the get in and unlock a bunch of stuff, get the game winning kill and get out. Thats called appealing to the mass market my friend and it is definitely a trend in gaming

[vickers500]

Yes, because it's only Americans that are like that. /s

And the campers are easy as hell to take out in this level. Just fire your crossbow into the room and you'll get the kill 70% of the time.

[gaden_malak]

lol @ skill in CoD. It's a video game. There is no skill required. All you need to do is be quicker on the trigger.

It's a game. The idea is to win and have fun. There is no skill needed.

[Canidae]

That I'm not the only one who freakin' hates that map with every fiber of my gaming soul. And if the stated problems weren't bad enough, the spawn mechanic problem is especially noticeable there. Can't even recall how many deaths I've had on that map simply because the game decided to spawn half the enemy team on the same side as me.

[Akagi]

I didn't think there could be a map worse than CoD 4's Shipment, but then Nuketown comes along and proves me wrong.

[joydestroy]

yeah dude i hated that Shipment map in CoD4 it was horrible

[Nitrowolf2]

I still think Shipment is the worse, It's much smaller and usually when i spawn on that map i die, at least on Nuketown i can move around and at least have a chance of not dieing. The spawn system is really F'd up, i die and repond behind the enemeis sometimes or they spawn behind my team. Its annoying

[EVO-OM3GA]

I loved Shipment especially on HQ it was never about capturing it was all about getting them Kills also you couldnt really camp.

Nuke Town is just stupid! everytime i see that MAP it gets voted for!

[FragMnTagM]

That map was just as bad.

[im-12-years-old]

I hate wetwork

that is the worst map for me

[renegade]

I have fun playing private in shipment oldschool, knife and pistol but no good on normal multiplayer match.

[ThisPlaceSucksBye]

If you play a free for all with 1 or 2 of your buddies, it's awesome.

Also...

1. The map is entirely too small for 8 v 8.

Stupidest complaint ever.
This is why the map label says "small".
Why even try an 8 vs. 8 match? Come on.

[Blaster_Master]

So true. Maybe its cause yall suck and dont ever get first? LOL!

[soundslike]

because it pops up in the TDM playlist and idiots vote for it...

[fiercescuba]

It is not up to me on the size of the match.

If I pick, Core > Domination, and the lobby allows for 16 players, how am I supposed to change that?

I'm not being sarcastic, it is an actual question.

[frostypants]

"Why even try an 8 vs. 8 match? Come on. "

Good question. Why does the game put it on the vote list then?

[mrv321]

Don't hate on shipment, it was fun to play domination on it.

[Paralex]

This guy obviously has never played Shipment on CoD4, Dome on WaW, or Rust on MW2. (Ever had a chopper gunner on Rust? It's not pretty.) Each game has it's own little small map with predictable spawns. It's not the worst map, it's actually a very fun map. Possible one of the best small maps out of the previous 3 CoD titles.

[EVO-OM3GA]

Nah never bother with a chopper gunner cause i Destroy All Air Kill Streaks as soon as i see them!

Cold-Blooded Pro FTW!!!

[Tunerboy8732]

I remember when I got a chopper gunner in a care package on rust after that it was a wrap for the other team.

[retrofly]

Its true but I'm normally the guy in the chopper gunner almost feeling sorry for all the spawn killing I'm doing.

But them I remember that anyone would do the same to me in an instant!.

Muhahahaha
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[JonnyBigBoss]

The spawn system screws up once the teams start entering eachother's spawns.

I don't have any issues with the map assuming the player count is below 10. On demolition modes this map is pure havok.

[DaBadGuy]

Nuketown seems like more of a novelty, with the sign that displays the number of players and time remaining, the double rainbow, and Sympathy for the Devil.

It's good for all its little Easter eggs but when it comes to playing an actual game, it's awful.

The grenade launcher spamming sucks still too, but it's not as rampant as it was in MW2.

I'll wait for more people to unlock it and then see how rampant it gets.

[bigboss911]

go in to private match, make sure you have hyperspeed turned on in the custom class setup. play knifes only. The most fun ive had in a while. Also for laughs have killstreaks set up like this...
1st kill: RcXD
2nd kill: RcXd
3rd kill: Rcxd
It made the map more enjoyable! Its terrible in regular matches sometimes though. Just fix the spawns!!!!!

[soundslike]

"VOTe RANDUM IT mITE BE NUKETOWN GUYZ!!

GUYZ SRIOUSLY

SEriSLOULY U GUYZ"

[Ace Killa 08]

What's wrong with that is a 12 year old has a mature game

[soundslike]

"OMG guyz Therz Lyke Mannikins THT u can shoot the Armz OFF and like the mannnikins arms come off, AND YOU CAN SHOOT THEM"

anybody notice how these kids repeat the same thing over, just different parts of the same sentence?

[im-12-years-old]

Stop talking about me :(

[lefty burns]

it's the new Rust (which was the new Dome). I don't mind playing on it the matches go quickly and there is always action

[Ace Killa 08]

I'm the only one that enjoys it, when has call of duty ever had a decent spawn system?

It's a small map, when players get to close to a spawn the game attempts to move where the enemy spawns which leads to a kill after spawn or death. Map is good and fun, especially in demolition, both defending and assaulting

[Lilbambit]

I agree with this article, the spawn system is so terrible, I cant believe Treyarch shipped the game with a map this bad. It annoys me more that everyone seems to vote for the damn thing over and over!!

[JeffGUNZ]

it's suppose to be a crazy havok map. It's fun to play when you have the right mentality going in. I have a "nuketown" class, which is flatjacket and a good old assault rifle and symtex. I can't play that map without flatjacket. If you haven't used that perk in that map then do so, you will survive much longer and have a better outlook on it!

[BabyTownFrolics]

especially on sabotage and domination

[Der_Kommandant]

They should change the name to Butchery

I love Nuketown!

[scar20]

I suggest using the olympia set up class everytime this map comes up i end up as the top player.

[JeffGUNZ]

add flatjacket to that then you're in business!

[TukkerIntensity]

based on how often it gets picked in voting - I would say that most people disagree with you. Especially in FFA/Wager matches.

[crazyclown]

its the best map tbh...you just suck

[im-12-years-old]

nope.

[NickX]

Worst map I've ever seen is in Halo Reach, that one with the little fish pools that looks like a Chinese resturant. It's just crap.

Nuke Town is supposed to be the way it is so people can just blast the shit out of each other. It's not the worst, you need to stop looking for hits by talking rubbish about Black Ops.

[EvolZero]

That map in Halo Reach (Reflection is what it's called I believe) is a remake of Ivory Tower from Halo 2, and I 100% disagree with your opinion, that map is awesome! I've been in some intense shootouts on that map that have had my palms sweating.

[Kev2077]

how can it be the worst map if it seems to be the most liked map?

[falviousuk]

The map is a disaster, played on it yesterday and was killed several times over when respawing. Due to someone having a helicopter petrk over the spawn point raking it with fire. Couldnt even move a few yards before i died. Then once the helo finished out came a gunship that carried on the same way, eventually quit out the game

[SpinalRemains138]

I hate it too.

I miss the old days of being able to search for custom filter matches.
ie...... WMD, TDM, 8 players and so forth.

I also miss the ability to host custom matches. The 10 minute camp fest is never going to go away as long as we have these tiny maps. It ruins the game. Sometimes ppl play Nuketown 8 times in a row. Wtf

Back in the day you could host a 60 minute session of War on large map. Everything is ADD now, where you're spending half the match spawning. That isn't fun

[The_Darkest_Red]

You can search for custom filter matches in Killzone 2. I always used it to play smaller games with rockets turned off.

[Senden]

It's a stupid amateurish map tbh.. two houses seperated by a school bus and a few other things.. it's hardly an AAA quality designed map is it? Then again the only good map I find on black ops was Launch.

[SpinalRemains138]

launch is a great map. I also like Havana (Its like Corssfire from MW), and I love Summit.

Cracked is good too.

[Rubberlegs]

It does suck if someone gets a chopper gunner but that hardly happens the times that I've played on the map. Its still fun map since it gets you right in the action and its pretty easy to get past campers on it. I always run and gun on the map and do fine.
I've never been dominated on that map by people camping like what the article talks about.

[amullers]

Ok yesterday I bought COD:BO for my PS3 and I am feeling really bad that I spent my money on IT. When I put the BR disc on the PS3 and I went directly to the multiplayer to my surprise I saw the graphics on the maps being really bad and it s a surprise because WAW maps looks pretty good for example the outskirts map. also you can see the difference in graphics between MW2 and BO. MW2 are far better and I know graphics doesnt make a good game but It suck when you paid for new game anda the quality of it is below the last one. Cod 4 is even more polish than BO!
Is this a PS3 problem only?

[BrianG]

The PS3 version in graphical comparisons isn't as good as the Xbox version. However its not THAT bad, or THAT big of a difference. So for your concerns I'd say no. Cause if it is really worse than MW2 to you on PS3, I think you'll feel the same way on Xbox, or PC.

[Paradise Lost]

Nuketown is not the worst map..

[ddelella]

The map is too small, yes. The spawn points are terrible, this is a game problem not just this map. The worst ever, I disagree. Let's not forget Backwash for Halo 2. The map so poorly programmed it lagged so bad they removed it from existence.

[EvolZero]

I forgot about that trash map, don't know what Bungie was smoking when they made that one, I think I played it twice, once with my friends, we all hated it, and once online, thank god I lagged out, didn't even want to play the match. Definitely a shit map.

[dkgshiz]

Grenades everywhere!

[scar20]

Thats why you use flakjacket.

[DelbertGrady]

Many maps in Medal of Honor are worse.

[Damiann]

not one of my favourite maps

[xxchicago33xx]

I don't think it's the spawn points...I think people are just smart enough to use tactical insertion and pop up behind you

[blink3020]

It is my least favorite map by far although at least it's bigger than shipment from cod4.

[SpinalRemains138]

Yeah but the problem is that Shipment wasn't on all of the mode lists. It was only on a few modes.

Nuketown is on every available mode and it sux. PPl just want to level up and they forget that the game is supposed to be enjoyable. Instead, ppl just want to level up????????????/

Fuck that. I want to level up naturally. It will happen while I have fun. I just can't stand how every lobby gets 7 Nuketown votes. What am I not understanding?

[Gandalf]

Also hate this map. Might as well call it Camptown since people are usually hiding in prone all the way in the back.

[Koromaro]

They should at least open the rest of Nuketown and not just those 2 houses =/

[bobrea]

Shouldn't you be bitching about the spawn system than the map? I haven't even played this game but just quit bitching and making retarded, hyperbolic article titles like this.

[KilL7roCitY]

ALL YOU NOOBS HATE IT CUZ YOU CAN'T CAMP / HIDE IN CORNERS ON THIS MAP !
GET GOOD OR GET BEASTED NOOBS !

[Relientk77]

Nuketown is the worst map in Black Ops period

besides Nuketown, the game has fantastic level design and I enjoy playing just about every single map

[Xander756]

Black Ops is just a bad game overall. Go back to CoD4 you won't regret it!

[kornbeaner]

I think Shipment on MW1 was worst then this map. Especially on PC.

[The_Zeitgeist]

This article is talking crazy. Nuke Town is one of the best maps in the game, however, I agree with dkgshiz, Domination is pretty hard-core on this map.

[father33]

i hated this map at first but now i've come to appreciate it for what it is... the meatgrinder.

[creamsoda]

No, shipment from COD4 is the worst map ever I can't stand that map.

[cheameup]

1 it gets played way too often
2 RC's should not be on this map. When you get it its a gauranted kill. its just too small to have the RC's
3 spawns suck.Oh look I've been shot from, behind by a spawner again

[Shadow0]

well not really, but i still like it the most probably out of all the black ops maps and 10/11 if my friends agree. It makes the game really fast paced and fun

[thedarkvault]

too small for 8v8? I don't think you can even play more than 6v6 on nuketown.
It's meant to be a fun hectic map, not a campers paradise sorry.

oh no I got killed after spawning I have to wait a whole 1 second to spawn again, my poor KDR wah wah wah.

[Ascalon94]

I somewhat agree

[-MoOkS-]

The writer of this article obviously hasnt played killzone 2.

Nuketown is bad at times, especially for team death match and FFA. It's ok for other modes though

[Flare149]

I can get past most of the issues on this map (honestly if someone can manage to stay alive to get a copter on it then they totally deserve it because it's hard as heck to stay alive on it). I also think it's easy to move up and attack if you use equipment such as smoke grenades (seriously, I NEVER see anyone use these on the map and whenever i use them my team does pretty well). The spawn system in the whole game is completely broken though because if your team doesn't have someone right next to the main spawn area on any map, the enemy team will generally spawn there and you will be reverse spawned killed.

[jerseynets04]

this map is terrible. its just a camp and bomb fest, theres hardly any strategy to the map. you can spawn, take a few steps and chuck a nade towards the opposing backyard and get a double kill. Its terrible and its a map anyone regardless of skill and exp can go and grab a insane killing spree because its so small and so open. and it looks ugly i thought i was playing armymen on my ps1

[Sub-Zero85]

You can almost throw a semtex or regular grenade from one backyard to the other definitely not a map I like or love but I tolerate it !!!

[BigO]

Get outta here!!!!!

[jjank11]

The map sucks, but is tolerable.

The problem with this game is the F'in lag, I find it to be worse than MW2 and for any FPS game in recent memory that i've played. Its so inconsistent and you never know what you are getting from game to game.

Also, the spawns are quite ridiculous. I have spawned next to enemies or enemies have spawned next to me countless times, and i'm talking about the larger maps

[Hyperguy20]

Ermmmm no. I love the craziness of it, I find it really fun. The map is brilliant on One in the Chamber!

Gotta love sensationalist headlines.

[shamon]

I love this map worst part is the spawn killing that the only thing that sucks.

[mrcash]

this is treyarchs version of shipment and rust if those maps had sucked.

[Orbis]

Describing this map as the worst map in FPS history is pretty damn accurate. However, because the map resembles the 1998 film, Pleasantville, people think it's fantastic.

It's not. It's fucking retarded.

[earbus]

Lol i see that map i just leave the game ill take a loss over that map anyday atleast they are getting bigger the maps still no battlefield ,cods more arena shooter than unreal 3 .

[Nugundam0079]

I like this map-its surreal

[Raoh]

like someone above said you just need a good squad with you..

if all you know how to do is run around by yourself shooting at anything that moves you will be killed. often.. if you have a good team covering all entrances your golden and can pick off anyone..

plus the map reminds me of resistance 2 LOL

i'm not a big fan of black ops though, i'm sticking with MoH, BBC2 and MAG.. I hate the run and gun pace of call of duty.. you can really only be a rifleman with different attachments, i do better with the smg's but its still the same strategy with a different weapon.. your role never really changes..

overrated game if you ask me