A first look at Modern Warfare 3 Content Drops 4, 5 and 6

The next three content drops for Modern Warfare 3 will be released to 360-owning Elite users tomorrow. Last week Activision allowed us a sneak peek at the three new maps, so here's a quick rundown of what you're getting. Expect some slight campaign spoilers ahead.

Drop 4: Black Box

This is a fairly large map, roughly the same size as Liberation or Overwatch, based around the concept that Air Force One has crashed in the suburbs of South California.

At the lower end of the map you have what's left of the fuselage - a fairly tight area that lends itself to run-and-gun antics as you duck in and out from behind ruined seats and the like. Uphill from the plane you'll find a smattering of half-built condos in varying states; as these look out over the lower ground below, the upper balconies offer opportunities for sniping at players making their way up from the plane.

That said, the advantage of higher ground is offset by the fact that there are multiple entry points to the upper floors on the main buildings. As such, I suspect there'll be a lot of traffic moving through these areas - so it's unlikely you'll be able to camp up here for long. Unfortunately this is only conjecture on my part, as I was only able to test the map in Survival mode.

Most of you will be more bothered about how this map fares in Team Deathmatch and the like, but for those of you who do play Survival, know that it's bloody hard work. You'll be facing Juggernauts and bomb-dogs within the first five rounds, so you can't afford to be frivolous with the cash you earn early on.

Drop 5: Black Ice

There's a strong whiff of James Bond to Black Ice, which has the distinction of being the first Spec Ops mission to be released as an online download. Your aim here is to infiltrate the Russian diamond mine from the late stages of MW3's campaign, blow it up, and then scarper.

The mission kicks off with a call-back to Modern Warfare 2, with an extended snowmobile chase. One player drives while the other shoots from the passenger seat, taking down dozens of foes on snowmobiles of their own.

Once you arrive at the mine it's a case of battling your way through to the control room in the central cavern. There are plenty of weapon options lying around, and as the mine largely consists of large, open chambers, you'll probably want to go for an assault rifle with an ACOG scope. As the level progression is fairly linear, flanking isn't much of an issue; the bigger threat comes from the size of the areas you're fighting in, and the fact that you can be shot at from quite far off.

After planting the explosives in the control room, you and your buddy simply have to battle your way back to the mine's entrance. There's a time limit in place, but as long as you keep pushing forward you should reach the evac chopper without too much difficulty - allowing you to enjoy the explosive results of your handiwork as you escape.

Drop 6: Negotiator

The last of the drops is also arguably the most hardcore of the three. Negotiator is a Spec Ops mission that takes us back to Himachal Pradesh, India. It's a gruelling hostage rescue mission that requires you stay calm, focused and accurate while working against strict time constraints.

Before you can rescue any hostages, however, you'll have to save yourself. As the mission begins both players are being held at gun point in separate locations. As his captors are distracted by the imminent execution of another prisoner, Player 1 gets a brief opportunity to steal a gun from a guard's belt. They must then race to a nearby building to save their team-mate; take too long, and they'll be shot in the head.

Once both players are back on their feet and armed with whatever they can find, it's a race against time to save the remaining hostages. Slow-mo breaching is the order of the day, with crowded rooms testing your ability to swiftly separate the innocent victims from their would-be murderers. Between breaches you'll also endure several manic street battles. An on-screen count shows how many surviving hostages remain; take too long at any given stage and you'll likely hear the result of your poor performance, with ominous gunshots ringing out across the map.

At the climax of the operation you'll find yourself in the courtyard just outside the safehouse where an injured Soap MacTavish was kept during the campaign. Now there's a bomb here that needs diffusing, but as wave after wave of hostiles pours out of the house, you'll be hard-pushed to reach it in the first place.

I certainly had trouble, but then I started the mission by stealing the guard's gun and accidentally capping his hostage - so I'm probably not the best guide.

All three DLC maps will be made available to Xbox 360-owning Elite members tomorrow. PS3 Elite users will get the maps next month.