Asylum

Asylum is a multiplayer map in Call of Duty: World at War.

Overview
Asylum is a little like Showdown, but much more extensive. It is also something of a successor to Vacant, due to the long and sharp angled corridors and line of sight orientation, as well as embellished on side passageways and many different routes. Despite this, it is a fairly average-small level. This is a good map for game matches with smaller groups of people, but can be played with larger groups as well. As the name states, this level appears to be a small Nazi Asylum based off a part of the mission Ring of Steel, in which Pvt. Petrenko assaults the German asylum. This map usually focuses on close range shooting, due to the fact that there is not a lot of open space. Guns that work well here include the PPSh-41 (or all SMGs), the Type 99 machine gun, the MG42, and the Browning M1919, as well as some semi-automatic rifles. The shotguns are very effective, due to the sometimes cramped spaces, but are hindered by their slow reload time. Also, Rifle Grenades work well here, but the player can risk getting blown up, or seriously hurt. This map is the basis for the second Nazi Zombie map: Verruckt.

Structure

 * Cafeteria: This is where the Red Army spawns. Most people tend to stay here for the battle, for it has a room that has a view of the center of the map. Also, the hall it leads to gives a great view of the enemy's path, so one can trap the enemy from proceeding from halls. However, enemies also tend to flank from the back, and seeing as it is a vast space, an enemy can get through defenses easily. However, the enemy can be stopped from proceeding by someone watching the points where the enemy can enter at the back.
 * Bathroom Hall: This point is where many battles take place. Whoever holds this hall has a great way of getting around the map, as it goes out to the Red Army spawn, the Wehrmacht spawn, the center and the second floor. The bathrooms are some points where people camp, hoping to get a few kills, for it is usually a trafficked area.
 * North End: This is where the Wehrmacht spawn. From early to late game, this is usually abandoned. The main points of battles are far away and not many players stay here. However, special occasions, such as the flag in War, can make this spot a battle area. Otherwise, it is usually vacant.
 * Broken Roof Area: This area in the north-western point is where many battles also take place. Holding this area gives the player's team a great advantage. The player can create a choke point for the enemy, whichever way they are coming from. Also, as there are walls there, the player has cover while doing so. This place is often the point of most battles. It is a great place to focus Artillery Strikes, not only because it's usually covered with enemy troops, but also because the broken roof does not get in the way of Artillery Strikes, preventing damage reduction.

Trivia

 * In the bathroom the player can hear many creepy, disembodied noises, such as two men whispering, a girl crying, a coin dropping, a piano playing, water dripping and a knife carving into cement.
 * The sound of the piano being played becomes loudest near a building near the Soviet spawn area, suggesting the piano is being played within that building. However, as the building is sealed, the player cannot find out for sure what is going on inside of that building.
 * Standing by the windows can sometimes trigger the sound effect of a window being boarded up. This could have been a hint by Treyarch that the first Zombie DLC would have been set in the Asylum (Verrückt).
 * If the player goes into spectator mode and goes on top of the roof, knocking on wood can be heard.
 * In the bathroom, the player can see feces in the toilet.
 * On the Wii, this map is one of the few maps where the player occasionally runs into the "Ghost gun" or "telekinetic soldier". It is when the player gets separated from the gun. The player can go through all the motions of the gun (firing the gun and reloading) while the gun goes through the motions (the ammo getting thrown off without anyone holding it). This can, however, block the view if having a large weapon, like the MG or Browning. The player may also appear invisible to other players. This only happens on the Wii. The maps that also have this are: Upheaval, Cliffside and Castle.
 * On Spectator mode as a Russian and/or German, if stood next to any gate on the map, whispering from the bathroom and dogs barking can be heard.
 * Outside of the map there are numerous houses that look as if they have been burned. Also, there is a tree outside of the map which is noticeable on spectate.
 * A lot of the roofs on this map can be passed through if free spectating.
 * It is possible to hear electricity on this map, which may be another hint by Treyarch that this would be the first Nazi Zombies DLC.
 * It is possible to hear a train go past although it is not visible.
 * In the mission "Ring of Steel", after entering the Asylum, there is a sign on a wall saying "Geisteskrankes asyl von Deutschland" which is translated "Insane Asylum of Germany".