The seventeenth entry in the long-running Call of Duty franchise arrived this week. Acting as a sort-of reboot of its Black Ops sub-series, the latest title – Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – features all the familiar FPS trappings we’ve come to love and loathe from CoD, plus some new stuff to help mix things up. But how does Black Ops Cold War Zombies stack up?
While players had the chance to get acquainted with the game’s multiplayer during the pre-launch Alpha and Beta phases, the fan favourite Zombies mode wasn’t included. Now we’ve got our hands on the full version, we’ve been getting stuck into Black Ops Cold War Zombies and are having a great time slaying undead Nazi hordes. If you’re still on the fence about purchasing the game, here are five things that really stand out for us in Call of Duty’s latest iteration of Zombies that might help you decide…
1. Back to basics
It seems that lots of gamers (at least among people I know) skipped recent entries in the series until 2019’s Modern Warfare. With that said, developer Treyarch’s apparent decision to return to a somewhat old school Zombies mode will be welcomed by those stepping back into this world for the first time in a while.
Key gameplay and mechanics feel reminiscent of 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War and 2010’s Call of Duty: Black Ops. It’s all a bit more grounded and has a tighter focus. Yes – Zombies has come a long way since its humble beginnings 12 years ago. Various features have been added and removed since then, and the formula has been changed up more than a time or two. But this Zombies mode’s commitment to what made its original incarnation so popular is refreshing and keeps us coming back for those glorious nostalgia hits.
2. Restrained wackiness
We’re dealing with reanimated corpses and alternate dimensions here, so a certain level of wackiness is to be expected. But some of the more ridiculous aspects of previous modes has been pared back for Black Ops Cold War Zombies – particularly in comparison to Black Ops 4’s outing. That’s not to say this mode takes itself too seriously – Treyarch knows what it is, and they know why fans enjoy it. It’s fun and goofy in all the right ways without pushing it too far.
3. Something for everyone
Part of the enduring appeal of Zombies is its weird and wonderful mix of different genres and their tropes. While this isn’t specific to Black Ops Cold War Zombies, it’s certainly not something it’s missing. Whether you’re a survival horror fan or sci-fi geek, there’s plenty of conspicuous iconography and symbolism to absorb. Even a World War II history buff might find something charming about it, although there’s nothing even remotely reflective of reality included. Its alternative timeline delves deep into the world of secretive Nazi experiments and is akin to 2018’s action horror film Overlord. Zombies has always had a cinematic, movie-inspired vibe, and that returns this time around.
4. Nacht der Untoten, reimagined
The very first Zombies map from World at War returns in Die Maschine, although it’s not how you remembered it from before. For starters, it no longer makes up the entire map. Instead, Nacht der Untoten forms this map’s central location and you’ll probably spend most of your time fighting in and around it. Its dull, grey interior is gone, too – replaced instead by colourful graffiti plastering almost every inch of its walls. With the addition of Perk-a-Colas (which weren’t introduced until the second Zombies map Verruckt), the Pack-a-Punch machine (which debuted in the fourth level Der Riese), and a sprawling underground laboratory, Nacht der Untoten is all the better for it.
5. Old weapons, new weapons, and rarity tiers
The trusty and iconic Ray Gun is back in Black Ops Cold War. Of course, you’ll find it inside the Mystery Box as expected but it returns in its original form from World at War. It’s still super powerful and will finish off the undead in no time, and it can be made into an even stronger variant thanks to the Pack-a-Punch machine. In addition to the returning Ray Gun, the all-new Decompressive Isotopic Estrangement Machine (or D.I.E Machine for short) makes its debut as a map-exclusive Wonder Weapon. As you’d expect, this is the strongest and most coveted weapon available in the mode. If you’re lucky enough, you can obtain it from the Mystery Box. But failing that, you’ll have to complete a multi-part Easter egg to get your hands on it.
To top it all off, Zombies has introduced weapon rarity for the first time – a feature many will recognise most recently from Warzone. This adds depth and meaning to your weapon choices in the mode. Five tiers are available: Common/Loadout, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. Obviously, the higher the tier, the more lethal the weapon. But it’s not just about the improved damage – rarer weapons have an increasing number of attachments depending on their tier which makes them more useful and tactically beneficial to you and your squad.
Have you played Black Ops Cold War Zombies? How do you think it compares to previous Zombies modes? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
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Featured Image Credit: Activision
