The intent of this post is to look back on past Treyarch CoD games and analyze each new addition to the zombies gamemode throughout the years. I’d like to keep dialogue in the comments respectful, my opinion will be included in some of this post, but remember, it’s just my opinion, and we don’t have to agree.
To begin with, we have World at War. In this game, zombies was introduced as a bonus mode. A fun little easter egg. We got Nacht which had 4 voiceless protagonists, the mystery box, the first perk, the power ups, and the weapon cabinet. This was great and if CoD continued in this direction things still would’ve arguably been perfect. But then they released the other three maps being Shi No, Verruckt, and Der Riese. With Shi No introducing the first new wonder weapon being the wonderwaffe, as well as introducing hellhounds, a staple of the franchise. Then Verruckt comes in and introduces the power mechanic, as well as multiple new perks that are also staple perks of the franchise. We also got the first voiced protagonists on this map. Then finally we have Der Riese. This map introduced Pack-a-Punch as well as the teleporter linking mechanic to get to it. Arguably a top zombies map of all time and iterating on everything the other maps introduced. WaW was the perfect intro to zombies type game as each map slowly introduced players to the new mechanics and it’s why this game is historically one of the best CoDs.
TLDR:
WaW introduced the mystery box, power ups, perks, weapon storage, wonder-weapons, pack-a-punch, hellhounds, and power to zombies.
Moving on, we go into Black Ops 1. This game was the perfect successor to World at War. Kino Der Toten basically used all the same mechanics as Der Riese. From the teleporter system, to power, etc.., all while still feeling fresh and being a great easy-medium entry point into zombies. We also got introduced to the nova crawlers on this map. We also got some iconic Easteregg music too. Now continuing, as a bonus map, Five was introduced. Taking inspiration from the pentagon map in the campaign while still making it feel fresh and zombified. This map introduced a new wonder weapon as well as the Pentagon Thief who would steal your weapon. This is where mini-bosses were somewhat introduced. Then we got maps like Shangri-La which introduced the fire zombie and a lot of map hazards. We got Call of the Dead which introduced George and was overall a great change of pace being in a snowy location. We got Ascension which goes down as one of the greatest maps of all time with the introduction of the Thundergun as well as the monkeys that could steal your perks. (Technically originally from shangri-la) Then we got Moon with its extravagant easteregg and massive map. Then finally we can’t forget about the WaW maps that were brought back thankfully without any changes. Overall, this was another Call of Duty game where zombies peaked.
TLDR:
BO1 introduced minibosses, nova crawlers, monkeys (the perk thiefs), and complex eastereggs.
Then we got Black Ops 2. This was the first game to have a rocky introduction to its first map with transit not being received the best at launch due to the fog system among other things, although I personally loved it. Before I get into this, I’d like to mention that Black Ops 2 also introduced Easy and Normal difficulty for zombies as well as the ability to turn hellhounds on and off. Furthermore, BO2 introduced the ability to pack-a-punch multiple times which was a welcome addition. This was a welcome addition imo. Now going back, Transit introduced a new crew as well as buildables which was a first for zombies. Overall not a bad addition. Another map we got on release that was universally loved was Town. The perfect easy map for beginners and great for passing time. Everything on the map was easy to find and it was probably my favorite map to play split screen. Everything about it was perfect for casual zombies players. Continually, we’d go on to get Buried, another universally loved map. With the first wonder weapon to have unlimited ammo and help you traverse the map. This map was chock full of buildables that made camping fun if you chose to. It also brought back the weapon storage mechanic from World at War with the fridge. Another new mechanic that was introduced was the bank system which made grinding the map rather fun as now you could bank money and get a head start on future play throughs. Then we have Mob of the Dead. This map was also a top map of all time. Introducing the hellhound on the wall mechanic and the ability to unlock the tomahawk. This map also had my favorite wonder weapon being the blundergat and introduced the ability to modify it in two different ways. One being the acid-gat and the other being pack-a-punch. This map also introduced the afterlife mechanic to turn on power to localized areas, which we’d see come back in Shadows of Evil. Overall, this map was the perfect “hard” map through and through. Then we got Die Rise which wasn’t well received at first but another map I personally loved for the beautiful map design. Not many new mechanics really introduced here. Then we have Origins. This was the start of zombies requiring a PHD to play. Still a great map but you had to go in knowing what you’re doing. We got introduced to staffs as well as more localized power mechanics. Overall an amazing map with one of the most challenging easter eggs.
TLDR:
BO2 introduced buildables, a banking system, localized power systems, the return of weapon storage, bonus weapons (the tomahawk), gameplay tracking (the little skull and tallies that would go up with each day you played), the ability to pack-a-punch more than once, and pre-game settings.
Personally, I think BO2 is where they hit the threshold on innovation for zombies without making the mode feel bloated.
Next we have Black Ops 3. On launch we had Shadows of Evil. A map that many in the community loved. With a complex Easter egg, the return of the afterlife mechanics from Mob, as well as the introduction of the aliens. The biggest change to come with BO3 zombies, however, was the introduction of Gobblegum. This is a system I’m personally indifferent to. It’s a fun addition to the game adding unique new ways to play, but ultimately it’s something I wouldn’t miss if it was gone. Another big change that BO3 zombies brought was loadouts and camo grinding. While not messing up the game much, this was an ok addition. My issues with it stem from zombies being an arcade mode and being able to grind for things that translate to future games seems to go against the arcade aspect of it. I think the introduction of loadouts to zombies would be a slippery slope that would lead to much worse things down the line. BO3 also introduced the 3-hit down system which imo made the game too easy. I would have rather had an Easy/Hard difficulty option like in BO2 so we have a choice. Besides this, however, we got 3 other decent maps being Der Eisendrack, Gorod Krovi, and Zhetsubo no shima. Great maps, but never could play them with friends as nobody seemed to care to buy them. Oh, and can’t forget Revelations. Zombies chronicles was another addition which is I think what kept BO3 zombies alive. Overall, only change I would’ve made is no changes at all. When BO1 ported over the maps from WaW, there were basically no changes made and the overall atmosphere felt the same. I definitely noticed a change of atmosphere in BO3 chronicles when the old maps were brought over. It wasn’t enough to make me dislike them but the maps still felt way easier than before. Only other issue I have with BO3 is the lack of box weapons and it did feel repetitive due to having so few options compared to other games.
TLDR:
BO3 introduced the 3-hit down system, loadouts, camo grinding, pack-a-punch abilities, and gobblegum. Imo, this is when zombies started feeling bloated and lost a lot of its arcade mode feel. I personally would’ve gotten rid of the loadout system and given the option for a 2-hit down hard mode. I’d also have changed some of the pack-a-punch abilities as it made a lot of guns feel the same instead of being unique. I also would’ve included more weapons in the box.
Now let’s look at BO4. I wont be as in depth only because I remember hating BO4 and calling Sony to process a refund after a few days of playing, but I’ll go based on what I remember. On launch, we got some really cool maps. Voyage of Despair and IX. Never really personally had issues with these maps. I thought they looked and played great. The underlying issue with BO4 zombies was the new perk system. I’m genuinely confused with what the devs were thinking adding this. Not only was it confusing, but it felt like they were “fixing” a system that was never broken to begin with. Another new addition was an update to the zombies coding that made them seem way more intelligent. Breaking up trains and ultimately making the game less fun and almost overly difficult without much reward. Continually, I think the changes made to Five and Mob of the Dead were rather unnecessary and also tried to fix something that wasn’t broken.
TLDR:
BO4 introduced a new perk system and a new zombies AI making them more intelligent. Overall, it was the new perk system that ruined this game for me from the start which is why I ultimately refunded it. However, the maps themselves were awesome.
Now moving into Black Ops Cold War. Cold War is another game where zombies didn’t even feel the same anymore. With the introduction to salvage, mantling, a damaged based point system, skill tiers, skill categories, field upgrades, ammo mods, and weapon unlock challenges, this game didn’t even feel like a treyarch zombies game anymore. The HUD changes further cemented this feel with map markers and a whole minimap. I understand many people liked Cold War zombies and you have every right to, but I think this is when zombies officially lost its identity and began feeling like a multiplayer mode with zombies added to it. It’s absolutely unrecognizable when compared to past zombies modes. Cold War is when zombies officially went down the route of feeling like a grind rather than a mode you hopped into once in awhile to have fun with friends and relax. I know I’ll anger the Cold War enjoyers with this statement but I don’t think any of the Cold War mechanics/additions should be allowed to be carried over into future zombies games. This zombies mode is unrecognizable as zombies. It seems more like a mode sledgehammer would put into a CoD ghosts type of game like Extinction. Lastly, while not a major issue, changing to perk cans instead of perk bottles just seemed like a change they only did so the new team would feel like they’re doing something. I’ll always support perk bottles > cans
TLDR:
Cold War introduced salvage, mantling, a damaged based point system, skill tiers, skill categories, field upgrades, ammo mods, weapon unlock challenges, perk cans, and a complete overhaul to the HUD. Overall, this is the game where zombies officially lost its identity and its unrecognizable when compared to past zombies modes. The mode itself wasn’t terrible, but it was not a worthy replacement to the classic mechanics and identity of zombies. Rather than playing this mode for fun, it felt like you’d play it to grind, and arcade gamemodes shouldn’t be grindy. I personally would not carry over a single new addition from Cold War into any future CoD zombies mode.
Now finally, we have Black Ops 6. There’s not much I can say on this as the game isn’t even out yet but I’ll talk about what I’ve seen from the gameplay that’s been released. Terminus looks like a cool map. The guns themselves look like they feel amazing to use. Continually, Liberty Falls as a map just looks boring. It’s too bright and the starting area is too vast. I get that previous games like Black Ops 1 reused assets like Ascension being a modified USSR rocket base from the campaign. But Liberty falls doesn’t even have character to it. It just looks like a multiplayer map with zombies sprinkled in.
The issues I have with BO6 from what I’ve seen, though, are numerous. Black Ops 6 seems to just be Cold War zombies 2.0. The starting loadout system is a new change that lets you start with any gun of your choice. (Besides wonder weapons). I think this is dumb. Zombies is an arcade game mode. What I mean when I say “arcade” is that everyone should start on the same level. When you go into an arcade and insert a coin to play a game, you’re starting the same as anyone else each time you play. There’s no unlocks that translate to future games. Not only does BO6 bring back the loadout system and camo grinds, but allowing you to start with anything other than the weak starting pistol, is a poor design choice. I understand you can “choose” to start with a pistol but due to damage scaling, it’s just not the same. This is an unnecessary addition to the game. Next, we have the HUD. Basically the same as Cold War. Why do we have a minimap? It’s zombies, it shouldn’t feel like multiplayer. I hear that you can change the HUD and move things around to your liking, but this doesn’t change the fact that the HUD is cluttered and overdesigned when WaW did the HUD system perfectly. Next, we have a slightly new gobblegum system. I haven’t heard much about it besides that it seems to simplify gobblegum from BO3 which is a welcome change. The next minor change that I believe is still massive, is the change to pack-a-punch now being “instant”. It removes the challenge and drawback of potentially losing your weapon by trying to pack-a-punch during a high round. One of the risks is that you can lose your gun in the machine if you don’t time when you pack. It’s a major thing that makes the game challenging and i don’t know why they changed it. Lastly, omni-movement seems cool. It finally gives a reason to purchase PHD flopper again and that’s nice, I just hope the new movement doesn’t mess with the pacing of the game mode. Ultimately, my issue with BO6 zombies stems from the game losing its identity and its weird attempt to cater to warzone players, who I still believe would enjoy classic zombies just fine if it were brought back.
TLDR:
Black Ops 6 zombies looks to be like Cold War 2.0. With new additions like starting loadouts and instant pack-a-punch, as well as a Cold War styled HUD. Overall, I’m not too big a fan of what I see and the identity of zombies seems to be lost. On a positive note, I do really like how the guns seem to feel. The guns in BO6 zombies look and feel powerful which I really like and Omni-movement looks like it’ll make PHD flopper fun to use.
Honorable mentions:
CoD infinite warfare, while not being a treyarch CoD, introduced one of the coolest zombies maps of all time, being Zombies in Spaceland. This map had character and had that early treyarch zombies feel and for that it gets this mention. Furthermore, I think CoD WW2 had terrifying zombies, which, while not feeling like a treyarch zombies game mode, it still had that terrifying feel of horror that zombies should have.
If you’ve scrolled to the bottom looking for a TLDR, reminder I’ve put smaller TLDR’s throughout this post. But to summarize my thoughts on welcome changes to zombies:
World at War, along with BO1-3 all had amazing zombies modes. This is back when zombies truly had its identity. Zombies was introduced as an arcade-style mode. Meaning, like in an arcade, you start the same as anyone else. No matter if you have no hours in the game or 1000 hours, you’re starting on the same playing field. It’s not meant to hold its own, it was meant as a nice buffer to play when you wanted a challenge and to sit back with friends and kill zombies in between multiplayer games. Zombies in these games had the perfect level of challenge to it and it felt unique. It didn’t feel like a grind at all and it truly felt distinct from multiplayer. It was truly another game within the game. However, starting in Cold War, zombies started to lose a lot of its identity and now just feels like a multiplayer mode with zombies splashed in. While it’s fun, I wish we’d return to how zombies was in BO1-3 so kids in this generation can experience what we experienced. I’m glad the perk system from BO4 was removed as it was an unnecessary change from the start. It’s ok to like Cold War zombies, but it’s also ok to admit that while Cold War zombies can be fun, it doesn’t have the identity of classic treyarch zombies and ultimately seems like in belongs more in a modern warfare game than a black ops game.
My intent with this post is not to coax vitriol within the zombies community. It is tiring. But when you feel like you’ve been ignored for years, it does start to get frustrating.
To end, what are some additions to zombies that you personally enjoyed? And what are some changes or new additions you’d like to see in the future?