Call of Duty’s zombie mode is something that you either love to death or don’t bother with all that much. While there was an almost rabid nature surrounding the maps with World at War and the first two Black Ops games, the eventual inclusion of the mode in all Call of Duty titles and the need to innovate made some sour on the mode, myself included.
Elements of the mode became convoluted, making some of the simplest aspects feel like a full-blown puzzle and the narrative became drawn out and tiresome. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 seeks to make everyone feel comfortable this time around, veterans, lapsed players, and newcomers alike.
For starters, there are some great playable tutorials that make all of the crazier stuff like creating a zombie class with elixirs and whatnot feel less overwhelming. You can also personalize your experience with modifiers and difficulty options to make it easier if you’re not ready into the full zombies quite yet. This is far more welcoming than Black Ops 3’s zombies which scared the hell out of me because it was such a radical leap from the second game. I quickly became turned off and never touched it again after a few rounds.
Black Ops 4 reignited my love for zombies with 3 fully fleshed out experiences right out of the box, all of which feel easily digestible. It all finally clicked for me. The create-a-class system is actually really smart, allowing you to pick your starting weapon, which perks show up on the map for you, and more.
While there was a lot to love about zombies when it all originally began simply because you built something from nothing, going from pistol to a laser LMG, bowie knife, and an alien ray gun, the innovations here are welcomed. There’s more personalization to it, it allows you to refine yourself as a player while trying to master the daunting trials of these massive maps.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s mechanic of specialist abilities also find a way to seep into the zombies. By pressing the bumpers on your controller, you can activate various special moves that help you mow down the undead like they’re paper with swords, special firearms, and magical staffs. They’re not unique to anyone in particular unlike specialists, you can swap them in and out via the create-a-class menu and they’re all incredibly fun to experiment with. They even have different levels which lead to additional kinds of attacks and abilities for them. It’s a great way to not only feel rewarded beyond the points in the game but give players a powerful system that gives them breathing room in the more intense rounds.
The 2 new original maps are incredibly distinctive with one taking place in an ancient Roman gladiator arena and the other on the Titanic. They each bring new types of enemies, challenges, and mysteries to uncover, bringing players a zombies experience that will be sure to consume hours upon hours for months.
There are 2 remade zombies maps with the OG crew as well, although you have to buy the $50 Black Ops Pass to get one of them. The one included in the game is Blood of the Dead, a remake of the Alcatraz map from Black Ops 2 known as Mob of the Dead. Ray Liotta and friends are gone, with the likes of Dempsy and the decade-old ragtag group of heroes attempting to navigate the dark depths of the San Francisco prison.
The Black Ops Pass exclusive map known as Classified is a remake of Five, the map from the first Black Ops set in the Pentagon. These maps have had changes made to them unlike the “remakes” in MP, Classified has changed up how you get the pack-a-punch machine in a way that will make zombie veterans very happy, expanding areas of the map, and removing that crazed man that ran around the place for whatever reason.
Perhaps it’s the feeling of familiarity with classic maps that eased me back into zombies or maybe it’s just that it’s presented in a far more accessible way but whatever it is, the zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the best it has ever been for the series. The depth is there to make it more than just a horde mode but doesn’t make it so damn complicated that it deters players from touching it at all, the variety of maps make it feel like you have a complete zombies experience right out of the box rather than one you’ll need to keep paying for over the course of a year, and it’s endlessly rewarding.
The Verdict:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 fires on all cylinders and hits every target with immense precision. This is the peak of zombies, one of the best battle royale experiences in the genre, and one of the most fluid, engaging, and tactical Call of Duty multiplayer modes to date. Even with the removal of a traditional single-player campaign, Black Ops 4 feels like you’re paying $60 for a game that you could value at $100 or more. There’s never been so much content in a Call of Duty game from day one than there is with Black Ops 4.
Black Ops 4 was a massive risk and gamble for the series but one that was well worth it and will be incredibly lucrative for both Treyarch and Activision.
