Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was a step in the right direction for zombies. Flawed as it was in many ways, it marked the return of round-based zombies and reinvigorated the community who had been waiting for that mode’s return for a long time — but it was far from perfect. Fans of classic zombies might not have liked some of the rather drastic changes, such as introducing armor plates, starting weapon classes, and using salvage to upgrade items. It was as if they were trying to mimic things that they applied to Warzone and multiplayer in general. Nevertheless, if Call of Duty wants to progress instead of regress, there are four things that must happen with Black Ops 7.
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1. Add Zombies Chronicles 2
It’s been eight years since the first Zombies Chronicles came out for Black Ops III, which is enjoying its 10th anniversary this year. It is high time for a second Zombies Chronicles, though. It was an absolutely brilliant decision to remaster and restore some classic maps to the present gamer at that time, and it’s a shame it hasn’t been done since then. There are so many good maps that have not been remastered yet, but should be.
Buried and Mob of the Dead haven’t been totally relevant in over a decade. Revelations and Der Eisendrache deserve the remaster treatment, as do Ancient Evil, IX, Die Maschine, and Mauer der Toten. There are about four games that have worthy maps that haven’t been remastered. Fans have been begging for Zombies Chronicles 2 for a long time. The only problem is the fact that the current gameplay doesn’t mesh well with old maps, which should be an excuse to find a better middle ground.
2. Remove Starting Weapon Classes
Not every change to the gameplay formula was bad in Black Ops 6, but the absolute worst one was the starting weapon classes. It removed the need to grind and limited the endless trips to the mystery box. That only made the maps easier. Easier isn’t always bad, but this was a core staple that should revert to normal.
Why bother even using the mystery box or trying to get good weapons at all when you can start with something strong and upgrade it with salvage (another thing that probably ought to be removed)? It makes the mode a little too similar to multiplayer, which is not a good thing. Let players work with the starter pistol and adjust the point income to allow for earlier mystery box hits.
3. Create Unique, Original, Inspired Maps
This is something that was present at times in Black Ops 6. Terminus and Citadelle Des Morts are incredible maps that nailed the design, atmosphere, and gameplay. Sadly, out of the six, those are the only real standouts. The others range from uninspired to downright bad. The Tomb is a particularly egregious example, as it’s small and really boring. The use of AI probably contributed to that, which is something that should be far away from Black Ops 7.
Whatever was going on when the developers came up with Terminus and Citadelle needs to be recreated for Black Ops 7. The gameplay that arrived in Black Ops 6 was a pretty distinct departure from classic games. If they’re sticking with that, then the seventh installment will need great maps to carry it.
4. Limit Miniboss/Special Zombie Appearances
One of the cooler aspects of some of the Black Ops 6 maps was the miniboss/special zombies. Fighting the Doppelghast when it bursts out of the crate in Citadelle Des Morts was so fun, but the novelty wears off when that zombie and other special zombies start flooding the hordes. The longer you stay alive, the more you see them, and the less interesting they become.
This isn’t to say they can’t return, but it needs to be limited. They become decidedly less fearsome the more often they’re onscreen, so the developers need to limit their appearances. That does make it easier, so maybe they can buff the special zombie difficulty so that it’s truly scary and challenging when it spawns in. If you see a line of eight Manglers or several Amalgams, that is a hard wave to fight through, but it’s not all that intimidating.
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