Black Ops – this name stands for zombies. In the past, some other titles in the Call of Duty series were also given an apocalyptic mode. But Treyarch was always considered a guarantee of quality.
The principle of zombie mode is explained quite quickly. You go alone or in a team of up to four people to a zombie-infested map. At the beginning there are a few zombies coming towards you. Once they are out of the way, they become more and more powerful and more versatile. A classic horde system.
Each zombie drops some money and, more rarely, components or temporary power-ups. The money is then invested in new weapons, paths or other permanent power-ups. Basically, there are few options for optimizing your equipment, but you can adapt your character to your playing style in each run.
In addition to individualization, team play plays a particularly important role. In the past, zombie mode regularly mutated into a tactical PvE experience. This is exactly the feeling that Black Ops 6 brings back.
West Virginia, Mountain Mama
Our first route took us to the actually tranquil town of Liberty Falls. However, before we can travel to West Virginia, after all these years we see Dr. Richthofen again. He is haunted by terrible nightmares and demands that Liberty Falls be sealed off immediately.
The city looks as if the residents had fled immediately. They left everything behind to leave the city. Chaos quickly broke out. Everywhere we see smoke, fires, barbed wire and a few human remains.
Source: Activision Blizzard
Even though the older Black Ops Zombie modes offered a bit more of a scary atmosphere, we really liked Liberty Falls. Precisely because the city looks authentic. There are many large and small alleys to guide the zombies through, and the structure is logical.
Be it the church with a cemetery on the mountain, a bank in the center or a bowling alley on the edge. This is how we can imagine a city.
Secret machinations in the ocean
If you prefer something a little darker, you can travel to the Philippine Sea to the Terminus Island complex. Instead of the (once) peaceful suburban flair, an outbreak scenario awaits us here. The former CIA outpost is overrun by zombies at night. We switch on some power generators, have to defend them and the fight against the undead enters the next round.
The fortress consists of several levels that can be connected to each other via detours. At first we fight our way through an underground section to the secret laboratory, later we can activate an elevator with enough money. As befits an island, Terminus is dotted with waterways that can also be used tactically.
Source: Activision Blizzard
Apart from the visuals, structure and story, both cards play pretty much the same. We're constantly running in circles, shooting one wave of zombies one after the other and trying to collect enough coal to punch our weapons – i.e. to give them an upgrade. But the devil is in the details.
Do you remember back then?
The Black Ops 6 Zombie mode is so reminiscent of “the good old days” that you get the feeling that you have started Cold War right from the menu. Before we select the map, a first new feature appears: we can save our runs and continue later. Although this only affects solo mode, it is a good accommodation. Such an extensive zombie round can easily last a few hours.
Card selected, weapon at the ready and chewing gum picked out for the machines. Now all that's missing is… augmentation. The new feature lets you further develop special skills. The things are divided into extra colas, ammunition mods and field upgrades.
The augmentations are unlocked piece by piece, but also have powerful effects. For example, muni mods can cause more damage, last longer or even influence boss opponents. Jugger-Nog does more damage the less health we have or stuns enemies if our armor breaks.