Edward Lee Is Here To Final Convince You To Try Call Of Duty Zombies This Holiday Season | Winter Spectacular 2024
Disclaimer: This piece was written before the reports of multiple Call of Duty Zombies character recasts due to SAG-AFTRA industrial action. Union members are on strike to ensure publishers do not use generative AI to replicate their voices without consent–and that voice talent is compensated when AI is used consensually.
I stand with those who want to protect their livelihoods from the threat of abusive AI practices and hope for a positive outcome that results in a fair deal for voice actors and the return of the original voice cast to Zombies.
As you’ll read shortly, I still believe there is creativity and soul hidden amongst the tatters of modern Call of Duty. Sure, it’s getting harder to find, but it’s still there. May the creatives at Treyarch (and any other studio, for that matter) continue to fight for genuine artistic expression over corner-cutting-corporate bullshit.
If you have an interest in video games, you’ve more than likely played Call of Duty–be it for fifteen minutes or fifteen years. Its domination of the video games industry is akin to the superstardom of Taylor Swift or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For some, COD is an obsession. For others, it’s a repulsive paragon of an industry in decline.
Regardless of your thoughts, one thing is undeniable: the Call of Duty franchise is a behemoth. It generates millions yearly, chases trends like dogs chase cars, and constantly frustrates its core audience, only for them all to pony up $70 to $120 for the next release. Annual instalments are cobbled together in a colliery, thanks to ruthless executives like former CEO Bobby Kotick, who demand quarterly profit over quality. Kotick’s Goods and Services view of the artform was recently highlighted when it came to light at one point that he wanted a new Guitar Hero retail release on store shelves every month.
Even as a fan of the series, I’ll be the first to say that much of Call of Duty’s criticism is deserved. Yet, in the corridors of every development studio, talented workers graft day and night, and in every coal mine, high-calibre minerals sit in wait. I believe no matter how much corporate dilution, creativity can still break through and conquer all. Look no further than Treyarch’s iconic Zombies mode.
Black Ops 2’s Origins, an alt-universe WW1 battleground, was a defining moment for Zombies.
Zombies challenges one to four players to fight against increasingly difficult hordes of the undead by discovering new areas, upgrading weapons, and finding secrets to survive as long as possible. If you know me, you won’t be surprised to see another piece discussing the mode, but there’s a reason I’ve been invested in it since 2008. It continues to be the most innovative part of Call of Duty that isn’t afraid to have some fun in amongst all the seriousness. With Black Ops 6, the Zombies Team at Treyarch has finally been able to execute its vision after several years of turbulence.
And I think if you’ve read this far, you should play it!
I know how daunting it can be to jump into a long-running series (it’s why I still haven’t committed to trying Yakuza despite knowing I’d enjoy it), but Black Ops 6 is a great place to start. Its availability on Game Pass only sweetens the deal if you don’t want to commit to a full-priced game!
I’ll spare you the history lesson but know that what started as a tower defence-inspired horde mode has grown to include elements of Destiny-like raids, rogue-likes, and looter-shooters into a heavily replayable sandbox brimming with gameplay opportunities.
The hidden main quest, complete with cinematics and the occasional boss fight, is the leading attraction for each new map. But if you prefer the traditional “survive until you die” ethos, you can ignore the quest and aim purely to survive as many rounds as possible. The freedom of BO6 Zombies means every type of player is accounted for, old or new, casual or hardcore. A quick example is that you now have the chance to live to fight another day instead of purposefully downing or quitting the game. It’s an excellent quality-of-life change that makes ending a match more fulfilling.
Whether solo or with friends, Black Ops 6 Zombies is a blast.
The contrasting launch maps give players two unique playgrounds to slay the undead: Terminus, an island of horrors in the Pacific Ocean, and Liberty Falls, a quaint West Virginian town suffering an outbreak. And there are more environments on the way! DLC 1, Citadelle Des Morts, released at the start of December and at least three additional maps are expected before the end of October 2025—all at no extra cost! Axing the Map Packs and Season Pass is a rare pro-consumer move for the franchise, making the infuriating number of cosmetic bundles easier to swallow.
Black Ops 6 also introduces Directed Mode, a built-in walkthrough that enables anyone to experience the story and unique gameplay elements of each map’s main quest. Lots of Zombies’ magic is hidden behind a challenging barrier to entry, so it’s beneficial that Treyarch has attempted to welcome new players into the mode.
As for hardcore players like myself, there’s no need to worry. Directed Mode releases as an update several weeks after the main quest is solved. It feels like a “have your cake and eat it” feature where Treyarch can welcome new players without alienating long-term fans. No spoilers, of course, but the final step of the Terminus quest is well worth the cost of admission.
Progression is also better than ever in Black Ops 6. No matter how long your Zombies session is, you feel you’re constantly earning something to use in future games, be it the limited-use Gobblegums that modify gameplay situations (like giving you a free perk or powerup) or customisable Augments.
Augments are unlockable modifiers that complement each perk, field upgrade and ammo mod. For example, Speed Cola, the perk that buffs your reload speed, can be augmented to refill your weapon magazines automatically over time. Like many other developers, it feels like the team at Treyarch played roguelike hits like Hades and decided to incorporate those near-game-breaking perks and upgrade synergies in Zombies, and it works shockingly well. So much of Zombies’ allure is trying things and seeing what happens, so this system is a perfect fit, adding a layer of strategy and experimentation that rewards players for taking the time to tinker with their builds.
While the satisfying gameplay loop has a part to play, Zombies has continued to keep me hooked because of its distinct storytelling. Only the main beats are spelt out, and players must piece together environmental storytelling, hidden audio logs and documents, and character dialogue to uncover the mysteries. Even when we do get answers, it’s never simple. Look at the timeline for the original Aether story and see for yourself!
Zombies lore is vast and a million miles away from the quasi-realistic world of the Modern Warfare series. Hell, it even makes the action movie espionage of the Black Ops campaigns and the sci-fi nonsense of Advanced and Infinite Warfare look tame. Characters constantly banter despite taking their situations seriously, and fans hang on every word for hints at their origins, the future or even their relationships with one another. It comes as no surprise, but people love these characters!
The legendary Yoji Shinkawa collaborated with Treyarch in 2017. Nowadays, the powers that be would rather see AI-generated artwork.
Before I give you my final pitch to play Zombies, I wanted to recall something I mentioned earlier. In true Zombies fashion, we’re jumping all over the place with little care for pacing. Black Ops 6 is available on Game Pass Ultimate. That means you can access the new Call of Duty for as little as £14.99 a month! (potentially cheaper if you shop about or take advantage of the various trial promotions).
As a consumer, Game Pass is, without question, a fantastic deal. I’ve saved a lot of money using it to play anticipated first-party titles and discover new games I potentially wouldn’t have given the time of day. If there are two first-party games in a year I’m interested in, I’ve already made my money back.
It seems like a no-brainer to sign up; after all if you don’t enjoy Black Ops, maybe you can get a headstart on me with all those Yakuza games on there. That said, you have to question how much money Xbox is leaving on the table with the service. Putting my industry hat on, it looks increasingly unsustainable without a significant price increase or a change to the day-and-date policy. Why does Xbox only want £180 a year from me when I’d potentially pony up more than that by paying for two or three first-party games at full price?
In fairness, Xbox is aware of this and is trying to address it. Every major first-party launch has an “upgrade” option for Game Pass users to purchase the game's Premium Edition: single-player titles Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Avowed offer early access to play. It’s a clever way to upsell Game Pass subscribers like myself, with the caveat being subscribers lose access to the game if their subscription ends.
Call of Duty on Game Pass is a high-profile experiment that the industry is watching closely. Offering your shiny, newly acquired monster IP on a subscription service will boost subscribers but could also result in lower income and fewer sales.
The good news for Xbox is that PlayStation is home to many COD players. 82% of Black Ops 6 sales were on PlayStation, so the gamble may not be as big as many think. If the PlayStation sales are healthy enough, Xbox can afford to use Call of Duty to drive interest in Game Pass. The problem is whether or not these new subscribers stick around. What’s more with Game Pass growth plateauing, maybe all the people who are going to subscribe to services like this already have, and Microsoft seem perfectly happy to sell $70 versions of the game to Xbox players that don’t have Game Pass. That’s something we can only predict as of now.
Microsoft has been vocal about the positive impact the move has had on Black Ops 6, claiming the game as the "biggest Call of Duty ever" in terms of hours played, matches played, and total amount of players across its first 30 days. However, it’s curious that no solid numbers have been released.
The new “This is an Xbox” ad campaign explains that Xbox can be played on almost any device via the cloud. It’s an intriguing play. It speaks to the casual player and has meme potential (a viable marketing strategy nowadays, for better or worse). I’ve not had great experiences with cloud gaming, but I admit it’s something that can only improve. Perhaps Xbox is ahead of the curve.
More twists and turns are likely as Xbox continues to change from an exclusives-focused brand to one that pushes players to play games wherever they like (including on competitors' hardware!). For now, I’ll keep an eye on how the COD experiment pans out and continue to spread the word that Game Pass is still a great offer for consumers. We should enjoy it while we can!
Microsoft’s Xbox strategy changes so often that it’s hard to predict Game Pass’ future.
In terms of Zombies, Game Pass can only be a good thing. It increases discoverability and is an easier sell to first-time players than dropping money on a full-priced title. Add in some of Black Ops 6’s features, like Directed Mode and cross-game loadouts, and you have a smooth onboarding experience for new players. When Xbox finally decides to add previous Call of Duty titles to Game Pass, there will also be fifteen-plus years of Zombies history to explore.
I could wax lyrical about Zombies all day, but at this point, I think it’s better to experience it yourself. So, if you’re at a loose end during the Holidays, consider loading up a game of Black Ops 6. You may be surprised at the substance hidden within the fluff of a modern Call of Duty. No matter your knowledge of Call of Duty or first-person shooters, there’s something to stick your teeth into. If PvE experiences are your bag, you’ll feel right at home in Zombies!
You don’t need to stop there, though! The Campaign is the best in years, containing a hefty dose of Black Ops mindfuckery, and Multiplayer always has something going on. Even if you’re not a big PvP player, I dare you to play a round of Prop Hunt without cracking a smile–it’s impossible! startmenu’s very own Lex Luddy is working their way through the Black Ops campaigns of yesteryear and looks to be loving it…
I’ll leave you with some veteran advice: go prone in front of any perk machine for a free 100 points. You’re welcome in advance.
Find more from Edward Lee at:
https://shutterpawmedia.com/ and check out my Citadelle Des Morts review here: Citadelle des Morts is a fantastic Zombies map, but... (BO6 DLC1 review)
I hope 2025 is a good year for you all!
