Today, 08:08 AM
The gameplay introduction of Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 drags the audience directly into the post-apocalyptic aftermath of the Black Ops 6 ending, the videogame the story placement squarely in the heart of the Dark Aether. The initial most prominent thing is the size of the launch map, "Cursed Ashes" which is a vile patchwork of places ripped in various time and place, connected by deadly highways and immersive CoD BO7 Bot Lobby passageways.
This is an added impetus to mobility, with two major additions. The old pickup truck Old Taisy is a rusted vehicle providing zombie resistance transportation between zones, and springboards are unlocked when power is restored, which launch the players across the map in arcs to escape the deadly fog and hordes. These are not mere conveniences, but essentials to freedom of maneuvering around the six points that make up the map without being trapped.
Enemy design is also biased towards familiarity and novelty. Simple zombies now toss rotting body parts at people when they run away, and pack-hunting "raiders" steal treasures and hang on vehicles. The true menace is Zul'Sa who is a giant bear-like monster that rushes through the teams and creates swarms of stinging insects called zombie bees. Enemy tuning was influenced by beta feedback, as faster zombies now come later, and armored versions have a slower speed, making high rounds complex, but a skill-based challenge.
The new wonder weapon is the "Necro Fluid Gauntlet," which robs the show. This skull-covered glove of black color, which shoots back retractable green spikes to cause long-range damage and drain health out of an opponent, also provides a bonus of drawing far-off objects nearer. It adds to some of the classic returns such as DG-2 turret, providing players with a variety of options in dealing with crowds.
It is all held together with little quality-of-life details. The two currencies of the mode, Essence and Scrap, are now refined: Scrap that is unused is refunded partly each time the mode rounds, and Bubblegum can be recycled to get quick Essence. In the case of veterans, carryover unlocks in Black Ops 6 make the game less grindy, but old enemies such as parasites are removed to keep things new. This combination of the old and the new makes the unveiling seem like a love letter to the old fans and further elaborates on the ones trying out the strategies in CoD BO7 Bot Lobby buy runs.
This is an added impetus to mobility, with two major additions. The old pickup truck Old Taisy is a rusted vehicle providing zombie resistance transportation between zones, and springboards are unlocked when power is restored, which launch the players across the map in arcs to escape the deadly fog and hordes. These are not mere conveniences, but essentials to freedom of maneuvering around the six points that make up the map without being trapped.
Enemy design is also biased towards familiarity and novelty. Simple zombies now toss rotting body parts at people when they run away, and pack-hunting "raiders" steal treasures and hang on vehicles. The true menace is Zul'Sa who is a giant bear-like monster that rushes through the teams and creates swarms of stinging insects called zombie bees. Enemy tuning was influenced by beta feedback, as faster zombies now come later, and armored versions have a slower speed, making high rounds complex, but a skill-based challenge.
The new wonder weapon is the "Necro Fluid Gauntlet," which robs the show. This skull-covered glove of black color, which shoots back retractable green spikes to cause long-range damage and drain health out of an opponent, also provides a bonus of drawing far-off objects nearer. It adds to some of the classic returns such as DG-2 turret, providing players with a variety of options in dealing with crowds.
It is all held together with little quality-of-life details. The two currencies of the mode, Essence and Scrap, are now refined: Scrap that is unused is refunded partly each time the mode rounds, and Bubblegum can be recycled to get quick Essence. In the case of veterans, carryover unlocks in Black Ops 6 make the game less grindy, but old enemies such as parasites are removed to keep things new. This combination of the old and the new makes the unveiling seem like a love letter to the old fans and further elaborates on the ones trying out the strategies in CoD BO7 Bot Lobby buy runs.