Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Wardeveloper Treyarch has discussed plenty of features that are coming to the game’s Zombies mode, with many fan-requested improvements on the way to the game.From cross-play and cross-gen Zombies supportto free maps and battle pass rewards, Treyarch has clearly listened to many fan complaints from the previous version of the mode. With even an FOV slider and ping system coming to the game, all bases seem to be covered and the groundwork seems to be laid for a solid year ofCall of DutyZombies content.
However, through all the fan-requested changes, one common player complaint from theCall of Duty: Black Ops 4Zombies experience has seemingly gone on deaf ears. A large majority of Zombies players were disappointed to see that every map set in the Aether story duringBlack Ops 4’s content season was a remake of an older map, with the ten-year-old story’s grand conclusion not seeing any fresh content apart from some additions to the old maps. It seems likeCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warand its new Dark Aether story are off to a similar, worrying start, as the game’s first Zombies map is built off an older Treyarch creation just like the Aether releases ofBlack Ops 4.
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The Power of Nostalgia.
There is no denying thatCall of Dutyfans enjoy remakes. Virtually every modernCoDgame includes re-releases of classic maps, andCall of Duty: Modern Warfare Remasteredperformed incredibly well when it released a few years back.Call of Duty Mobilehas been incredibly successful through its additions of popularCoDcontent, and fans have even started toremakeModern Warfare 2’s multiplayerthrough aBlack Ops 3mod on PC. However, while the love is clearly there, sometimes there is just too much of a good thing.
While Die Maschine is a mostly original creation, it does prominently feature aremake of Nacht Der Untotenin its design as well. The originalCall of Duty:Zombies map, while it is iconic, has already been remastered four times before Die Maschine was announced. Every TreyarchCoDapart fromBlack Ops 4has seen the map remade, andBlack Ops Cold Waris no different. This immediately begs the question of just how much more fans can play and enjoy Nacht, as Treyarch can only do so much to evolve the cramped and dated map.
This is not to say that all remakes are a bad idea. After all,maps like TranZit would be perfect candidatesfor a remake given that the original vision for the map could not be delivered upon when it was released. With the power of next-gen consoles, TranZit could finally reach its full potential and become the great map that Treyarch always wanted it to be. However, not every map needs a remake, especially if they have already been recreated once, twice, or four times before. More importantly, they should not be recreated if they come at the cost of completely original content.
The Cost of Nostalgia.
WithCall of Duty: Black Ops 3’sZombies Chronicles content joining the PS Plus Collectionon PS5, and being backward compatible via Xbox Series X, fans have access to remakes of classic maps like Nacht Der Untoten whenever they want them. Due to this, reimaginings of most Zombies maps not only seems unnecessary but a waste of the limited number of maps Zombies fans get in a given season. Most players onBlack Ops 4wanted to see completely original maps following Blood of the Dead at launch, but instead received expanded versions of Nuketown and Call of the Dead to close out the Aether portion of the DLC season.
It seems likeBlack Ops Cold Waris following that same pattern despite the negative feedback, a move that could certainly lead to disappointment among some fans of the mode. With a leaked DLC mapsupposedly including Kino Der Toten, this pattern may continue throughout the life cycle ofCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. For the fans who have played hundreds of hours of Zombies content in the past and achieved all there is to do on the older maps, it is easy to see why further remasters seem unappealing.
The other major issue with nostalgia-based reimaginings is that they have no effect on new players. Fans playingCall of DutyZombies for the first time inBlack Ops Cold Warwill not care about the dilapidated bunker on Die Maschine, as they will only see it as a worn-down building as opposed to an iconic location from the Zombies storyline. New players will be far more focused onlearning mechanics like the mystery box, leaving only long-time fans who are tiring of remasters to appreciate the Nacht appearance. With dedicated fans tiring of Zombies remasters and the returning locations having no impact on newcomers, maps like Nacht Der Untoten being incorporated purely seems like a decision to save on resources.
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Balancing Nostalgia.
Nostalgia is not inherently bad, and if it is used sparingly, it can certainly be a good thing. Fans were thrilled to see the return of Samantha Maxis in theZombies reveal trailer forBlack Ops Cold War, and other characters possibly making a return could be a good thing. Zombies Chronicles forBlack Ops 3remains one of the best-selling pieces of DLC content of all time, and that expansion is made up entirely of remastered content.Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s map problem was not that it included remakes, but rather that it included too many remakes.
With dedicated Zombies fansbuying a “Remaster Die Rise” billboard, there is undoubtedly still interest in some more proper remakes. Like TranZit and Buried, however, Die Rise has not been remade in the past, explaining the hype behind a potential update of the map. Plus, if it does not come at the cost of fully original content, even the most burnt outCoDZombies fan could get on board with the remaster. This makes it clear that there is certainly a balance for Treyarch to find with their next version ofCall of DutyZombies, and the mode can deliver on both nostalgia and originality if it successfully finds it.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarZombies already has one reimagining coming at launch, with another having leaked but still being unconfirmed. If this continues throughout every post-launch season ofBlack Ops Cold War, fans will undoubtedly be disappointed in Treyarch for repeating itsBlack Ops 4mistake. The studio can still right the ship, however, and provide fans with both fully original content as well as some proper remakes.
Releasing DLC maps that feel completely new and do not feature pieces of old Zombies content is a wise decision, with further potential for a Zombies Chronicles 2 tobring remakes of the mapsthat have not yet been reimagined certainly exists. Maps are one of the most crucial aspects of any Zombies experience, and the success ofBlack Ops Cold WarZombies could very well depend on Treyarch adjusting their nostalgia-heavy approach before it gets out if hand once again.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warwill be available November 12 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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