Call of DutyZombies has come a long way from its humble beginnings inWorld at War.
Nowadays, Zombies is a core part of the series, and it’s so fleshed out thatyou could ignore Multiplayer and Warzoneentirely, but you still have plenty to do.
Some titles have done it better than others so let’s see how they shape up.
I’ve not includedBlack Ops 6on the list as it’s pretty new at the time of writing, and it only has a pair of maps.
8Modern Warfare 3 Remastered (MWZ)
The Odd One Out
Key Information
Sledgehammer Games
Release Year
I might take a bit of flak for this one, but hear me out.MW3marks adramatic departure for Zombies, swapping wave-based gameplay for an open-world extraction shooter called MWZ.
It’s divisive, to be sure, but certainly not without merit. The most impressive part for me is the Easter Egg hunts and huge bosses, like the Worm, which require a ton of setup and top-tier weapons.
Open World Zombies is a concept that was certainlynot doomed from the start, and the tiers worked to split the map into areas with different threat levels. The mode was barebones at launch, but it improved every season if you kept up to date. Mainstays likeWonder Weapons still exist, although modified to fit the game mode.
Don’t get me wrong, I’dtake wave-based Zombies over this any day, butMWZoffers an admirable crack at something a little different.
If only it had more support…
7World at War
One Hell Of A Debut
World at Warkicked off the Zombies craze with Nacht der Untoten, and its final map,Der Riese, remains an iconic localeto this day.
Zombies in WaW is notably more basic than what we have now, butthe series had to start somewhere, and it’s refreshing to play the mode in its fledgling form.
Nacht der Untoten is a tiny map with a few rooms and a Mystery Box. All the doorways are nasty choke points, and even pros cannot survive for long.
Der Riese introduced thePack-a-Punch machine, now a Zombies staple, and players could hide in a building on a landing or train mobs around the stage. Even ifWorld at Warlacks some modern trimmings, its legacy cannot be understated and is still enjoyable despite its limitations.
World of Waralso introduced Perks, and it’s interesting to see howthose evolved inBlack Ops 6.
6Black Ops Cold War
A Shift Toward Accessibility
Black Ops Cold Warhas a notably easier Zombies mode than the previous installment,Black Ops 4. We’ll get to that one a little later, butCold Waris asuperb entry point for newcomers.
BOCWhas an excellent map pool, and whileDie Maschine and Mauer Der Toten are arguably the best, there really isn’t a bad location in the entire game. On top of that, mostBOCWWonder Weapons are decent, and there’s a fun perk system to play around with.
Perks can be upgradedwith Aetherium Crystals to boost their effects, and there are some busted bonuses for the higher tiers. No single mechanic or map makes BOCW so good; it’s just a solid experience all around, with a high-quality bar.
5Infinite Warfare
The Best Non-Treyarch Zombies Mode
Infinity Ward
Treyarch is well known as the undisputed master ofCoDZombies. That said,Infinity Ward had an admirable crack at itwithInfinite Warfare, and it definitely paid off.
IW has so much going for it, but I have to talk about Zombies in Spaceland. The map is an amusement park with excellent theming and wonder weapons, and there’s even an “Astrocade” with mini-games.
We’ve seen side objectives done before, but they are a lot of fun in IW and grant meaningful rewards if you can beat them.Weapon variants are a fantastic additionand make it fun to experiment with guns you wouldn’t typically use.
It’s hard to explain, but you’re able to tellInfinite WarfareZombies isn’t a Treyarch game when you play it. Fortunately, that’s not necessarily a bad thing and proves that Infinity Ward is quite capable of knocking out a great Zombies experience.
The Definitive Ranking of Every Call of Duty Game
Here’s the only correct ranking of every major Call of Duty game that you’ll find on the Internet.
4Black Ops 2
Slow Off The Starting Line
I hatedBlack Ops 2Zombies when I first played it, largely thanks to the TranZit map. Whileit was shaky initially, it didn’t take long for me to warm up to it.
If we pretend TranZit doesn’t exist,BO2has so much going for it!Mob of the Dead is a fantastic mapset on Alcatraz Island with a gondola to get around. You could also buy traps to turn the prison into a death trap.
Origins is another fantastic location, and many regard it asthe best Zombies map of all time.
On top of the robust selection of maps, most wonder weapons were excellent, including the iconic Raygun MK2.
Oh, I almost forgot thatBO2has Die Rise in its map pool, too. Easily one of my least favorite Zombies maps of all time. If you’ve not played, you should keep it that way.
3Black Ops 4
A Hardcore Offering
Black Ops 4launched with a whoppingfour Zombies maps, and while I enjoy most of them, this entry is particularly divisive.
BO4has some challenging maps, and reaching high rounds is far harder than in previous entries. Maps like Voyage Of Despair are thematically appropriate (You’re on the Titanic) but can feelunfair and claustrophobic.
That said, every map feels completely different, and you don’t feel forced to follow any particular playstyle.
Some players prefer to train zombies, while others prefer to camp, and there’s room for both in most locations. On that note,Ancient Evil is incredible!If you can’t find fun tearing up Zombies in an underground city, I don’t know what to tell you.
I see afair bit of hate for this gameonline as it’s one of the more demanding Zombies modes. That said, the multiple difficulty settings help with that, and there’s a decent selection of wonder weapons and challenging Easter Eggs.
2Black Ops
Rising To The Occasion
After the success of Zombies inWorld at War, expectations forBlack Opswere high, and wow, did Treyarchknock it out of the park!
Black Opshit the ground running with my favorite Zombies map in the entire series,Kino der Toten. The map is set in a derelict theater, and the layout is perfect for training zombies, as it’s basically a big circle.
Ascension is another banger, and it’s black and white until you switch on the power. Sure, it’s nothing special if you know about it, but seeing it for the first time was incredible.
I was never a big fan of Moon, but it’s a great map to end on.
BOfeels likeWaW2.0. It’ssimplistic compared to newer titlesbut not so basic that you can’t sink hours into it.
1Black Ops 3
A Celebration Of Zombies History
Black Ops 3is the quintessential Zombies experience and the ultimate way to slay the undead.
Many additions to the Zombies formula fall flat with the community, butBlack Ops 3introducedGobblegums, which have been a staple since their inception. The map pool is also S-Tier.Der Eisendrache is a fan favoriteset in a snowy castle although I’ve always been more of a Shadows of Evil guy myself.
Movement is arguably the best it’s ever been, and slide jumping opens up so many opportunities when you get good at it.
TheZombies Chronicles DLCis the real kicker and catapultsBlack Ops 3to the top of the list. As the name implies, this is an entire pack dedicated to Zombies and adds hundreds of hours to an already stacked offering.
Zombies Chronicles bringseight remastered mapsfrom previous entries into Black Ops 3, including Origins and Kino der Toten.
If you want to get intoCall of DutyZombies and can only pick a single game, this is hands down, the way to go.
