Despite a warm reception at launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies has experienced a number of ups and downs in the months since. While Citadelle Des Morts, the game’s first post-launch map, was very well-received, fans were outraged over its removal of longtime Samantha Maxis actor Julie Nathanson, presumably due to a strike regarding AI usage in gaming. The art direction of the maps themselves has been a noticeable step-up over the last few Zombies games, yet the usage of AI for CoD Zombies logos, loading screens, calling cards, and more has angered fans. Even Directed mode, which has successfully gotten more casual players to try Easter egg quests, briefly led to fan annoyance after Treyarch removed a useful camo grinding method within it.
While there is much to love about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies, there are legitimate criticisms to be had, just like any game. These include the aforementioned usage of AI and the voice actor changes, as well as removing the harmless camo farming strategy (though Treyarch has addressed this final issue). However, while there is always room to offer constructive criticism with the goal of improving the experience, as Treyarch developers like Kevin Drew have thanked players for doing so in the past, much of the complaints around The Tomb have not felt all that constructive. In fact, the current conversation feels like Liberty Falls all over again, with a large portion of Call of Duty Zombies fans judging an experience before they even get a chance to play it.
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Call of Duty Zombies’ Tomb Complaints Are Ignoring the Bigger Picture
Call of Duty Zombies players checking social media will not need to spend much time searching for debates regarding the Tomb and the wider state of the game. The discussion has gotten so heated that the community has essentially split into two sides, with one that is extremely critical of everything Treyarch has been doing and the other being largely satisfied with the gamae, instead taking to social media to call out all the "complaining" that has been going on regarding the mode. Issues that the former group has taken with The Tomb include:
- A daytime setting and the map’s skybox.
- Certain re-used mini-boss types.
- The map’s Pack-a-Punch camo.
- The Tomb’s Wonder Weapon
- The Mystery Box’s design.
- Death Perception returning.
Ultimately, every player is entitled to feel exactly how they want about the above elements and everything else in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies. Still, given the overreaction to some of these issues and the way disappointed players have been expressing it, it’s not hard to understand why some Call of Duty fans are tired of the negativity. After all, the above points are either issues that Zombies has had for years - even the most beloved entries of the mode - or are simply nitpicks that will not have any significant impact on the gameplay or replayability of Treyarch’s latest Zombies release.
The Tomb Nitpicks Are Just That
While it was certainly nice to have unique Mystery Box designs for maps like Mob of the Dead and Origins, as the chained and ancient-looking boxes added to the aesthetic of those maps, a vast majority of Zombies maps have used the traditional design. Similarly, though some may prefer nighttime maps, Zombies has always offered a wide mix of settings, and classic maps like IX were no worse because of their fairly basic skyboxes. And given that there are so many unlockable camos in Black Ops 6, with Pack-a-Punch camos able to be disabled, it ultimately does not matter if the Tomb’s Pack-a-Punch camo is overly similar to Afterlife (which is very debatable), as players can simply turn it off and use something else.
The Tomb’s 'Big' Issues Are Not New
As for the less nitpicky complaints, it feels as if a portion of fans are completely ignoring Call of Duty Zombies’ history. Players frustrated about another returning perk in Death Perception fail to acknowledge that Black Ops Cold War and the beloved Black Ops 3 only added one new perk each, those being Elemental Pop and Elemental Cherry. Additionally, constantly adding new perks is not guaranteed to be good, as Black Ops 2’s Tombstone and Who’s Who were panned by fans. Next, while it’s fair if players find Amalgams frustrating to fight or are disappointed to see Mimics brought back, acting as if Treyarch is getting “lazy” is unfair. Four new enemy types (Vermin, Parasite, Amalgam, and Doppelghasts), but beyond that, enemies like Hellhounds and Nova Crawlers were brought back time and time again. The fan favorite Der Eisendrache re-used the Panzer and gave it a new attack, too, which is exactly what Treyarch is doing with its electric mimic.
Lastly, though it is fair for Origins lovers to find it strange that only one of the four staves is returning, there could be a few reasons for this. The first is that there may be a lore-related reason for only one staff appearing so far, as it would make sense for the staves to be separated when existing the Dark Aether. Alternatively, Treyarch may not have wanted to do two maps in a row with the “four elemental variants” gimmick, as though this format tends to be well received, the lack of space between Citadelle Des Morts and The Tomb could have made the latter feel repetitive. More importantly, players have not seen the new Ice Staff in action. Like the Jet Gun, it could feel like an entirely different weapon from its original form, potentially having multiple upgrades and new abilities that justify the best of the four staves being the only returning one.
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CoD Zombies Fans Would Be Better Off Taking a Wait and See Approach
Ultimately, this entire situation regarding the Tomb feels like Liberty Falls, the second map from Black Ops 6 Zombies’ launch. Prior to release, Liberty Falls was eaten alive by the game’s community, with players bashing it for everything from its aesthetic and size to its overly easy training spots and assumed lack of Easter eggs. While Treyarch did slightly adjust Liberty Falls' color palette to make it feel more Zombies-like, much of the map remained unaltered, yet it turned out to be very popular upon release. In fact, Treyarch has shared that Liberty Falls has had significantly more players than Terminus, the deeper and more complex Call of Duty Zombies map.
Treyarch has said that The Tomb is being designed to be as replayable as Liberty Falls, which means it could be smaller and simpler than Citadelle Des Morts. Perhaps this is how Treyarch was able to get the map out so quickly, as it may be shifting between a complex map and simple map to release fresh content for players each season.
Even Liberty Falls’ biggest detractors now view it as a fun and replayable side map to try when needing a break from the larger ones, while casual players see it as the ideal experience, as it’s perfect for camo grinding or a chill, "pick up and play" game. Despite Liberty Falls getting so much hatred after it was first showcased, and a not-so-affectionate re-naming from the community, it's clear that players were wrong to judge it before playing themselves. Sadly, it does not seem that this was a learning experience for players given the reaction to The Tomb, and Zombies has even experienced this same kind of issue before. Black Ops 4 Zombies’ IX map, for example, was heavily criticized upon its reveal, yet upon release it proved much more popular than the more anticipated Voyage of Despair.
With the debut of The Tomb imminent, it makes more sense to simply wait and see if the map is good or not instead of assuming the worst. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies’ post-launch maps are free, after all, so there is no harm in giving it a try. As of now, the negative part of the community is coming off as overly harsh and greedy, with a lot of the criticism delivered in a rude way instead of a constructive one. Perhaps all the small complaints will add up and the map turns out to be lackluster upon release, but the critical portion of the Zombies community should wait and see how The Tomb actually plays before judging it too harshly, just as it did with Liberty Falls.
Yes, there are problems with Black Ops 6, some of which are significant like AI art usage, sudden voice actor changes, and to a lesser extent, lackluster Zombies LTMs. Still, other issues like Mystery Box aesthetics and skyboxes are truly minor and should be treated as such, as opposed to acting as if the problems are game-breaking or entirely new to Black Ops 6. Treyarch deserves credit for all it has done well with BO6 Zombies, like consistently addressing community complaints through quick updates, a never-before-seen cadence for map releases, and bringing back a dedicated crew. In many ways, Black Ops 6 Zombies is what players spent years asking for, yet instead of appreciating it for what it is, many players are simply demanding even more and harping on the ways that it isn’t perfect.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Genre(s)
- FPS
