When Call Of Duty: World At War first launched, no one could have imagined the Zombies Mode would have become what it is today. While many players pick up the newest title in the franchise each year for its online competitive multiplayer, the Zombies Mode has built itself a dedicated fanbase that purchases the titles solely to fight endless waves of the undead.
While most of the maps throughout the years have been loved by fans, some have caused frustration among the community. With that being said, here are 5 of the best and 5 of the worst Zombies maps from the Call Of Duty franchise.
Updated on May 3rd, 2021 by Emma Majoros:Â Call of Duty is one of the most well-known and biggest game franchises of all time. Even those who've never played it knows what it is, and have a general idea about the gameplay. And die-hard fans of the franchise are getting more and more out of the story and gameplay whether they like it or not. One of the biggest addition to the game was adding a zombie storyline, and developers have made the most out of it, introducing a lot of zombie maps throughout the years. And while most of them were very satisfying to play out, a lot of them felt strained, far-fetched, and just unnecessary.
12 Best: Mob Of The Dead
Originally released in the second DLC pack of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Mob Of The Dead has players control four new protagonists in the series Finn O'Leary, Albert Arlington, Salvatore DeLuca, and Billy Handsome. Like other Zombies maps, the main mission is to survive as many waves of zombies as possible, however, on this map players are also tasked with trying to escape.
Mob Of The Dead also introduced players to the Afterlife mechanic, which allows players to enter certain areas f the map and complete some of the objectives. Although many of the maps in the franchise are visually stunning, the detail poured into the Alcatraz setting sets it apart from any other map made before it.
11 Worst: Blood Of The Dead
Although Mob Of The Dead is regarded as one of the best Call of Duty Zombies Maps, the reimagining Blood Of The Dead is known as one of the most frustrating maps ever created. This time visiting Alcatraz, players take control of the Black Ops Zombies' main cast: Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Edward Richtofen.
While the map should have been innovated on the fan-favorite map, this reimagining took the best things, like the plane and Afterlife mechanics, and threw them out. The map is still just as beautiful as before but without key parts of the game, Blood Of The Dead is a shell of the original map.
10 Best: Zombies In Spaceland
Although Infinite Warfare was not loved by fans, their Zombies Mode was actually quite fun. Zombies In Spaceland is much more comedic than any other map on this list. In this map, players control four aspiring actors fighting in Spaceland Theme Park, United States of America.
What makes this '80s movie-themed map memorable, however, is the inclusion of '80s icon David Hasselhoff as the theme park DJ. In addition, players can access fun areas like the arcade and rollercoaster. Changing the tone of the iconic mode was a risk that paid off immensely.
9 Worst: The Tortured Path
If you were to ask many fans of Zombies what the worst map is, there is a good chance they will say The Tortured Path from Call of Duty: WW2. Throughout the series's run Zombies has been a continuous wave-based mode, however, The Tortured Path tried to change the status quo.
While players still face enemies in waves, they are also forced to complete small missions during several rounds. Failure to complete the tasks ends the game. Furthermore, while other maps have tried to incorporate sub-maps, The Tortured Path's are visually dull and forgettable.
8 Best: Shadow Of Evil
When it comes to Call Of Duty Zombies, Treyarch has made some incredible maps. Despite using an all-new cast, Shadow of Evil holds up as one of the best maps ever made in the series. Set in a fictional 1940's Morg City, which was based in Chicago, players are forced to fight off endless waves of the undead after the Shadow man sends the characters to a supernatural realm. Despite having a different cast, the story is intertwined with the mainline Zombies' story of the Black Ops series.
7 Worst: Tranzit
Although Treyarch has crafted some of the most amazing Zombies maps, Tranzit proves that the studio is not perfect. Released as the first map of Black Ops 2's Zombies Mode, Tranzit has players travel between several small maps on a bus. One of the most frustrating parts of this map is when players accidentally get stranded in one of the locations.
One of the things Call Of Duty Zombies is known for is training. This is when you run with a trail of Zombies following you. With the bus however players are forced into a new game style that is more frustrating than anything else. Yes, there are ways of traveling from location to location without the bus, but the Denizen is even more frustrating.
6 Best: Der Eisendrache
Much like Mob Of The Dead, Treyarch went all out when designing Der Eisendrache. The map is set in the Austrian castle named Griffen Castle, which gives it a perfectly medieval aesthetic.
In addition, the map introduces players to great new wonder weapons called the Ragnarok DG-4 and the Wrath of the Ancients and allows players to once again face off against the fan-favorite enemy, the Panzersoldat. When fighting the undead, this map is a delight to traverse. With the inclusion of the Wundersphere players can travel across the map with ease.
5 Worst: The Darkest Shore
When it comes to Zombies, Call of Duty: WW2 does not fair well. Unlike the other games in the series, WWII's maps are pretty forgettable. Throughout a playthrough of The Darkest Shore, players are met with an abundance of fog.
While this sets the tone of the map, it ends up being far more frustrating than anything else. On top of that, the Bosses are frustratingly difficult at times.
4 Best: Origins
One of the best maps Call Of Duty has ever released for the Zombies Mode is Origins. In this map, players control younger versions of the Black Ops Zombies characters Dempsey, Nikolai, Richtofen, and Takeo. For the first time, this map introduced players to the Elemental Staffs.
To this day, these buildable weapons have only appeared one other time in the series. Unlike other maps before it, Origins can be much more fun as a team since it was the first map that allowed all four players to have a Wonder Weapon at the same time.
3 Worst: Infection
In Sledgehammer's first solo attempt at Call Of Duty, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the company tried to flip the Zombies Mode on its head. Exo Zombies was a mode that had players and zombies traverse the maps in the highly controversial advanced movement suits. While none of the maps from this game are highly recognized, the worst of them is Infection.
With the introduction of the Toxic Gas Zones and the Decontamination Zone players are forced into situations that distract them from the fun of endlessly mowing down the undead. What is even more frustrating, however, are the several survivors that players need to protect throughout the match and the EMZs that shut off the Exo suitabilities.
2 *Worst: Verrückt
The word "Verrückt" means "crazy" or "insane" in German. So players with somewhat advanced knowledge of the German language already know what's coming. It's a fairly large map, with extremely aggressive zombies, and it takes place in a "Zombie Asylum".
People have a love-hate relationship with this map, and it's caused quite a lot of heated debate. On one hand, it's one of the scariest maps in the franchise, making it incredibly exciting, which understandably is the standing point of the fans of the map. But on the other hand, some think it's way too big, and it's hard to follow the overall flow of the map. Furthermore, it's no fun playing it solo, which makes it very limited. There are worse maps on the list, but this is a bittersweet spot in the fanbase of the game.
1 *Best: Buried
People either love or hate Buried, there is no in-between. But most CoD players agree that it was a good effort, while others think it's one of the best. It has a unique space, that forces players to battle zombies underground. For people who have a fear of dark, tight spaces, this map is definitely the worst there is. But those who can put aside their fears have grown to love this unique map.
It is chronologically the last zombie map on the original timeline, otherwise, it's the sixteenth released map in the game. Players who like this map love the creativity of the space, and that it forces them to adapt to a new gameplay style. While it's not the best on the list, it deserves to be in the top.