Highlights
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies will have an open-world gameplay style like Outbreak, and it could address some criticisms of the mode.
- Specifically, improvements can be made to objective variety with the new mode, including adding side activities with NPCs to enhance immersion.
- NPCs could need to be escorted out of certain areas, require healing items to be saved, or demand help with finding their lost friends. They could provide rewards like Pack-a-Punched weapons and Wonder Weapon parts, too.
Though Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is being developed by Treyarch, it seems like gamers will be waiting until 2024 for the return of round-based gameplay. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode is open-world like Outbreak, and it can be assumed that it will have a similar gameplay style to that Black Ops Cold War mode. While this makes sense given Outbreak’s popularity, Outbreak was not perfect, and Treyarch should address some of the criticisms it received with this new mode.
Though there are certainly bigger things to correct with this second outing for open-world Zombies, like a map that actually feels like a CoD Zombies location from a visual perspective as well as more Easter eggs for gamers to work on, Treyarch should also improve on Objective variety. Side activities were added to Outbreak over time that added depth to the mode, like fishing, roaming Ordas, and helicopters to shoot down, though there is always room for more. One way to add numerous activities to the mix with Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is through a feature Outbreak lacked: NPCs.
How NPCs Could Be Used in MW3 Zombies
Before diving into how NPCs could be beneficial for Modern Warfare 3 Zombies, it is important to acknowledge the elephant in the room: Infection. As arguably the worst Call of Duty Zombies map ever created, there is a lot wrong with this Exo Zombies location, but one of its biggest flaws is players needing to regularly escort NPCs. If they fail to take care of these AI-controlled humans, they are punished severely, with gamers forced to interrupt the flow of high rounds and traditional survival gameplay to go on an escort mission. However, this problem would not exist in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies, as its open-world nature means it is highly likely to be objective-focused. As such, NPCs will fit naturally into the type of gameplay on offer.
One of the big issues with Outbreak is that the maps are reused assets from multiplayer and do not feel like CoD Zombies locations. Fighting through sparkly clean buildings like a Sanatorium or perfectly kept farmhouses did not feel right, as the Zombies patrolling the areas clashed with the aesthetic. Unfortunately, all signs seem to point to a Warzone map being reused for MW3 Zombies, but hopefully some special touches like blood and environmental damage are added to make the area feel a bit more detailed and appropriate. Beyond that, NPCs could be a way to make the outbreak feel more believable.
While having more dead bodies scattered throughout the map would help with the overall vibe, living NPCs could be used to add never-before-seen objectives. For example, players could come across a random survivor who lives in whatever city ends up being swarmed by regular Zombies and mini bosses like Mimics. With no training experience, the citizen could need to be escorted out of the area. Another type of NPC could be an injured Requiem agent, with players needing to find a Stim to heal up the struggling soldier. NPCs could offer mini quests as well, like soldiers wanting players to clear out specific areas or survivors begging players to help find their missing friends.
If NPCs were utilized to assign new objectives to players while they are out exploring, tying quality rewards to their tasks would be important. Fortunately, rewards being given to the player from an NPC would likely be fairly easy to program, and they could serve as another way to improve immersion. Perhaps a dying soldier gives players a Pack-a-Punched weapon, or a civilian gives players a piece of a Wonder Weapon since they have no idea how to put it together. While NPC missions were handled poorly in Exo Zombies, that mode is nearly a decade old at this point, and it is time to give the concept another chance.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
