Highlights

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies makes good use of its open-world concept, with plenty of activities and locations for players to engage with.
  • The enemy variety in the game is impressive, but there is room for improvement, as the addition of a massive threat like Orcas would enhance the gameplay.
  • Orcas could be integrated into the game as a public event, adding excitement and challenge for a lobby full of players and providing valuable rewards.

Though it was controversial in the lead-up to its release, it is hard to argue against the idea that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies makes good use of its open-world concept. As disappointing as it may be to see Urzikstan reused, as it weakens CoD Zombies’ environmental storytelling, there is a lot going on within each match. Players can team up with the other players roaming around the map, complete contracts that range from cargo deliveries to bounty hunts, and travel to a number of different locales in hopes of collecting a powerful MWZ schematic. However, when it comes to enemy variety, there is always room for improvement.

To be clear, the enemy variety that exists within Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is impressive for a game so early in its lifespan. In addition to regular undead foes, there are Manglers, Mimics, Hellhounds, and Disciples. Human mercenaries exist and the Abominations from Forsaken underwent a major growth spurt, ensuring that players who enter Tier 3 unprepared are unlikely to survive. However, more content can always be added in future updates. While enemies like the Megatons and Panzers would make some strong mini-bosses, MWZ still needs a massive threat within its open-world, and there is no better option than Orcas.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Missed a Better Solution to Its Mercenary Problem

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies has adjusted the mercenaries roaming around Urzikstan, though it missed out on a better fix.

How Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Could Reuse Orcas

MWZ’s Orcas Could Randomly Appear Like Orda in Outbreak

Otherwise known as an Aether Worm, Orcas serves as the final boss of MWZ Act 3 and requires a fair bit of damage to take down. While he is far from a difficult boss if players are well-prepared or challenge him with a large squad, the fight is memorable due to the worm’s size and its abilities to tunnel underground and fire lasers at the player. Unfortunately, players who want to fight the worm again need to endure several minutes of dialogue and mercenary fights each time they want to do so, as it is locked behind the third story mission of the mode. However, though, a future update will change that.

Part way through the life cycle of Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak mode, Treyarch’s first attempt at an open-world Zombies experience, an Orda had a chance to appear somewhere within the mode’s various maps. While not a guaranteed spawn, when Orda appeared it was marked on the map for everyone to see, and players could then take on the gigantic Dark Aether creature if they went to its spot on the map. While the length of the fight varied depended on how strong players were, the sight of an Orda roaming around was always intimidating, and the loot for killing it was usually valuable. When Orda came to Outbreak, the mode felt a bit more special, and Orcas being added to Urzikstan could have a similar effect.

Orda’s first appearance was technically in Black Ops Cold War Zombies’ launch map, Die Maschine, as it could be triggered via an Easter egg. However, it was first fought on Firebase Z , appearing at the end of the Easter egg and spawning during all the Assault waves following round 30.

Orcas Would Be Ideal For an MWZ Public Event

However, if Orcas does become an open-world activity, it should take full advantage of the mode’s premise. If an Orcas is going to spawn in during a match, one of the MWZ characters that speak over the radio could tell the player that they are feeling strange vibrations in their location. Players could then endure earthquakes as the match progresses, with a special countdown timer added that functions like the one used for Diablo 4’s world bosses. Players could then have 15 minutes or so to gear up before heading to a large, empty space on the map to battle the Aether Worm. If it receives a major health and damage buff, it could be a legitimate threat that 12 or more players have to work together to destroy, and it could drop rare schematics as well as high-end Aether Tools and Crystals.