Call of Duty Zombies fans have been playing the popular co-op mode for over 13 years at this point, and in that time, dozens of maps and characters have appeared. As such, many have been calling for one huge Call of Duty Zombies game that unites all the content under one roof, providing the ultimate package for fans of the mode. If rumors are true, 2023 could be the year when this finally happens.
While a standalone Call of Duty Zombies game would be an excellent way to keep fans busy until Treyarch’s next Call of Duty releases in 2024, it is just a rumor at this time. Still, if it happens, it is important that this standalone game meets the expectations of fans that have wanted it for years. To succeed at doing this, Treyarch and Activision should look to Halo: The Master Chief Collection for inspiration.
Maintaining The Mechanics and Style of Classic Call of Duty Zombies Maps
While it absolutely had its issues at launch, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has turned things around in the time since it made its debut. Still getting support from 343 Industries years after it made its debut, The Master Chief Collection is a must for longtime fans of the franchise. If a Call of Duty Zombies game follows in its footsteps, the community could become larger than ever before.
Alongside updates that add new modes and cosmetics regularly, one of the best things that Halo: The Master Chief Collection does is retain the spirit of the original games. When players hop into one of the older Halo titles, they will look and feel like they did when gamers first fell in love with them. For a standalone Call of Duty Zombies game, this could be hugely beneficial. Remaking every single Zombies map in a new engine seems like a ridiculous undertaking, so the best route to go could instead be a compilation.
In this hypothetical Call of Duty Zombies game, players could select anything from Call of Duty: World at War Zombies up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies. These modes could play exactly like they used to, with the same mechanics and art styles in place. This would be huge for something like Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies and the iconic PhD Flopper perk, for example. While sliding has replaced Dolphin Diving in the newer games, keeping the Black Ops engine and mechanics for that game’s maps could allow players to enjoy a fully nostalgic PhD Flopper experience.
This could extend to Call of Duty Zombies’ ranking systems as well. If players load up Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 maps like Die Rise or Mob of the Dead, they could see the old ranking system. If they load up Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, the XP-based system could be used. Gobblegum and Elixers could be seen in their respective games, and most importantly, each game could retain its original weapon lineup. Being able to use the KSG in Origins or the FAMAS in Kino Der Toten could feel incredible, and each game’s maps having a unique lineup of weapons could add a ton of replayability. In a way, this would be more preferable than full remakes, as the remake approach could see the Black Ops Cold War weapon pool replacing the unique guns from Black Ops 1 and 2.
Fans have already seen proper remakes in Zombies Chronicles for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, so in a standalone game, Treyarch's primary goal should be bringing all the content together. Expecting full remakes for every single Zombies map seems a bit absurd, as there have been dozens of maps released over the years that were made on different engines. Porting each game’s Zombies mode over to make one big collection on one disc or application would be far more realistic, and it would be enough for many fans. Needing to have multiple Call of Duty games downloaded on multiple consoles just to see every map and mode is tedious, and an experience like Halo: The Master Chief Collection would change that.
Further, if Treyarch did want to update the oldest maps and modes, adding a way to instantly see the old graphics like in Halo 2 Anniversary could be a lot of fun. This could be done with a filter in Call of Duty Zombies’ pause menu, allowing players to choose between the original experience and one that is a bit more modern. While fans have many hopes for a standalone Call of Duty Zombies game, ranging from a campaign mode to custom Zombies maps on console, the most important thing is that it collects past content into one easily accessible package. While improvements can and should be made in certain areas, Halo: The Master Chief Collection shows how it can be good to keep older games mostly as is. Call of Duty Zombies is no different.