Before I... I mean, WE, share our thoughts on Call of Duty Zombies, let me clarify some things:

1. Despite this being a mode where multiplayer is available, we won't discuss the fanbase
   
2. If you don't know anything about Call of Duty Zombies (or just Call of Duty in general), I don't recommend reading on because THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
   
3. This blog is just made to express what MagicDoggo and I think of the Zombies mode featured in Call of Duty; we are not here to force anyone to agree with us, so if you're here just to start an argument, please leave now.
   
4. Yes, we will be discussing Infinite Warfare, despite it not being complete in terms of DLC maps.
   

I know what some people are going to say, and yes; I know this blog is kinda messy and short, but this is our first time doing a collaboration, and we had no idea what we were doing and were just trying to have fun with it, but I really do hope you enjoy anyways, thanks.

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World At War Zombies

Quick, Doggo, what do you think of World at War Zombies??

MagicDoggo:
"Okay uh, it was where CoD Zombies started, and in my opinion it was a great start! Simple but challenging, acting like a tutorial for the whole zombies game. It's about surviving far and getting weapons from drawings on walls and a mystery box that awards you a completely random weapon. It's a pretty different game mode compared to what the Call of Duty games usually focus on, and it's fun and good for passing the time! It makes you want to get on those high rounds and get the best weapons, upgrade them and see what you get, kill hundreds of zombies... It's uh, fun! :3"

It is fun indeed X3

Jordanw5432:
"November 11, 2008. A day in which Call of Duty changes with its release of World at War by introducing the new Zombies mode. There was only one map at the time known as "Nacht der Untoten" (Night of the Undead), your only goal was to survive as long as possible against the hordes of the undead. As time went on, this formula changed bit by bit every map; to a point where its no longer just about your survival. The gameplay was beyond simplistic, but for good reason (mostly hardware limitation and lack of future knowledge). The maps that were featured within World at War (Nacht der Untoten, Verrückt, Shi no Numa, and Der Riese) were also very simplistic. Again, for good reason. Each map felt more different than the one before, making them not only easy to identify, but also changing the mood and overall "feel." There wasn't really much of a story or characters at the time, but with Shi no Numa and Der Riese, we were introduced to four characters who were just good ol' fashioned stereotypes of the prime countries in WWII. They were known as Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Edward Richtofen (guess which countries they're from). Normally Zombies had a dark tone to it, but with these characters, comedy was around almost every corner. Especially with Richtofen.

Overall, World at War Zombies was very enjoyable, but compared to Zombies nowadays, the best way to think of it is like how MagicDoggo put it as; a tutorial. It's basic, but this was just the beginning of something else."



Black Ops Zombies

This is where we got a bit inconsistent with our schedules, and I had to go first for a while

Jordanw5432:
"I have... mixed feelings about Black Ops Zombies. Now, that's not to say that it's BAD, but compared to World at War, it's definitely a different experience. Like World at War, each map offered a different mood and experience, but unlike World at War... let's just say that for every pro they added, a con was also added. The gameplay was... okay. The guns were a bit better, but that's not saying a whole lot. Usually it was either the damage or the ammo that ruined a gun (the only exceptions are guns like the Galil, Commando, or RPK). The maps were also okay, but there was always, and I mean ALWAYS, a brand new enemy for every map, that were single-handedly the worst things about them. Especially this one enemy called "The Pentagon Thief" (Referring to the American government building, not the shape) who would steal your guns until you killed him, and he had a lot of health. If you failed, you can kiss your gun goodbye, because you'll never see it again. The storyline and the characters, however, were pretty much the savior of this game. In terms of characters, not only did we get to see more of Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen, but we were also introduced to some new characters (mostly celebrities and historical figures like John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Robert Englund, and Micheal Rooker). Now, story-wise, Black Ops definitely had a very intriguing story that, lets just say, ends with a bang.

Not the worst zombies experience ever (we'll get to that later), but I don't get the high amount of praise Black Ops Zombies has."

MagicDoggo:
"Black Ops zombies literally ends with a bang, haha,
Everything there I agree, but although Black Ops Zombies may not be the best (in your and many other's opinion), it's the first zombies experience I had, and certainly many others' too. Black Ops zombies was always very different in each map. Each with different mechanics to help you survive, from traps to trampolines, and was always fun to try out the new different experience that each different map offers. Starting from the simplest of BOZ's map, Kino der Toten didn't have much to it compared to other maps, it's a great start for players. Not so difficult, the players can find their own way to survive in the theater of the dead, and prepare for the challenge other maps will give them, whether it's an annoying movie director that follows you everywhere, monkeys that steal power-ups that would help you (though they can be used to your advantage with their power-up changing abilities!) or even demonic burning dogs that will try and steal your souls!
One of the best CoD Zombies in my opinion. A little more difficult than Black Ops 2's zombies, but it ain't no fun without that difficulty! :)"



Black Ops II Zombies

Jordanw5432:
"Speaking of Black Ops II Zombies...

Ignoring the zombies mode for a bit, Black Ops II is personally my favorite Call of Duty overall. The campaign was fun and unique, the multiplayer was really well-made, and the zombies, well, it personally isn't my favorite, but to me, it at least deserves 2nd place. Now, generally speaking, Black Ops II Zombies is very split among the community, and for good reason. The first map everyone got for free was a map called "Tranzit", which to a LOT of people is considered to be the worst zombies map of all time. I personally don't mind Tranzit and I wouldn't consider it the worst map, but it's definitely not hard to see why people think that. The rest of the maps (Nuketown, Die Rise, Mob of the Dead, Buried, and Origins) are also really fun. The weapons of Black Ops II Zombies are also split. On the one hand, you have guns such as the AN-94, the PDW, and the LSAT. On the other hand, you have the SMR, the War Machine, and the Chicom CQB. A new group of characters were introduced (Stuhlinger, Marlton, Misty, and Russman), and like the previous four who I keep mentioning, they were stereotypes as well, but unlike them, they weren't exactly... comedic. They were just stereotypes. They also didn't exactly have a lot of character, nowadays they're getting the character they deserve from the comic books, but at the time, there was barely any if any at all. However, this only applies to a few maps. Mob of the Dead also introduced some new characters, and they were amazing. Origins, however, brought back Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen, but this time they weren't old and in WWII, but instead young during "The Great War" (WWI). They still had their comedic stereotypes, but they were a lot more serious than what most expected, which then became one of those things where you didn't know you wanted it until you got it. The story is a bit more difficult to explain. Tranzit, Nuketown, Die Rise, and Buried all fall underneath the same story, but Mob of the Dead and Origins seem to act more differently. The story that those four maps go by is... okay. It mostly just kinda happens. Though, I would like to ask: Who's genius idea was it to end such a grand story, after teleporting from a factory to a theater, after bending time and space itself, after going to the moon and blowing up Earth, after exploring a fractured world, in an underground western town??? Who??? *sigh* Thankfully, the story for Mob of the Dead and Origins are a lot more deeper than that (though they're not connected... mostly).

Black Ops II Zombies is fun, but that's for people who are more focused on gameplay over story, such as myself, but even then the story isn't that bad."

MagicDoggo:
"The story of BO2's Zombies was okay. In my opinion, the story with the original characters (Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen.) is more interesting and deeper. The zombies gameplay was great, and like in the first Black Ops, each map was very different than the last. A chinese skyscraper, an underground western town, Alcatraz Island, Northern France... Such variety!
It's very different in many ways to Black Ops though. No maps except for Mob of the Dead has traps. Instead of specific rounds for special enemies, BO2 Zombies maps usually have bosses, but the demon dogs are still here! There are also special easter eggs, which were also present in the first Black Ops, that can give you advantages in the game, or tell you some more about the game's story. However, some of these easter eggs can be very difficult, while others not so much. But there aren't just these main easter eggs, but some smaller too! In every map of World at War, Black Ops, Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3 zombies, there are hidden objects thaat when interacted with, will play a special song. Each map has its own song, and they're usually pretty intense and epic. If you enjoy listening to music while playing, then it is a must do easter egg, as the epic music playing while you shred some zombies really improves the gameplay! That's all I have to say now, since Jordan just did most of the talking, hehe."

My bad, I just REALLY love Black Ops II XD



Advanced Warfare (Exo Zombies)

So... because Doggo has never played Exo Zombies (or the next Zombies), I'm going to be solo for a short while.


One very, VERY important thing to keep in mind is that World at War, Black Ops, and Black Ops II were all developed by the same company, Treyarch, whereas Advanced Warfare is developed by a different company known as Sledgehammer. This was their first solo game, and not gonna lie, I'm more than surprised to know these guys helped with Modern Warfare 3.

*sigh* Oh boy, let's take the biggest leap from going to my favorite Call of Duty of all time, to my LEAST favorite Call of Duty of all time. As a whole, Advanced Warfare's only tolerable thing is the campaign. The multiplayer felt weird with the execution of the Exo Suits, the weapons were horrendous (especially the M16), and for some reason, I really don't like the setting and tone of the maps. The Exo Survival was also tolerable, but was completely forgettable. But then... Exo Zombies came around, and this really drove me up a wall. First off, Exo Zombies was DLC exclusive.

"What's wrong with that?"

World at War, Black Ops, Black Ops II, and future Call of Duty games have at least one zombies map for free with the release of the game. Clearly Exo Zombies was a last minute idea, and I'm gonna guess that the Activision marketing team thought it would be a good idea for it to be entirely DLC, and not just release one for free. Oy vey, I haven't even talked about what's in Exo Zombies. First off, the maps. Between the four of them (Outbreak, Infection, Carrier, and Descent), three of them were between okay and boring. Nothing really too special, but Infection... by far the worst Zombies map to ever exist. The goal of Zombies beforehand was just to survive and/or progress the story. Simple right? Well Sledgehammer thought that wasn't good enough, so they added in objectives that made me want to punch my television until my hands were as red as my character's fur. The enemies were out of control; there were so many enemies all at once it was just impossible to keep track of them all. The traps and weapons were also horrendous. You have a giant alligator in the sewer, a Balloon Boy knock-off, and the "best" weapon of them all is a laser gun that is so weak, even after you upgrade it, I would rather use a Nerf gun. Oh yeah, and did I mention that most of the map takes place at a fast food restaurant??? That is just one map, folks. The story of Exo Zombies just kind of happens, I think one of the main characters die, then he becomes a... half-zombie, thing? And... I honestly have no idea what on Earth goes on. The characters are kind of the same thing. Nothing too special.

If it weren't for Undertale, this definitely would've been the worst experience I've ever had to suffer through in any video game. I'm really hoping that the next Sledgehammer game improves on their Zombies mode by A LOT, because to me, they really messed up with Exo Zombies.



Black Ops III Zombies

Black Ops III Zombies... single-handedly the best Zombies experience I've been given. I love almost every aspect of it; the maps, gameplay, weapons, story, characters, the list goes on! It's kind of a shame that, like Black Ops II, is split. However, for different reasons. The maps of the game (Shadows of Evil, The Giant, Der Eisendrache, Zetsubou no Shima, Gorod Krovi, and Revelations) are all so good. Now Shadows of Evil (the 'starting' map of the game), is fine for a veteran Zombies player like myself, but for people who only play Zombies casually or are just complete noobs at it, might be overwhelmed by how much content is in that map alone. The Giant is just a Der Riese remaster... not a whole lot I can say about it. Der Eisendrache was... fun and interesting for people who are into the story, but for gameplay it was kind of boring. At least that's my unpopular opinion, because everybody LOVES this map, despite using a lot of things that were already in the multiplayer of Black Ops III, or heck, even older zombie maps. Zetsubou no Shima is a bit tedious for the first couple of minutes, but once you know what you're doing, this map becomes a lot more fun (though not everything that's tedious disappears). Gorod Krovi is my favorite Zombies map of all time. There's so much good in this map, I could probably make an entirely separate blog about why this map is just so good! Revelations... definitely a let down for people who love the storyline, but thankfully I'm NOT one of those people, and Revelations was such an interesting map to explore. The gameplay is perfect for someone like me, but like I mentioned, it's best fitted for people who've experienced Zombies in the past. The weapons are ALL so good. Even the 'worst' guns has a huge advantage to them. In terms of the story, it's a LOT more harder to explain than ever before. Why? Because now timelines and alternate universes are involved in the mix. I strongly recommend watching a YouTuber by the name of "MrRoflWaffles" if you actually care about what happens in the story. The characters are wonderful. Shadows of Evil is the only map to introduce new characters; the cop "Jackie Vincent", the performer "Jessica Rose", the boxer "Floyd Campbell", and the magician "Nero Blackstone". They're okay, but the real stars are the re-introduction of the younger Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen from Black Ops II Zombies. Unlike the one map they were featured in, each character is now given their own map for character development, and let me just say, when something emotional happens, it really leaves an impact on who they are and how people perceive them.

Black Ops III Zombies... I don't think Treyarch could re-create an experience like it. Black Ops III may not be my favorite Call of Duty for campaign or multiplayer, but Zombies is what makes this game so incredible to play.



Infinite Warfare Zombies

MagicDoggo:
"Oh, the massive amount of changes, yet is still so much like our good ol' Zombies! Similar to Treyarch's zombies in many ways, with weapons scattered on the map and a machine that provides random weapons, a large, game-changing easter egg, rounds with special enemies and bosses, machines that give you perks, etc. Yet it's so different! Why? Different perks and weapons, all wonder weapons (Weapons more powerful than most others) have to be crafted, melee weapons can be bought from the random weapons provider, or "Mystery Wheel", and, in the map Zombies in Spaceland (80's space-themed park), you can interact with the rides and games! Now, since I haven't played the new map, Rave in the Redwoods (Camp in the 90's), and the future maps still haven't been released yet, I can't tell if they'll be like ZiS, but they surely won't disappoint us!
Infinite Warfare's Zombies is about 4 actors, and an evil movie director who wants to make a zombies movie, and the 4 actors are pulled inside the movie! He aims in getting them killed, but they survive through the many rounds of zombies, and "ruin" the film, when they're actually making it more epic. So they're traveled to different places, and go back and forth in time, while these actors fight for their lives while they try to escape from Willard Wyler's crazy, uh- movie massacre!
The four actors, who are the characters you play as in Zombies in Spaceland and the future maps, are Sally (the Valley girl), Poindexter (the Nerd), AJ (the Jock) and Andre (the Rapper). These 80's stereotype characters are ready to kick some zombie butt!"

Jordanw5432:
"Yep. Infinite Warfare Zombies, like Exo Zombies, was developed by a different company, Infinity Ward. However, unlike Exo Zombies, IW Zombies is actually good. At least to me. As Luke pointed out, the gameplay is very similar to Treyarch's Zombies. Whether or not this is a good thing is debatable, but as far as I'm concerned, it's not the end of the world. It definitely makes it a lot more easy to transition to. The weapons are all very fun to use, and it's nice to know that all of the weapons that are in multiplayer (even the DLC weapons) are in Zombies. One thing to note about Infinite Warfare is that one hand, you have regular guns that function like any other, but then you have "energy guns", which honestly feel very weird and awkward to hold, but they do have their advantages. The story and characters are very, and I mean VERY simple. This is a problem I notice a lot of people have, but truthfully I feel as though it's for the better to get more simpler stuff.

"What?! You don't want complex and interesting lore and characters?"

That's not what I'm implying, but after Black Ops III, I feel as though this is just a nice break from that. Luke pretty much already pointed out what the story and characters are like, but something interesting about the characters is that it seems as though depending on the map, also changes how they act. Because the first map takes place in the 1980s, we're given stereotypes such as the Nerd, Jock, Rapper, and Valley Girl. However, because the second map takes place in the 1990s, now we're given the Raver, the Hip-Hop Wannabe, Grunge Rocker, and the Westside Gangsta. I believe the next map will take place in the 1970s, but I have no idea what stereotypes there are/were. Speaking of the maps, not all of the Infinite Warfare Zombies maps have been made yet, but as far as two maps go (Zombies in Spaceland & Rave in the Redwoods), they're both well made and very interesting to wander around. Especially Rave in the Redwoods.

Infinite Warfare Zombies definitely feels nice as it offers a bit of a break from the story and characters while still offering great gameplay very similar to that of Black Ops III, but it's not my favorite. That's not to say it's bad, but it can get a bit boring more times than not (though that could just be because we've had Zombies for 3 years straight now, and I might be a bit exhausted)."



Overall Thoughts & The Future of CoD Zombies

MagicDoggo:
"Well, the zombies game is very fun in my opinion. It's just a Call of Duty game mode, yet it's so different to what CoD usually is. It's a game that requires skill, strategy, and then you just have fun! It's simple, yet complicated. It looks like it's just getting a gun, shooting the zombies and going through the rounds, some times drinking a beverage or eating a candy to help you. But then there's looking for pieces, completing puzzles, wielding weapons of wonder, travelling in time and space even! It's a fun game, that can be relaxing to just kill zombies while listening to some music, or even stressful when trying to complete that one easter egg.
I'd give it a 9/10. Great game mode, even with its flaws, whether it's a bad weapon/map, or boring mechanics, or something else, I dunno. I still love the game mode, and hope to see more of it in future Call of Duties. I'm sure IW Zombies won't be the last one we'll be seeing!"

Jordanw5432:
"Call of Duty Zombies, as a whole, is wonderful because of the variety of experiences I've received over the years. Some of them were incredibly fun, some made me feel frustrated and doubtful, and some were incredibly emotional. It is true that the Zombies mode is so different from the campaign or the multiplayer, and I believe that this is what gives Zombies its charm. It's always so fun to try something new from the mode, whether it be new maps, weapons, characters, story, or even game. The innovation, even in Exo Zombies, is something I'll always cherish about this mode. However, this is a bit worrying concerning the future of Zombies. We're currently at our 3rd year of Zombies in a row with Infinite Warfare, and while that might not sound bad, a lot of people in the community feel absolutely exhausted from the amount of content they're receiving, and apparently Call of Duty 2017, and DEFINITELY Call of Duty 2018 are also going to have Zombies. I personally am excited for the future to see what new innovations these developers come up with for Zombies, as well as to see what kind of direction Infinite Warfare goes with its future maps, though I definitely can't say the same for the community"

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And there you have it, took us about a month to make this (mostly due to our lazy/messed up schedules), but I'm honestly proud of it. Well... I guess I'll have to say until the next "My Thoughts On" where I'm going to be talking about a franchise that I've liked for a good amount of time, but never got around to say much about it, at least in a proper blog.