Zombies (Mode)




 * Survive the Zombie hordes alone or cooperatively. Repel wave after wave of increasingly deadly Zombies in a number of frightening locales. But be warned: there are more than just Zombies lurking these dark hallways...
 * - Call of Duty: Black Ops game manual description.

Call of Duty Zombies, also known as Nazi Zombies, or simply "Zombies" is a game mode incorporated in multiple Call of Duty titles. Zombies features the playable characters facing the undead in a very arcade-like fashion, with vending machines that give the player upgrades, chalk drawings that spawn weapons, a vast points system and many utilities that the player can use to aid in their survival.

Zombies mainly features in Treyarch games, being created by the studio upon the release of Call of Duty: World at War. The mode became highly popular throughout the lifetime of the game, returning in its sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops and that game's sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. At first, the mode was dubbed 'Nazi Zombies', and could only be played once the campaign was completed, in which the original map Nacht der Untoten would immediately start. Later games would simply call the mode 'Zombies' and it is not required to finish the game to play; however finishing the Black Ops campaign would result in the map 'Five' being unlocked and playable immediately, similar to World at War's Nacht der Untoten.

Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare also includes Zombies Mode, included as DLC (downloadable content), called "Exo Zombies". The newly imporoved mode features Exo Suits and the fast mechanics that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has to offer.

Gameplay
Up to four players, eight on Grief, must defend against limitless waves of the attacking horde. Players are awarded points for kills and other actions. These points can be used to activate traps, buy perks and other upgrades, and to purchase weapons to make killing the undead easier.

The players start on 'Round 1', where the zombies are slow and easy to kill. Every player will begin with an M1911 (Mauser C96 in Origins), two grenades and a knife melee attack. Once the round is completed, Round 2 will start with slightly stronger zombies than previously, and so on until the survivors are killed.

Points System
Each player starts off with 500 points, usually spent on getting a starting weapon or buying Quick Revive in solo. Additional points can be gained mainly from killing the undead, or by repairing zombie spawn barriers.

Certain amount of points are gained for attacking and killing a zombie. The points that the player earns are:


 * 10 points per non-lethal hit
 * 50 points for a limb or groin kill
 * 50 points for an explosive kill
 * 60 points for a chest or torso kill
 * 70 points for a neck kill
 * 100 points for a headshot
 * 130 points for a lethal melee hit

Note that bullets penetrating multiple zombies will result in 10 points per zombie, with additional points added for any kills. A headless zombie will also give points constantly until death, where the full 100 points for the headshot will also be given.

Points can be used to purchase items and progress through the map. Weapons found via chalk drawings cost anywhere between 200 - 2500 points, where extra ammunition can be purchased for half of the weapon's price, unless Pack-a-Punched (in which ammo will cost 4500). Doors and debris must be purchased with points to remove, allowing access to newer areas. These usually cost around 500 - 1250 points, with the most expensive doors being located further into the map.

Points can also be used to purchase utilities, such as traps, Perk-a-Colas, the Mystery Box and Pack-a-Punch. Note that trap kills will not give points.

The Zombies
A zombies sub-mode isn't complete without Zombies, the main antagonists of the mode and the most interesting of Call of Duty. Zombies spawn into the map mainly via barriers, which are made up of 6 wooden boards (with the exception of some barriers in WaW). These barriers can be rebuilt by the player to stall the zombies. Sometimes zombies will spawn from the ground near the player; these are known as 'risers' to the community and are not blocked by barriers. Other forms of zombies, such as bosses, have unique ways they spawn into the map.

Zombies attack the player via swiping and scratching. It takes two hits to 'down' a player, unless that person has Juggernog, in which four hits are needed. Irregular zombies do different amounts of damage. Due to the short range that most zombie types have, training is a great way to counter the damage that would otherwise be inflicted.

Maps
So far there a total of 16 main maps in the mode, with a couple of spin-offs and sub-maps.

Nacht der Untoten



 * "You drove them deep into the heart of the Reich. You thought they were dead. You were wrong."
 * -Map description.

Nacht der Untoten (German for "Night of the Undead") is the first map introduced in World at War. Located in a war-torn bunker, Nacht features four unnamed soldiers fighting for their life during the night against the horde. Nacht der Untoten is simple and small, having only one door and two debris, as well as three rooms to explore. The World at War version is the only main map in the mode not to include any Perk-a-Colas, as they were introduced into Verrückt. Nacht's only utilities include the Mystery Box, having only one location in the help room, as well as the infamous sniper cabinet.

Verrückt



 * "Electroshock therapy. Chemically engineered beverages. Hordes of Undead Nazis. Find the power to unite and send them back to their graves!"
 * -Map description.

Verrückt (German for "Crazy"/"Insane", a reference to inhabitants of asylums) is the second zombies map, introduced in World at War as a part of the first DLC pack. It takes place in a German crazy asylum, having similar traits from the multiplayer map 'Asylum'. The zombies in Verrückt are more dangerous than those in Nacht as they can attack through windows and they can sprint. Verrückt was the first map to introduce traps, Perk-a-Colas and the power switch. It also introduced the Mystery Box teddy bear mechanic, in which the box would move if used too much.

Shi No Numa



 * "Maggot ridden corpses. Bug infested swamp. Hundreds of undead Imperial Army. Choose your tactic and defend for your lives!"
 * -Map description.

Shi No Numa (Japanese for 'Swamp of Death') is the third map of Zombies, added in the second DLC pack of World at War, taking place in a Japanese operating base in a swamp. Shi No Numa is the first map not to have Nazi Zombies; instead Japanese soldiers were used as the texture for the undead. The full sprint mechanic from Verrückt has also been reverted back to the original sprinting speed, mainly due to the difficulty. Shi No Numa also introduces the original crew of Tank Dempsey, Edward Richtofen, Takeo Masaki and Nikolai Belinski as playable characters, one for each player.

Shi No Numa introduced a lot of new mechanics. It was the first map to introduce Hellhounds, a new boss-like zombie that spawns in packs and hunts the players down. Hellhounds spawn in the map during a Hellhound round, taking place every four or so rounds. If the player/s complete the round, a Max Ammo powerup will be rewarded. There is also the Flogger; a new trap that is basically a spinning post with spikes surrounding it, which will kill zombies instantly. Unlike Verrückt, there is no power on the map; Perk-a-Colas and the Flogger can be used as soon as they are accessed. Another utility introduced into the map is the zipline, which can be used to transport between the top floor of the main hut and the doctor's quarters.

The Wunderwaffe DG-2 makes its appearence for the first time in Shi No Numa along with the Ray Gun, being able to be gained via the Mystery Box.

Der Riese



 * "The Giant is rising. Face the might of the Nazi Zombies in their heartland. This is where it all began. This is where the master plan took shape. Is this where it all ends?"
 * -Map description.

Der Riese (German for 'The Giant') is the fourth Zombies map, introduced in the last map pack of World at War. It takes place in a burning secret factory, the main base of Group 935. Der Riese has many features from the previous maps, with some new ones such as the Teleporters and the Pack-a-Punch machine. The zombies have been reverted to Nazi Zombies from the previous Japanese ones found in Shi No Numa, as the map takes place near Berlin. The boss round from Shi No Numa, the Hellhounds, also make a comeback, and will appear with the zombies after the third main Hellhound round.

One main feature of the map is the Pack-a-Punch machine, introduced in Der Riese and found in the spawn area, only accessible once all three of the teleporters have been linked. For 5k points, the player/s can upgrade their weapons to increase damage, ammo and other such attributes. Pack-a-punched weapons are given a chrome-like camoflauge to make identification easier.

Several weapons were added in as part of the last Zombies DLC. The Bowie Knife can be purchased for 3k points and will upgrade the damage that the players deal when knifing. A new mystery box item also appears; the Monkey Bomb, although not a weapon, will instead take up the secondary grenade slot of the player's inventory. The bomb can be primed and used to shortly distract zombies to revive a player or make a getaway.

Kino der Toten



 * "Battle the undead in this theatrical installment of "Zombies". New twists and clues could uncover the final plan. It's show time!"
 * -Map Description.

Kino der Toten (German for 'Theatre of the Dead') is the fifth map of the Zombies saga, and the first to appear in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Kino der Toten features a Nazi parliament theatre in ruin, including a main stage, a seating area, a lobby and even an alley outside that can be explored. Taking place in the cold war era to sinc with Black Ops's timeline, the map features new weapons, mainly cold-war styled weapons such as the MP5K, MPL, Crossbow and others. A new wonder weapon, the Thunder Gun, also makes its first appearence, replacing the Wunderwaffe DG-2 from Der Riese. The Thunder Gun, along with the Moneky Bombs, can be obtained via the Mystery Box.

Kino der Toten is the fourth map to include Nazi-based Zombies. A new addition, Nova Crawlers, also make their first appearence alongside the regular Zombies; they spawn into the map only once the power is turned on and will crawl down from the destroyed roof. Some Nova Crawlers, once killed, will let off Nova Gas, a toxic gas that will stun and blur the screens of any players and will also damage any nearby zombies in a small explosion. Hellhounds also make a comeback, appearing every few rounds in their own designated boss round.

"Five"



 * "The Pentagon is under attack! Washington is going to DEFCON 1 in this installment of Zombies."
 * -Map Description.

"Five" is the sixth map and the first map not to appear in the traditional 'World Waw 2'-like locale. Taking place in the Pentagon, iconic cold-war figures Fidel Castro, J. F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara and Richard Nixon fight off against American-attired Zombies in a rather patriotic frenzy. The map is structured as a three-layered building; players can travel up and down the floors using elevators or, once the power is turned on, can use the map's teleporter system located on all three floors.

Along side the regular Zombies and Nova Crawlers, the Pentagon Thief makes its debut in its own boss-styled round, taking over the traditional Hellhound rounds from the previous three maps. The Pentagon Thief spawns into the map using the teleporters, and will chase the players in an attempt to take their weapons. Like the Hellhounds, the thief will drop a Max Ammo at the end of the round. If he his kiled before escaping, he will drop a Fire Sale as well, which will be a new powerup, the Bonfire Sale, if he doesn't steal any weapons.

The Ray Gun is paired with a new wonder weapon; the Winter's Howl, which will freeze any zombies that are shot at. Neither the Thunder Gun nor the Wunderwaffe make their appearence, however the Monkey Bombs still remain.

Dead Ops Arcade


~W.I.P.~

Ascension


Ascension is the eighth Zombies map (seventh main one), and the first DLC Zombies map for Call of Duty: Black Ops. Taking place at night in a soviet cosmodrome, the map was fairly large for its time. Ascension is based off of the multiplayer map 'Launch' and the campaign mission 'Executive Order'.

Ascension introduces a lot of new utilities and features; firstly, there are two new perks on the map. Stamin-Up increases the player's movement speed and sprint length, and PhD Flopper gives the player explosive resistance (including self-injury) and the ability to create an explosion upon diving to prone. Double Tap Rootbeer does not appear in Ascension, likely due to the new perks taking its place. A new boss, the Space Monkeys, replace the Hellhounds and Pentagon Thief as the main bosses of the map. Spawning randomly and in bulk, they attempt to take away players' perks by attacking the machines. A Max Ammo is rewarded at the end of the round, along with a random perk bottle, which gives every player a free perk, if no perk machines are touched.

Although there are no new 'Wonder Weapons', the map introduced two new pieces of 'Wonder Equipment' to replace the Monkey Bombs. The Gersch Device is basically a re-skinned Monkey Bomb, creating a portal and sucking in any Zombies nearby rather than distracting them. The Matryoshka Doll on the other hand is an over-powered grenade that splits into mutiple projectiles once primed and thrown, creating one big area of effect explosion.

Ascension is the first Zombies map to include a major quest-like easteregg; this involves the players freeing Gersch from Samantha's grasp in the Aether by repairing the Casimir Mechanism. Unlike the eastereggs later in the saga, this one does not include an achievement for completing; instead a 90-second death machine is rewarded.

Call of the Dead


Call of the Dead is the ninth Zombies map and the second DLC map for Call of Duty: Black Ops. It features a vast syberian wilderness, with a lighthouse, fronzen ponds and two crashed ships that the player/s can explore. Call of the Dead centres around a 'Hollywood' zombie movie theme, having traits from George A. Romero's film saga 'the dead' (Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead etc.). Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Englund, Danny Trejo and Michael Rooker, whom are all famous zombie-related actors, appear as the map's playable characters.

Another new character, George A. Romero himself, appears as the map's main boss; however, rather than appearing in a set round, he continues to follow the players around over every round until 'defeated', in which he will still return rounds later. Once George (who has a whopping amount of health) is taken down, he will drop a Death Machine powerup and a random perk bottle as a reward.

Call of the Dead features two new wonder weapons; the Scavenger is a submarine-themed sniper rifle that fires explosive bolts (like the Crossbow, only stronger) and fits well with the map's large areas. It also gains a thermal scope when Pack-a-Punched to counter the map's harsh fog conditions. The VR-11 is also a new weapon, capable of reverting Zombies into humans who will run away and distract hordes of the undead for the player, similar to but weaker than the Monkey Bomb.

~W.I.P.~