Zombies have been a fad that has taken over our generation through many different forms. Treyarch has been dominating Zombie video games since 2008 when it released Call of Duty: World at War, and then later with Black Ops I, II and III.
Zombies is a mini-game included on some of the Call of Duty first-person-shooter games. The mini-game consists of one to four players fighting unlimited waves of zombies. Online players must use teamwork to survive these endless waves, or one can accept the challenge to take on zombies alone in solo mode. Players gain points by killing or injuring zombies, building windows to stop zombies from entering the area or reviving teammates. On every map, you start with a M1911 pistol and you have to work your way through the map, opening up doors with the points you earn. Each map has different weapons and different objectives.
Creating over 15 zombie maps, Treyarch has mastered the art of puzzling players with its elaborate objectives. The original Zombies map, Nacht Der Untoten, was a small house with three unlockable doors and the mystery box. The newest map it has released, Shadows of Evil, consists of various areas and objectives within one large map as well as numerous Easter Eggs, which are essentially cheats and wonder weapons you can unlock.
Challenging Treyarch has been Infinity Ward, creating its own version of zombies on its new game, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. The zombies are shown as films that players can jump into and be a part of. It has some similar elements but is very different from what most zombie fanatics are used to. The first film released is called “Spaceland” and it is a theme park set in the ‘80s. The map alone brings a new feel to zombies, combining the grungy feel of a zombie with a lighthearted theme of the ‘80s. The gameplay is very user friendly as well, which Treyarchs zombies are not.
Explaining the game to the user in a better manner, players are guided through the map and given a series of tasks to perform to advance further through the map. Personally I find this annoying, being told what to do and where to go. Treyarch made you discover everything on your own, or just look it up if you actually cared. This is where Treyarch and Infinity Ward zombies differ.
To sum up the difference between the two zombies, Matt Milliken, ‘17, gave his opinion on how these two brands operate their zombie mini-game.
“Treyarch zombies is about getting yourself and your teammates souped up and ready to kill endless zombies,” Milliken said. “To do this, you have to perform some minor tasks so that you can defeat higher level zombies. Now, Infinity Ward seems to be all about accomplishing tasks with zombies around you, the point doesn’t seem to be just surviving endless rounds but rather doing what you’re told.”
