Probably my favourite DLC so far, Black Ops 3 (which released in 2015) is getting new content – eight remastered classic zombie maps to be exact. A totally out of character move by Activision as they typically support each Call of Duty game for up to a year.
For $29.99, you can warm your heart reminiscing with favourites from back in the day (Call of Duty: World at War, Black Ops and Black Ops 2) that have quite literally come back to life. This unexpected but pleasant surprise from Activision left me smiling so hard my face ached for the entire day. I couldn’t stop bouncing on my seat at work. Seeing those maps again were like meeting an old friend… that’s changed slightly but still lovable in a slightly twisted way.
Activision have done well with the Chronicles map selections. The DLC includes more manageable maps like “Nacht der Untoten” from World at War for anyone who wants to hone their strategies and skills, alongside more complicated, story-centric maps like “Ascension” from Black Ops.
The Chronicles was remade into the Black Ops 3 engine, so naturally, they would have include the GobbleGum machines which did serve as a challenge to get use to since they only ever appeared in the Black Ops 3 zombies. If you liked the GobbleGum machines, you’ve got that going for you.
Thanks to technical improvements like atmospheric enhancements from eerie screeches to subtle lighting changes, on top of the straightforward graphics upgrade, the same gripping, stay-up-all-night zombie rounds you remember playing feel like a refreshed blast from the past. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if you’re new to the whole wave after wave of zombies programmed to kill you or a hardened zombie killer.
These improvements also brought along enhanced audio. One example would be the hellhounds, which first appeared on the map ‘Shi No Numa’. The grating howl and guttural snarls you hear echoing through the halls become clearer than before, building even greater tension. You basically have no idea where they’re coming from till you see their fluffy fire bodies which can make a seasoned player feel “urgent and uneasy“… especially in the heat of the moment.
Even though I’ve done nothing but sung its praises, I felt it was a shame they didn’t add more maps from the other Call Of Duty series like Black Op 2’s “Green Run”, “Nuketown Zombies” and the entire Exo Zombies catalogue from Advanced Warfare. They did say “classic”, but hey, a girl can dream right?
I’m sure there’s a cult following for the what feels like an endless horde of Zombies in the Call of Duty series, so this DLC feels like a little love letter to us fans. Hate it or love it, Zombies Chronicles hits the right spots better than a stormtrooper… uh, right.
If you are looking for a nostalgia-filled time with friends, I hope you didn’t sell your copy of Black Ops III because it’s a DLC that’s worth every penny