One of the most common complaints about recentCall of DutyZombiesmaps is their lack of personality. Previously, Zombies maps had been visually stunning and diverse, with players battling through trenches on Origins and a fictional 1940s-era city in Shadow of Evil. Alternatively, inCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warand especiallyCall of Duty: Vanguard, the maps have become a lot less ambitious and feel like areas that would not be out of place in campaign or multiplayer. WithCall of Duty2024 seemingly set to feature an island map, Treyarch has a chance to craft a location that feels more Zombies-specific, but it has to avoid being too similar to a past map.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3was filled with beloved maps, with many surely remembering their time wielding elemental bows in Der Eisendrache and riding dragons inGorod Krovi. Though Zetsubou No Shima was a bit more divisive due to time-consuming aspects like plant management, it was still a well received map overall, with a great story and some memorable spider-related side quests. However, it was also an island, meaning that Treyarch has its work cut out for it if it wants to deliver a similar setting.
RELATED:Call of Duty 2024 Zombies Should Return To The Aether Timeline For One Final Map
A Call of Duty 2024 Zombies Island Map Would Need To Be Unique
Zetsubou No Shima not only leaned heavily into its Japanese setting, but the map had a clear horror aesthetic. The map was set at night, areas were overgrown and prone to plant-based monsters called Thrashers, and a terrifying jumpscare Easter egg that put images likeLast Gen Richtofento shame was present. If Treyarch wants to make another island map, it should avoid retreading this territory and delivering a location that feels too similar than Zetsubou No Shima.
Some have theorized that Peck points to Guam at the end ofForsaken’s main quest Easter egg, which could be an interesting option for the next Zombies map. Setting aCall of DutyZombies experience on a beautiful beach with bright blue water and under sunny weather could be unlike anything players have seen thus far. It could have a similar feel to the originalDead Island, and cheerful postcards could be used to market the map similar to TranZit’s loading screen.
Instead of imprisoning the Requiem characters in a dirty prison on a random island, perhaps the CIA would lock them up somewhere even more unsuspecting: a gorgeous location with plenty of beaches. It is easy to imagine the version of the CIA that exists withintheCall of Duty: Black Opsuniversehaving bases around the world for all kinds of purposes, including somewhere like Guam. A sunny island full of beautiful beaches would instantly stand out from other maps in the franchise, especially the gloomy Zetsubou No Shima.
Alternatively, Treyarch could use the island as a spawn point before taking players to an entirely different play space: an underwater city or base. Players have been asking for an Atlantis map for some time now, and though it would make more sense as aChaos storymap, it would still be exciting regardless. Even more likely is an underwater Requiem or Omega base, as it fits with the somewhat grounded approach Treyarch has been taking with the Dark Aether story.
Though a random island like Guam is one theory theCall of DutyZombies community has had about Forsaken’s big teaser, others have noted that Peck seems to be pointing to where the missiles from Outbreak landed. If this is the case, perhaps Requiem or Omega built an underwater base to recover the materials from the rockets, which would justify the existence of the map. A primarily underwater play space like theCustom Zombiesmap Leviathan could work well, and it would certainly be different from what has come before. Even if this hypothetical base ends up being where a majority of the gameplay takes place, an island could be where players spawn in before descending to the base. If an island of any kind is used, either as the spawn area or the entire map, Treyarch has to make sure that it feels different fromCall of DutyZombies’ Zetsubou No Shima.
MORE:Call of Duty: Warzone 2’s Multi-Map DMZ Missions Could Carry Over to CoD Zombies
