The Best Call Of Duty Zombies Maps Ever, Ranked

07.10.2023 - 01:47 / gamespot.com / Best

By S.E. Doster on

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Since its inception in 2008's World at War, Call of Duty's Zombies mode has evolved from the simplistic bunker map of Nacht der Untoten to complex narrative quests and open-world adventures in battling the undead. If you include remastered maps and remakes, there are over 50 Zombies maps to choose from over the last 15 years of the franchise, but not all maps are created equal.

There are several components that can make for an unforgettable Call of Duty Zombies experience, and this top 12 list features maps with some of the most atmospheric designs, engaging storylines, fun Easter eggs, unique features, and gameplay innovation.

While there's only one non-Treyarch Zombies map included here, we can hold on to hope that Modern Warfare 3 could bring a top-tier experience with the inclusion of its Zombies mode this year. This is the first time the undead will rise in a Modern Warfare game, and Activision says this will include massive hordes of zombies on the largest Zombies map ever. We also learned more about Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode as part of Call of Duty Next.

With that out of the way, let's look at the best Zombies maps ever.

Ancient Evil is the final map from 2018's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, closing out Treyarch's Chaos storyline with an epic story conclusion taking place in Delphi, Greece. The map is an impressive setting with various temples and monuments dedicated to Greek mythology. The map is divided into two separate sections, and you can ride Pegasus, a mythological flying horse, to travel between the two portions. There's also a nice tonal shift between the two halves, with the starting point being a lighter theme and the upper portion having a more dark and twisted style.

This map has the more interesting story bits of Black Ops 4's overall narrative, with more character development, an epic boss fight featuring a corrupted Pegasus and a beefy looking zombie warlord, and even an exciting final cutscene with Medusa.

Picking the twelfth spot for the list was a big toss up between Ancient Evil and IX, the first map introduced in Black Ops 4. IX is the more casual-friendly map, with the huge, open arena to run around in, but Ancient Evil is a much more interesting and aesthetically pleasing map to play. And who doesn't want to fly around on Pegasus?

The Zombies maps from modern games wouldn't exist without the one that started it all, making Nacht der Untoten the godfather of Zombies mode. This is a simple map with three small areas, and it can be a great challenge to survive high rounds with so little space to maneuver.

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