Review of Zombies in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Take a look at our Zombies review for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. If you’re interested in our thoughts on the campaign, check out the single-player review. For a review of the PvP mode, be sure to check out the multiplayer review.

More Open Map, Less Zombies

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode has undergone significant changes, feeling more like a “Warzone-ification” than the traditional PvE experience. Rather than the usual wave-based battles on smaller maps, players are now forced into larger, open maps, resulting in a diluted experience for both the Zombies and Warzone modes. The new mode, Operation Deadbolt, is a Zombies reskin of the DMZ extraction shooter mode, blending disparate elements from both modes and creating a slow and dull experience that is at odds with the usual excitement of Zombies.

A Different Kind of Escape

Operation Deadbolt takes place on a version of the Warzone map of Urzikstan and features a loot-and-escape mechanic similar to DMZ. Players must venture into the map, search for valuable items, and call a helicopter to escape before the enemies overwhelm them. This stands in stark contrast to the tense, wave-based gameplay of traditional Zombies, where the focus is on dispatching hordes, setting up defenses, and finding better weapons to survive increasingly tough challenges.

Preparation and Pacing

The more open approach of Operation Deadbolt allows players to choose their battles and has a heavy focus on preparation, looting, and earning money through contracts. However, the slow pacing and lack of direction in the mode can be a significant drawback, especially when it comes to the story. The linear tale is deployed through uninspired mini-objectives, leaving players with a lot of repetitive and unexciting content before they can experience the actual story missions.

Thrilling Moments with Technical Hiccups

Despite its slow pacing, Operation Deadbolt does have its exciting moments, including thrilling firefights and encounters with powerful special monsters. However, technical issues such as crashes, stuttering, and zombies clipping through walls can detract from the overall experience. The combination of Zombies and DMZ has yet to prove beneficial for either mode, and the first few hours of gameplay suggest that it falls short in comparison to previous iterations of Zombies.

Final Thoughts

With mixed reviews on the new Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, it’s unclear how the game will hold up in the more difficult regions of the map. The blending of Zombies and DMZ seems to have resulted in a mode that lacks the excitement and danger of its predecessors. Despite these challenges, IGN will provide a complete review of Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode in the coming week.