by Tyler Gloe

Created on: December 13, 2010

Featuring adrenaline-laced gameplay, varying types of weapons, and intriguing maps, the zombie mode in Black Ops is truly expansive. The previous installment of zombies, featured in Call of Duty: World at War, was such a large hit that the fan community begged for it to be added to Black Ops. They received what they asked for: dark corridors filled with endless waves of zombies. The new zombie mode is sure to keep every gamer on the edge of their seat.

When you select "zombies" from the main menu, you will be presented with the ability to either play offline or online. When playing in an offline setting, you are able to play with either one or two players. However, when you take the game online, you will be able to fight zombies with up to four players. When you first start off playing the game, you will only have one map to play on, "Kino Der Toten." However, if you play through the campaign mode, you will unlock two bonus maps, "Five" and "Dead Ops Arcade."

On Kino Der Toten, you start off, of course, with one pistol. There are four doorways that the zombies will come through in the main area of the map. Zombies will start ripping through the wooden barricades, and it is your job to take them down. As you progress through the waves of zombies, it will grow increasingly more difficult. You will need to purchase new weapons. On the first area that you spawn on, there is a shotgun and a rifle. You earn currency by rebuilding barricades and killing zombies.

There are many different corridors that you can enter. You will want to do this, because each area holds new weapons and perks. The longer you play in zombie mode, and the more zombies you kill, the tougher the zombies become. Also, there are other creatures other than zombies that you will need to take down, such as "Hell Hounds" and "Crawlers." Upgrading your weapons is key to survival.

As you shoot your way through the hoards of zombies, unveiling new corridors and entering through different doors, you and your teammates are constantly trying to stay alive for as many waves they can. There are useful perks such as Pack a Punch and a Juggernaut suit. There are many mysteries and secrets in the corridors of Kino Der Toten, and the more you play, the more secrets you will unveil.

The other maps, "Five" and "Dead Ops Arcade" offer unique game play for zombie mode. In "Five," you are set up in the pentagon with President John F. Kennedy himself, fighting through mutant creatures and entering mysterious rooms. "Dead Ops Arcade" isn't like the standard zombie mode, but is more of a mini game. You view the map from an aerial perspective, fighting through zombies in a tactical setting.

Overall, the zombie modes in Black Ops are sure to keep fans of the series satisfied. Although there aren't very many maps, each one consists of many different corridors, creatures, and holds many secrets. There are plenty of weapons and interesting perks, and the ability to play in an online setting is a plus. It is hard to put forth criticism for the zombie mode, as it gives players exactly what they want: endless waves of walking-dead carnage. 

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