Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, all the way back to my review of the “Annihilation” map pack back in the olden days of early June. One criticism I brought up regarding the map packs released by Treyarch, including “Annihilation,” was that the Nazi Zombies maps were of far greater quality than their online multiplayer counterparts. Specifically I stated…

Based on what they’ve done so far, Treyarch should consider releasing a pure Zombies map pack, as I’m sure many fans would like to get their hands on just these. Maybe that’s something they can consider in the future…

Not even two months later, my wishes have been granted… to an extent.

The “Rezurrection” pack contains five Nazi Zombies maps, however only one is new and original. The first four, “Nacht der Untoten”, “Verrückt”, “Shi No Numa”, and “Der Riese,” are updated versions of the original Zombies maps from Call of Duty: World at War, the game in which Treyarch introduced the mini-game. It is worth noting that these are all the maps that people who ordered the special editions got at the release of Black Ops, so if you have the Hardened or Prestige editions, you can grab the rest of the pack for free. The fifth and the only new map is “Moon.” Yes, you get to fight zombies on the moon, but no, I have no idea why. But we get to kill zombies, so does it really matter in the end?

A History of Zombies

The World at War remakes are a pretty good mix of zombie play styles, and give a great look at the progression Treyarch took the game in. I mentioned that the maps were updated, but I use the term lightly. The only difference between these and the older versions are that the mystery box guns are now the guns from Black Ops. So while you can still pick up the World at War weapons like the Kar98k or the BAR off the walls, you can also get an HK-21 or Ballistic Knife (pray that you don’t) from the box. The original Nazi Zombies map, “Nacht der Untoten,” will be a strange experience for those who never played World at War extensively. There are no Pack-a-Punch weapons and there are no perks. The best strategy is simple: find a corner and shoot. While it is incredibly simple, you get that trapped atmosphere that makes the map great to try to survive in, especially with a friend or two.

"World at War" players will definitely have some nostalgia playing the classic maps.

“Verrückt” is perhaps the weakest of the pack. In the history of Nazi Zombies, “Verrückt” introduced the power switch, traps, and perks to the basic gameplay. It is based upon the multiplayer Asylum, so it is understandable why the map is made the way it is, however the design just didn’t turn out to be as fun as the others. It felt a bit too cramped even though it is much bigger than “Nacht der Untoten.” It is still nice for a simple zombies experience, but it isn’t a highlight in comparison to the rest in the pack.

Next is “Shi No Numa” which is featured in a swamp. “Shi No Numa” introduced the hellhounds that are fought off every few rounds for Max Ammo. “Shi No Numa” was fun, and it was also pretty difficult to boot, as the perks are located in secluded huts the player has to maneuver through the swamp to get through. If you get trapped going for perks or some guns, you aren’t going to get away. This map also acts as the introduction to the Wunderwaffe DG-2 (also known as the Wonder Waffle to fans), and specialty/experiemental weapons for Nazi Zombies.

Finally from the classics, there is “Der Riese,” the first map that Treyarch was able to flex their creative muscles with, and which paved the way for the insanity we see in their maps today. Pack-a-Punch makes its debut here, and plays a huge part in surviving later on. The map is much larger than any of the other World at War classics, and it was probably the best out of them. It nicely mixes the claustrophobic hallways with some larger open spaces, giving players more flexibility with their approach to surviving. The connecting paths work well for the circular strategy, or you could just set up camp with the help of Bouncing Betties. For anyone who loves what Treyarch did with the Black Ops maps, you will have a lot of fun with this one. The updates to the classic Nazi Zombies maps as a whole are great, and I’m glad that they didn’t change much.

Der Riese is the precursor of all the insanity you see in the "Black Ops" Zombie maps.

A Chaotic Walk on the Moon

“Moon”, Treyarch’s newest creation, is about as bizarre as it gets. When you spawn into the map, you begin right next to the Pack-a-Punch machine down on Earth. As zombies begin to pop out of the ground, a teleporter next to a perk (either Juggernog or Speed Cola) opens itself up to you right before a siren goes off. At this point, zombies start spawning at a much greater rate and get much stronger in the process. If you aren’t in that teleporter before they start rushing you down, you are probably going to die. I recall dying about three times just trying to figure out how this beginning section worked, so that basically means I died three times before the actual round one even started. This just gives a taste of how difficult “Moon” turns out to be.

Imagine this guy, except as a zombie who hates you.

Once you are on the moon, you have to put on a space suit and start fighting off the zombies that are slowly floating toward you. Fending off the normal zombies themselves is pretty difficult as it is, because it does take a while to get used to the floating movement and moon physics. But, Treyarch also threw in two other kinds of zombies to make sure you don’t make it out alive.

Near the beginning. a zombie astronaut will spawn and move at you and your teammates very slowly. If he gets too close to you, he grabs you, headbutts you for significant damage, and teleports you away somewhere depending on where you are. He can also take away the first perk you have, which can be bad if you rely on perks like Juggernog or Mule Kick, which is the pricey new perk that gives you a third gun. A few rounds in, some crawlers will begin to spawn, but these can actually teleport at you. These are a true pain to take out, so make sure you are aware of where they are at all times.

Weapons are also pretty hard to come by in the beginning, so dealing with these guys early on is pretty rough. Even though it is really difficult to make it through the first few rounds, once you make it outside and secure some decent weapons it becomes much less claustrophobic. You can alternate between the zombies chasing at you on the moon and then you can take the teleporter back down to the “No-man’s land” beginning area on Earth to farm for points and use the Pack-a-Punch machine.

The craziness of the map doesn’t end there. Massive excavation saws will drill into some hallways starting at some point down the line. There are also some bizarre Easter Eggs that you can access on “Moon,” including a story-based one with almost 20 steps, and one involving “Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold. I won’t ruin these for you but you can look them up online if you want to get to them.

Overall, I had a love/hate relationship with “Moon”, because it was so fun yet so challenging, but the difficulty wasn’t enough to ruin the map by any stretch. If you and a couple trusted friends can develop a strategy, the map can be very rewarding. My basic tactic was to abuse the beginning area and get as many points as possible I can have Juggernog going into the first round, but even with the perk it still takes some skill and quite a bit of luck not getting trapped.

The Bottom Line

While I would’ve preferred a completely new pack, “Rezurrection” does not disappoint. The classic World at War maps were a mixed bag, and “Moon” was a rollercoaster ride of difficulty and insanity. Being the last pack, Treyarch even threw in a voucher to download some of the songs and themes from their Nazi Zombies map, and it’s a cool little extra. Anybody who loves Nazi Zombies will have a lot of fun with this pack, especially if you missed out on World at War or didn’t play much a couple years back.

“Rezurrection” is currently available for the Xbox 360, and will be released for the PS3 and PC at a later date. Purchasers of the Black Ops Hardened or Prestige editions can download the pack for free.

Written by Dylan Garner  (81 Posts)

I am a Sophomore studying Media Arts and Design (Journalism) at James Madison University in Virginia. I consider myself a music/rhythm game addict, a Street Fighter wannabe, and pro rage quitter.