While Call of Duty: Black Ops built off Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 served as a true evolution of the mode — introducing the buildable system to Zombies. Depending on who is asked, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is one of the worst or best Zombies experiences, as it boasts some major highs and lows that the mode has not seen since. While Origins and Mob of the Dead left their mark on Zombies’ history, TranZit remains an ugly duckling that would need a full remake to match up to its fellow maps. Similarly, the game's easter eggs were a mixed bag.
On the other hand, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is what many consider to be the ultimate Call of Duty Zombies game, citing a great season of DLC and the Zombies Chronicles expansion as major pieces of support for such an opinion. Perfecting the crafting system, each map had a very different tone and setting, and the fact that each of the easter eggs focused on one main character only helped matters. With strong ending cutscenes for every map that focus on character development, it is easy to see why most Zombies fans see this game and its main quests as top tier.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Black Ops 2's Zombies storyline picked up where Moon left off, with players controlling the Victis crew instead of the original cast. A group of random survivors being commanded by Maxis and Richtofen, it took some time for fans to warm up to Victis — and some never did. Still, the concept of having two different paths for the crew's quests was intriguing, even if a few of the easter eggs were lackluster. Fortunately, Mob of the Dead and Origins delivered in a major way.
TranZit - Tower of Babble: The flaws of TranZit show clearly in the map's easter egg, as tedious objectives involving box luck and EMP grenades are included in both sides of the quest. While Maxis’ side of the quest was shorter and could be done with less players, it shares the problems of Richtofen's side in terms of nothing significant really happening.
Die Rise - High Maintenance: A bit of a cult classic, Die Rise is one of the only maps that has not been remade — joining TranZit and Buried in this category. Though the map is either loved or hated for its verticality and chances for players to fall to their deaths, it is certainly unique. That said, the main quest is forgettable, as like TranZit, all Victis does is power up a pylon to boost Richtofen or Maxis' power.
Mob of the Dead - No One Escapes Alive: A classic map through and through, the main quest of Mob of the Dead focuses on four mobsters reliving their deaths endlessly, with players learning why they are trapped as the quest goes on. At the end of the easter egg, players enter a 3v1 PvP boss fight where they can extend the cycle or break it depending on who wins. This PvP ending has not yet been replicated, making for one of the coolest easter egg endings in Call of Duty Zombies thus far.
Buried - Mined Games: While TranZit and Die Rise have their fans, the maps remain controversial to this day. However, Buried is different, as the Victis crew’s final Black Ops 2 appearance is undeniably its best. Aside from its unforgettable setting, Buried boasts a great main quest. Aside from unique moments like an infinity round where the map’s cast sees themselves dead, two different finales can take place based on who players sided with in the previous maps — though Maxis’ side of the story is canon. The quest also introduces interesting rewards for each ending, such as a Zombie Richtofen that drops power-ups and the ability to carry four guns.
Origins - Little Lost Girl: Introducing players to the Primis versions of the Ultimis crew, the younger Zombies cast saw each character becoming more than just a stereotype of the country they came from. Beyond this, Origins saw players upgrading the beloved elemental staffs in its main quest, with the end goal being to release Samantha Maxis — a neat objective that saw Sam whispering to each character as the match went on. With standout moments like entering the heads of the giant robots patrolling the map, Origins and its story quest rank near the top of many players’ tier lists.
Aside from an abundance of radios, Black Ops 2 has lots of memorable side easter eggs. Some of the best ones are as follows:
- Music Easter Eggs: As is tradition, Black Ops 2 featured several song easter eggs. TranZit had three songs, with Clark S. Nova’s “Carrion”, Avenged Sevenfold’s “Carry On,” and Skrillex’s “I’mma Try It Out” all able to be played. Nuketown played "Samantha's Lullaby" and Die Rise featured “We All Fall Down," while Mob of the Dead featured Johnny Cash’s “Rusty Cage” and Malukah’s “Where Are We Going.” Malukah returned for Buried’s song “Always Running,” joining Clark S. Nova and Elena Seigman for Origins’ “Archangel.” Avenged Sevenfold’s “Shepherd of Fire” could also be played on Origins.
- Persistent Perks: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 had an interesting system where players could unlock hidden perks through specific actions. These perma-perks included steel barricades in place of wooden ones, Insta-Kill Pro which saw zombies dying if they touched the player, and weaker versions of Tombstone, PhD Flopper, and Deadshot Daiquiri.
- Sharing Points: Each of the Victis crew’s maps offered a Bank system where players could deposit 250,000 points for use in later games, with players able to share points as well.
- Weapon Storage: Much like the bank, players could store their upgraded guns for use in later matches.
- TranZit’s Nacht Der Untoten: In TranZit, players can reach the original Zombies map by heading into the corn field.
- Knifing T.E.D.D. on TranZit: While TranZit’s bus driver is usually friendly, players can knife him several times to anger him. Not only do his eyes turn red as he delivers an angry quote in the direction of players, but the robot also kicks them off the bus.
- Nuketown's Changing Eyes: On the bonus map Nuketown, the Zombies' eyes change from yellow to blue at round 25, signifying that the map is taking place as Moon's easter egg happens.
- Die Rise’s Free Perk: If players kill the Jumping Jacks with 100 percent accuracy in the map’s special round, they will be given a free perk power-up.
- Mob’s Golden Spork: A classic side quest with grim objectives like stirring a blood-filled tub sees players unlocking a silly spork melee weapon that one-hit kills Zombies into the high round.
- Mob’s Jumpscare Easter Egg: Aiming at a set of fireworks on the roof of Mob of the Dead will show players a creepy image of a green face as they hear a loud scream.
- Buried’s Free Perks: Buried fans could get perks for free in a few ways, with one being to traverse through the ghost house without being hit. A second free perk quest saw players shooting the Saloon’s dart board with a Ballistic Knife, then going back into the house to tip one of the ghosts 10 points for her piano performance.
- Arthur’s Hidden Functions On Buried: Sometimes called “Leroy” by players, Arthur is given booze and candy to open parts of Buried — though he can also kill zombies, lock the mystery box in one position, bring players traps, and hold onto crawlers.
- Origins’ Hidden Equipment: Origins hides two powerful zombie-killing tools, with the first being a special melee attack unlocked from filling up soul boxes. The second sees players acquiring a G-strike, a neat tool that attract Zombies and sees one of the giant robots raining fire upon them.
- Origins’ Golden Helmet And Shovel: Origins features two upgrades for players that dig religiously. The helmet stops the robots from killing players if stepped on, while the shovel upgrade allows players to dig up perk slots whenever they are using the Zombie Blood power-up.
- Origins’ Jump Scare Easter Egg - Origins has a Jump Scare as well, with a photo of a skull triggered by players aiming at the roof of the cathedral.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3's main quests all shared the same dark theme of the Primis characters meeting and killing their Ultimis selves. With solid boss fights and fun objectives taking place in between these devastating scenes, the easter eggs of the third Black Ops game are truly as good as it gets.
The Giant - Paradoxical Prologue: While the Der Riese remake The Giant boasts a thought-out intro that sees Primis Richtofen killing off his evil Ultimis self, its easter egg is simply a new version of The Fly Trap quest. With Samantha no longer evil, her father Ludvig Maxis leads the hide-and-seek game. Players also get the Annihilator pistol from the furnace as a reward.
Shadows of Evil - Apocalypse Averted: This fully original map set in the fictional Morg City introduces the Apothicons, an alien race responsible for sending 115 to earth and starting the Zombies storyline. Filled with cosmic horror inspirations and using a celebrity cast, this map seems disconnected from the main story — only with the twist being that it is very much intertwined. The main quest ends with Richtofen appearing through a portal and stealing the Summoning Key after the Shadows characters trap the Shadow Man inside of it.
Der Eisendrache - My Brother’s Keeper: In this quest, Richtofen and the Primis crew begin their journey to gather the souls of their Ultimis selves. The original Dempsey is the first character that needs to be killed, with the Der Eisendrache quest intentionally mirroring that of Moon’s. Not only are there similar Simon’s Says steps to complete, but the quest ends in the Moon being destroyed like the earth once was in Black Ops 1’s Zombies finale. Aside from the bow Wonder Weapons being a blast to use, the quest stands out for a great final boss battle with a huge Keeper and an emotional ending where Primis Dempsey turns off the life support of his older self.
Zetsubou No Shima - Seeds of Doubt: Zetsubou No Shima’s quest has Primis working to kill Takeo, and the map’s overgrown Division 9 base serves as a great setting for the grim task. A short quest which sees players shooting down a plane and entering a room that teases Gorod Krovi’s dragons, the easter egg ends with a boss fight against a special Thrasher that has trapped the Ultimis version of Takeo. After revealing to Primis Takeo that the Emperor was corrupt and his whole life was a lie, Ultimis Takeo commits Seppuku, ending his suffering in another heartbreaking scene.
Gorod Krovi - Love And War: A fan favorite quest and map, Gorod Krovi joins Der Eisendrache and Shadows of Evil as the highlights of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Set in a version of Stalingrad ruined by war, players need to take down Ultimis Nikolai. After completing a series of challenges, players enter an arena to face off against one of the map’s dragons. Once it is dead, a second boss fight begins against Ultimis Nikolai, concluding with the Primis version of the character killing his older self. Aside from the fun setting and exciting double boss fight, the map adds great depth to both versions of Nikolai, revealing the tragic story of how they lost their wives.
Revelations - A Better Tomorrow: The culmination of Black Ops 3’s storyline saw the Apothicons attempting to ruin the perfect universe the group was trying to build. Though a few steps are tedious, the easter egg is mostly entertaining, and it concludes with another boss fight against the Shadowman. Once completed, it is revealed that the entire storyline is one big cycle like Mob of the Dead, with all events doomed to repeat themselves unless something changes. If players completed the previous easter eggs, they will be able to purchase Takeo’s Katana off a wall while also starting all matches with a better pistol.
As is the case with previous Zombies games, there are a whole lot of side easter eggs to complete. Here are the standouts:
- Easter Egg Songs: Another game, another set of fun music to slay Zombies to. In The Giant, players could hear a remix of Der Riese’s “Beauty of Annihilation,” while Shadows of Evil unlocked the 1940s-inspired “Snake Skin Boots” and “Cold Hard Cash." “Dead Again” played on Der Eisendrache, while “Dead Flowers” played on Zetsubou No Shima. “Dead Ended” and Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” could both be played on Gorod Krovi, while Revelations features “The Gift."
- Special Weapons: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 featured some awesome special weapons for players to use, including the Apothicon Sword, Ragnarok DG-3, Skull of Nan Sapwe, and Gauntlet of Siegfried — with the last sporting an adorable Dragon Whelp companion.
- Jump Scares: Shadows of Evil saw players jumping at a photo of Zombie Richtofen, while Zetsubou No Shima saw players getting startled by fake versions of their teammates.
- Time Trials: In both Gorod Krovi and Revelations, players can speedrun through the rounds to unlock special melee weapons from multiplayer.
- Shadows' Lil Arnie Upgrade: Shadows of Evil’s cute stand-in for the monkey bomb features a baby Apothicon inside a jar. After getting a certain number of kills with the squid and collecting a top hat, cane, and bow tie with thrown Arnies, players can head to the Burlesque to witness a hilarious dance routine that upgrades the creature.
- Random Shadows Items: Players could acquire a few special items to help them out in Shadows of Evil, such as a reskinned trip mine, Margwa mask that protects against slams, and a free Gobblegum.
- Shadows’ Noire Easter Egg: By holding square on a photo in the Waterfront district, players can put a black and white filter on their game.
- Skipping Rounds In Shadows of Evil: If players shoot the Shadow Man when they spawn in, they can skip several rounds, getting points in the process.
- Der Eisendrache’s Skeletons: If players shoot three skulls hidden throughout Der Eisendrache, Zombies will be replaced with yellow-eyed skeletons.
- Der Eisendrache’s Disco Easter Egg: If players shoot one of the balls on the Speed Cola room with the Ray Gun Wonder Weapon, they will activate Disco lights that last an entire minute.
- Der Eisendrache’s Plunger: A special melee weapon unlocked by changing the clock towers time to 9:35, the plunger will be a one-hit kill for a short window after every Panzer Soldat kill.
- Zetsubou No Shima’s Giant Monster: On Round 50, players can look out to the Swamp in the distance to see an unknown monster rising from the water.
- Zetsubou’s Friendly Thrasher: If players reveal a hidden wall with the Skull of Nan Sapwe, they will find a Thrasher heart inside. After shooting it with the upgraded KT-4 Wonder Weapon, a friendly blue Thrasher will spawn into the map.
- Zetsubou's Plants And Golden Bucket: In Zetsubou, players can make plants. One kills Zombies, one holds crawlers, one grants free perks, and the rarest plant allows players to clone themselves. The bucket used for watering can also be upgraded.
- Zetsubou’s Spider Bait: Possibly the weirdest easter egg in Zetsubou No Shima, players could become spiders by luring one of the creatures through different types of 115 water and experimenting on it. Once the process is done, players can become spiders once every round, attacking enemies with bites and webs.
- Gorod’s Dragon Wings and Strikes: While riding a dragon is the normal way to reach Pack-A-Punch in Gorod Krovi, players can unlock some special wings by taking each dragon to the area. Once done, they can quickly fly to the area themselves. Dragon Strikes can also be acquired, with players getting access to the item by going through a Lockdown event.
- Gorod’s Upgraded Monkey Bombs: After placing candles and flowers by a grave through an obscure side quest, players will be given access to Monkey Bombs that deal more damage and play Dubstep music instead of the usual jingle.
- Gorod’s Upgraded Shield: Not only did Gorod Krovi have Black Ops 3’s strongest shield, but it could be upgraded to double the damage output and boost the item’s durability.
- Gorod’s Masks: Players can acquire a few masks in Gorod Krovi, with one providing boosts that help for fighting drones and another helping with Mangler fights.
- Revelations’ Masks: Revelations expanded on Gorod Krovi’s mask system, offering several different things for players to wear on their heads — all of which provide buffs of some kind.
- Revelations’ Free Perk: A fun platforming easter egg in the Der Eisendrache section of Revelations sees players running on walls and jumping across structures in zero gravity — all for the hopes of acquiring a free perk.
- Revelations’ Weapon Table: Inside Revelations, players can unlock a feature that lets them share weapons with friends. The process involves writing iconic Zombies chalk phrases in certain locations, making it double as a fun bit of nostalgia for old school players.
With the characters trapped in an endless cycle, the story could have come to and end with Revelations. However, Treyarch had other plans, as Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai's stories would not come to an end until Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.