Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has one of the series' most popular yet distinctive iterations of the Zombies formula. Most people when they see this brilliant Black Ops 2 Die Rise meme are sure to remember their pain of playing this map.
Die Rise was the first DLC Zombies map for 2012's Black Ops 2. This map is as innovative as it is frustrating, as it is set between two high-rise buildings, requiring the player to consistently jump between the two structures (and a litany of other bottomless pits) to stay alive. As the first map to be more vertically constructed than horizontally, the map uses elevators to quickly transport players between floors as well as Perk-A-Cola machines for players to upgrade their stats. There has not been a map like it since, and fans have been clamoring for it to be remade in a Zombie Chronicles 2 for some time now, some fans even making a Die Rise themed billboard to get Treyarch's attention.
Reddit user chromastone10 recently uploaded an ingenious meme that combines a trending TikTok clip with the pain of Die Rise. In the video, a person who appears to be sleeping—right near the elevator shaft—is woken up by the person recording the video. However, instead of standing up, the sleeper rolls over into the elevator shaft and falls, with his shriek becoming fainter as he descends. In a nice attention to detail, before he falls, sharp listeners can hear the Jugger-Nog Perk Machine rapidly pass by the elevator shaft, just as it does in the level.
What is perhaps most astounding about this meme is its overall editing. For context, the original video of the two individuals plays out like it does in this clip, but is instead occurring in what might be a tree, and is happening in the darkness. Chromastone10 seamlessly splices the original clip over footage of Die Rise, even casting a red light on the sleeping individual as the Jugger-Nog Machine flies by. Call of Duty fans time and time again demonstrate their understanding and talent by creating these brilliant memes, whether its a painting of Black Ops' Kino Der Toten or replicating the Perk-A-Cola bottles.
Besides the meme's hilarious situation and expertly done editing, it is perhaps so successful because it plays on such a common incident of people who played Die Rise. Infamously, people allege that it is not the zombies that do them in on this map, but just trying to navigate the gauntlet of falls and jumps. This meme, in a way, is a vindication of all those thrown controllers and vengeful curses from those days, allowing a laugh after all the misery. If Zombies Chronicles 2 DLC does happen, then Die Rise must be included, no matter how many more pitfalls are bound to happen.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is available on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U.