The Call of Duty series has spanned numerous wars, both realistic and fictional. The Call of Duty: Vanguard campaign took players back to World War 2, letting them control four different characters that came from various countries. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s dialogue choices were interesting, and it featured an excellent twist that made good use of the titular Cold War setting. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was also strong, as it provided a gritty and realistic take on today’s battles.
While all the modern Call of Duty campaigns have been solid, and each has taken a different approach, that does not mean that nothing can be learned from the past. Wonder Weapon easter eggs are proof that there are things in the older campaigns that should make a comeback in future releases, as these well-hidden secrets allowed players to wield some absurd weapons in certain missions. As a result, they were as entertaining as easter eggs could get.
Call of Duty’s Wonder Weapon Easter Eggs Make Campaigns More Fun
The first Wonder Weapon easter egg to appear in a Call of Duty campaign was found in Call of Duty: World at War. In the 2008 title, players can jump into a series of puddles when storming a beach. If they do this correctly, the earth will begin to shake, and four totems will rise from the ground. An alien voice will speak to the player, and they will be able to pick up a Ray Gun from the totem.
This easter egg was added before a proper Zombies storyline was established, so the idea that the Ray Gun was made by aliens was an interesting suggestion at the time. This was surely a shocking discovery for the player that found the secret, as they were able to have a blast gunning down enemies with the most iconic Call of Duty Zombies weapon. While it was ridiculous to see a player wielding a Ray Gun on a battlefield full of World War 2-era weaponry, this was part of the charm.
Treyarch continued this approach to easter eggs in 2010’s Call of Duty: Black Ops, as players could wield the Thundergun this time around. The iconic Wonder Weapon from Kino Der Toten and Ascension could be found in the mission “Numbers,” and players were able to acquire it through a multi-step process. After blowing up some Nova 6 cans, finding a Casette Tape, and using said Casette Tape on a specific player, gamers would be able to use the weapon.
Just like in Call of Duty Zombies, the Thundergun would ragdoll the enemies it kills, and launching bodies through hallways was as entertaining as it sounds. Going forward, it would be great to see Treyarch bring this kind of easter egg back. While the campaigns do still hold some fun secrets, like the launcher pooping mascot from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the rewards are usually much less flashy than a Ray Gun or Thundergun.
With Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games trying their hand at Call of Duty Zombies experiences in the past, too, future campaigns from those studios could include Wonder Weapons as well. The upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 could even sneak the Venom-X into its campaign, letting players melt their foes with Extinction’s acid launcher. These easter eggs are harmless fun, as players who want a grounded experience can just ignore them. They add a bit of replayability to the experience for those that enjoy silly secrets, as players will likely replay a mission if their friend tells them that it is hiding a Wonder Weapon. With these easter eggs giving players a reason to search every campaign level thoroughly, too, they have been sorely missed in the more recent Call of Duty campaigns.