With Call of Duty having a few decades of history under its belt, it is no surprise that the franchise has offered a wide variety of game modes over the years. Multiplayer classics like Search and Destroy and Domination are often accompanied by new modes, some of which have a bright future like Modern Warfare 2’s Gunfight. Co-op modes have ranged from Treyarch’s beloved Zombies mode to the underrated Extinction, though it is an offshoot of Zombies that more franchises should take inspiration of.
Dead Ops Arcade has had three different iterations over the course of the Black Ops franchise, releasing in Black Ops, Black Ops 3, and Black Ops Cold War. Alongside some variation of the Cosmic Silverback serving as the final boss, Dead Ops offers players a top-down version of the survival mode they know and love. Filled with all kinds of weapon and enemy types from Call of Duty Zombies as well as new concepts inspired by old school arcade games, there is a lot to love about Dead Ops. Given how deep some other game franchises are, it would be possible for them to replicate Treyarch’s success with a Dead Ops-like spin-off of their own.
Video Game Franchises That Should Have Their Own Dead Ops Arcade
When looking at video game properties with enough lore and enemy variety to support a Dead Ops Arcade-style game, the Resident Evil franchise immediately comes to mind. Strong enemy types like Lickers could be introduced into the mix from time to time, though the primary enemy types could be zombies just like with the Call of Duty franchise. For final bosses, anything from Wesker to Nemesis could be used, while players could take control of Chris, Claire, Leon, and Jill instead of generic soldiers like Dead Ops.
Looking to other first-person shooters like Call of Duty, players will find a number of viable options. One great choice would be Destiny, as players could experience a top-down version of the Battle of Twilight Gap, taking control of Lord Shaxx and other guardians that helped repel the Fallen assault. This key lore event was perfect for a round-based style given how long it took, and players could use super abilities in place of the bombs from Dead Ops Arcade. By leaning into all the enemy variety provided by the Fallen, this spin-off could be expansive, and it would only get bigger if Destiny’s other enemy factions were used.
Continuing on from one looter shooter to the next, the Borderlands franchise is a property that could thrive with a top-down spin-off. Gearbox has already explored alternative types of Borderlands games through the Tales from the Borderlands series, so perhaps it would be willing to go all-in on this idea to incorporate the series’ ironic loot system. Either way, the four player co-op style shared between Borderlands and Dead Ops makes it a perfect fit. Gamers could control a past team of Vault Hunters or a group like the B-team, battling everything from Hyperion Loaders to Psychos and Skags.
The list goes on and on, with Overwatch 2 being another option due to its many heroes and the variety of Omnics that will feature in the upcoming PvE campaign. However, PlayStation and Xbox could also lean into the idea, as their exclusives could translate well into the Dead Ops style. On the Xbox front, Halo and Gears of War immediately come to mind, with players battling the Flood as Spartans or the Locust as COG soldiers. On the PlayStation side, Sony could revive Resistance or Killzone in the Dead Ops style, or even try a Ratchet and Clank game with that format.
Before it moved on to the fast-paced PlayStation exclusive Returnal, Housemarque was the king of top-down shooters, proving that there is a market for that kind of game. While the audience would undoubtedly be smaller than what is seen with the mainline releases of all the aforementioned franchises, and a lower price point would be needed given the nature of these spin-offs, there is a lot of potential for more Dead Ops-like experiences within the video game industry.