With Call of Duty: World at War and the first appearance of Call of Duty Zombies, fans were able to watch the mode steadily improve and forge its own identity with every new map that was released. After Nacht Der Untoten established the basics, Verruckt brought the introduction of perks and traps. Shi No Numa introduced a new Wonder Weapon in the Wunderwaffe DG-2 and the concept of a moving Mystery Box, while Der Riese is where the story kicked into full gear.
Whether players prefer the grenade corner on Nacht, the catwalk on Der Riese, or the trains of Shi No Numa, all maps have their fans - yet Verruckt consistently stands out as the least popular. This is evident in the fact that, while it has been remastered in Black Ops and Black Ops 3, it has not received a reimagining like the other World at War locations. In Treyarch’s next game, that should change, as Verruckt deserves just as much love as the other maps that helped Call of Duty Zombies grow.
How Call of Duty Zombies’ Other World at War Maps Have Been Treated
Perhaps the most obvious example of a classic map getting a lot of love is Nacht Der Untoten. While this is understandable given the fact that it is where Zombies began, making it a special location for Treyarch and the fans, players have seen Nacht everywhere. Alongside full-on remasters in Black Ops and Black Ops 3, Nacht was seen in TranZit, Revelations, Die Maschine, and Forsaken. However, it is not the only map to get some extra love.
With the release of Black Ops 3, Treyarch added The Giant, a proper remake of Der Riese with new Easter Eggs to complete, a major visual redesign, and a fresh batch of hidden radios. Another World at War map has recently been reimagined within Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies, too, with Shi No Numa Reborn adding a new area and some fresh Easter eggs to complete. This leaves Verruckt as the odd map out, as it is the one location that has not been given a significant reimagining.
As for why this has happened, it likely has to do with the fact that Verruckt is the hardest World at War Zombies map by far. Players do not have easy train spots like Shi No Numa or overpowered camping spots like the Nacht Der Untoten grenade corner to fall back on, and the map’s unique gimmick of players being split up at the start of the match only adds to the challenge. However, a reimagining could make things a bit easier by expanding the map, something that would make it more interesting in the process.
How Verruckt Could Be Made Better Through a Reimagining
The biggest thing that a full-on Verruckt Reborn map could accomplish is opening up the area around the fountain. This would instantly add a training spot in the center of the Asylum, and if Treyarch really wanted to get ambitious, it could allow players to explore the forest outside the main building. This would provide more room for Easter eggs, giving players a lot more to do in Verruckt besides surviving.
Perhaps a Pack-a-Punch machine could be placed somewhere in the forest, with players needing to run through hordes of the undead to reach it. Once there, a teleporter could be activated, with players breaking the fountain in the center of Verruckt to activate a teleport point like in Buried. Further, radios could be scattered throughout the new Verruckt that provide some much-needed lore on Dempsey’s fellow Marines like John Banana. While Verruckt may not be the most important map in terms of lore, as Treyarch was still finding its footing when it comes to the story of Call of Duty Zombies, it played a key role in the mode’s evolution and deserves to be appreciated just as much as maps like Shi No Numa and Nacht Der Untoten.