Summary
For better or worse, Exo Zombies fromCall of Duty: Advanced Warfarewas the most unique attempt at a non-Treyarch Zombies mode. While the horror-focused style ofWW2Zombies was somewhat memorable, Treyarch had done spooky maps already with Verruckt. Similarly, while the cartoony aesthetic ofInfinite WarfareZombieswas a nice change from Treyarch’s serious storytelling at the time, mechanically the mode played just like Treyarch’s content. Though it produced weak maps like Infection, Exo Zombies did several interesting things, and it seems likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is borrowing a trick from its reveal.
While fans do not need to worry about encountering EMZs, and needing to Pack-a-Punch a few dozen times will likely remain a thing of the past, they have already seen campaign characters utilized in the exact same way as Exo Zombies. After seeing these characters within the cinematic trailer forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies, fans may be wondering how big of a role they may have. If history is anything to go by, fans may have already witnessed the extent of their part in the Dark Aether timeline.
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WhileExo Zombies’ four proper mapsfocused on a star-studded celebrity cast that included the likes of Jon Bernthal, Bruce Campbell, and John Malkovich, there was technically a small prequel map that players could unlock. By reaching Tier 4 on the Exo Survival map Riot, a special sequence would play out where Zombies overran the prison that players had been fighting through. After shooting some undead and rushing to an exfil helicopter, players encounter Gideon, one of the main characters from theAdvanced Warfarecampaign. However, after saving the player and being pulled out of the helicopter, Gideon is never seen again.
While fans may be focused on themajor deaths inMW3Zombies’ cinematic trailer, it is worth focusing on the presence of Soap MacTavish and Kate Laswell at the end of the footage. Just like how Gideon appeared in the trailer for Exo Zombies, Treyarch has borrowed some of the biggest players from Infinity Ward’s rebooted universe to tease its latest Zombies mode. However, there is reason to believe that they will not be involved in the mode’s actual events beyond briefing the player on Victor Zakhaev’s actions and introducing the players’ actual guiding hand: Ravenov.
Introduced inFirebase Z fromBlack Ops Cold War, Ravenov quickly became a fan favorite figure due to his relationship with Samantha Maxis and his endearing personality. While decades have gone by since the Cold War ended, making him an old man by the time ofModern Warfare 3Zombies, his expertise on the undead makes him the perfect person to direct the strike force that will be containing the outbreak. Characters like Kate have much more knowledge on living enemies than resurrected ones, so she will likely exit the story here. As for Soap, unless players are using him as an Operator he will probably be nowhere to be seen as well.
WhileCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waralso featured some old faces from the campaign, there is a reason why this situation is more comparable toAdvanced Warfare- and it’s not because Exo Zombies devSledgehammer Gamesis leading development onModern Warfare 3.Black Ops Cold Warusing Weaver and Kravchenko heavily within its story was a viable option because of their fates. Treyarch was free to do whatever it wanted since it was unknown where Weaver went after the originalBlack Ops, and with Kravchenko’s death already happening inBlack Ops 2, Treyarch did not need to worry about his future when using him. WithModern Warfare 3Zombies, this is not the case, as Laswell and Soap need to be left alive so that their stories can continue in the campaigns.
SinceCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies is said to be taking place betweenModern Warfare2019 andModern Warfare 2, Soap andKate Laswellneed to be left alive. As such, it makes little sense to use them heavily within the narrative, as it drastically lowers the stakes of the conflict. Unlike Weaver, whose story remained unfinished, players know what comes next for theseModern Warfareregulars. Because of this, focusing fully on Ravenov would be ideal, so fans can expect Laswell and Soap to either exit the narrative after this trailer or have very minor roles within the story. Their presence seems like little more than a way to build hype and connect the Zombies storyline to the campaigns, just like what Exo Zombies did with Gideon almost a decade ago.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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