Hey, big spoilers for BO6 Zombies’ Reckoning map hitting ya here. Just a heads up.
So, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5, we’re wrapping up Zombies, right? Reckoning, it’s mostly sticking the landing. We’ve got some wild lore tidbits explaining things like the voiceover guy. Grey’s reaction to Samantha’s whole… situation? Nicely done. And the map? Fresh. Really, it feels different, but in a good Zombies sort of way. Of course, not everything’s roses—Panos’ ending feels like they just fast-forwarded through it, and the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon kinda leaves you wanting more oomph. But man, the complex quests with multiple endings and those boss fights? Yeah, they make it worthwhile. The end though… hit or miss, depending who you ask.
So you can choose paths here. SAM or Richtofen, who’s taking the crown? Go with SAM, and you’re facing off against that mech-wearing Richtofen. Dude doesn’t save his fam, SAM wins, walks out with her human form. Plus, superpowers it seems. Then there’s Richtofen’s end—way more upbeat. He beats the wild AI, gets his reunion with his family. But the real talk isn’t about these outcomes. Nah, it’s the post-scene reveal. We’re seeing new versions of the classic four stepping out. And they’re all like, “Hey, Terminus crew, come join the fun.” It’s a cliffhanger for Black Ops 7. And honestly? Didn’t leave me itching for more, surprisingly. Usually, I’d be all over this, but not today.
Now, thinking back to my teenage years—ah, the Aether storyline. So complicated, but loved it. It was the thing, you know? All those theories, radio breakdowns, the whole community vibe was just… special. It was like everyone was on a treasure hunt, right? And they finally laid out an official timeline in Black Ops 3’s DLC, but most of us had guessed it right, or at least close. Black Ops 4 though, it wrapped it up. The Aether’s saga closed. Was always hoping for a different send-off—like, a battle with Dr. Monty, the Great War map, playing one last time with the iconic crew. That didn’t pan out, and honestly, bringing those guys back now just feels wrong. It’s like, what about the closure we had?
Black Ops 4, it didn’t have those cinematic finales—got stuck with a slideshow in the end. But Tag Der Toten’s ending still hit hard. There was some real heartbreak there. Richtofen keeping things going in Black Ops 3 with no real escape for Dempsey, Takeo, or Nikolai. It was like, they had to sacrifice themselves to truly end the undead nightmare. Oh, Nikolai, the guy did it himself. Ouch.
It wasn’t just the storytelling, the buildup—a lot to take in, right? And then you had Samantha putting down Primis Nikolai to see it through. But Sam and Eddie walking into this new world where you hear what the characters would be doing in their dream lives? That was a gut punch. Had my feels working overtime. And now? It feels like it was for nothing. Man.
Call of Duty’s nostalgia game is strong. Look at all the Shipment and Nuketown revamps through the years, old Wonder Weapons making a comeback, or Black Ops 6’s Prestige perks. Blackout? Worked ‘cause it nodded to its roots—a collage of multiplayer and Zombies places with characters straight from the franchise. But bringing the OG crew back with no rhyme or reason? Overkill. It’s almost like Nikolai’s sacrifice in Tag Der Toten gets a big ol’ eraser mark. Explanations are due in Black Ops 7, big time. Panos’ buddies, the BO6 ending, and just, yeah—lots on the plate.
We’ve also got Tom Kane’s situation to think on. Since his stroke in 2020, he’s been out of voice acting. Considering how Samantha’s new voice in BO6 didn’t go down smoothly with fans, switching out Kane won’t be met with smiles.
Black Ops 7 Zombies—playing those familiar tunes isn’t necessary. Conjuring up Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo feels strange. Black Ops 6 Zombies had a good run, why not lean into the Chaos story, right? It’s there, ready for action from where Ancient Evil left off. Got heroes stranded, figuring things out, could’ve been fun. Or, extend the link with the Terminus team. They’re strong, they need fleshing out—Carver, especially. With this iconic crew back? Feels like the spotlight won’t shift anywhere else now.
What do we call this new Zombies crew anyway? “Tempest,” or maybe “Medius”? Means “middle” in Latin—kind of fits, this mix of old and new.
Old crew’s return has sparked excitement in some circles. A lot of fans cling to those golden CoD Zombies days. Totally see it; I mean, those characters rocked. But dragging them back? Let’s run with new ideas instead. Feels desperate, like bringing RDJ to the MCU to play Doctor Doom. They’re technically not the same characters, sure, but it dilutes the stakes. If we fall for this new Richtofen or Takeo version over the next years, and their arc ends, then what? Replace them again with a fresh batch? Treyarch always seems to circle back to square one. Big loop with no real break.
The Dark Aether did well carving out fresh ground with minimal callbacks, branching off. Bold moves. Then, the studio spun the wheel back again for safety. Funny thing is, Tom Henderson’s leaks about BO7 bringing back the crew? Nailed it. So maybe the promethean allure of the maps holds promise, like say, a nuked NYC. Bit worried though, where’s the Aether tale heading? For years, COD Zombies lore was right up there with gameplay for me. Now, I’m staring at a future where it might just be all about the game, and not the story.
