Call of Duty Zombies has come a long way since trap-filled bunkers in World at War. Have you ever looked back amazed at how small Nacht der Untoten feels compared to the sprawling complexes of Black Ops 3? I sure have. Join me on a journey through every Zombies map featured in Black Ops 3 in story order. We’ll relive high round struggles, Easter egg triumphs, and favorite weapons across these time-twisting undead adventures.
A Brief History of Call of Duty Zombies
Let’s set the scene by reviewing the rise of Call of Duty Zombies over the years. Zombies began as a secret survival mode in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War. After finishing the campaign, players could access the cryptic Nacht der Untoten. This small bunker nightmare tasked up to four players with surviving endless waves of the undead.
No instructions were provided on how to play Zombies. Half the mystery was figuring out how to turn on power, buy weapons, and stay alive as long as possible. High round competitions and makeshift leaderboards drove new strategies. Dedicated fans unlocked secret radios revealing conspiracies and otherworldly forces behind the zombie outbreak. Teasers hooked the community and established Zombies as a passion project for developer Treyarch.
Zombies grew in scope in 2010’s Call of Duty: Black Ops. Maps expanded with multiple interconnected rooms and buildings. Easter eggs offered complex quests unveiling the dimensional lore. Story-driven maps like Ascension had our heroes crossing timelines to secure future victories.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies Timeline
Zombies evolved into a celebrated mode that inspired the same fervor as seasonal multiplayer and campaign. Easter egg hunts and high round world records gave Zombies massive replay value. By Black Ops 2, Zombies transitioned into a marquee experience that sold DLC packs. Mob of the Dead and Origins stand among the community’s favorite maps.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 had huge shoes to fill in 2015 as the third entry in the sub-series. Could Treyarch expand Zombies while retaining the core magic? Let’s explore how Black Ops 3 advanced the undead narrative with bold new settings and complex quests. Strap in for a wild ride across fractured histories!
Black Ops 3 Zombies Story Recap
Before reviewing the Zombies maps, let’s recap the convoluted storylines converging in Black Ops 3. Long-time Zombies heroes “Tank” Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Edward Richtofen return. They battle the mysterious Shadowman and Group 935 across fractured universes.
Their goal is mastering the Summoning Key artifact to preserve their souls. This ancient device also enables travel between dimensions. Our heroes’ fates are tied to the lab experiments of Dr. Monty, the Children, and the Apothicons.
Black Ops 3 concludes the Aether story spanning the Zombie timeline. Along the way, new allies like Nero Blackstone assist Dempsey’s crew against the endless zombie horde and monstrous bosses. The fate of the universe rests on their weary shoulders once more!
Now let’s dive into each Zombies map featured in Black Ops 3 in chronological order and analyze their key features:
Shadows of Evil – A Cinematic Sinister Beginning
Shadows of Evil deviated from Zombies tradition by introducing four brand new characters in the fictional Morg City. The film noir 1940s setting clashed beautifully with the occult zombie invasion. Players controlled a boxer, magician, cop, or burlesque dancer linked by cursed acts of evil.
This ambitious map wowed with visual spectacle and cinematic style. The four distinct districts of Morg City felt like a theatrical tour from seedy streets to mysterious ritzy hotels. Side quests drove a demonic fusion of mythology and old-timey gangster flick. My favorite mode was Beast allowing beastly wall running and jumps between rooftops.
While complex, Shadows of Evil kicked off Black Ops 3 with an instant classic. The new characters, setting, and features showed Treyarch was willing to take Zombies in bold new directions.
The Giant – Heroic Return to Der Riese
The Giant bonus map transported players back to the Zombies origin. This remake of classic World at War map Der Riese looked beautiful with next-gen graphics while retaining the original layout. Fighting the undead with Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen again made this a nostalgic treat.
Facing early round zombies after Shadows of Evil’s beastly hordes reminded me how far we’d come. It was just you, the boys, and the mystery box against the horror. Yet The Giant wasn’t just nostalgia; the story continued with our heroes seeking the Summoning Key artefact to defeat the Shadowman across time and space. This small map set into motion epic events.
Der Eisendrache – Mythic Bows and Boss Battles
The first major DLC map whisked players to a medieval Austrian castle overlooking a picturesque mountainscape. Der Eisendrache retained The Giant’s gameplay foundations while introducing new weapons and quests. The highlight was building four elemental bows from parts scattered around the sprawling castle grounds.
I’ll never forget the smooth power of rocketing lightning bow shots into hordes. This map also featured a bonafide boss in the hulking Panzer Soldat. We took down this mechanized zombie in a rooftop battle for the ages. Der Eisendrache achieved a perfect balance of new gameplay innovations while retaining the cozy familiarity of our OG Zombies crew.
Zetsubou No Shima – Overrun Island of Mad Science
Zetsubou No Shima transplanted the Zombies to a remote Japanese island and the secret lab of Division 9. The wide open outdoor spaces were a playground for zombie slaying. Seed pods offered bouncy traversal between testing areas. And the laboratory’s tight metal corridors set an ominous mood while unleashing hell.
This map went hard on horrifying imagery like decaying corpses and monster spider foes. Running underwater to escape spidery death was terrifying! I loved how this map fully embodied the mad science run amok tone. Every location was drenched in gloomy atmosphere from abandoned bunks to tunnels of cobwebbed skulls.
My favorite part was gathering fellow patients as meat shield allies. Zetsubou No Shima brought a crazy new location I wanted to learn all the secrets of. The story revelations made the tense traversal worth it.
Gorod Krovi – Dragon of Destiny
Gorod Krovi whisked players back to a war-torn Stalingrad defended by Nikolai and a legendary robot dragon. The mix of burning city streets and ancient underground chambers gave this map great variety. Parkour moves like wall running added fluidity to navigating Gorod Krovi’s sprawl.
The dragon created an intense moving dungeon as we battled zombies from on top of our powerful ally mid-flight. Hopping between rooftops and avoiding deadly electrical traps kept the action amped up. And who could forget the satisfaction of slaying spiderlike Mangler zombies and teleporting Valcher witches.
Gorod Krovi is beloved for explosive set pieces and for good reason. Fighting atop a moving dragon over a burning city lives long in the memory. And the map’s tricky lockdown and bomb step Easter egg quests demanded tight teamwork. This map kept me on my toes at all times.
Revelations – Convergence of History
The finale Revelations map was a Zombies greatest hits. It incorporated memorable areas from previous Black Ops maps in a clash of dimensions. Fighting in Der Riese, visiting Kino Der Toten, and slaying Shangri-La keeping the action frenetic and surprising.
The Apothicon monster bosses forced players to utilize every strategy and resource in epic standoffs. And the quest to defeat the Shadowman tested our crew’s will as they fractured universes and warped reality. Revelations combined frenetic action with heart as we said goodbye to beloved heroes and Chapter 1 of the Aether storyline.
Zombies Chronicles – Legendary Maps Reborn
Zombies Chronicles DLC was a dream for long-time Zombies fans. It delivered 8 classic maps stunningly remastered with next-gen visuals and Black Ops 3 gameplay innovations:
| Map | Game |
|---|---|
| Nacht der Untoten | World at War |
| Verrückt | World at War |
| Shi No Numa | World at War |
| Kino Der Toten | Black Ops |
| Ascension | Black Ops |
| Shangri-La | Black Ops |
| Moon | Black Ops |
| Origins | Black Ops 2 |
These iconic maps never looked or played better. Running the Aether storyline gauntlet from simple to complex was an undead masterclass. I discovered new details in my favorite maps while learning to appreciate ones I disliked before, like the haunting corridors of Verrückt.
Zombies Chronicles also let me experience maps I missed originally like Shangri-La and Call of the Dead with modern polish. These classics transported me through a decade of Zombies history. The remasters were crafted with love to make each map shine.
Ranking the Maps – Speedruns, High Rounds, and Records
Let’s get personal by ranking the best and most challenging Black Ops 3 Zombies maps based on community speedruns, high round records, and my own experiences. These statistics highlight which maps pushed players to master tight strategies and skillful play.
| Map | Fastest Easter Egg | Highest Round |
|---|---|---|
| Shadows of Evil | 38 minutes 4 seconds | 255 |
| The Giant | 16 minutes 17 seconds | 255 |
| Der Eisendrache | 23 minutes 59 seconds | 255 |
| Zetsubou No Shima | 49 minutes 59 seconds | 255 |
| Gorod Krovi | 51 minutes 32 seconds | 255 |
| Revelations | 46 minutes 28 seconds | 101 |
Based on speedrun times, The Giant and Der Eisendrache appear easiest to optimize for fast Easter egg completions. Maps like Zetsubou, Gorod Krovi, and Revelations take longer to navigate critical quest steps. For highest rounds, most Black Ops 3 maps allow players to reach the cap of Round 255. This speaks to the refined gameplay balance.
However, Revelations stands out with a much lower record of 101. From my experience, this finale map is frantic and demanding even for veterans. The dimensional rifts bring tight enemy spawns that cut short high round attempts. That said, I have a soft spot for Revelations as an epic conclusion to the Aether storyline years in the making.
My Personal BLACK OPS 3 MAP RANKING
Here is how I would rank the Black Ops 3 Zombies maps based on enjoyment, replayability, and sheer undead thrills:
- Der Eisendrache – The fan favorite perfects map flow, Easter eggs, and wonder weapons
- Gorod Krovi – Fighting a giant dragon over Stalingrad – what more could you want!
- Zetsubou No Shima – The disturbed island vibe keeps me nervous in the best way
- Shadows of Evil – A cinematic delight that kicks off Black Ops 3 with gusto
- Revelations – As a long-time Zombies lover, this finale had me in feels
- The Giant – Packs in all the nostalgia and classic gameplay I crave
- Zombies Chronicles – Elite remasters of seminal maps – a dream package!
- Nacht Der Untoten – Where it all began – endless love for the bunker that started it all
Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Hit me up on Twitter and let me know your Black Ops 3 map hot takes! I could debate Zombies all day long.
Lessons from the Zombies Masters – High Round Tactics
For gamers aiming to level up their Zombies skills and hit higher rounds than ever before, here are my pro tips:
-
Train and loop – Running loops around areas lets you group zombies up and avoid getting trapped. The stage on Kino Der Toten is a great training spot new players should learn.
-
Camp when you can – Certain maps like The Giant have camping spots you can hold down with turrets or traps. This conserves ammo and makes attacking simpler.
-
Pack weapons ASAP – Upgraded weapons make higher rounds possible. Prioritize unlocking Pack-a-Punch as soon as the power is on. Machine guns like the HVK-30 pack a punch when doubled up.
-
Use Mega Gobblegums – These consumables are almost essential past Round 50. Perkaholic gives you all perks automatically, a lifesaver!
-
Have an Escape Route – When grabbing a Max Ammo or new shield, make sure you have a Monkey Bomb or trajectory for an escape. Never get cornered!
-
Watch Guides & Streams – You can learn so much from experienced players on YouTube and Twitch. Study their strategies to step up your game.
Put these tips into practice and watch yourself breeze into the higher rounds!
The Future of Call of Duty Zombies
Black Ops 3 expanded the world of CoD Zombies into epic proportions with intricate Easter eggs and deep lore. Where could Treyarch take this juggernaut mode next?
I’d love to see more narrative freedom exploring side stories similar to Black Ops 4’s Ancient Evil. Keeping the main Aether saga concluded also allows the possibility of new dimensional realms and zany crossovers. A full Zombies standalone game could bring a fresh perspective similar to Warzone’s impact on multiplayer.
While I’ll forever have nostalgia for the original characters and maps, I’m excited to see Zombies continue evolving. The passion of Treyarch’s team guarantees wherever they take us, it will be one hell of a ride! The endless horde awaits.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey through every Zombies map featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. These eight maps were the culmination of years of groundbreaking work by Treyarch. We witnessed heart-pounding conclusions, said farewells, traveled through fractured histories, and made memories to last a lifetime. Here’s to many more years of mystery, teamwork, and shredding the undead!
