It’s been a day now since Treyarch’s announced the inclusion of a special “zombie” mode in their latest iteration in the Call of Duty franchise, Call of Duty: World at War, which unlocks once you beat the game (similar Call of Duty 4’s arcade mode). As depicted in Gametrailer’s exclusive video footage of the gameplay, you and three other players are tasked with purchasing weapons and barricades to fight the Nazi zombie horde -exactly like in the popular Zombie Mod for Counter-Strike. Only with WW2 weapons. And Nazis.
However, fan reaction to this announcement has been rather mixed. Some think a zombie mode is an awesome multiplayer addition to supplement the already awesome looking co-op feature. Others, however, have been incredibly skeptical and critical.
“Because Nazi zombies are a great way to honor WW2 veterans!” says BillyTheRatKing on Kotaku’s comment board.
Monkeysaresilly also adds, “Dear God this had best be a joke. What better way to ride a franchises coattails than to completely suck away the realism and then shit on the memory of one of the worst periods in global history? Go Treyarch, go! I guess if you’re gonna screw up something, screw it HARD.”
Comments like these raise an interesting point. Call of Duty has been a franchise renowned for realistically recreating war. Because of this, and because of the obviously sensitive subject matter that the game portrays, is including this zombie mode both insensitive and irresponsible?
On one hand I can see where the critics are coming from. Unlike a game like Return to Castle Wolfenstein (which also had you shooting Nazi zombies), Call of Duty: World at War strives to be as faithful to history as possible. Though the game’s campaign is fictional, the time period and events it depicts are not. Throwing in a zombie mode robs the game of its authenticity, regardless of the fact that playing the mode is entirely optional. To critics of Treyarch’s decision, it’s the equivalent of throwing in zombies at the end of Saving Private Ryan after the credits roll. You wouldn’t have to stick around and watch it, but its mere existence would be more than enough to have viewers scratching their heads in befuddlement.
On top of that, turning Nazis into zombies and putting it in a game that has a reputation for being realistic and authentic is an almost offensive slap in the face to anyone who had ancestors who died during World War 2. In a game like Call of Duty, while you’re gunning down wave after wave of enemy soldiers, it’s easy to forget that Nazis were people too. They weren’t all horrible evil monsters, and they certainly weren’t zombies either. If Resident Evil 5 isn’t allowed to have its protagonists shooting black zombies, then why is it totally acceptable for gamers to be murdering zombies of German ancestry?
The counter argument is obvious. Call of Duty: World at War is a video game, and video games are here for entertainment. Killing zombies is a hell of a lot of fun, and killing them with your buddies is even better. That’s why Valve’s upcoming Left 4 Dead is going to be amazing. If killing zombies is fun, then why shouldn’t Treyarch include a mode that has you and your friends slaughtering the undead?
Personally, I’m casually indifferent to Treyarch’s decision. The zombie mode is a little bonus thrown in for fun, and while I might play it once or twice after I beat Call of Duty: World at War, I hardly be playing it for months to come.
Left 4 Dead on the other hand…
So what do you guys think? Has Treyarch made a big mistake or are some gamers just being too anal retentive? Let me know!
Mark Fujii: I'm your typical college student who plays too much video games. I also work as an electronic sales associate, meaning I sell Ipods and violent video games to your children when not trying to sneak off and play Super Smash Bros while the boss isn't looking. Oh, and I'm totally awesome. True fact.
Comments
Shaun (Shaun) says:
(Posted October 27th, 2008 at 10:34 am)
This is why i still only play CoD:UO.
Add your comment
the217
Sections
Buzz Magazine
Mark Fujii
I'm your typical college student who plays too much video games. I also work as an electronic sales associate, meaning I sell Ipods and violent video games to your children when not trying to sneak off and play Super Smash Bros while the boss isn't looking. Oh, and I'm totally awesome. True fact.
Joe (Joe) says:
(Posted October 27th, 2008 at 6:40 am)
The idea behind that game type is pretty badass, but zombies make about as much sense to me as if Halo were to add a survival extra with killer squirrels… I hate squirrels.