With over 15 years of history, it’s no wonder that fans ofCall of DutyZombies are desperate for a standalone game. After all, it can be quite difficult for players to access all the Zombies content they want, as this requires them to have multiple consoles set up if they’re on PlayStation and several largeCall of Dutygames downloaded regardless of their platform of choice. As a result, the idea of having every Zombies experience ever released on one disc - complete with their unique weapons and features from the games they debuted in - is a very attractive premise.
Obviously, it would be great to see a standaloneCall of DutyZombies game, as it is easy to imagine it thriving long after release if Treyarch were to give it regular support like a mainlineCoD. Having a platform forCall of DutyZombies would allow newcomers to easily start from the beginning, keeping round-based Zombies relevant and avoiding any potential droughts when non-Treyarch games release. Sadly, withRaven Software’s leaked attempt at a standalone Zombies gamefalling through, it’s unlikely that Activision greenlights such a big undertaking anytime soon - meaning that the next best thing could be a much smaller Dead Ops Arcade bundle.
Similar to howCall of DutyZombies’ many mapsare spread across a half-dozen games, Dead Ops Arcade’s various iterations are exclusive to certainBlack Opsentries. The original Dead Ops was tied to the very firstBlack Ops, a 15-year-old release.Black Ops 3housed the second iteration of Dead Ops, while DOA 3 can be found inBlack Ops Cold War. With the originalBlack Opsbeing a lot less accessible thanBlack Ops 3andCold War, getting the full Dead Ops experience is easier said than done.
The original Dead Ops Arcade was hidden from players, too, as they had to doBO1’s main menu chair Easter eggand input a code in the terminal to gain access to it. As a result, many players may not have even known it exists.
Dead Ops Arcade is not a first-person shooter, outside of a power-up that allows players to briefly switch toCall of Duty’s default perspective. This means that it could appeal to an entirely different audience, as fans of retro games and twin-stick shooters likeHousemarque’s older games would be more likely to love Dead Ops than those who purely play FPS titles. Because of this, it feels like Dead Ops is essentially trapped behind the majorBlack Opstitles, as it could thrive as a standalone experience. Hopefully, Treyarch and Activision eventually realize this potential, releasing every Dead Ops experience in a standalone digital bundle.
It’s fairly simple to imagine what an ideal Dead Ops Arcade standalone release would look like, as checking some or all of the items off this list would please many:
Though it would not be the standaloneCall of DutyZombies game many have dreamed of - and Dead Ops could just as easily have its own section in a comprehensiveCoDZombies game’s menu - the mode deserves a chance to reach a greater audience. With the current approach, Dead Ops’ player base will always be limited not only to buyers ofBlack Opsgames, but the small fraction of those buyers who are willing to branch out and try a top-down, twin-stick shooter that is packed with mini-games. That’s a shame, as it’s always clear that Treyarch puts lots of love and care into every iteration of DOA. It deserves the largest player base it could possibly have, and a standalone Dead Ops Arcade Trilogy with a welcoming price tag and some proper marketing behind it could provide that boost.
