Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies is going to be different, however. Treyarch has confirmed that the mode will be a prequel to the Dark Aether story from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, ensuring that most of the characters from that game will not appear. More importantly, the mode is confirmed to be adjusting the core mechanics of Zombies, something that will likely result in a mode that feels wildly different from its predecessor. Of all the Call of Duty: Vanguard features that could have an impact on Zombies, though, the new destruction system is undoubtedly the biggest.
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How Destruction Works In Call of Duty: Vanguard
Fans have gotten the chance to see the destruction system firsthand through Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Alpha. The feature allows players to shoot through certain structures and walls, opening new lines of sight. In multiplayer, this is a big deal, as it sees players being able to establish new sight lines that would have normally been closed off. It also lets players destroy certain pieces of cover, shooting enemies that were otherwise protected via a head glitch.
While Call of Duty: Vanguard’s destruction is great for multiplayer, it should be easily applicable to Zombies as well. This is because, unlike something like Battlefield, the destruction does not require explosives to be triggered. Instead, the system is more like that of Rainbow Six Siege, as players can fire through structures with bullets. Shotguns will decimate walls and cover, as one well-placed shot can break down an entire structure if it is comprised of wood.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies will be the very first game where proper destruction mechanics are available to Treyarch. This is great news, as the feature could add a lot to the moment-to-moment gameplay of Zombies - with fans of training and camping strategies both benefitting. With a whole new world of opportunities for easter egg hunters, too, the feature could make for one of the most interesting takes on the mode ever.
How Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Destruction Can Improve Gameplay
For those that like to train the undead in Call of Duty Zombies, it will be easy to think of at least one spot in one of the maps that would be significantly better if a small change was made. One annoying structure or wall could ruin an otherwise excellent training spot, making it harder to manage the undead’s pathing and forcing players to find a different spot to do their fighting. Thanks to Call of Duty: Vanguard’s engine, though, these kinds of frustrations could become a thing of the past.
Players trying to train properly so that they can reach a high round in Zombies could make their own spots using destruction. If certain walls and structures can be destroyed like in multiplayer, players could devise their own training spots, opening many more possibilities when it comes to strategizing. The same could be said for those who like to camp. Certain destructible walls could be left up, making for a strong spot to hold off the zombies that would not have existed had those walls been destroyed. Essentially an evolved version of something like the Nacht Der Untoten staircase, which players would purposely leave blocked off to limit where the Zombies could come from, players could choose which structures stay up and which come down.
Perhaps the most interesting gameplay element that could come from destruction is tied to the zombies themselves. While Treyarch’s mode has rarely been scary, maps like Verruckt and gameplay sections like turning on the power in Die Maschine do give off horror vibes. A destruction system could expand upon these scares, though, as the undead could attack from anywhere. Games like Dead Space have shown how enemies attacking from anywhere could be truly frightening, and like that series’ use of vents, destruction could allow zombies to attack from walls. Undead enemies could charge through areas where players would not expect them to appear, making the predictable barrier spawns a thing of the past. While this would grow less horrifying with time, the potential jump scares could make the first map stand out.
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How Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Destruction Can Improve Easter Eggs
Call of Duty Zombies’ easter eggs could also be improved with destruction. On the small scale, cyphers could be hidden behind random bits of a wall that can be shot down, ensuring that players need to check every single corner of each map. Smaller side quests could take advantage of this, too, with items hidden in more obscure places. With many feeling like secrets are found too quickly in the newer Zombies maps, as all the map easter eggs are discovered in the first few days, destructible environments could be a great way to make hunts longer while still keeping them doable for casual players.
On a larger scale, destruction can provide access to new areas of a map during the main quest, with no convoluted process required to make that progess. Unnecessarily complex steps have been seen in the past that would have benefitted from this mechanic, such as the Blood of the Dead main quest. To reach the Warden’s Ritual Chamber, players needed to get the spoon, melee the wall on top of the stairs, spawn Brutus, lure him to that wall, and have him break it down. In Call of Duty: Vanguard, that process could be as simple as shooting the wall a few times, speeding up a tedious portion of the quest considerably.
While there does need to be a balance, as not every easter egg step should rely on the destruction mechanics, it does create fresh possibilities. When combining this with the gameplay opportunities, it is hard not to think of the benefits that destruction could bring. If Call of Duty: Vanguard also brings back some classic Zombies features and corrects some of the mistakes made in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the Dark Aether prequel could actually be a huge step forward for Treyarch.
Call of Duty: Vanguard launches November 5 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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