Rezurrection Delivers More Zombie Action, But Little Else

Rezurrection is the fourth map pack to come to Treyarch’s wildly successful Black Ops, and it stands out from the rest by being completely zombie-centric. The three previous packs (First Strike, Escalation, and Annihilation) all followed the same format - four new maps for standard multiplayer, along with a new zombie map. This bucks that trend by offering one new zombie map (Moon), along with four that players are already familiar with if they kept up with World at War’s DLC offerings (Shi No Numa, Nacht Der Untoten, Verruckt, and Der Riese). Considering the latter four were already available in Black Ops if you own the Hardened or Prestige editions of the game, you’re only getting one truly new experience in your purchase.

While the value of the download depends heavily on your familiarity with the previous maps, there’s no denying that the new addition is a solid one. Moon follows the tried-and-true zombie formula from previous DLC packs, but manages to add plenty of new quirks. More than any of the other offerings, it’ll be immediately apparent who’s new to the map. That’s because it throws you right in the middle of a space station with zombies spawning all around you and no real indication of where to go. After you’ve played it a time or two, you’ll learn that the entire team must book it to a teleporter inside a hangar immediately upon starting. If not, you’ll be swarmed by dozens of zombies and dogs.

If you all make it to the teleporter alive, the environment abruptly switches to a station on Earth’s moon. Here’s where it becomes doubly apparent who’s played the map before, as you spawn in zero gravity without a helmet. Your first time playing will probably be spent dying and respawning until you find where the helmets are located (hint: they’re right in front of you once you get there). Once your helmet is attached, it’s time for business as usual.

Exploring the space station is like exploring any other zombie map, as you’ll earn points by killing zombies, reviving teammates, and repairing barriers. As expected, these points can be used to purchase weapons and equipment, as well as to open doors to new areas. This station is massive, and you’ll find several winding corridors below the moon’s surface. You’ll run into some interesting artifacts, new equipment, and no shortage of zombies (including new “phaser” enemies that can teleport).

Most notable of the new baddies is the astronaut zombie, who menacingly lumbers around the map in search of players. He’ll actually have a Gamertag above his head that belongs on one of the players’ friend lists, so it can be confusing upon first spotting him. Rather than killing you, his intent seems mostly focused on teleporting you across the map if he grabs you. It’s not the worst fate, but it can be a pain having to fight through hordes of the undead just to get back to your friends. Be careful when you kill the astronaut zombie, however, as he explodes upon death.

Treyarch seemed to have a lot of fun making this map, as there are plenty of Easter eggs and quips throughout. Getting through the entire experience should be quite the challenge, but veterans of zombie maps should be able to complete it after learning the ins and outs of the space station.

Moon is one of the best zombie maps Treyarch has put out yet, but it’ll be up to players if they want to shell out $15 on one new experience. Considering this pack is aimed at hardcore fans of the zombie mode, there’s a good chance they’ll have already played the four older maps from World at War. On the other hand, more casual fans of zombie mode might be hesitant to pay the standard price for a zombie-only package. Whether or not you’re willing to shell out the cash for Rezurrection is up to you, but it’s worth knowing the quality of Moon isn’t in question.