COD: Apocalypse gives you Dieselpunk zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is getting its last DLC – Apocalypse at the end of this month. It offers four multiplayer maps, two of which are all new. Then it also offers a new zombie map, because no game is complete without a zombie DLC. But this one looks cool: we get to see WWI inspired dieselpunk design.

Takeoff and Dig are based on fan favorite maps: Dig is a re-imagining of Call of Duty: World at War’s Courtyard map; Takeoff is based on Stadium from Call of Duty: Black Ops First Strike. The two all-new multiplayer maps are Frost and Pod. Frost is described as:

Fresh snow meets explosive gunpowder in this snow-capped European city, where the bridge over a frozen canal separates it into two sides, requiring players to employ multi-level traversal strategies to outsmart and ultimately outshoot their enemies.

Meanwhile, Pod is:

A failed utopian community from the 70’s has left stacks of dilapidated residential pods nestled into an abandoned cliff side. Its residents long gone, the modernist compound now hosts frenetic combat as players must run atop the pods and navigate their multi-tiered interiors for a strategic edge.

However, Origins seeks to take COD in an interesting direction:

The most horrifying and imaginative Zombies experience yet. Players will be deployed to Dieselpunk-stylized World War I-era France where they will encounter the return of the four original heroes from the very first Zombies map, as well as hordes of zombies that have overrun trenches and fields, as well as the ruins of a mysterious and ancient location.

For those who are about to call this steampunk, let me just clarify for you. Steampunk is based in the Victorian era and is generally shown with higher society, steam trains and imperialism. Dieselpunk begins at WWI and goes through until WWII, featuring elements such as zeppelins, gangsters, flappers, warfare and depression. Yes, recent artistic interpretation sees a lot of blurring of lines when it comes to steampunk, cyberpunk and dieselpunk, but at least COD is using the correct term here.

I just wonder about the draw yet another game where people can shoot zombies. Sure, zombies are the new Nazis – they’re the only group we’re allowed to kill and never feel bad. However, it certainly is getting old and people have come to expect something unique or it will be written off as yet another zombie DLC. Will the dieselpunk approach spice things up enough for COD players? Or will everyone just be happy to be able to shoot stuff?  Check out this map pack preview video for more details:

Apocalypse will be releasing on Xbox 360 at the end of this month and will cost 1200 Microsoft Points for those without the Season Pass. Based on previous time frames, I suppose we can expect release on PC a month later (dates are not yet announced).

Last Updated: August 12, 2013