Black Ops 7 Zombies has BO1 vibes, but it's not good

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies is finally here, and as expected from the lead up to release, the response has been a bit mixed. While critics have praised Black Ops 7s Zombies mode, fans of the old-school modes have not been impressed, citing its many gameplay similarities to Black Ops 6. Mainly if someone liked BO6they will appreciate the latest version of the mode, as it feels like a refined version of that title. But while Black Ops 7 feels a lot like BO6 year two, only with several quality of life upgrades like Gobblegum crushing, it actually compares to the original Black Ops also. Unfortunately, this is not a good comparison, either BO1 zombies, Black Ops 7 turns out to be a frustrating experience with random. In particular, it gets boring when it comes to the all-important Pack-a-Punch machine.

Black Ops 1 Zombies' approach to packing-a-punch made public matches a task

In the original Black Ops, Call of Duty Zombies really came into their own, as maps like Kino Der Toten reached massive levels of popularity and are permanently etched into the minds of those who played them when they were younger. But because many can look back on their core memories in Black Ops 1 Zombie maps with rose-tinted glasses, they are likely to forget all their horrible experiences with the Pack-a-Punch machine. Three specific maps stand out as a problematic Pack-a-Punch unlock process, they are:

Kino Der Toten — While not as frustrating as the next two examples, Kino's Pack-a-Punch was still problematic as players could essentially block access to the projector room. A selfish player could link the teleporter pads and use the machine before their allies join them, leaving them with weak or ammo-less weapons. Voice chat communication helped to work around this, but couldn't be guaranteed in public matches, leading to occasional frustration.
Shangri-La — After Ascension's simple rocket launch activation and Call of the Dead's simple Pack-a-Punch move, Shangri-La felt like a big step back in terms of the upgrade engine. To briefly shut down the waterfall and unlock the steps to PaP, players had to stand on 1-4 pressure plates (depending on the number of players in the match). While this is simple enough in theory, it became hopeless when one of the players in the match simply wouldn't come up with a plate to help open the Pack-a-Punch. Sometimes these unhelpful players would be trolling, while other times they were new and had no idea what was required to open the Pack-a-Punch.
The moon — The third and final example of frustrating Pack-a-Punch mechanics is Moon, as if the idea of teleporting back to Earth was incredible, the execution left something to be desired. This is because all players in the lobby had to stand on the teleport pad at the top of the dig site, and gathering random players all at the same time while the undead jumped down on them on the pad was easier said than done. If someone has already received their upgrade, they can refuse to come onto the pad, effectively ruining the match for those who still had to visit Groom Lake. This saw players sabotaging frustrating teammates and trying to get them killed so they could reach PaP without them, which feels hugely unnecessary.

First-person view of using the Pack-a-Punch in The Giant, Black Ops 3.

Moon's “all players needed to teleport” requirement was potentially due to the hardware of the time, as splitting the players between Area 51 and Moon could have been too taxing on the PS3 and Xbox 360. At the same time, this could have just been a design choice, as the Zombies Chronicles version of Moon in Black Ops 3 left the requirement unchanged.

To be clear, for certain groups of players, these questions have always been easy to ignore. For example, if you only play with friends, it's easy to communicate about when to pack. Similarly, solo players have had no problem upgrading the best Cod Zombie weapons on any of these maps. However, there are players who like public matches. Maybe they want to experience co-op, but lack friends to play with. Alternatively, they may enjoy the challenge of teaching and reviving bad players. Anyway, these old maps were a nightmare for public matches in Black Ops 1and to a somewhat lesser extent, Ashes of the Damned also seems like an annoying public matchmaking experience.

Ashes of the Damned's Pack-a-Punch process, while manageable, is problematic

Step 4 Drive Ol' Tessie to the garage and install the Pack-a-Punch machine - 3

Although Treyarch deserves credit for introducing the most unique Pack-a-Punch system since Black Ops 4since the machine that follows players because it's part of Ol' Tessie is very clever, the problems with this mechanic quickly become apparent. It's frustratingly easy for players to fall behind, as while players in full control of Ol' Tessie should find it easier to navigate the map than relying on the automated TranZit bus, there's nothing stopping random players from taking the vehicle (and it's accompanying Pack-a-Punch) on whatever adventure they feel like going on. This causes players who were not in the car to get stuck. Either they have to risk running through the danger zones between the maps, or they have to spend points to bounce around on bouncy pads in pursuit of the car.

The only saving grace in the case of Ol' Tessie is that players have access to a special teleport pad in Ashwood that takes them directly to the Wonder Vehicle no matter where it is, preventing nasty players from trolling and playing away for long. Still, Ashes of the Damned is a huge map, so if players are far from Ashwood, they have to spend points on multiple jump pads and the teleportation to the car, cutting into the points they had set aside for perks, Mystery Box or Pack-a-Punch. Perhaps Treyarch could solve this problem by adding vehicle spawn points like those for the boats at Terminus, teleporting the vehicle to a set spawn point within each zone as long as other players are not inside it. But for now, Ol' Tessie is both the defining feature of Ashes of the Damned and its most frustrating aspect, depending on how you prefer to play. While there's a lot to love about the latest map, from its awesome new Wonder Weapon and memorable character quotes to its visuals and Easter eggs, its Pack-a-Punch is the wrong kind of Black Ops 1 return.