When Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will have a Zombies mode, many players expected zombies in space in accordance with the game's futuristic setting. However, Activision instead revealed "Zombies in Spaceland," an '80s-themed co-op mode that takes place in an amusement park filled with the undead.
Because developer Infinity Ward had three years to make Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, it decided to add a Zombies mode while taking some big creative risks. While the main game focuses on future military combat, the co-op mode will instead be a wacky and fun experience for players.
Gamers will take on the roles of four stereotype characters, namely the jock, rapper, the nerd and the valley girl. The characters were invited to a movie audition by a director portrayed with the likeness and voice of Pee-wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens.
The aspiring actors, however, find themselves transported to a zombie-infested theme park, where they will have to fight for their survival. Aiding them in their mission is the Spaceland DJ, portrayed with the likeness and voice of David Hasselhoff.
In an interview with Venture Beat, Zombies in Spaceland co-creator and Infinity Ward senior producer Lee Ross revealed more about the upcoming zombie mode, which he said was a difficult challenge but a rewarding one for the studio.
Ross said that Zombies in Spaceland will feel like a completely different game from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. In addition, compared to the Zombies modes created by Call of Duty: Black Ops III developer Treyarch, Infinity Ward did not take itself seriously and went with a fun approach with Zombies in Spaceland.
One of the new features that will be seen in Zombies in Spaceland is the Afterlife Arcade. Previously in Zombies modes, players who die enter a spectating room and wait for the round to end before they are able to jump back into the action. In Zombies in Spaceland, players who die enter the Afterlife Arcade, where they play carnival-style games such as skee ball and basketball shooters and classics such as Pitfall 2. By playing these games and scoring enough points, players can earn the chance to re-enter the round before it ends.
Zombies in Spaceland will also feature Fate and Fortune cards that players can unlock and equip themselves with before starting a game to give them certain advantages. One such card that was mentioned is the Lifelink card, which gives two players a 25 percent increase in health whenever they are near each other.
Infinity Ward will also be bringing back the perk system for Zombies in Spaceland, with the perks able to be purchased through in-game money. Samples of perks include Tough Enough, which doubles the player's health, and Trail Blazer, which allows players to leave behind trails of fire as they move.
Ross also said in the interview that players should look forward to the cinematic trailer for Zombies in Spaceland, which features a very different take on the Zombies mode for Call of Duty games but is a lot of fun.
Infinity Ward really went crazy with Zombies in Spaceland. For example, one of the traps in the game is the dance floor, which will attract zombies through music and a spinning disco ball. Before long, the zombies will begin dancing, and then players can have the disco ball shoot lasers and burn up the zombies.
Other pieces of information that Ross revealed about the game mode include the facts that players will not be able to play as zombies; there will be both slow and fast zombies, including clown zombies that run at players while laughing and screaming before exploding into a ball of fire and confetti; one of the weapons will function as a portal generator; and both obvious and hidden Easter eggs.
Gamers will be able to take on Zombies in Spaceland once Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is released on Nov. 4 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
