Alright, but heads up, major spoilers coming your way for BO6 Zombies’ Reckoning map. So, if you haven’t played, maybe go do that and then come back. Or don’t—that’s on you.
So, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 5, huh? Zombies fans got their final hurrah, and let me just say, they mostly nailed it. I mean, there’s this whole thing—like, lore getting sorted out with the announcer (finally!) and Grey’s on-point reaction to what went down with Samantha. The map? Feels new and fresh, like they gave it a fun twist. Sure, a few things could’ve been better. Panos’ story? Rushed. Gorgofex Wonder Weapon? Underpowered, maybe. But honestly, there’s a main quest with twists and boss fights that kind of make you forget about the nitpicks. Except, the ending—you’re either gonna love or hate it. It’s like, depending on who you ask.
Okay, picture this: you choose a path, and boom—either SAM or Richtofen wins. If SAM wins, players take down a mech-suited Richtofen, and he fails to save his family. SAM? Gets the human form she’s been craving, still with her powers in tow. Flip side, if Richtofen wins, yay, happy ending—he beats the rogue AI and reunites with his family. But that’s not even the real talk. Folks are buzzin’ about what follows that. Both endings roll out this scene where the original four characters pop in from the shadows, greeting the Terminus crew. Big “to be continued” vibe for Black Ops 7. But honestly? Didn’t leave me jumping outta my seat. Origins’ ending, though—now that was a goosebumps moment. This one? Meh. But hey, that’s just me.
Thinking back, the whole Aether storyline—yeah, it was messy, but man, did I love it. Kind of defined my teenager days, honestly. Watching theory videos? Diving into the radio messages? Ah, memories. The Aether arc ended with Black Ops 4, though, and how do I put this? It could’ve been better. No last showdown with Dr. Monty? No epic Great War map? Heartbreaking, really. They didn’t deliver what they promised, and now retconning it all seems like a strange move. Some fans love seeing the old crew back, but me? A little bit of a letdown.
Why’s retconning Black Ops 4’s ending such a raw deal, you ask? Well, for one, Primis and Ultimis deserved way more than a PowerPoint cutscene. Black Ops 4 had budget cuts by then—no fancy animations, just a storyboard wrap-up. But still, Tag Der Toten hit hard. Watching Riktofen try to save the gang—and ultimately knowing they were all doomed to die—ugh, talk about tugging at your heartstrings. Seeing them step into that new universe, leaving behind it all? Heavy stuff. So, forgive me if it feels like a slap in the face to bring them back now. What was the point of it all then?
Call of Duty’s always had this thing for nostalgia, right? Always bringing it back. Nuketown, Shipment remakes—you name it. So maybe they thought, “Hey, let’s revive the OG crew, fans will love it!” But there’s a line, and crossing it feels wrong, like Nikolai’s sacrifice meant zilch now. If BO7 resurrects them, they’ve got loads of explaining to do, like, a *ton*. Panos’ story? Unresolved. Crazy stuff.
Then there’s the issue with Takeo’s voice? Tom Kane had a stroke back in 2020. Who’s gonna fill those shoes? The whole Samantha recast thing was rocky, so wait for reactions when Takeo’s back with a new voice.
Here’s a thought: BO6 Zombies did just fine without the old crew. Why not keep marching forward with new stories? The Chaos storyline was left hanging, but nah, they wiped the slate clean. There’s the Terminus crew too! Decent characters who could’ve headed BO7. But, they’ll probably get the short end of the stick, taking a backseat to the iconic four.
Whatever the new crew’s called—Tempest? Medius? Who knows. Anyway, the nostalgia play has folks buzzing, sure. But it’s like RDJ making a Marvel return as someone else entirely. Fans might like it, but for others, it waters down the sacrifices made. What’s gonna stop them from cycling through more variants in a few years? It’s like we’re stuck in this endless loop, coming back to the same old stories.
Dark Aether had guts, trying new stories, keeping the old crew out of it for the most part. Now? Kind of feels like safety mode engaged, ya know? At least, if the reports are true, we might see rad stuff like a nuked New York. That should be wild. But here’s hoping the storyline remains compelling. The gameplay’s cool and all, but I’m worried it’s gonna be the only thing left to dive into.
