Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has delivered some great Zombies content thus far, and the game’s new Outbreak mode is no different. Bringing the long-requested concept of open world Zombies to life, the objective-based mode makes great use of multiplayer’s Fireteam maps. A fair level of difficulty, fresh mini bosses, and a satisfying flow to every match only serves to make Outbreak more fun, with the mode’s future truly looking like a bright one. That said, Outbreak is actually not the first attempt that Treyarch has made at open world Zombies.
Eight year before Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 released, introducing players to TranZit. A fiery wasteland that saw players traveling between several points of interest on a bus, the map remains one of the most ambitious Zombies projects in the mode’s history. Unfortunately, Treyarch’s ambition was halted by the technology of the time, forcing the studio to put several features into Tranzit to make it run properly. The result is a map that is widely regarded as the worst play space in Zombies history. Despite this, though, fans have wanted a remaster for years, as Treyarch could finally make good on the promise of TranZit nearly a decade after its release.
If any longtime Call of Duty Zombies fan is asked their least favorite thing about TranZit, a vast majority would immediately cite the map’s lava and fog as the biggest negatives. While a bit of each was necessary for the map’s post-apocalyptic aesthetic, Treyarch overdid it on both fronts. Fog made it impossible to see when not inside of one of the map’s core locations, while lava made traversal outside of the bus frustrating and cumbersome. While the map was pitched as open world Zombies, players were punished for exploring, forcing most to stick to the main path in their matches.
Unfortunately, the lava and fog were a necessary evil, as the technical limitations of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 did not allow Treyarch to upgrade the Call of Duty engine further. As such, a fully rendered map would not work, meaning that fog had to be used to mask certain locations — with lava serving to block players off from others. The Denizen enemies only added to this, with the frustrating creatures jumping on the face of the player to prevent them from seeing. Players had to knife repeatedly to get them off, something that slowed them down and made them susceptible to hits from behind.
While riding the bus was fun, and each area was unique enough, TranZit’s nightmarish traversal made the map’s easter eggs a pain to carry out. A frustrating Pack-A-Punch system saw access to the machine shut off, with players needing to make an entire trip around the map to enable power to the device once again. On top of that, the Jet Gun wonder weapon broke when used, forcing players to repeatedly recollect the parts scattered around the map. With the process being so tedious, few actually used the weapon, adding to the disappointment of TranZit.
Despite all the flaws of TranZit, the concept is brilliant, and fans have held on to a certain nostalgia for years. As such, hopes for a TranZit remake have been pushed constantly by the community, with a remake of the map allowing Treyarch to do everything they wanted to with the original map. Right out the gate, the map’s fog, lava, and Denizens could all be toned down greatly, as next-gen consoles strip away any limitations that there were back in 2012. This would instantly make TranZit more enjoyable, and the mechanics of Outbreak would only improve it further.
Outbreak mode gives players the freedom to explore an area as much as they want before completing an objective, allowing them to loot every location to their hearts’ content. TranZit could benefit from this, as it could become a far more intricate and detailed map. Much like players could find shacks and a rundown version of Nacht Der Untoten by running through the fields of TranZit, new locations could be added that expand upon the map. Not only would exploring these locations be a breeze because of the added jump pads and vehicles of Outbreak, but players being able to see where they are going would be a massive plus as well.
From there, Treyarch can correct TranZit’s other flaws. While the bus should stay involved in some way, as it is just as iconic as any other aspect of TranZit, other features should be changed for the better. The Jet Gun, for example, can work without breaking. While traversing a new TranZit would be easier, needing to rebuild a Wonder Weapon is still not the best idea, and it should be a concept that is left in the past. Likewise, Outbreak’s system of having a Pack-A-Punch machine inside the map and another when activating a beacon after an objective is complete should stick, as upgrading was truly unenjoyable in the original TranZit.
Another possibility for an Outbreak version of TranZit is to leave the map just as destroyed and hard to traverse as always, but have players complete an objective at every location. Once done, they can teleport to a new Green Run area, skipping all the struggles of getting from one place to another. Another solution could see a new perk added that negates lava damage, allowing the hazard to remain in place. With so many potential solutions to the map’s issues, any approach taken for an updated TranZit can be better than the original.
With the quality of Outbreak mode proving Treyarch could make a large map like TranZit can work, hopefully Treyarch will make it a reality and finally give fans the remake they have been waiting for. While the concept of completing various objectives inside of TranZit is interesting, and seens like a natural evolution of the map, Treyarch could get even more content out of a TranZit remake. The original, round-based version of TranZit could be included, as well as the survival maps that came with it. After all, maps like Town, Diner, and Farm eventually proved to be just as popular as TranZit itself.
Adding the small survival maps to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War would provide fans with even more content, with Treyarch able to build off of TranZit for a long time to come. Any new locations could become survival maps as well, giving fans more to do while only requiring new map boundaries on the part of Treyarch. Finally, Grief mode could make a return, with the cult classic PvPvE mode seeing players facing off once again. Originating back in TranZit, it would make sense for Grief to return now, with other limited time Zombies modes like Turned able to be introduced as well.
TranZit was a deeply flawed map, but there was fun to be had within it. If a remake happens, Treyarch can correct the location’s flaws while accentuating the positives, making for a fully original Outbreak map packed with new easter egg quests and fresh mechanics. TranZit and Outbreak seem like a winning combination, and Treyarch should take full advantage of this formula for success sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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