Black Ops 6’s Liberty Falls has finally fixed Zombies’ biggest problem

Black Ops 6 Zombies is a back-to-basics approach to CoD’s co-op component in many ways, and it’s solved one of the mode’s biggest problems.

Following its long-awaited release on October 25, BO6’s Zombies mode is rightfully getting its flowers. The return of the round-based format has been an instant hit with fans, while the two launch maps are distinct and cater to completely different audiences.

But while the sprawling Terminus has been the focus of many reviews and Easter egg-hunting guides, I’ve found myself returning again and again to Liberty Falls for one reason: it’s refreshingly simple.

Like many CoD veterans, I first fell in love with Zombies all the way back in World at War when it was nothing more than you, three friends, a dilapidated two-storey building, and a stingy Random Box. This isn’t just because the original Nacht der Untoten was a secret unlock that no one was expecting, but it was a complete change of pace from the standard campaign and multiplayer.

My sleep-deprived friends and I would rinse and repeat that map for hours on end, with nothing driving us but energy drinks and the thrill of beating our own high score. There wasn’t much to it, but it was enough to keep us trying and failing until the small hours of the morning.

Naturally, subsequent Zombies maps and modes opted to go bigger and better, and while I still have a soft spot for the likes of Shi No Numa, Kino Der Toten, and Shadows of Evil, they all felt like diminishing returns and moved away from that core idea.

With each new release, the maps got bigger, the stories got more confusing, and the format got mangled (pun intended) to the point I barely recognized it. So much so that despite being a fan right from the start, I probably didn’t rack up more than 20 combined hours in Zombies from Infinite Warfare up to and including MW3.

This finally brings us back to Liberty Falls, the smaller and admittedly less interesting of the launch maps in Black Ops 6 on paper. But despite its smaller stature, it’s the map that’s reignited my love of Zombies for the first time in over a decade.

While most of the more recent offerings have felt overwhelming on the first couple of runs (which are usually spent asking a more experienced friend, ‘So what does that do?’), Liberty Falls is easy to get a handle on. There’s only a handful of new areas to open up, the Pack-a-Punch doesn’t require a blood sacrifice to access, and there aren’t a million moving parts to consider in each round.

Instead, once you’ve opened up each zone, you can focus on what the mode was always about — survival. The games I’ve played so far have been a constant mad scramble as my squad tries to find openings to upgrade our weapons or restock our Perks, knowing full well that standing still for more than a few seconds could mean instant death on higher rounds. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s Zombies through and through.

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That’s not to say there isn’t any depth there. Of course, there’s a main story to pursue if that’s what you’re after, and I’ve been blown away by the sheer number of side Easter eggs packed into such a small space, including one that turns you into a literal superhero.

However, if turning on generators, finding new islands, and uncovering secrets is what you’re looking for, which it appears it is for much of the community, then Terminus is the map for you. I don’t begrudge that popularity either, as Terminus is the gold standard for a modern Zombies maps.

But Liberty Falls is the map for Zombies purists, the one that’s finally brought me back after a decade of being left colder than the undead themselves. And it did it by embracing the simplicity that I thought had been lost in the aether.

For more spooky content on Dexerto this Halloween season, check out the schedule for our Terro-Tober event. Also if you’re a fan of the undead why not check out our list of the scariest zombie games ever made.