Call Of Duty: Ranking Every Game Mode From Worst To Best

Zombies was a seemingly random addition to what had been a serious and realistic series of games when it made its debut in Treyarch's World At War. Fast forward a decade and it is now ever-present in every title, regardless of developer.

From Black Ops II onwards, each Zombies map has been geared around a quest. These have ranged from simple to ridiculously convoluted, with many nigh-on impossible to figure out without following a step-by-step guide. Players are nevertheless free to ignore these and enjoy the modes original formula by killing zombies and surviving for as long as possible, bolstering their chances with the perk machines, mystery box and pack-a-punch machine that have become ubiquitous on every map.

Though it makes for an enjoyable solo experience, zombies is best experienced cooperatively, with players working together to complete the quest objectives or improve their chances of survival. Communication is key, though games with random players are equally capable of becoming entertaining affairs or frustrating slogs if somebody decides to massacre the crawlers and trains that are made to allow each other to gear up and finish tasks safely.

Each game launches with just one map (with one more in each DLC), but mastering it is always one of the most satisfying achievements in any game.