The word “cinema” gets thrown around a lot these days. It’s been repurposed as an adjective to signify the quality of something, commonly a scene in a movie or video game. I’m guilty of using “cinema” to describe anything I deem fit. Like most modern linguistic trends, it started as a bit of a laugh, and before I knew it, the way the postman delivered my mail was cinema.
But there’s no better way to describe the Liberty Falls intro cutscene. It is pure cinema: the opening shots of West Virginia soundtracked by Vera Lynn, the way Richtofen’s dream slowly burns down around him, the horror on his face as he wakes, the action as the Zombies invade, the familiar Zombie motifs, the lore implications of the entire video… Incredible stuff.
The asset looked gorgeous, much like the previous Terminus and MWZ cinematics. Black Ops 6’s production value is set to be out of this world. I’ll always champion Cold War, but there was a limit to what could be achieved given its development issues and the obstacles of a global pandemic. Black Ops 6 gives Treyarch a chance to resume the quality presentation that Black Ops 3 and (the first half of) 4 had and take it to the next level.
Even the marketing feels different; Zombies matters again. The mode had the honour of getting revealed a month before multiplayer and is a crucial component of Call of Duty Next, where we’ll get even more Zombies information and coverage. I’m cautiously optimistic that this will continue throughout Black Ops 6’s life, and we’ll get cinematics, posters and teasers ahead of each new map.
To My Favourite Liar, To My Favourite Scar
As if the Modern Warfare Zombies finale didn’t give us enough mysteries surrounding the town of Liberty Falls, the new cinematic keeps our curiosity flowing. I recently mentioned how good it is to see Zombies storytelling returning to its cryptic roots, and I continue to be impressed! Cinematics and scripted moments in-game that move the plot along, combined with character quotes, radios, and environmental storytelling to challenge players’ understanding, is the winning formula that made the Aether story so revered by fans.
After various teases in Cold War, we got confirmation that Richtofen’s wife and child died in a fire. It seemed likely because of the amount of evidence in the Cold War intel, but we still didn’t know definitively. Much like how we can now assume that Weaver and Maxis were behind the fire but still can’t say with 100% certainty.
"Dr Parocles Panos, Project Janus, Energy Research Division. It has become abundantly clear Director Richtofen is slipping. If we fail, it will all be down to Richtofen and his hubris."
The Liberty Falls teaser voice note hinted at Richtofen’s trauma, and to say he’s “slipping” is an understatement. He looks like a man imprisoned by the past. Project Janus is his way to fix it. But this raises the question once again: what is the goal of other members? Are all the technology, money, secrecy, and sacrifices just because they feel sorry for Richtofen? I doubt it.
One of my favourite parts is the quiet moment when Richtofen looks at the picture on his bedside before all hell breaks loose. It evokes feelings that are a million miles away from the ones I felt when we saw everyone on Terminus Island rallying to find and kill him. After that cinematic, it looked like Richtofen was being set up as the main antagonist (at least from our side of the dimensional divide). Now? Despite what he put Sam and the Requiem Heads through, he’s a reasonably sympathetic figure. As always with Ze Doctor, it’s never entirely black and white.
It was so good watching Richtofen letting rip with the Wunderwaffe. It was a nice callback for long-term fans and oozed coolness. The struggle in front of the elevator also made the Zombies feel like a threat for once rather than just canon fodder. Capping it off with the dive-backwards was a touch of class. What’s that word again?
Then there’s that ending. I was not expecting to hear Samantha Maxis’ voice this early in Black Ops 6! Her sacrifice in Cold War was heavy, and I thought she would be reduced to a memory, potentially making a grand return later. It seems she’s in no mood to hang around in the Dark Aether – and honestly, who can blame her? We don’t know if she’s still herself or if the Dark Aether has again corrupted her with darkness. According to Modern Warfare Zombies, Ravenov and the Terminus crew tried and failed to rescue her in the mid-90s—food for thought.
It looks like old habits die hard – even in a new universe. Richtofen and Maxis are once again at war. It’s tragic. We’d hoped for a happy ending for them, but maybe it isn’t possible; fate will have them clash no matter the dimension. If they need to suffer for our entertainment, so be it. Richtofen and Maxis are Zombies.
Old Pen Pals
At the end of Forsaken, the Dark Aether entity formerly known as Zykov was trapped in the “Containment Chamber” and transported elsewhere (likely to Liberty Falls). We were under the impression that Samantha had returned to the Dark Aether. So, how is she talking to Richtofen from The Forsaken’s Containment Chamber?
Is it possible Samantha controls The Forsaken from the Dark Aether, speaking and acting through it to exert her will? Suppose she sealed herself in the Dark Aether to protect everyone, destroying the connection between it and our dimension. What happens when something as powerful as The Forsaken still exists in our universe? Perhaps Sam couldn’t entirely shut the door to the Dark Aether due to a Zykov-shaped obstruction.
There is also a chance that Grey and Co. were mistaken when they spoke of Samantha returning to the Dark Aether at the end of Forsaken’s main quest. She could have been trapped in the Containment Chamber at the same time as The Forsaken. That would mean Richtofen wasn’t quite telling the whole story in his Group Memo when he said, “Maxis has been taken care of.”
If Maxis and The Forsaken were captured in the Containment Chamber together, what does that mean for The Forsaken? I can’t see Sam agreeing to partner up with it. We know that Zykov gobbled up various Elder Gods to become The Forsaken. What if Sam lost herself all over again and devoured it? Did she also reach out to Ava Jansen in the MWZ finale to consume her power? A mother eating her young would be some harrowing stuff. Jansen’s whereabouts are unknown, but I’d gamble we’ll learn more during Liberty Falls.
We have an ever-growing list of mysteries heading into Black Ops 6. One of the most troublesome questions is why Weaver and Sam wanted to kill Richtofen in the first place. Whatever happened between the ending of Tag Der Toten and that fateful night in Iraq is a crucial piece of information we’re missing. Was Richtofen up to something before his family perished?
It’s worth remembering that the first time we see Sam and Eddie in The House is in the ‘Origins’, ending in Black Ops 2. Eddie bemoans not getting “his turn”. What if he didn’t get his turn and held the events of Tag Der Toten bitterly in his head? We’ve all noticed more and more elements of Aether creeping into the Dark Aether saga. Could this be by Richtofen’s design? Maybe he was attempting to create a gateway back to Aether before losing his family.
The hype train doesn’t stop here. Call of Duty Next promises even more reveals, including the Liberty Falls trailer, live gameplay footage, and developer insights. My first-ever post on Shutter Paw lamented the lack of Zombies in Call of Duty Next 2022. We’ve come a long way! I’m hoping this isn’t a one-off and that Zombies will be a regular fixture at the event in the future. However, once the dust settles from the beta, it will be a long wait until October! With any luck, the wait for Black Ops 6 will be the last occasion Zombies fans must endure silence for a long time.