It’s almost over. Rex Infernus marks the final Black Ops 7 Zombies map, where the Dark Aether crew, the twins, and the four purified Shadowsmiths take the fight to The Warden. It’s anyone’s guess how the battle ends – but end it shall.
Treyarch has given us quite a few teasers, as well as the intro cinematic, so I figured I’d do one last preview before the curtain closes. It might be the last Zombies map for quite some time, so let’s make the most of it.
Teasers
Well, that’s just wonderful. Treyarch has confirmed this is our first look at the new Elite enemy (no Vermin in sight!), and it looks like an absolutely horrible bastard. I can picture the way it moves and its death animation already; both scare me.
The flipside of being a bit of an arachnophobe is that I’ll feel genuine dread when playing the map. That’s what made my first experience playing Zetsubou No Shima so memorable. It forced me to face my fears and take the spiders on. The difference this time around is that, unlike ZNS or Black Ops 6, spraying and praying won’t work. This thing will be a tank, and I guarantee it scurries all over the shop. If things get too much, there is the option of Arachnophobia mode, but that’s cheating. Bring it on.
Enough about me, though. I’m glad we’re finishing off Black Ops 7 with another Elite. Three maps in a row meant that Special enemies were becoming stale. The Necropincer and Oni are both really cool enemies, but neither had the presence of a Zursa or an Abomination. Making one of them an Elite could have resulted in both getting a better reception – if there’s one thing Zombies fans hate, it’s familiarity.
Small shout out to Paradox Junction, which has been teasing the spider enemy since March. While I still wish there was a bit more meat on the bone, it’s a nice breezy map, and the chalk drawings being relevant several maps later is the kind of stuff that we’re looking for when it comes to continuity. It feels more like a journey if we can go back to an older map and see examples of Treyarch foreshadowing the future.
It looks like Rex Infernus takes inspiration from the four-temple layout of IX, with each Shadowsmith having their own domain. Treyarch gave us a brief look inside two of these temples – presumably the ones belonging to Veytharion and Nyxara.
IX was used to introduce the new perk system in Black Ops 4, with each perk statue appearing in its respective temple. With post-BO4 maps returning to the classic perk system, there’ll likely be a new gameplay reason to engage with each temple. The obvious hope is that Rex Infernus has its own set of four different Wonder Weapon upgrades. I think there’s a pretty good chance that’s the case, but it’s not a deal breaker.
I’m hopeful the temples will teach us more about each Shadowsmith and maybe show us how they aren’t the benevolent God-like entities they present themselves as (though I have a funny feeling their actions during Rex Infernus will make that clear beyond doubt).
It seems we’re going to start Rex Infernus inside of the house. I’d love it if we’re able to go downstairs and see Maxis’ decrepit corpse, but I don’t think it’ll be that faithful to the House from Aether. We don’t even know for sure if it’s the house, or what the Dark Aether created from someone’s memories. The Twins once mentioned that it was the house “she” made: Sam or Ava? Hmm…
The House has been a constant in Zombies as far back as Kino Der Toten. If there’s something that can tie the sprawling chaos of the Dark Aether story together, it’s got to be that. From this teaser, we can also see The Warden’s lair in the background. I hope that’s a playable area and not just a boss arena, though it would be cool to see The Warden taunting us, just out of reach.
Elena Siegman returns once again. I was hoping for a multi-artist song like Archangel, but I’m never going to turn down another Elena joint. I’m going to miss having a new Kevin Sherwood song every couple of months.
Not much to gather from the final teaser image, except another temple and a parkour section in the background. That quote, however, has set off panic or joy, depending on where you stand on a red-scarved confectionary maker.
“You see the thing is, I’m meant to stay on the sidelines, not really supposed to get involved. Free will and all that stuff. Oh, that was my idea, by the way. However, I do see stuff now, and then that makes me go “wooo-oh, that’s not good! I really should do something!”, but the thing is, all I can really do is give things a little nudge! Sow a seed, plant an idea, see what grows, see what sticks.” – Doctor Monty
While it does sound similar to that Doctor Monty quote from Gorod Krovi, I’m fairly certain it’s just The Warden talking mince before he does something drastic during the quest. Someone at Treyarch is probably just having a wee bit of fun – they knew that posting the quote without any context would incite a riot. I’m all for it! It keeps us on our toes.
House is Falling
I’ve enjoyed every Black Ops 7 intro cinematic, but each one also left me wanting more. They look incredible, but opt for action over storytelling. We’re not expecting the depth of a Revelations or a Tag Der Toten every time, but it’d have been nice if at least one intro broke the mould. With that said, The Warden’s monologues in the Paradox Junction and Rex Infernus intros are both phenomenal. I don’t think anything will reach the levels of The Shadowman watching over the Apothicon Sun, but the “I see you” shot comes close.
I could’ve done without the clipshow-esque beginning, but I suppose it’s to show that The Warden has been following the crew’s every move. Even if he hasn’t always made his presence felt, he’s been watching.
It’s interesting that The Twins essentially baited The Warden into pulling down The House. From that action alone, it looks like the crew is one step ahead of him. That likely won’t last, but they’ll take any advantage they can – he’s a genuine threat. The way he grabs the extremely malnourished Ava Jansen and forces her to use her power is harrowing. She’s been put through hell. I know I’ve said Carver should be the one to finish The Warden, but Ava better get some payback too.
I was surprised there were no signs of The Warden’s skull cages since they appear in the Music EE teaser. I wonder if that’s a main quest step, a reaction to turning on the power, or something that happens when we spawn in. It could also be related to the map’s Wonder Weapon.
The decision to schedule the Modern Warfare 4 beta a mere 24 hours after Rex Infernus’ release is daft, if unsurprising. While I don’t think there’s a nefarious agenda to throw Zombies under the bus, it once again highlights a real lack of understanding from Call of Duty higher-ups.
The finale of a Zombies season should be a spectacle, not an afterthought. It’s the culmination of a year-long story and traditionally marks the point in the COD development cycle where the mode takes a bow and vanishes behind the curtain. It’s a different beast to Multiplayer or Warzone and deserves more respect than being overshadowed by the beta for another Modern Warfare game. Look at what you have and stop wasting it!
Chaos Ensues
Call me crazy, but I cannot rule out Chaos becoming relevant again at some point during Rex Infernus’ main quest. The consensus seems to be that every Chaos mention in Black Ops 6 was “key-jingling”. I can see where people are coming from, but there’s a possibility that – much like The Warden himself – Treyarch has been playing a long game.
With how poorly the majority of Zombies fans tend to react to a new story that doesn’t involve the original crew (see: Victis pre-comics, Chaos, Cold War), it’d make sense to plant a few seeds for further down the line. I also don’t buy that Chaos has the cultural cachet needed to be used as nostalgia bait – and I say that as someone who was fully invested in the story from Black Ops 4’s launch. It has diehard fans, sure, but not enough to meaningfully push the needle. If Treyarch’s only goal during Black Ops 6 was to make the audience clap like seals, would it not have made more sense to hint at the impending return of Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai and Takeo?
By no stretch of the imagination am I saying CHAOS IS COMING BACK. I just feel there has to be more of a repercussion for Requiem activating the Sentinel Artifact than the crew ending up in the Dark Aether. Even S.A.M or Eddie taking advantage of it in Reckoning seems too good to be true. Are there really no consequences for using it?
If you’re a Chaos fan looking for a glimmer of hope, there you go. The chance that it becomes relevant again isn’t 0%. It’s nowhere near 100% either, mind you, but it’s not impossible. Just don’t blame me if nothing happens! It’s a Hail Mary prediction. I’m spitballing here, y’know?
If I Had the Sentinel Artifact…
I’ve narrowed down the five most important things I want to see included in Rex Infernus’ ending. Will any of them happen? Probably not. But a bird shat on my window earlier, so I’m due some good luck.
Explain the Past
The Twins have given me faith that we’ll get a satisfying explanation for the existence of Richtofen, Dempsey, Nikolai and Takeo following the destruction of the Elemental Shard in Tag Der Toten’s ending. Additionally, I want to see an outcome that means Primis and Ultimis’ sacrifice was not in vain. The easiest way to do that…
Samantha Maxis
… is to bring back Samantha Maxis. Sam is COD Zombies. I refuse to believe we learned of her ultimate fate over the comms radio in Reckoning. Her presence still looms heavily, and she’s the being with the most experience of the Dark Aether, having been trapped in it multiple times already. When all hope seems lost, I want to see Sam save the day. Then she can decide her own fate, for possibly the first time in her life.
Requiem
Every main crew we played as in Aether met a horrible end. Requiem should break that streak. I don’t necessarily need them to continue on into the next game, but an ending where they don’t need to top themselves would be great. Show us Carver relaxing on a beach!
Resolutions
We’ve been waiting for some answers for a very long time – this is the final opportunity. I’m a firm believer in not answering every question, but some of these questions were posed as far back as 2023. For example, the exact details of Requiem in Urzikstan, Ava’s vision of purple-eyed Requiem, and Grey’s message to Ava. It’s now or never, Treyarch.
The Future
Rex Infernus’ ending should have a strong sense of finality. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get a taste of what’s to come, though. Forsaken’s ending is the blueprint: tie up the main threads, finish on a big revelation, then tease the future. If we’re going to get another “The story will continue”, the ending needs to earn it.
The End is Nigh
Is Rex Infernus the end of the line for Requiem? It certainly seems so. I’m still adamant they won’t succumb to the dreaded basement, though. That’s from the timeline where Ava Jansen ends up in the Dark Aether, which means it’s already happened. The Requiem we play as no longer need to trade their lifeforce to watch over her. She exists and is enslaved by The Warden.
It can be hard to wrap your head around. My understanding – which might not even be correct – is that it’s the same Requiem throughout all of these timelines, just with different decisions and outcomes. It’s not the same as the multiverse, where each universe has a unique version of Requiem à la Primis and Ultimis. The timeline where MWZ happens is just one of multiple timelines The Warden has tangled together through his scheming.
Maybe I’m just getting sentimental, but it feels like the end of an era. I’m still in two minds whether Rex Infernus will end the entire Dark Aether saga, or merely close the chapter on “The Warden arc” of MWZ, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. A new Dark Aether threat could easily pop up in time for the next Treyarch game, but should it?
It’s complicated. Black Ops 7 has been a marked improvement on the story side, and the possibilities inside the Dark Aether are endless. Yet there’s the danger of the story overstaying its welcome. Many fans have already checked out because of Black Ops 6’s failure and the move away from Cold War’s style of storytelling.
Maybe it is time for a reboot – or at least, a jump as big as Tag Der Toten to Die Maschine was – but setting up a brand new story is difficult at the best of times, let alone doing it for a game rumoured to release around the mode’s twentieth anniversary. Can Treyarch afford a drastically different Zombies storyline to miss? I don’t know, and I’ll keep an open mind whatever happens, but my preferred outcome is a few familiar characters setting off into a brand new world. Which characters? I’m not telling. They all have at least two eyes though (sorry, Korb!).
Whatever happens in Rex Infernus, brace yourselves. The drought begins soon after.
