The one-two punch of Destiny 2’s support coming to an end and a vast majority of the staff who worked on the game being laid off has left gamers devastated. For many, there is simply going to be no replacing Destiny, as its world, art, gameplay, characters, and community became a fixture of their lives. Still, with Destiny 3 supposedly not in the works, there’s a very real chance the franchise has come to an end, meaning the search for an alternative of some kind is now a must. And while some may look to Bungie’s extraction shooter, Marathon, to fill the void, or the excellent and ever-evolving Warframe, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 may be the best substitute of all.
At face value, a military shooter doesn’t seem like something that could replace Destiny. The settings and weaponry are nothing alike, while mechanically, Black Ops 7’s 6v6 multiplayer plays very differently from the ability-driven Crucible. BO7’s co-op campaign wasn’t exactly a highlight, either, with negativity around it being a key contributor to the game’s low sales compared to previous entries. And while Endgame has improved drastically, an extraction shooter isn’t what a lot of Destiny 2 fans are looking for, either. CoD Zombies, though? That’s a different story, and it’s a tale the recent main quest hunt tells perfectly.
There Will Never Be Another Game Like Destiny
Saying farewell to Destiny 2, a one-of-a-kind gaming experience that offered tremendous highs and significant lows.
Black Ops 7 Zombies Basically Just Had a Destiny Raid Race
While it’s true that bad actors leaking the main quest steps for Kowakujo was a devastating ending to a 60-hour hunt, and the resulting backlash has been a nightmare, there’s no denying how special that 60 hours was. Retired CoD Zombies content creators dusted off their controllers to give the new map a go and chip in, players flooded chats and forums with suggestions about what the next step could be, and there was a real feeling of comradery within the community that just hasn’t been there for the last several years of releases. And for any bummed Destiny 2 players who noticed this happening, the entire situation likely looked very familiar.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
Drag weapons to fill the grid
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When the Destiny franchise was thriving and raids were dropping every six months or so, each release became a proper event. Players from all over the world had to come together to figure out the steps of each raid, watching their streamers of choice do everything in their power to decipher Bungie’s clues and become the first in the world to complete the challenging content. The raid race became an event in and of itself, serving as a true highlight for many members of the community. But with Destiny now on ice, that type of content is incredibly rare, as other raid-like content tends to direct players and hold their hands through the experience. Fortunately, CoD Zombies is keeping these special, community-driven races alive.
Another part of what made Destiny 2 raids so satisfying were the bosses waiting at the end of the journey, which had vastly different mechanics from all the other threats players wielded their light against. And, fortunately, ever since Black Ops 3 Zombies, proper boss fights within main quests have become the norm. With BO6 and BO7, Treyarch has truly hit its stride, as every boss is complex and different from the last. Ashes of the Damned’s vehicle-focused encounter is nothing like Astra Malorum’s endurance-focused, four-phase fight, while Totenreich’s ice giant differs greatly from Kowakujo’s dragon. Sure, players only have groups of four instead of groups of six to lean on, but everyone needs to be on top of their game and aware of the mechanics to succeed. Across the board, the main quests of CoD Zombies are perhaps the most similar content to Destiny 2’s brilliant raids.
If Destiny 2 players end up loving BO7 Zombies and its quests, they can find similar offerings with great boss fights in BO6. And if they go back further, they’ll find more complex puzzles and challenging core mechanics, keeping them busy for a very long time.
Black Ops 7 Zombies’ Destiny Similarities Go Much Further Than Raid Races
Those who haven’t kept up with CoD Zombies since the World at War days may be surprised by just how much the mode has evolved. It hasn’t been a simple round-based survival experience for a very long time now; there are mountains upon mountains of lore and theories to dive into for those who see that as the best part of Destiny, whereas those who loved solving puzzles for triumph score will have plenty of secrets to uncover on each map. There are alternate methods of play like Cursed mode, which offers relics that provide extra challenges and boons like Halo’s skulls, and those who appreciate Destiny’s enemy variety will surely be happy to encounter the map-specific special enemies and mini-bosses. As arguably the second best CoD Zombies entry of all time — outdoing Black Ops 3 may forever be an impossible task — BO7 offers co-op gameplay at its best. And with one more map around the corner, Destiny fans may want to consider catching up now, as if they do, they’ll essentially be able to join in on another raid race despite already saying goodbye to their favorite game.
- Released
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August 28, 2017
- ESRB
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T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence








