Story vs. Gameplay

[InfestLithium]

Although Call of Duty has one of the largest gaming players known to console (and the world), Zombies has garnered the opportunity to give such an expansive audience the gift of slaying zombies. It started from a fun, innocent game mode and quickly turned into a saga filled with a luscious storyline while entailing very interest map concepts and arsenal to kill zombies. In fact, this is where a particular invisible line is drawn.

 

Some would say that the context behind the mode is what gives Zombies its vigor. There's something about scavenging the map for hidden radios, looking at the entire scenery to inspect the environment, analyzing every quote that is offered. Each object - no matter how big or small - is vital to creating a story behind each map.

 

Others might say it's the gaming experience that only Zombies has to offer. Nothing feels more at home than hitting the box for that overpowered Wonder Weapon, or grinding to make it on the Leaderboards, or working as a unit to complete Easter Eggs/Side Quests for permanent perks. The gameplay is easy to come to every time even during the most boring of moments because its insanely high replay value.

 

What would you say marks the best aspect of Zombies - the background story, or the gameplay (map/location/guns/modes)?

[Electric Jesus]

I would say it's the optionality of the story. To someone playing zombies for the first time there would be no story whatsoever. 100% gameplay, and great gameplay at that. The story is only there for those of us that seek it out. I think that unique balance is what makes it so good. The gameplay can basically be summarized by saying "killing zombies gets points. use points to buy stuff to help you survive. go against waves until you die." How you go about doing it is up to you entirely. That open-endedness is what makes that optional story possible.

[The Clay Bird]

It's gotta be the gameplay.  If not for the gameplay, the story wouldn't even exist.  I think we mostly agree that when the story is forced upon us and focused on above gameplay, the maps suffer, however when the story is subtle and found via easter eggs and quirky radio messages, it enhances the gameplay, and really benefits both sides

[Slade]

Both should be good.

Maps with a fine balance between exciting (new) gameplay features and a well-crafted and well-told story are the best maps. Look at Mob or Origins. Definitely the better two of BO2's total sum. 

 

The problem with Tranzit, Nuketown, Die Rise and Buried was that the story (what little there was of it) was so laughably and poorly executed, it really hurt the map. If the character I'm playing as doesn't give two shits about what's happening; why should I? 

 

And even if you don't like the story in Mob or Origins; the fact that they took it serious, the developers, and the characters you play as, gives the map just a whole other dimension to it. Compared to the boring, unmemorable Green Run or Nuketown. A deep, interesting story greatly enriches the map's atmosphere, setting, easter egg, characters and imo replayability. Just like well thought out gameplay features do.

[Mr. Jay]

It's everything, really.

A solid comparison would be movies. The best selling movies are often family oriented. If you include everyone in your plans, you will likely have better receptions. It's also the reason why the best movie ever made, Show Girls, was not rated high because it was made to satisfy a small group of the population.

Treyarch knows they will need to please not only the gaming guys, but also the story guys and still have new features to draw the multiplayer people and the general gamers.

[Tattoo247]

They're both necessary, it was the gameplay that first got me into CODZ, then as it became stale, I was saved by the finding there was an amazing story to the mode. Even today, I haven't played zombies since Destiny came out (almost a month?) but I come here everyday to read theories and fill in the story. 

 

If I had to choose one though, gameplay. It's a game so it has to play well or it isn't worth the torture of finding the story.

[Stop Mocking Me0]

One needs both for a great game: Black ops 1… 

[Oldmate]

It's the greatest because you can assess, strategize and then implement.  It's cerebral in the sense that you need to think critically to come up with a good strat and requires skill...to implement said strats.

 

Then it's a case of bettering yourself.  With some high-round exceptions, most of us think we can improve, and continue to do so until we hit our goal...competence.

 

Plus you can play with friends, or make new ones WHILE you play.

 

The story can go F**k itself...if it hadn't already f**d us first!!  It genuinely adds nothing for me.

[Undead]

The story is really what sealed the deal for me. When I first heard about how people figured out that the numbers on SNN apparently were coordinates for Area 51, then finding "Tunguska" written on a shack that's normally not seen without cheats, it really spiced up thew wonders of it all. But here's where even that has a line of its own;

 

I loved zombies more when it was more cryptic and the storyline was based on or at least referred to a lot of real historical myths and legends. Everything from WaW - Blops was very cryptic, very scattered and mysterious. I loved that. I remember getting excited every time I'd discover a new radio on my own, then skim the forums to see if I've found them all. Then after Blops 1, everything kinda took a left turn and it was all just handed to you. "Easter Eggs" became "Objectives" and the direction for the supposed storyline just got really complicated and farfetched IMO. 

 

But, I digress. I think it's a comfortable mixture of both, but I'd like to see some more variety to really spice up the gameplay itself. Sure, in some maps the perks spawn randomly and the box moves, but more or less it's the same thing, over and over. I quickly lose enjoyment after I've completed the EE just because there's really no other point other than to break survival records afterwords. If they could go the extra mile and have more extensive randomness to the maps each playthrough, it would have a way higher replay value for me personally.

[Speedo Cola]

The story is really what sealed the deal for me. When I first heard about how people figured out that the numbers on SNN apparently were coordinates for Area 51, then finding "Tunguska" written on a shack that's normally not seen without cheats, it really spiced up thew wonders of it all. But here's where even that has a line of its own;

 

I loved zombies more when it was more cryptic and the storyline was based on or at least referred to a lot of real historical myths and legends. Everything from WaW - Blops was very cryptic, very scattered and mysterious. I loved that. I remember getting excited every time I'd discover a new radio on my own, then skim the forums to see if I've found them all. Then after Blops 1, everything kinda took a left turn and it was all just handed to you. "Easter Eggs" became "Objectives" and the direction for the supposed storyline just got really complicated and farfetched IMO. 

 

But, I digress. I think it's a comfortable mixture of both, but I'd like to see some more variety to really spice up the gameplay itself. Sure, in some maps the perks spawn randomly and the box moves, but more or less it's the same thing, over and over. I quickly lose enjoyment after I've completed the EE just because there's really no other point other than to break survival records afterwords. If they could go the extra mile and have more extensive randomness to the maps each playthrough, it would have a way higher replay value for me personally.

I agree. While BO2 went extremely well with new gameplay features - something I enjoyed, the story wasn't where it needed to be. It moved too slowly, wasn't cryptic with tons of mini-ee's, and like you said, no historical/conspiracy/myth stuff involved.

[Abelson]

both seems the beabero no gd

[Tac]

For me, the story by far. I actually really dislike playing zombies, it's not engaging for me. The only reason I will turn on my Xbox to play is to find something from the map myself, so I can see it instead of a picture of it on the site here. The story is just so mind bending and it takes such heavy analysis to uncover everything, that's the best to me.

[Matuzz]

Story for me is more important but that being said the game play should also be exiting and challenging. That's why my faivorite maps are (Shangri-La and Verruckt). I just get bored when the games just drag on and on. I also dislike solo. For me zombies is Co-Op experince and best played as such.

 

Also sup Tac?