u/AelitaAlbarn

Steam Link in case anyone is curious:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4197610/Librarian\_Tidy\_Up\_the\_Arcane\_Library/

(Note: I am not the developer and have no intention of posting this as a means of advertising)

Even though it’s been almost a decade since the release of CoD: WWII, I still think about its zombies mode on a regular basis… I don’t know what it is about this particular entry of a random side mode in a yearly released game, but almost everything about it is just perfection to me. The art direction, the incredible zombie designs and intriguing explanation of how they had been reanimated, the oppressively dark story and atmosphere! I love all of it so much!

That is… all of it except for the game itself…

Don’t get me wrong, I think WWII is a great entry in the series, and I did have a lot of fun with this mode at the time, but I sincerely wish all this work hadn’t been put into a round-based game mode. It’s always felt like such an unnecessary confinement that’s directly at odds with what the team had built.

A story-based prologue, Cinematic boss fights, and Easter Egg steps that were not only provided to the player in game (at least for the first map) but also dynamically interacted with the map in meaningful ways! It was clear Glen Scofield and his team had high ambitions when working on this project, but with each new DLC, it also became clear that some of the ideas simply didn’t work in conjunction with how the game mode itself had to operate. A prime example being the Meuchlers. An enemy that hides away in the fog until it can ambush the player and eliminate them. An awesome concept! However, not one that works well when death resets any and all progress…

Sure. You can definitely call it a skill issue and tell someone like me to “Get Gud”, but I just want you to think about all the tense story moments the devs could’ve crafted if the player was able to progress beyond the bounds of a confined map location and enemy spawns!

Instead of a Mulchler running towards you hitting you a couple times and running away or downing you. (pretty much ending your game on the spot if you’re a solo player.) What if the devs could’ve given this new enemy a more cinematic introduction? Something that gave this new enemy a proper introduction while also allowing you to learn how it operates!

Imagine this:

You’re slowly progressing through the dense fog, weapon drawn tightly to your shoulder as the crimson rock of the cliff faces above echo with the sound of loose rubble giving way to gravity… Suddenly, without warning, You’re knocked to the ground from behind into a cloud of dust and get dragged violently away. In a desperate attempt, you manage to flip onto your back, only to find yourself face to rotting face with a creature whose spider-like appendages still remain tightly gripped to your ragged clothes. Readying your weapon, you fire several rounds into the creature’s exposed skull as a coagulated substance drips from its long tongue. With a nightmarish screech, the creature relinquishes its grasp of you and retreats back into the fog. Getting back to your feet, you point your weapon in the direction you had last seen the creature. Scanning the maze of paths you now find yourself in the middle of as they cut through the terrain, the sound of the waves below crash through the tense silence around you. Turning your sights in the direction of an echoing shriek in the distance, one thing becomes clear… You are being hunted…

Wouldn’t that be so much cooler?? You have a memorable story moment, a proper segment to learn how this new enemy functions, and (something I wish was present in more games with enemy designs at this level) an effective glimpse at all the horrifying details the devs crafted!

Of course. This is all obviously just a long-winded “What if” scenario, for what I already mentioned, was a random game mode in a near decade old game, but I really do love so much about it and wanted to talk about it! So, if you actually decided to take the time to read all this, first off… Thank you! And second, I really want to hear your thoughts and ideas regarding this small sliver of a horror game! Thoughts on the zombies? Existing or new locations you think would’ve been cool? Gameplay moments? I’d love to hear all of it!!