Summary
On the one hand, it’s cool that you get all the newCall of Dutymaps for free now, but the old days of paid DLC did seem better. These add-ons are quite a bit cheaper thanmost character skin packsyou can get today and offer far more valuable content for your purchase.
These new maps, both regular multiplayer and Zombies variety, are excellent and much more worth paying for than the stuff you can buy in the new CODs. Even the voice packs are a bargain compared to the prices today. What are the best DLCs you can buy, though, from Call of Duty 2, all the way to the final installment with paid DLC content, Black Ops 4?
10Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Variety Map Pack
You Can Never Go Wrong With Free Stuff
The only DLC forCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfarewas the Variety Map Pack, which contained four new multiplayer maps for $10. The maps were really good, but not worth the price. That is until fairly recently when it was made free on Xbox.
It’s probably a permanent discount, and as long as you own a digital or physical copy, you can claim this DLC and own the complete COD4 package.The maps here are great, especially Killhouse, and it’s nice to see Xbox do more for these old-school COD games.
9Call Of Duty: Ghosts Voice Packs
Voice packs or audio packs are a common purchasable item on the current Call of Duty storefront, but they’re way too expensive for what you’re getting. However, back in Call of Duty: Ghosts, you could buy voice packs for just $3. That’s a steal.
There are only two voice packs, but they’re both great. There’s the Drill Instructor from Full Metal Jacket and Snoop Dogg. If you thought Snoop was sick commentating in the WWE, you bet he’s awesome as the COD announcer. It’s a shame there are only two to pick from, but still, you get a lot of entertainment value from something that costs the same as a candy bar.
8Call Of Duty: World At War Map Pack 3
Where Zombies Truly Began
Yes, Call of Duty Zombies started at World at War’s launch, but the final DLC pack is where the true nature of Zombies took shape. Der Riese was not only the best Zombies map in the game, it was the best by far. That’s all thanks to the introduction of the Pack-a-Punch Machine.
With a hefty amount of points to burn, you’re able to upgrade any weapon you desire, and this is key to achieving those high-round runs. It added an ungodly amount of depth to the mode, so much so that you can’t see COD Zombies being the same without it.
7Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 Apocalypse
When Black Ops 2 Hit Its Stride
A lot of people weren’t too big on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies, and that’s primarily due to the horrendous levels that launched with the game. The DLC maps, on the other hand, were great, with the best one being Origins, included in the Apocalypse DLC. Taking place in World War 1, thelevel design was incredible, with so many things you had to take into account.
Not only was it really fun to play, but the story was phenomenal as well, continuing the Samantha plotline and being a great endpoint to Black Ops 2. It’s no surprise that out of all the Zombies maps in Black Ops 2, Origins was the only one remade for Black Ops 3.
6Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare DLC3 Absolution
The Most Fun Infinite Warfare DLC
While Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare generally has a bad reputation, its Zombies mode has seen praise in recent years because the maps, style, and gameplay are excellent. Each map has something new to offer, but the most fitting has to be Attack of the Radioactive Thing included in the Absolution DLC.
Set in California in the 1950s, the map gives off an authentic B-movie vibe, complete with the very fitting inclusion of famous horror host Elvira. Elvira even calls out the power-ups like her pinball machines. Zombies mode is supposed to be horror-themed, and this is strangely only present in the last two maps of Infinite Warfare. This map is a blast, but he warned that the Easter eggprovides a stiff challenge.
5Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1 Escalation Pack 2
The Ultimate Treat For Horror Fans
Attack of the Radioactive Thing is pretty damn good in regards to that ’50s horror movie style, but the best Zombies map for horror film lovers has to be Call of the Dead from the Escalation Pack forCall of Duty: Black Ops 1. Instead of the OG crew, you play as four all-star actors known for horror film roles.
You have Robert Englund, Michael Rooker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Danny Trejo. Plus, you have George Romero as the Nemesis-like boss enemy who continuously stalks you. It’s a fantastic map all around, but really hard at a pro level going for those high rounds.
4Call Of Duty: Black Ops 1 Rezurrection Pack 4
A Fantastic Deal
Not only did the final DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 deliver one of the best Zombies maps ever made up to that point, but it was a great deal as well. With this DLC, you get all four Zombies maps from Call of Duty: World at War remade in Black Ops 1, with added features like new Perk-a-Cola machines in the older maps.
However, the main highlight was the brand new map, Moon, which does, in fact,take place in space. The map had some frustrating elements, but once you figured it out, the level design shined like no other, and the Easter egg is one of the most satisfying in the series.
3Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 Awakening
The Fan Favorite Zombies Map
With Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 being universally regarded as the best COD Zombies game by fans, it shouldn’t be a surprise that its DLC is amazing. The first one released, Awakening, contains what many believe is the best Zombies map in the series, Der Eisendrache.
Its level design, map flow, and cooperative gameplay are peak COD Zombies. The Wrath of the Ancients is one of the most versatile wonder weapons in the series and constantly keeps the map engaging. All the maps in Black Ops 3 are great, but Der Eisendrache stands out especially.
2Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles
A Must-Have DLC
You know a DLC’s incredible when the title eventually starts bundling in the DLC with the base game. Zombies Chronicles for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 delivers eight stellar remade maps from earlier COD games, including World at War and Black Ops 1 and 2. This is a special treat for old-school Zombies fans, especially as many of them might not like the new style of Zombies present in the current maps.
They play just as well, if not better, with all the additions to Black Ops 3, including the Gobblegums, which are a must for getting to the top of the leaderboards on the oldest maps. It’s such a must-have DLC that Activision eventually bundled in Zombies Chronicles with the standard $60 version of the game. It’s that good.
1Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 Classified Zombies Experience
One Last Hurrah
Few moments in gaming actually have finality to them, especially in today’s age, where sequels and remakes are abundant. However, the Classified Zombies Experience DLC forCall of Duty: Black Ops 4is actually the last time the OG Zombies crew of Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai all come together. The map is a reimagining of Five from Black Ops 1 and a pretty good one.
It’s just great to see all these characters come back one more time, and this is the last time because, sadly, the voice actor for Takeo, Tom Kane, suffered a stroke in 2020, leading to an early retirement. If that didn’t happen, the OG crew would likely return at some point, but the game of life can have the biggest plot twists.
