Origins Was An Unfair Standard, But I'd Rather Play Vanguard

In this video, I play through the new map on Black Ops 6 Cod Zombies, The Tomb! I read a bit more on community reception after I uploaded this, and I think I stand by my points. Genuinely, lack of originality aside, I think that having 3/4 maps be small survival maps isn't my favorite. I love Kino, I love Ascension, but I also love Origins, I love Mob of the Dead, and I love Moon. I don't think the map is inherently bad due to being smaller, but I do think it's a poor decision from a design perspective if the goal is reaching a balance between large scale and small scale maps.

I see people mention how cool the Dark Aether looks, and the spawn area, and I don't disagree at all. However, it feels like the entire map can be summarized as Excavation site, Cave, Dark Aether. I think back to other small maps like Der Riese, where I feel as though each teleporter building is substantially different, it doesn't just feel like "Outside" and "Inside". The same goes for Kino, where it doesn't feel like the theatre is just "Theatre" and the outside is just "Outside". If I say dressing room, you know what I mean, if I say the Stage, you know what I mean, you know what speed cola room is, and none of these rooms look just like each other. I felt like when I was in the cave, it was just "the cave". When I was in the Aether, it was just "the Aether". I'm entirely willing to be wrong and to classify this as simply being new to the map, and not noticing the details. I'm open to saying in days, weeks, months, or even years down the line that I was wrong, and that The Tomb was a stellar map, but I just don't think I'm there right now.

I don't care about reused assets, I can push aside no new enemies, and I can hold my thoughts on the voice actor difficulties, and all of these things contribute to the map being less enjoyable of an experience for me; but I simply cannot help but feel a lack of overall interest in the design of the map. A lack of distinguishing features and utilization of empty space. Even maps I don't find myself playing often, such as Shangri-La, Verruckt, Zetsubou no Shima, I feel a type of texture, a type of grain to my memories of them. Something tangible, not rugged but textured. When I think on this map, it feels flat and smooth. I know this is an extraordinarily abstract way of thinking, and I apologize if it's difficult to follow, but it's the best way I can describe it.

And a final note. I've felt drained lately, but especially today. I'm probably grumpy and in a bad mood, and I'm hoping that tomorrow I wake up, I try the map again, and I say, "Oh man, was I blind? This map was awesome!". A negative mindset creates an avalanche, and a large part of my fear is that this video is that very progression, but you only get one first reaction, and this is mine.

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