Call of Duty Black Ops 3 Zombies tips

How to destroy the zombie horde.

Shadows of Evil, the Black Ops 3 Zombies mode, takes place in Morg City and features The Magician, the Femme Fatal, The Cop and The Boxer.

The idea is to destroy progressively difficult waves of zombies (obviously). You'll get to use an XP-based progression system, Perks and a power-up called Gobblegum. You can also transform into The Beast, which is as violent as it sounds.

The Beast, and how to be it

Entering Beast mode is easy: just interact with the burning purple brazier. As The Beast, you're much faster and more powerful, and are able to fire electricity with the left trigger. The right trigger lets you grapple enemies.

Crouching makes you human again. Pressing Jump turns you into The Beast. The effect only lasts for a limited amount of time. The biggest thing to remember with Beast Mode is that your human body gets left behind when you change, so tell the rest of the team to guard your body.

When you revert to being a human, you'll emit a blast that will throw back nearby zombies.

How to earn money

You earn money in Shadows of Evil in two ways: damaging zombies and repairing barricades. Cash is used to buy new guns, trip traps, open doors and get upgrades, such as Gobblegum and Perk-a-Cola.

The trick to making as much money as possible in the Zombies mode is stringing out your kills. If you damage zombies before finishing them off - by blowing off limbs, for instance - then you'll make more cash.

The Train

Morg City has three districts: Footlight, the Canal and Waterfront. These areas are connected via a hub called The Junction. The safest and fastest method of travelling between areas is by taking the Train.

To use the Train, just pay the fee. Use the Train to reach a specific Perk machine or want to make a quick escape (don't forget that some enemies will follow, though).

Tips for killing zombies

Very obviously, headshots are the quickest way to drop the undead. Try to group them together to maximise your team's damage.

When you're nearing the end of a wave, leave a few enemies alive. This gives you time to explore, pick up new weapons and grab Gobblebum (see below) before you finish everything off and start the next round.

Enemy types

Shadows of Evil isn't just about zombies.

Parasites are flying enemies that have a habit of distracting you while you get flanked by zombies. It’s best to dedicate one team-member to look after them.

Insanity Elementals roll toward you and explode. You'll see them drop from the sky. Tackle them from range.

The Margwa is a large, charging enemy. Stay back and and hit the yellow target in its mouths.

Weapons

Black Ops 3's Zombies mode packs a huge variety of weapons.

They can all be customized in the Zombie lobby. As is the norm, you can only add two attachments and a sight early on in play, with different classes and attachments unlocking as you progress. You must individually level guns to unlock their attachments.

There are two types of weapons, Wall Weapons and those contained in Mystery Boxes. Wall Weapons are available just by walking up to them, spending money and buying ammo.

Mystery Boxes appear randomly throughout Morg City. These contain the most powerful guns in Shadows of Evil, and you’ll need to use Stone Markers to find them. Opening them costs cash, and you'll also need to pay to reload them. If you're short on money, focus on Wall Weapons.

Perks

Hit Morg City's Perk-a-Cola machines to receive power-ups. You can only hold four Perks at a time. Upgrades include:

• Jugger-Nog: Makes you a tougher target (although not invincible).
• Mule Kick: Lets you carry three weapons.
• Double Tap Root Beer: Fire more rounds.
• Speed Cola: Faster reloading.
• Widow’s Wine: A sticky grenade that produces a web that traps nearby zombies.
• Quick Revive: A self-res. A bit like the Sunsinger Warlock in Destiny.

Gobblegum

Gobblegum is a single use power-up, of which there are different types. One remains active for a certain period of time, while another lasts over several rounds. Another will only activate in specific circumstances, such as buying a Wall Weapon.

You can customise your Gobblegum pack by picking five different types. Access more types by levelling up. You can create five different packs of Gobblegum and use them as you see fit.

To use Gobblegum, find a Gobblegum Vending Machine and insert money for a random flavor.

Power-ups

Killing enemies grants you power-ups. They appear randomly and activate immediately. The list includes:

• Double Points: A score boost.
• Insta-Kill: One-hit kills.
• Max Ammo: Everyone receives full ammunition for every weapon.
• Nuke: Wipes all zombies from the area.
• Fire Sale: Every Mystery Box appears for a short amount of time. Weapon prices are cut 10 points for 30 seconds.
• Carpenter: Restores all barricades.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is out now.