Black Ops 2's Nuketown Zombies map will release on Xbox Live today, Activision has announced, though you'll only be able to enjoy it in Survival Mode. The redesigned Nuketown takes up 186 MB, and is laden with all the usual Zombie props and items, including Pack-A-Punch and Perk-A-Cola machines. "Nuketown Zombies hits Xbox 360 BlackOps2 Season Pass holders tomorrow," the publisher confirmed in a tweet last night. "Which weapon will you Pack-A-Punch with first?" I'd skip the firearm business entirely and make a beeline for the Bowie Knife tucked inside one of the houses - you'll need to unlock the door by spending 3000 points first. Watch out - certain parts of the map are now blocked off with rubble.



There's a twist to how Perk-A-Cola machines work on Nuketown. Every time you kill a zombie, you'll knock a point off the counter on the sign in the middle of the map. Score 100 kills, and you'll be up to your gills in sweet, skill-reinforcing fluids.

Some will play Black Ops 2 because they want to Save The World or at least English-speaking parts of it from Ahmed Bin-McBlasty and his army of turban-wearing robots. Others will play the game in order to teach hyperactive adolescent boys a lesson in manners by way of millimetre scanners, drone swarms and carefully placed Shock Charges.

But you and I are not of either frame of mind, reader. We're here to do all kinds of hurtful things to marauding corpses in Zombies Mode, laying waste to post-apocalyptic America aboard a bus made of flames, rust and evil intentions.

Black Ops 2 Zombies - Grief tactics, Tranzit tips and part locations

The thrill of Zombies Mode is at least partly that of discovery, especially now that there's an open world of sorts to explore, care of the new, five-area Tranzit mode. Ergo, you really shouldn't read the following pointers unless you've dabbled already and are sorely in need of assistance. It's early days for Black Ops 2, of course, and this isn't an exhaustive list of intel - watch out for more features on the subject down the road.



1. Build your first turbine in Tranzit Mode

Mastering Tranzit isn't just about knowing when to backpedal, when to reload, and when to flee in tears because there's a Denizen perched upside your face, clawing at your eyeballs. It's also a question of finding parts and assembling them into new weapons, upgrades for the bus and machinery with which to unlock new areas. Here are a couple of recipes to start you off.

Firstly, make damn sure you assemble a Turbine in the Bus Station area, as you'll need it to open doors later on. Combine the mannequin, fan and toy plane wing from inside the station itself, then place the results near any powered doors you want opened. You can only carry one completed item at once, so be careful to drop the Turbine inside the bus when you're not using it. Secondly, grab a trolley from the diner in the second area, take it to the garage and combine it with a car door for a rudimentary but effective riot shield.

2. Upgrade the bus

Care of the Turbine, you should discover a zombie plough for the bus in the first area and an hatch for the vehicle's roof in the second. The plough stops zombies getting into the bus from the front, but do bear in mind that the hatch gives them access from above - station a man with a shotgun topside to see off any would-be invaders. While you're looking up, take note of the "hidden" 93R pistol purchase point stencilled on the ceiling.

3. Some of the part drops are randomised...

...and you'll need to gather the materials for certain items all over again if you lose the item in question. Treat them with respect.

4. Watch out for green streetlights

Missed the bus? Go hunt down one of the Denizens that patrol the routes between areas. These touchy-feely nasties aren't just a Treyarch homage to Left 4 Dead 2's Jockey - they're also integral to Tranzit's secret fast travel network. Guide one towards a green streetlight and it'll tunnel downward, leaving behind a portal to one of the other streetlights on the map. Incidentally, if a Denizen mounts your skull you can shake it off with a knife attack or the Galvaknuckles.

5. Obtain the Thrustodyne Aeronautic Model 23

It's a massive, barrel-shaped wind cannon, and it'll absolutely masticate anything caught in the blast. The parts are scattered all over Tranzit - you'll find the first one - an abandoned jet engine - in a side-tunnel between the first and second areas. The Thrustodyne has a nasty habit of breaking once it's inflicted a certain amount of damage, but internet sages speculate that you can extend its lifespan using a Pack-A-Punch. By all means experiment and let us know.


6. You don't need to hurt to kill in Grief mode

Black Ops 2's new competitive mode Grief is all about out-lasting the other team. You can't directly damage your rivals, but you can hasten their demise by shooting or melee attacking when they're reviving each other or attempting to use map elements like Mystery Boxes. Knockback's a bitch, and all that. There's a very effective counter, however - simply go prone when reviving a friend to forestall interference.

7. Disable things after you've used them

The new EMP grenade switches off map devices like perk machines for 30 seconds or thereabouts, so if you've just got your perk on and there's a rival player approaching, by all means spoil his day.

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