Tears of the Dark is the major easter egg of the Zombies map The Dark. It was first hinted in the Tears Swell Trailer, depicting the Eiffel Tower occupied by the Illuminati. It spans 16 steps. All that is known is that it will revolve around a massive battle between the Inner Circle, the Allseeing Eye Forces with their Illuminati commanders and the Zombies. Things such as the musical easter eggs (The 900th Maiden, Dead Beetle and The Ebon Monster, respectively) will be prominent. It requires all eight players to complete. The major easter egg ends the game once completed, similar to previous MJEs.
All of the steps take place immediately after the previous one.
Tears of the Dark pays tribute to all of the previous maps in the Zombies series.
Act 1: The Dark[]
Step 1: Night of the Undead[]
Step 1 is began by surviving until Round 10, where the Allseeing Eye will begin dropping power-ups, and some will go onto the streets. Upon the death of the first Allseeing Eye soldier in the round, a power-up will drop, with the shape of a floating Radio. Picking it up will display a combination of numbers (14, 4, 21). The Zombies will be more hesitant to attack the player with the numbers.
Step 2: Insane[]
Step 2 begins immediatley after, and the phasing system is reintroduced, showing the Inner Circle gaining ground, and the map becomes slightly less deadly as there are no longer any Allseeing Eye forces in the buildings (or the remaining soldiers are fighting the Inner Circle). To complete Step 2, the players must enter an asylum (which is identical to Verrückt because of the explosions and fire), and venture to the Power Room. Once there, the doors will lock behind the group and Richtofen will laugh saying that this is "Their end".
An additional number will be added to the number player, 22.
Step 3: Swamp of Death[]
Step 3 requires the group to venture down the stairs to the window which is normally a Zombie barricade. Instead it will be open, and the group must venture inside. The group must navigate through the underground area, trying to avoid what are essentially Banzai Allseeing Eye members and Zombies, as well as avoiding oil patches because they down if sprinted on. Once at the end, an Illuminati Member will guard the exit, and the group must fight him until he is at 10% health. This will trigger a cutscene showing Sarah Michelle Gellar quickly pulling on a trap handle, activating the Flogger which strikes the Illuminati Member. It bursts in flames and explodes, and the doorway beneath the Flogger opens.
The numbers 19, 14 and 14 will be added.
Step 4: The Giant[]
The doorway leads the group to a Group 935 facility, bearing heavy resemblance to Der Riese. The doorway specifically takes the players to the alleyway near the Teddy Bear in Der Riese, next to the spawn room and the Double Barrelled Shotgun room. Once inside the Double Barrelled Shotgun room, the doorway to the Thompson room opens, revealing several dozen Zombies. They must all be killed as the door to the outside is closed. Once dead, a smoke grenade will go off, showing several Allseeing Eye members taking cover behind the barrels, smashing the wall to create a hole, inside the teleporter room and on the bridge to the teleporter room. The group must fight their way through these forces and reach the Power Switch. Once activated, a pack of one hundred Hellhounds will spawn, prowling around the map. After killing them, the last one will drop another radio power-up, which does nothing until the group go to the teleporter with the STG-44 wall-weapon.
To complete the step, the teleporter must be activated with everyone inside. This gives the numbers player the numbers 4 and 18.
Act 2: The Illuminati[]
Step 5: Theatre of the Dead[]
The players will teleport to Kino der Toten, which by the 2010's has been put into an even worse state. The power must be turned on again, which is done by throwing grenades at the teleporter, followed by finding a Wunderwaffe DG-2 in the Mystery Box. Whilst in Kino der Toten, Allseeing Eye members will fire at the group from the balconies and the Pack-A-Punch room, as well as Zombies and Crawler Zombies spawning in the room. The only room available is the centre and the stage. Once the Wunderwaffe is obtained, it has to shoot the camera in the Pack-A-Punch room. The camera will then deflect the shot and launch it towards the stage (which now contains strange blue containers). This causes electricity to spread across the entire map, lighting it (and also giving each player minor shock damage).
The power then turns on, and the teleporter is usable once more. The teleporter will activate immediatley, and will remain so until everyone is inside. This gives the numbers player the numbers 11, 4 and 20.
Step 6: Fall of Government[]
The teleporter will return the players to Paris, showing the Illuminati General blasting Inner Circle airforces out of the sky in the distance. The Eiffel Tower is now viewable, showing the Illuminati platforms floating around it, as well as a large circle floating above the tip. The Moon is now in sight (as opposed to ash clouds and general clouds covering it), so the city is slightly lighter, and players don't have to rely on fire to see. The group will also be in a different part of the map, slightly closer to the bridge leading to the Eiffel Tower.
To complete step 6, the group must simply hold out against swarming Zombies and Hellhounds, as well as Allseeing Eye forces until Inner Circle reinforcements arrive. Sophia suggests using the cars as weapons against the Zombies. She and Harvey Yena will start working on the cars, and the group must defend those two, as well as Edwin Groph and Daniel Schuster whilst they do this for five minutes. Three minutes in, an Illuminati Member will arrive, brandishing two smaller glowing purple swords. He is much faster than members encountered before, and attacks faster too. Once he is dead, the NPCs say they are done and to take cover. Once done, the step is complete, granting then numbers player the number 6.
Step 7: The Plague Spread[]
Step 7 begins with a massive Zombies horde charging towards the group in the opposite direction (a.k.a, the cars). As they approach the cars, Sophia pulls out a detonator and all players shield their eyes as a massive blue explosion and a white light covers the screen. The phasing system takes effect during this time, showing huge cracks in the ground, and the ground is covered in blood. Step 7 is simple to complete as it only requires the group to survive to reach the bridge to the Eiffel Tower. Once done, the player receives the numbers 4, 15 and 1.
Step 8: Ascend from Darkness[]
Once on the bridge, the ground behind the group collapses (a side effect from the explosion), forcing them to remain on the bridge. Perk Machines and even a Pack-A-Punch machine are located further on the bridge, however. A cutscene plays showing the group heading forward, but a large amount of Allseeing Eye forces appear in their way. Groph and Schuster approach them, prompting Sophia to tell them they are mad. The two reveal that they are in allegiance to Richtofen, and always were.
The cutscene ends, and the two will be gone. To complete the step, the large amount of Allseeing Eye must be killed. Once dead, another cutscene shows a rocket launching not too far away, which is revealed to be the same rocket from Ascension. It disappears when it approaches the Moon. The step is complete, and the numbers player receives the numbers 1, 19 and 3.
Step 9: The Cold Hand of Death[]
Three Illuminati Members (similair to the one from Step 6) appear together, as well as a much larger one, wearing a helmet which covers his face (who is a Captain). Once the three members are dead, the larger one will launch three small red spheres, which resurrect them as Zombies, still wielding their blades. Once dead again, the large member retreats. A cutscene then shows the group firing on him, but ultimatley they all run out of ammo. The numbers player receives the numbers 3, 15, 20 and 4.
Step 10: The Ancients will provide for us[]
Step 10 will strip the players of their weapons. But scattered across the ground are World War II guns (updated from World at War) which can be picked up to combat the Zombie hordes with. To complete Step 10, the players must reach the end of the bridge using the weapons they have (which will remain for the rest of the game). Once at the end, the player receives the numbers 19 and 12.
Step 11: Beyond the stars[]
The Illuminati Captain will await the players at the end, and he must be combated to complete the step. Whilst he is slow, his attack is launching a large bladed weapon towards a random player which insta-kills instead of downs. He has a large amount of health, but each time he misses with a sword it drops a Max Ammo. Once dead, the way to the Eiffel Tower section is clear. The numbers player will receive the number 13.
Act 3: Richtofen's Demise[]
Step 12: Melancholy[]
Step 12 is the final step in which the player fight the Allseeing Eye forces. The Inner Circle also arrives during this step, beginning an all out battle with them. To complete Step 12, the group must battle their way to a large raised area (which bears a heavy resemblance to L'Étranger). The step is complete once the group reach there.
This grants the numbers player the number 13, which appears beneath the collection of numbers. The 13 will glow.
Step 13: Sorrow[]
Step 13 requires the group to hold off Zombies and Hellhounds (Allseeing Eye forces will not attempt to stop this because they are losing their battle against the Inner Circle) whilst Sophia works on a device in the area. After two minutes, the step is complete. During this step, the musical easter egg groups (The Ebon Monster, The 900th Maiden and Dead Beetle) become available again.
This awards the player with the number 19, which glows.
Step 14: Anguish[]
Also known as the Dead Beetle step, Step 14 automatically activates the Dead Beetle collection. Sophia will activate the device, which causes dozens of lights to activate (a direct reference to L'Étranger's ending cutscene), and she says that the weapon to stop Richtofen will begin charging because of this. Step 14 allows the players to return to the Eiffel Tower area, showing all of the Allseeing Eye defeated. However several members of the Illuminati, accompanied by Zombies will appear from the platforms around the tower. Once the collection is complete, the final Illuminati member will drop a power-up, which teleports all of the players one of the floating platforms hovering around the middle of the tower.
This rewards the player with the number 1, which glows.
Step 15: Despair... so exhilarating[]
Also known as The 900th Maiden step, the group must battle their way through the platform to the other side of it to reach a teleporter. Once there, they will be teleported to the other mid-tower platform, where they must do the same action. Sophia reveals that the weapon is at 50% charge and will soon be ready to fire on demand. The second platform is considerably harder, containing five huge Illuminati Captains (similair to Step 11) alongside Zombies. Once they are dead, the 900th Maiden ends no matter what song it's on, and the teleporter at the end activates.
Step 16: Vengeance[]
Also known as The Ebon Monster step, the group arrives on the floating circular platform above the Eiffel Tower centre. The Illuminati General will unleash several Illuminati Captains and Hellhounds to stop the group. Allseeing Eye forces appear too (rappelling onto the platform), but Sophia and Harvey Yena essentially one shot them or one hit knife them before they can interfere with the group.
Once the Captains are dead, the General will laugh at the players for trusting Group 935 when it's own members don't wish for the world to return to normal, revealing Edwin Groph and Daniel Schuster once more, now in Illuminati gear. They wield guns and have quite good accuracy. To defeat them, the players must avoid dying and essentially fire into one when he reloads. When one reloads however, the other shoots. The player wielding the Wunderwaffe DG-2 will be unable to fire it during the fight. Eventually, the two will reach a low health, in which they will become immune to bullet fire. The one with the Wunderwaffe must score a headshot (max ammos are dropped by some Allseeing Eye bodies if needed) on either one of them, which kills both of them.
This rewards the numbers player with the number 22, which glows.
Step 17: In The Dark[]
Step 17 is the final step, in which the Allseeing Eye forces stop appearing, allowing the NPCs to assist in the fight. The Illuminati General will duel wield Edwin and Daniel's guns, and seems to Pack-A-Punch them. He has approximately 4,000,000 health, although if the player with the Wunderwaffe shoots him, he will take an additional 100% damage for ten seconds.
The General can also be stunned by Sophia or Harvey Yena if he gets too close to either of them, in which they will strike him on his head with their gun, stunning him for three seconds. Once he is dead, Sophia says that the weapon is fully charged and ready to fire, they just need a combination.
The player with the numbers must then go over to a computer screen located behind the General's original position and type in each number in order on their screen. When a glowing number is placed, the screen shakes and the player must put in the next number. Once this is done, the easter egg is complete and the ending cutscene plays.
Trivia[]
- Tears of the Dark is a reference to Dance In The Dark, the inspiration song for Dark Tears.