You’re sprinting through a dark, foggy forest. A giant man in a neon slasher mask is breathing down your neck with a chainsaw. "The Rhythm of the Night" is blasting from a nearby speaker, but it’s muffled by the sound of your own character’s panicked breathing. This isn't a fever dream from a 1994 warehouse party. It’s Rave in the Redwoods, the second zombies map from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and honestly? It might be the most atmospheric map Infinity Ward ever built.
Most people written off Infinite Warfare the second they saw the trailer. They wanted boots on the ground, not space rigs. But the Zombies mode, led by Lee Ross, leaned so hard into B-movie camp that it actually worked. Rave in the Redwoods took us away from the neon theme park of Spaceland and dropped us into a gritty, drug-fueled, slasher-flick nightmare at Bear Lake. It’s been years since it dropped, but if you go back and play it now, the vibes are still unmatched.
The Aesthetic Pivot: From Disco to Dirt
The transition from Zombies in Spaceland to Rave in the Redwoods was jarring in the best way possible. We went from bright lights and David Hasselhoff to a damp, muddy summer camp. It feels like a love letter to Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, but with a glow-stick-chewing twist. The map starts in black and white—or close to it—until you turn on the power.
Once that power switch flips, the world changes.
The map is split between two distinct personalities. You have the "standard" gritty forest, and then you have the Rave vision. When you trigger "Rave Mode" by interacting with the pouches, the screen explodes into a psychedelic neon kaleidoscope. The trees glow. The zombies start wearing neon face paint and tutus. The music shifts. It’s a mechanic that isn't just for show; it’s how you access specific buildables and Easter egg steps. It’s also how you see the "Slasher," a terrifying boss that only appears in the hallucinations. He’s huge. He’s fast. And if you aren't careful, he’ll end your run before you can even find the boat.
Kevin Smith and the Power of Cameos
One of the coolest things about this era of CoD Zombies was the celebrity guest stars. While Spaceland had the Hoff, Rave in the Redwoods brought in Kevin Smith. Yes, that Kevin Smith. Silent Bob himself.
He’s not just a voiceover, either. You find him early on, tucked away in a cabin, and eventually, he becomes a playable character if you beat the main quest. Having Kevin Smith yell at zombies while wielding a golf club is the kind of specific, weird energy that modern Call of Duty is honestly missing. It didn't feel like a corporate brand deal. It felt like a bunch of developers stayed up late watching Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and decided to put their hero in a horror game.
The Melee Meta
Before this map, melee in Zombies was usually a "last resort" or something you did on round one to save ammo. Rave in the Redwoods changed the game by introducing the melee weapons. You had the golf club, the machete, the spiked bat, and the shovel.
These weren't just reskins.
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They had different swing speeds and reaches. If you upgraded them, they became absolute powerhouses. The golf club, in particular, had a satisfying thwack that never got old. It made the early game feel more like a survival-horror brawler than a first-person shooter. You weren't just training zombies; you were hunting them. It forced a different playstyle where you had to manage your distance more carefully because, let’s be real, a zombie's reach is surprisingly long when you're trying to cave its head in with a shovel.
The Easter Egg: A Descent Into the Ritual
The main quest for Rave in the Redwoods is surprisingly cohesive compared to some of the convoluted "press square on a random rock" quests in Black Ops 3. It revolves around the soul jars and the ritual circles.
You have to collect the photos, find the items belonging to the campers, and then survive the ritual circles while killing zombies in specific ways. It’s challenging but logical. The final boss fight against the Super Slasher is a genuine test of your movement and resource management. You’re trapped in a small arena, dodging blue fire and ground pounds while trying to thin out the horde.
A lot of players struggled with the "Sausage" step—if you know, you know. Tossing those sausages to the deer heads on the walls to get the charms was one of those "only in zombies" moments. It’s ridiculous. It’s gross. It’s perfect.
The Charms: A Layer of Strategy
The Charms system was a brilliant addition that added a lot of replayability. You could find these tiny items—a shovel, a binoculars, a frog, a mask—and "bond" with them to get permanent perks that didn't take up a perk slot.
- The Frog: Let you sprint through water without slowing down.
- The Shovel: Gave you better loot from digging spots.
- The Binoculars: Let you see zombie health (kinda niche, but cool).
It added a layer of customization. You had to decide which charm was worth the effort of the mini-quest associated with it. Most people went for the Fish or the Frog because moving fast is life in Zombies. If you can't move, you die. Simple as that.
Why it Holds Up in 2026
We’ve seen a lot of Zombies maps since 2017. We’ve had the chaos of BO4, the streamlined (some say too streamlined) experience of Cold War, and whatever Vanguard was trying to do. Looking back, Rave in the Redwoods sits in a "Goldilocks" zone. It has the complexity of the Blundell-era maps but maintains the arcade fun of the classic era.
The map design is a loop. It’s easy to learn but hard to master because of the narrow paths and the "mess hall" area that can become a death trap in seconds. The Benjamins (the currency) felt like they had more weight. The Harpoon Guns—the Vlad—were some of the coolest Wonder Weapons ever made. Getting the "Acid Rain" or "Whirlwind" variants felt like a true power trip.
Honestly, the biggest tragedy is that Infinite Warfare didn't get a Year 2. The story ended on a cliffhanger that we're likely never going to see resolved. We’re stuck with Willard Wyler’s cinematic prison, and while the journey was wild, Rave in the Redwoods remains the peak of that specific aesthetic. It captured a very specific 1990s horror vibe that no other game has quite nailed since.
How to Master the Rave Today
If you’re dusting off the old console to jump back in, or if you’re a new player picking up the IW season pass on sale, here is how you actually survive the night.
Step 1: Don't ignore the melee.
Grab the machete or the golf club immediately. You can one-hit kill zombies well into the double digits if you're smart about your movement. This saves you thousands of points that you’ll need for the boat ride and the pack-a-punch.
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Step 2: Learn the Rave Mode timing.
Don't just jump into Rave Mode for the sake of it. Use it strategically to find the charms or the wall-buy weapons that only appear in that mode. Also, remember that the Slasher is a tank. If you hear that chainsaw revving and you aren't prepared, get out of the Rave area immediately.
Step 3: The Crossbows are mandatory.
The "Vlad" harpoon gun is your best friend. To get it, you need to find the three hidden pictures and put them on the wall in the mess hall. Each upgrade path (Owl, Deer, Eagle, Wolf) has its own strengths. The Ben Franklin (Eagle) is great for crowd control, but the Acid Rain (Owl) is arguably the best for high-round survival.
Step 4: Master the "Sliding" movement.
Infinite Warfare has a very specific slide-jump mechanic. If you aren't sliding constantly, you’re moving too slow. The zombies in this game are aggressive. They don't just shamble; they lunge. You need to be faster than them.
Actionable Next Steps for Survival
- Prioritize the Boat: Get the power on and fix the boat to the island as fast as possible. The island has the Pack-a-Punch machine, and you don't want to be stuck with base weapons past round 10.
- Hunt the Charms: Specifically, go for the Frog charm (the small green figurine). The water around the lake will slow you down and get you killed during a horde. The Frog charm removes that penalty entirely, making the lakefront a viable training spot.
- Build the Shields: Don't forget the riot shield parts. It’s a literal lifesaver when you get cornered in the cramped cabin hallways.
- Save your Fate and Fortune cards: Use "Scoped Brushes" or "Eagle Eyed" if you're using the M1 carbine early on. It’s an easy way to farm points for the mid-game.
Rave in the Redwoods isn't just a map; it's a mood. It’s the smell of damp pine needles mixed with the ozone of a fog machine. It’s the terror of the woods mixed with the euphoria of a neon dance floor. Even if you aren't a fan of the futuristic setting of Infinite Warfare, this specific slice of DLC is worth the price of admission just for the atmosphere alone. Grab a glow stick, pick up a spiked bat, and try not to let the Slasher catch you.