The Giant (formerly yet more commonly known as Der Riese) is the first map to be added to Michael's Zombies, released on December 30th, 2021.
Background
The Giant is set in a German research facility, formerly controlled by Group 935. However, in lore, it is another one of Michael's pocket dimensions. It has several main areas each leading to 3 teleporters that needs to activated in order to open Pack-a-Punch. It contains 5 different perks (one of them can only be accessed through an easter egg) and 2 different side easter eggs (the "Hide and Seek" Easter Egg and the Musical easter egg, that while works fine in game will not play any music due to the Roblox audio update.)
Map Analysis
Starting Room/Mainframe
This is the starting area of the map players will spawn in upon the game starting. There are four barricades, two at each side of the Mainframe, one to the side of the power generator, and one down a staircase. There are two doors that lead to the other portions of the map, each costing 750 points to unlock.
This area also contains two wall weapons and the Pack-a-Punch.
Weapons:
- Kar98k : 500 Points
- Gewehr 43 : 500 Points
Important:
- Pack-a-Punch : 4500 Points to Upgrade
Automobile Garage
Opening the gate on the right side of the Starting Room will lead you to the Automobile Garage. In the garage there is a location for the mystery box and 2 different wall weapons, each costing 1200 points. The Automobile Garage also contains the furnace, which is important for the hide and seek easter egg, and an electric trap which does infinite damage and can kill zombies (and yourself if you're not careful) on all rounds.
Weapons:
- Sawed-Off : 1200 Points
- M1 Thompson : 1200 Points
Others:
- Electric Trap - 1000 points and does infinite damage
Left Factory Room
After opening the door on the left of the Starting Room, there are two barricades and a door leading to the left hallway that costs 1000 points to open. This door leads to Teleporter A, and a wall weapon.
Weapons Available:
- M1A1 Carbine : 750 Points
Teleporter B Room (Chemical Testing Room)
Going up the stairs from the automobile garage and going right will lead you to the Teleporter B Room. After opening the locked door that costs 750 points on the Right Balcony, the player(s) will enter a room containing yet another teleporter. It contains two barricades and a location for a mystery box spawn. Teleporter B room also contains one of the teleporters you have to link to the mainframe in spawn in order to activate Pack-a-Punch.
Weapons Available:
- Type 100 - 1000 Points
Perk Machines:
- Mule Kick - 4000 points (Only accessed through the hide and seek easter egg).
Left Hallway (Animal Testing Lab)
After opening the door in the left factory room, it will lead to this hallway. It contains the Trench Shotgun and a box spawn. There is a staircase to the right leading to a debris that costs 1000 points to clear and will grant access to another room. There is also a door to the left that will lead you to the Teleporter A Room. This room also contains one of the three Electric Traps.
Weapons Available:
- Trench Shotgun : 1500 Points
Others:
- Electric Trap - 1000 points and does infinite damage
Teleporter A Room
After opening a door to the left of the Left Hallway, you are greeted by one of the Teleporters that you have to link in order to activate Pack-a-Punch. There are also 2 barricades here.
Weapons Available:
- MP40 : 1000 Points
Mystery Box Spawn Room/Courtyard
After opening one of the two doors located on the sides of the Courtyard, it leads to a balcony and a section just outside of the factory. If the player jumps off the roof, they will come across the Mystery Box which will always spawn at the beginning of the game in this area, sitting next to the power generator which the player can then turn on the power switch to activate. There is also an electric trap available.
Weapons Available:
- FG42 - 1500 points
- Bouncing Betties - 1000 points
Perk Machines :
- Double Tap : 2000 Points
- Juggernog : 2500 Points
- Speed Cola : 3000 Points
- Quick Revive : 1500 Points (500 Solo)
Others:
- Electric Trap - 1000 points and does infinite damage
Teleporter C Room
After opening the door that costs 1250 points in the Mystery Box spawning room, it leads to a building in the factory. Inside the building there is Teleporter C and the catwalk that leads to another Mystery Box location.
Weapons Available:
- STG44 : 1200 Points
- Bowie Knife: 3000 Points
Teleporters
Linking the teleporters requires power to be turned on from the Courtyard. To link the teleporters to the Mainframe, the player has to hold down the action button depending what device they are playing on and a 30 second timer will appear. The players have to run to the Mainframe, which is at the spawn, and hold the action button down on top of the mainframe. Doing this will cause the Pack-a-Punch Machine's doors to lower slightly depending on how many teleporters have been linked, and a random power-up will appear. After linking a teleporter, the player can now teleport directly to the mainframe from the other teleporters, with each teleport costing 1500 points. Additionally, the teleporters can also be used as a trap, as zombies die when they get near or inside the teleporter when activated. There is a delay between using the teleporters as they need to recharge.
Hellhound Rounds
Hellhound rounds will happen every five to seven rounds, with a descending guitar riff, the map will turn foggy and the Announcer will say "Fetch me their souls!". They walk around the map, and when they spot a player will immediately run towards the player, lunging at them. Friend Bombs will not work on Hellhounds, though the explosion can still damage them. When the last Hellhound of the round dies, it will drop a Max Ammo power-up.
After 15 to 19 rounds (usually after the third hellhound round), Hellhounds will spawn in on regular rounds alongside normal zombies.
Easter Egg
The "Hide and Seek" Easter Egg
The "Hide and Seek" easter egg is the main easter egg of the map that rewards you with the Mule Kick perk near the Teleporter B room.
You will need:
- Friend Bombs
- A Pack-a-Punched weapon which shoots bullets (no Wunderwaffe, Ray Gun, etc.)
How to activate the Easter Egg
Roll mystery box until you get the Friend bombs, and get a Pack-a-Punched weapon. There is a furnace inside the Automobile Garage that you must throw a friend bomb into. Once the friend bomb explodes, Michael will speak to you. He requests that you "go find his 5 children", their locations are as follows:
- In the spawn, nested cozily in-between the two barrels next to the entrance to the Automobile Garage.
- Behind some barrels, one of which is on fire in an enclosed area near the M1A1 Carbine wall-buy and a barricade.
- In between the pipes present behind of the generator in the Teleporter A room.
- On top of some pipes inside of the Teleporter B room, right by the entrance to the room.
- At Teleporter C below the set of stairs where a barricade is blocking zombies approaching from a cave.
The children must be shot with a Pack-a-Punched weapon. Note that projectiles other projectiles such as Wunderwaffe bolts do not hit these children effectively, meaning that even when Pack-a-Punched some weapons will not eliminate them.
After cleansing the dimension of Michael's children, Mule Kick will be unlocked, and to find it, you must head back to Teleporter B. Once at the entrance, take a right turn approaching the teleporter room, enter the room which you are facing and look to your left next to the Type 100 wallbuy. If done correctly Mule Kick will now be available for 4000 points in this small closet room.
Trivia
- While called "The Giant" in game, many players often call it "Der Riese"; it's Call of Duty counterpart.
- The developers of Michael's Zombies have stopped calling it "Der Riese" as a way to start moving away from copyrighted materials, with "The Giant" taking its place.
- There used to be another Easter Egg in the map before the Roblox audio privacy update of March 22nd 2022 which played the song "Beauty of Annihilation" by Elena Siegman. This was replaced with a custom "Michael 115 Mix" version of the song, before being removed by Roblox altogether.
- Despite the Announcer stating you only have 25 seconds to link a Teleporter to the mainframe, the stopwatch image given clearly has a 30 second timer set.