By Charlie Kendellen
There is no denying the colossal influence that zombies have had on popular culture. From the tremendous success of The Walking Dead comics, spanning 11 seasons of a TV series and several spinoffs, to the evergrowing representation of zombies in cinema, including; George A. Romero’s countless zombie flicks, like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead, to 28 Days Later, to more contemporary cult classics like Pontypool, Train to Busan, and Shaun of the Dead.
While these titles are critically acclaimed classics for good reason, I believe that combining the undead phenomenon of zombies with some immersive first person mechanics, is truly one of the best ways to experience a zombie driven narrative. Below are my picks of five of the best zombie games of all time.
Resident Evil
With the newest Resident Evil 4 remake shooting its way up PS5 charts, there is so much to love about this series. From its gorgeous graphics to its beautiful character design to the genuinely horrifying visuals and sequences. This is definitely one of the more intense games on this list but with good reason. This series contains enough justified jump scares and genuinely fun gameplay that you won’t forget any time soon.
The Last of Us
With the recent HBO adaptation of The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann’s game is as universally praised and worshipped as ever. Despite the controversy of the second game in the franchise, there is no denying the beautiful storytelling of The Last of Us. Whilst the innovative zombies, like the bloaters and clickers are a huge selling point for the game, beloved characters Joel and Ellie are undoubtedly the reason why this game has gained the popularity that it has. From the immersive narrative to the simple yet effective game mechanics to the awe-inspiring graphics of the remastered game, The Last of Us will always have a special place in our hearts.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead
TellTale Games have gained massive popularity over the years due to their innovative style and immersive choice-driven narratives. The Walking Dead game provides us with original lovable characters, like Lee and Clementine, and places the player in a space of true vulnerability as the game mechanics allow our choices to directly affect the characters we have grown to love and adore. The often emotional and ever-entertaining story and gameplay of The Walking Dead solidifies its place in my list of favourite zombie video games.
Despite the often over-saturation of the video game industry, I don’t think anyone is getting tired of the zombie subgenre any time soon. Some up and coming zombie based games include; Beyond Hanwell, which looks promising for any psychological horror fanatics, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando which is colossally exciting for fans of his cult classic horror films. I firmly believe that the zombie genre still has a lot to offer for us video game fans.