LB’s Take: The 13 Greatest Zombie Games

Why 13? Because society and superstition have taught me that 13 is the spookiest number.

Why Zombie games? Because we all love’em.

Zombies have experienced a recent increase in popularity, partly due to such titles as Pride & Prejudice and Zombies and The Walking Dead, however no one can deny the impact the video game industry has had on the zombie frenzy.

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Some argue that zombies have come and gone with the fashions; terrifying in the 50’s, 70’s and today but otherwise forgotten (or made obsolete by other more “in-vogue” supernaturals like the 90’s vampires or the 80’s aliens).

But truth be told zombies really never left the video game sphere. From SNES titles like Zombies Ate my Neighbors to Wii’s Resident Evil 4 to the upcoming The Last of Us, zombies have been a pretty crucial and prevalent antagonist in the video game world.

Considering the dozens of games that feature not even necessarily zombies but some form of undead attack (Alan Wake, Resident Evil 5- because let’s face it, those were NOT zombies), the number of titles breaches the triple digits, so I think it’s fair to say that the undead have played a fairly important role in all of our video game histories.

So without further a due I give you the top thirteen zombie video games;

13. Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies 

For a spinoff of a mode of a sequel, Call of Duty: World At War: Zombies blows away any competition it might have had. An iPhone app game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio, this game is a first person-shooter with multiplayer cooperative gameplay options. Based on Call of Duty’s: World at War’s “Zombies” mode, this app brings the fun and intensity of the mode without the trauma of the actual game- on the go!

12. I Made a Game with Zombies in It!

     Officially named I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, this indie game available on Xbox live is both a fan and critic favorite. A basic action-shoot ‘em-up, the gameplay is incredibly simple while the constant onslaught of zombies takes the game to a surprisingly challenging level.

11. The House of the Dead Series

     Now usually I’m against grouping an entire series together on a list such as this, however I feel that The House of the Dead is a unique series and therefore deserves special treatment (and to be honest I’m not quite sure which version of The House of the Dead I was playing as a 10 year old girl in all those movie theater arcade). The first-person rail shooter series pairs up two teammates (I’m sorry, “agents”) to explore a haunted house and kill as many zombies as possible, always ending in a boss fight at the end of one of the four chapters. Popular in arcades from coast to coast, The House of the Dead games were a gory highlight of any horror lover’s childhood.

10. Plants Vs Zombies

     While not the most frightening of zombie video games, PopCap Games tower- defense-action video game does introduce an entirely new side to the zombie; the adorable side. With graphics similar to their Zombie Farm game, Plants vs. Zombies pits plants of various offensive and defensive capabilities against costumed zombies in an epic battle that needs to be experienced.

9. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

     This SNES game (brought to us by Konami and LucasArts) was a staple of any horror-loving gaming child of the 90’s SNES collection. One of the first zombie games, and possibly the first zombie-survival-horror game to feature multiplayer, gamers explored shopping malls, pyramids, and backyard barbeques to save unattended children and cheerleaders from the a strange array of zombies. Zombies Ate My Neighbors is definitely worth digging out that old SNES for.

8. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Rockstar’s fifth DLC for their critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare mixes the most logically cohesive of genres, cowboys and zombies. The action-adventure game features an open world, the four horses of the apocalypse, and hunt-able chupacabras; why wouldn’t you want to play?

7. Resident Evil

     Capcom’s first in their ever-complicating series, Resident Evil was an instant classic for the Playstation and held the promise of decades of zombie adventures to come. Set in the horrendously named but now famous Raccoon City, players choose from either Chris Reinfield or Jill Valentine to explore a haunted house, fight zombies, and solve the mystery of what happened to the city.A classic by any definition, the Resident Evil story lives on in newer titles, although few can boast the same essence and atmosphere that made the first a great.

6. Left 4 Dead 2

Valve’s sequel to Game of the Year Left 4 Dead brings the series a new cast in a thoroughly southern atmosphere; guitar twangs and all. With more maps, more zombies, and a new array of melee weapons Left 4 Dead 2 is an continually-expanding romp through zombie-infested swamps, carnivals, and mud lands that you can’t miss.

5. Dead Rising

     Capcom and Keiji Inafune’s action-survival-horror game Dead Rising is the epitome of the zombie apocalypse fantasy. You’re in a mall with plenty of food, water, hot dog on a stick, and zombies that you can kill with basically whatever you want. Golf club? Absolutely! Soccer ball? Why not?!? Katana…Why is there a katana in a mall? Maybe it’s just that kind of mall.A survival-horror game with an open world feel, Dead Rising is for anyone with a love for imaginative attacks and zombie fun.

4. Dead Island

     Techland and Deep Silver’s first-person-survival game combines two parts Borderlands, one part Dead Rising, and a tropical island getaway to create one of the most satisfying zombie games available.

Criticized for some illogical fallacies and possibly racist and or sexist issues, Dead Island is still an amazing romp for both solo campaigns and multiplayer.

3. Dead Space

     Visceral Game and Electronic Arts survival-horror-third-person-shooter game Dead Space may not seem like a zombie game at first glance, but let’s examine the evidence. Spooky haunted house atmosphere? Check. Team of explorers forced to separate? Check. Weird relationships? Check. Supernatural forces? Check. What’s that last thing? Oh yes. Reanimated corpses who crave human flesh and must be destroyed in a variety of ways with as many different tools as possible? Check. I rest my case.

2. Resident Evil 4

     Capcom’s original Resident Evil 4 was made for the Wii, so considering the repetitive arm waving and impossible aiming system that Resident Evil 4 features- the reception and praise it still receives really speaks to the game’s overall excellence. A combination of classic horror story (foreign country, kidnapped girl, angry villagers, monsters, spooky atmosphere) and great gameplay (which only improved when the game was revamped for other consoles) Resident Evil 4 is a fun, challenging game that brings the zombies in a new, slightly silly way.

1. Left 4 Dead

Valve’s Left 4 Dead somehow managed to both embody the quintessential zombie survival game while breaking the mold. Featuring four unique characters, a story-lined progressive map sequence, and original zombie monsters, Left 4 Dead is a first person shooter survival game where your teammates are actually a blessing, not a boon. There’s a reason this game won game of the year, and continues to host an impressive online presence; check it out.

Considering it will be quite a wait for both new zombie-featuring titles (Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is slated for a 2013 release date and Resident Evil 6 isn’t due until November 20, 2012) perhaps we can all wait out the next nine months or so with these titles.

Any zombie games that desperately need to be on this list? Let me know!