Summary
When it comes to video game genres, few are more ubiquitous and perpetually popular than titles that feature zombies. This isn’t really all that surprising though, as zombies have been part of the cultural zeitgeist for generations and will almost certainly continue to persist in some fashion. From the medium’s earliest days, pitting players againsthordes of the undeador variations thereof was a staple of design, and remains true up to the present day.
While fans have received a staggering number of zombie games throughout the years, two more modern examples in the form ofDead Island 2andThe Last of Usprovide an excellent case study in showcasing just how resilient and accommodating the genre is.Dead Island 2’s heavily humorous bent and presentation contrasts well againstTLOU’s more grounded takes and vision, and between them lies an incredible range of possibilities that, even after all this time, continues to be ripe in potential for creating interesting stories and engaging gameplay.
Though Dambuster’sDead Island 2had a famously troubled development cycle, its eventual release saw it become an instant hit, selling 1 million copies in mere days. While nowhere near the first to do so,DI2is a recent instance of a title taking a more whimsical and arcadey approach to the genre with its setting, characters, and mechanics. Many of the protagonists and NPCs seem to take a sort of gleeful anarchic joy in the state of affairs.
Dead Island 2’s Jacob proudly describes himself as “the lone idiot” during the “Zombocalypse,” taking everything in stride and trying to look cool doing so. Its combat complements its intentions and vibe, with brutally over-the-top attacks that cleave off chunks of flesh in high graphic fidelity from the shambling corpses, all in a vibrant L.A. environment that is heavily satirized throughout.
The Last of Us is Somber and Serious
Naughty Dog set a new bar for video game storytelling when it presented players with Joel and Ellie’s excursion through a post-apocalyptic world where the Cordyceps fungus infection has turned most of humanity into mindless mushroom-covered abominations.
While these filled the role of traditional zombies but put a unique spin on them,The Last of Usexplored the grittier side of the genre by focusing more onmorally gray characters, and the emotionality and relationships between them.TLOUsends fans on a philosophical journey through a horror-ridden landscape, placing them in the shoes of characters who are forced to make tough choices and painful sacrifices to survive, confronting them with the cost of revenge and redemption.
Why the Zombie Genre Will Never Die
With the sheer amount ofzombie-centric games on the market, one might be forgiven for thinking that every possible angle under the sun has been seen and done. However, since the essence of the genre serves as a backdrop to explore the depths of humanity’s psyche when pushed into extreme life-of-death situations and moral quandaries, this lends them an intrinsic timelessness. Zombies make for the perfect template for relentless and dangerous enemies, and the subsection of types seen in games has also evolved enormously.
Both extremes of the scale portrayed byDead Island 2andThe Last of Usare equally valid and offer entertaining and enjoyable experiences, serving as microcosms for how the genre can encompass a huge array of tones, designs, and styles. While their moods, mechanics, and intentions may be polar opposites—frantic fun versus broodingly tense—that difference is a testament to the well of possibility offered bygreat zombie gamesand is why fans will surely continue to see them rise up time and again.
Dead Island 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
