It’s The Walking Dead day, and the latest season looks to be as explosive as ever, as all-out war is exploding between groups, with Negan desperate to keep control of his factions. But, of course, we can’t forget the undead either, because, you know, zombies.
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The show’s just a few hours away from premiere, so what better way to get primed than enjoying some zombie-killing video games? There are plenty out there, but only a select few really manage to get under your skin when it comes to laying waste to the undead. And there are a number of ways to do it, too, from water guns to chainsaws to good old-fashioned pistols.
Let’s look at some of the best zombie-killing games that you can play right now to get you in the mood for AMC’s The Walking Dead premiere. They may not all have the narrative of the show, but they sure do have the blood and guts…
Telltale’s The Walking Dead
While this particular series takes a much different direction from the AMC series, there’s no question that Telltale Games has conjured quite a bit of magic with The Walking Dead series. The best place to start is right at the beginning, where we’re first introduced to Lee right when he’s face-to-face with the zombie scourge, as well as young, innocent Clementine, who’s asked to do far more than she ever expected. The later seasons are great as well, and will get you in the mood for the final chapter when it arrives sometime next year. Which leaves us to wonder…will Clementine survive? Seriously, we gotta know.
Left 4 Dead 2
Valve has done a tremendous job with its two Left 4 Dead games, and the original is a masterpiece, a blood-and-guts tale with engaging multiplayer and a whole lot of action. But the sequel improves on the formula, with even more zombies, more weapons, and more multiplayer shenanigans across a number of scenarios. What’s more, the sequel also reintroduced survivors from the original game, adding to the overall narrative. Plus, it gets kind of crazy, especially when the boomers start showing up and exploding bile all over the place. Yuck. You can’t go wrong with a cult classic like Left 4 Dead 2. (Side note: leave the Witch alone.)
The House of the Dead
Sega’s arcade shooting series is simple and right to the point – shoot the zombies before they kill you. But it also has a great little cornball story to go along with it, as Curien and a number of other questionable types try to doom mankind by creating their own gods. The games offer shooting excitement galore, especially House of the Dead III, which has you packing a pair of vicious shotguns. House of the Dead 4 is probably the best, though, with its incredibly large bosses (one tries to roll over you with his mammoth size), and its over-the-top narrative. But you can’t go wrong with House of the Dead Overkill either – especially if you’re looking for a pulpy approach to zombie action.
Zombi U
One of the first games that helped put the Wii U on the map back when it first launched, Zombi U provided a unique first-person perspective with its action, as well as a different type of control scheme. Instead of using traditional weaponry, you basically utilized whatever you could get your hands on to survive, including pipes and more. In addition to that, if you died, you had to start all the way back where you last checked in – and then find your zombie self and kill it so you could get back all your goods. If you don’t feel like going after a Wii U for this game, relax – there’s also Zombi for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and it’s just as good.
Dying Light
After making the sensational Dead Island, the team at Techland returned to zombie-ville with its action-packed Dying Light, an open world adventure where the name of the game is survival. If dealing with enemy forces isn’t bad enough while you try and gather parcels, you also have to contend with various zombies, as well as superpowered beasts that roam the streets at night, pursuing you like nobody’s business. Dying Light succeeds mainly because of its role-playing like system, where you unlock new abilities that can do major damage. Nothing beats drop kicking a zombie out of a window to its second death. Plus, it saves ammo.
Call of Duty Zombies
Over the years, Call of Duty‘s Zombies modes have gotten better and better, mainly due to the devotion of the developers behind them. Call of Duty: WWII‘s forthcoming Zombies mode looks absolutely frightening – and, for that matter, a must-play. But we also can’t forget about great ones we’ve seen in the past, like the atmospheric Shadows of Evil mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which features Michael Rooker and Jeff Goldblum; as well as Zombies In Spaceland, an 80’s kitsch zombie fest where David Hasselhoff spins 80’s tunes while you lay down the carnage. Whichever way you go, Call of Duty‘s Zombies modes are absolutely satisfying.
Dead Rising 4
The previous Dead Rising games have been nothing short of entertaining, mainly because of the characters involved and the fact that you could destroy hundreds of the undead in a matter of minutes. But there’s something magical about Dead Rising 4, mainly because of how ridiculously over-the-top it is. Whether you’re racing a small electrical car through a field of zombies and frying everything in your path, or dressing up like a Street Fighter character and destroying them that way (while stopping to take a selfie – because, why not?), there’s no shortage of creativity within this game. Plus, Frank West is the best dude ever. Well, at being worst anyway. The game is available for PC and Xbox One now, and the PS4 version, dubbed Frank’s Big Package, will arrive just in time for Christmas.
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Zombies and cowboys? Now there’s a mix that we didn’t see coming. But, surprisingly enough, Rockstar Games made it work in this one-off adventure to its hit Western game, Red Dead Redemption. In it, John Marston has his hands full, dealing with a number of the undead while handling secondary adventures to boot. Thanks to a massive open world, you’ll have a lot to do here, and the town defense can be a lot of fun, tying in with the overall campaign. Plus, zombies explode really nicely when you’re carrying a blunderbuss. And it’s perfect to get you in the mood for the forthcoming sequel when it drops next year.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Finally, let’s take it back to the old-school a little bit and get a zombie-killing adventure that’s fun for the whole family to play – LucasArts’ Zombies Ate My Neighbors for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. In this fun little romp, you’ll face no shortage of terrors from classic films, including killer dolls (with the most hideous laugh ever), giant babies, aliens, and, yep, zombies, using a plethora of weaponry to take them down. The game supports two player co-op, and has a ton of hidden secrets and humans to protect. If there’s any title that deserves a re-release in time for Halloween, it’s gotta be ZAMN. In the meantime, you’ll just need to track down the classic version. Good luck!
