Zombies arent always the slow, droning, brain-hungry creatures that we know from the likes of Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. Throughout the years, zombies have taken on different forms across all of horror media, whether clawing their way up from six-feet under, or manifesting from top-secret government experiments gone wrong. Modern horror has had a heavy fixation on zombies, and for good reasonthe zombie trope is very versatile.
Given the many iterations of zombies that have appeared in video games over the past couple of decades, there are certain types that stand out from the rest in how theyve innovated what exactly the creatures are and their capabilities. These iterations still retain the staple aspects of what we know as zombies (humanoid in figure, animalistic in nature with an intent to kill), yet elevate past the traditional mold of simply being dull-witted and physically impaired. Zombies like this are typically the most memorable, and have become the most iconic in gaming.
Witches in the Left 4 Dead series are among the most infamous enemies that players can encounter in each campaign. Appearance-wise, theyre quite simple. Its the behavior of Witches that make them so iconic as zombies. Unlike their bloodthirsty counterparts, Witches do not wish to be disturbed, and only attack when approached or startled. When they do attack, theyre abnormally fast. Instead of a classic low moan, they let out a shriek as they rush toward players. The concept behind them isnt over the top by any means, yet they instill dread into the hearts of every Left 4 Dead player every time they hear the crying of a Witch from the darkness.
The concept behind the Head Crab zombies in the Half-Life series is genuinely chilling. Starting from the head of their hosts, the Head Crabs clamp down and take control of the hosts, slowly mutating the rest of the body. The end result is a human body with giant claws and a gaping mouth on the abdomen, ready to pounce on its prey. Their design is humanoid enough to still be called zombie-like while being mutated enough to give them a very distinctive look.
The House of the Dead series boasts a wide cast of mutated creatures ready to kill, from frogs that leap up to take chomps out of you, to chainsaw-wielding giants that sprint towards you. The typical zombies that players encounter in the series look the part of traditional zombies: fleshy, rotting, and sometimes missing limbshowever, they also tend to proficiently use actual weapons. Theyll throw axes, barrels, and anything they can to make the player go down. However, in cutscenes, theyre shown to do what zombies are usually trademarked to do: feast upon the corpses of their victims.
Draugr are powerful, undead Nordic warriors that players encounter frequently in dungeons and crypts across Skyrim. Though they are rotting, reanimated corpses, they do seem to possess some cognitive functionenough to still be able to use bow and arrows when attacking. They are also hinted at still being able to understand human language. Despite this, their empty, glowing eyes, hostile behavior, and tendency to rise out of the ground or out of coffins definitely still calls for the zombie label.
Similar to the Head Crabs of Half-Life, the Plaga is an infectious parasite that slowly takes control of its victims. The Plaga takes many forms as it sprouts from where the head of its victim should be, sometimes violently causing it to explode. Even if there isnt a human head left to eat its victims, the Plaga can get the job done and chomp the head off of its prey in one swift swoop.
The Infected appear in many shapes and sizes throughout the series of The Last of Us. Before mutating into forms that no longer resemble humans, The Infected appear as Clickersa state in which cognitive function has completely ceased and animal instinct has taken its place. Similar to bats, Clickers use echolocation to determine where their next victims are, substituting the traditional low moaning of zombies with an eerie, cacophony of loud gurgles, groans, and clicking noises.
The Volatile in Dying Light seem to take every traditional aspect of zombies and completely flip them upside down. They are extremely strong, take many hits to take down, and are agile enough to climb to the top of buildings and leap across one from the other. Their glowing, beady eyes, and razor-sharp teeth read like a traditional zombie, but they arent nearly as simple to escape from or take down as running away or shooting them in the head.
Splicers are unique to this list in that for the most part, they have still retained a level of humanity. However, their minds and bodies have become so warped due to the use of the drug ADAM that their genetic makeup has been deformed beyond repair. As a result, their behavior is so centered around addiction to the drug that it completely clouds their judgment, causing them to be hostile to anyone that may appear to be between them and their fix. The side effects of ADAM cause the users to strongly resemble zombies as well, with skin lesions, bleeding, and other deformities.
Read the original:
8 Video Game Zombies That Break the Traditional Mold - Bloody Disgusting
- Zombie 2nd mortgages are coming to life, threatening thousands of Americans' homes - WFAE - May 20th, 2024
- Spam, junk slop? The latest wave of AI behind the zombie internet - The Guardian - May 20th, 2024
- 'Zombie cells' in the sea: Viruses keep the most common marine bacteria in check - Phys.org - May 20th, 2024
- 'Zombie Driver' Prompts Wild Police Chase From Venice Onto 405 that Ends in Crash - Los Angeles Magazine - May 20th, 2024
- What are zombie fires, and why are they becoming more common? - KXAN.com - May 20th, 2024
- "Zombie" Wildfires Force Thousands To Evacuate In Western Canada - DOGOnews - May 20th, 2024
- What exactly are 'zombie' fires, and how are they affecting wildfires this spring? - CBC News - May 20th, 2024
- The Case of the Zombie Ninjas - East County Magazine - May 20th, 2024
- Zombie' fires partially to blame for spring Canadian wildfires - NBC Connecticut - May 20th, 2024
- What are 'zombie fires'? - Fox Weather - May 20th, 2024
- Kill the zombie Space National Guard idea - Defense One - May 20th, 2024
- AIs Flirty Upgrade, Facebooks Zombie Internet, and Why We May Be Doing Mental Health Wrong - Crooked - May 20th, 2024
- What are zombie fires, and why are they becoming more common? - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis - May 20th, 2024
- Zombie Cicadas taking over the trees... and your plate? - Gray DC - May 20th, 2024
- Canada's "zombie" wildfires threaten towns, send smoke into U.S. - Axios - May 20th, 2024
- 10 Best Zombie Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked - Collider - May 20th, 2024
- Zombie cicadas are taking over the trees... and your kitchen! - Gray DC - May 20th, 2024
- 'Zombie' entrepreneurs who can't afford to close down is on the rise in S.Korea - - May 20th, 2024
- The 10 best zombie games to play in 2024 - TechRadar - May 20th, 2024
- 'Zombie' house flippers discover the grisly past of Florida home - ABC Action News Tampa Bay - May 20th, 2024
- Resident Evil collides with Battlefield in this WW1 zombie horror - GAMINGbible - May 20th, 2024
- What is a zombie fire? | Latest Weather Clips - Fox Weather - May 20th, 2024
- What are 'zombie' fires, and why are they becoming more common? - MSN - May 20th, 2024
- Transformers' New Zombie Autobot Is a Sick Way to Treat the Hero Who Relaunched the Franchise - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2024
- #Showbiz: A clutch of zombie movies with bite - New Straits Times - May 20th, 2024
- 'Zombie' wildfires resurface in Canada, worsening US air quality - The Times of India - May 20th, 2024
- The Last of Us Season 2 First Look: Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Return to Face the Zombie Apocalypse - Variety - May 20th, 2024
- On its 15th anniversary, Killing Floor stands as one of the best zombie shooters and the timing couldn't be more ... - VG247 - May 20th, 2024
- The HANDLING THE UNDEAD Trailer Imagines A Different Kind Of Zombie Movie - FANGORIA - May 9th, 2024
- Museum in Germany Finds Skeleton That May Have Been Considered a Zombie - Atlas Obscura - May 9th, 2024
- The Dead Don't Die Brilliantly References Bill Murray's Other Zombie Movie With 89% On RT - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- Austin Butler's 2019 Zombie Movie Marked The End Of A Concerning RT Trend - Screen Rant - May 9th, 2024
- 'Quality and Diversity': From Zombie Apocalypse to 'Vengeful Quinceaera,' Blood Window Showcase Presents Six ... - AOL - May 9th, 2024
- Zombie Trainers and a New Era of Forced Labor - Newsweek - May 9th, 2024
- I Started A Zombie Outbreak In Undead Inc And I Regret Nothing - TheGamer - May 9th, 2024
- How to watch the Night of the Living Dead and all of George Romero's zombie movies - Popverse - May 9th, 2024
- The Cranberries' Zombie - the story behind the incendiary song - Louder - April 22nd, 2024
- Chris Riddell on the zombie Tory government falling apart at the seams cartoon - The Guardian - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie grave dating back 4,200 years discovered in Germany, photos show - Miami Herald - April 22nd, 2024
- Steam zombie survival game leaves early access 11 years on, and you've got one week to get it cheap - PCGamesN - April 22nd, 2024
- "Zombie" cicadas with STDs are coming to Virginia - Axios - April 22nd, 2024
- Deathtroopers is the Star Wars zombie horror game I never knew I needed - PC Gamer - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie Army VR Reveals The Story In Latest Trailer - Bleeding Cool News - April 22nd, 2024
- Where Infected "Zombie Cicadas" In The US Will Emerge In 2024 - TheTravel - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie anti-abortion laws are menacing American women - The Hill - April 22nd, 2024
- Joe Manganiello to Zombie It Up in Mountain Man Adaptation - Reactor - Reactor - April 22nd, 2024
- Frozen Soul Covered White Zombie and It Rules - MetalSucks - April 22nd, 2024
- Arizona's abortion ban could bring zombie laws back to life in other states - Fast Company - April 22nd, 2024
- Arizona abortion ban shows the dangers of reviving zombie laws - MSNBC - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie fires smoldering near Canadian oil and gas wells threaten production following 2023 wildfires - WorldOil - April 22nd, 2024
- You'll Never Guess Who Doesn't Want to Repeal a Zombie Abortion Ban - The New Republic - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie Army VR: New trailer gives a glimpse of the gruesome campaign - MIXED Reality News - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie Tests: Is the SAT Back From the Dead? - Fair Observer - April 22nd, 2024
- How likely are you to survive a zombie apocalypse in Connecticut? You may want to travel north - Hartford Courant - April 22nd, 2024
- Missouri Reports 162 New Cases Of Deer 'Zombie' Disease In 2023 - Lake Expo - April 22nd, 2024
- Zombie Fires Pose Looming Threat to Canada's Oil and Gas Infrastructure - OilPrice.com - April 22nd, 2024
- Rob Zombie Presenting House on Haunted Hill Soundtrack on Vinyl - ComicBook.com - April 22nd, 2024
- Take on Zombie Stormtroopers In This Star Wars Fan Game - IGN - April 22nd, 2024
- The Best Zombie Game of 2023 Has a New Expansion Out Now - Esports.net News - April 22nd, 2024
- Frozen Soul Debuts Frosty Rendition of White Zombie's 'Creature of the - Knotfest - April 22nd, 2024
- 'Dawn of the Dead' at 45: A Zombie Love Affair That Never Died - The New York Times - April 12th, 2024
- Hyper-sexual 'zombie cicadas' infected with bizarre STD fungus will emerge in US - New York Post - April 12th, 2024
- Zombie malls and other retail centers getting extreme makeovers to keep up with the times - Chicago Tribune - April 12th, 2024
- 'Zombie' drug xylazine found in cannabis THC vapes in UK - BBC.com - April 12th, 2024
- Taxing health insurance: The Republican zombie that refuses to die - Roll Call - April 12th, 2024
- Fungus-infected Zombie Cicadas with hypersexuality to emerge in the US this year: Expert - Hindustan Times - April 12th, 2024
- Zombie Classic Dawn Of The Dead Coming Back to Theaters for 45th Anniversary - MetalSucks - April 12th, 2024
- E-News | 'Zombie cicadas' infected with sexually transmitted fungus expected to emerge this year in parts of US - WVU ENews - April 12th, 2024
- Deadly Zombie Sedative Penetrating The U.K.s Illicit Drugs Market - Forbes - April 12th, 2024
- Seattle Police warn that base ingredient in 'zombie drug' tranq is being sold as standalone pill - FOX 13 Seattle - April 12th, 2024
- Opinion | Today's Opinions: Haunted by zombie law and thrown into abortion time-travel - The Washington Post - The Washington Post - April 12th, 2024
- Rob Zombie Teases 'House of 1000 Corpses' Book With Rare Photos, Original Script and More! - Bloody Disgusting - April 12th, 2024
- Zombie malls getting extreme makeovers to keep up with the times - Detroit News - April 12th, 2024
- 2000s Horror Fantasy Is One Of The Most Unique Takes On The Zombie Genre - Giant Freakin Robot - April 12th, 2024
- Mysterious 'Zombie Neurons' Unlock Secrets of Learning in The Brain - ScienceAlert - April 12th, 2024
- Zombie SKUs: What They Are, How They Work & Results - JumpFly PPC Advertising News - April 12th, 2024
- Arizona Reviving Its Zombie Abortion Ban Is Trump's Doing - The Cut - April 12th, 2024
- Hyper-sexual "zombie cicadas" that are infected with sexually transmitted fungus expected to emerge this year - CBS News - April 12th, 2024
- Should we be concerned about zombie cicadas? - WGN Radio - Chicago - April 12th, 2024
- You need to play this underrated zombie shooter before it leaves Xbox Game Pass - Digital Trends - April 12th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero