Continuing on from the previous article;

1. Dead Rising Series

Honestly I would have loved this game cause its one of those jolly wacky titles like Saints Row and Deadpool but the whole mechanic about real time and forcing player to rush under time pressure and cram stuff without giving the freedom sort of took out the enjoyment but I guess that gave the repayable value.

The Dead Rising series, developed by Capcom, has become one of the most beloved franchises in the zombie genre since its debut in 2006. The series takes a unique approach to zombie apocalypses, mixing open-world gameplay with real-time survival mechanics and an emphasis on humor. The hallmark of Dead Rising is its over-the-top gameplay, where you can use just about anything as a weapon—from baseball bats to lawnmowers. In terms of gameplay, the hallmark which brought this title stood out from others is the ability to use anything like anything in the environment for killing zombies, whether its by throwing a wooden bench at it, running them over with a lawn mower or using the environment creatively burning down or electrocuting there is no limit to it. It sort of bring out one heck of an fast phase experience. These kinds of features would cement it as an incredibly fun sandbox game for even casual players, but even then, that's just scratching the surface.

The first game introduces Frank West, a photojournalist who arrives in Willamette, Colorado, to investigate a strange outbreak at a local shopping mall. As he uncovers the truth behind the zombie infection, Frank learns that the outbreak was caused by a biological experiment gone wrong. The game blends survival horror with exploration as Frank works to escape the mall and discover the cause of the outbreak.

In Dead Rising 2, players control Chuck Greene, a former motocross champion who is trapped in Fortune City during a new zombie outbreak. Chuck is desperately trying to find a cure for his daughter, Katey, who was bitten by a zombie. While fighting off hordes of zombies and rescuing survivors, Chuck uncovers a conspiracy tied to a pharmaceutical company and the origins of the virus. This entry introduces the "combo weapons" system, allowing players to combine ordinary items to create powerful weapons.

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record serves as an alternate version of the second game, reimagining the events with Frank West taking the lead instead of Chuck Greene. Frank investigates the outbreak in Fortune City and, like Chuck, must uncover the conspiracy behind the outbreak while battling zombies and rescuing survivors.

In Dead Rising 3, the story shifts to Los Perdidos, California, where Nick Ramos, a mechanic, finds himself trapped in the city during yet another zombie outbreak. As Nick seeks to escape, he uncovers the government's involvement in the creation of the virus and learns of a larger, more sinister plot. The game introduces an open-world format, allowing players to explore a vast city and use vehicles in combat.

Dead Rising 4 brings Frank West back as the protagonist, set 16 years after the events of the original game. The story takes place in Willamette, where a new outbreak has begun during the holiday season. Frank must investigate the cause of the outbreak, uncovering a conspiracy involving a secret organization. This entry introduces new features like exo-suit armor, enhancing the combat experience.

In addition to the main games, the Dead Rising universe expands with Dead Rising: Watchtower, a live-action film set during the events of Dead Rising 2. It follows a reporter named Chase Carter as he investigates the outbreak while trying to survive the chaos.

Throughout the series, the central theme remains consistent: characters struggling to survive in a world overtaken by zombies, often dealing with corrupt corporations and government conspiracies. The games balance fast-paced action, humor, and survival horror, allowing players to fight zombies, rescue survivors, and uncover the mysteries behind each outbreak and make choices leading to multiple endings. Overall even though it may feel like its crammed under a time period the game is engaging and will carve a path on its own depending on players preference as it goes.

2. Left 4 Dead Series

I played Left 4 Dead 1 way back in 2010 though it was sort of made with the purpose of been a multiplayer game the developers added the AI controlled companions for those who played solo something I wished more developers of multiplayer titles would do.

Left 4 Dead, a first person shooter game developed by Valve which is famous for its popular title game "Half Life", is one of the defining titles of the cooperative zombie shooter genre. Released in 2008, the game was a revolutionary take on the co-op experience. The series offers players the chance to team up with three other survivors to battle through hordes of infected enemies, with each level featuring a unique set of challenges and a distinct narrative. Though as a kid I never quite understood how big of a deal was the AI Director of the game it truly is the key innovation in the game which dynamically adjusts the game's difficulty based on player performance. This ensured that no two playthroughs were the same, with zombies and events appearing unpredictably.

The series introduced memorable characters, War Veteran William "Bill" Overbeck, and the resourceful Zoey, Outlaw biker Francis and district account manager Louis and the story follow up their journey through the 4 campaigns where the narrative ultimately lead to crossover with the Left 4 Dead 2 characters.

The 2009 sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, improved on its predecessor with new characters, weapons, and environments, where it introduces four new survivors: Coach a high school football coach, Ellis a friendly mechanic, Nick a con artist , and Rochelle a low level production assistant for a local television station, who are immune to the disease and have individual backstories that are provided through character dialogue. The game story take place after the events of the last campaign of the first game and follow through 5 campaigns and lead to a narrative ending which I would say is okay.

Both games are still praised for their tight controls, intense action, and emphasis on teamwork. Despite the franchise not receiving a new installment for years, the community remains active, with mods and custom campaigns keeping the experience fresh.

3. 7 Days to Die

I haven't played 7 Days to Die but I included it in the list because it is a popular title in this genre and also it is right up there in the alley with DAYZ due to both games features multiplayer aspect combined with elements of survival, crafting, and open-world exploration.

Developed by The Fun Pimps, 7 Days to Dies set in a post-apocalyptic world where the game's events take place after a nuclear attack in the Third World War, which destroyed an extremely large part of the world, except for some areas such as the fictional county of Navezgane, Arizona where the game based on. The player is a survivor of the war who must survive by finding shelter, food and water, as well as scavenging supplies to fend off the numerous zombies ravaged by the zombie outbreak which is resulted from the nuclear fallout. What makes 7 Days to Die unique and different to DAYZ is its deep crafting system, where players can craft everything from basic tools to elaborate fortresses and also leading to a fun and terrifying fortress/tower defense sort of scenario which the game's title is a reference to an important "Blood Moon" event that occurs every seventh day of in-game time, whereby hordes of zombies and wild infected animals attack the player's current location with huge numbers relentlessly. Unless sufficient preparation has been made and defenses constructed, the player will quickly be overwhelmed.. Also the fact that the materials and crafted things degrade add a layer of realism to the game too. The game features a day-night cycle, with the nights being particularly dangerous as zombies become more aggressive and harder to kill.

The game has received multiple updates since its early access release in 2013, continuously adding new content, gameplay improvements, and bug fixes and as of 2024 the game is finally in its 1.0 version. For those who find crafting depth, along with cooperative multiplayer with strategic and immersive zombie survival experience this game maybe for you.

4. Undying

Undying developed by Vanimals studio is a unique emotional survival horror game that blends intense gameplay with a deep, heartbreaking emotional storytelling narrative. Set in a world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse, players step into the shoes of Anling, a mother who is desperately trying to protect her son, Cody. The game takes place in a harsh environment where resources are scarce, and the constant threat of zombie attacks looms large. The twist here is that Anling is already is infected with the virus and is slowly turning into a zombie, which adds an extra layer of urgency and emotional depth to the story where it focuses on her fight against the infection while trying to teach her son how to survive in a world overrun by zombies..

Normally I don’t really like games where you are restricted with time but this game is kind of special due to its narrative but as someone who try to do everything efficiently without missing stuff the number of times I restarted this game is countless. There is a deadline of 56 days which is informed via a TV announcement for an evacuation so Anling and Cody need to manage time efficiently to scavenge for food, supplies, and crafting tools while fending off hostile enemies all while searching how to get more information regarding the evacuation. Also Anling’s transformation into a zombie means that players need to manage her condition carefully Whereas each day Anling situation deteriorate and she gets penalties which come as symptoms of the virus and make the gameplay harder like requiring her to rest more often which means less time to teach Cody and scavenge thus forcing the player to make tough choices, about how to balance and management of teaching Cody, and doing other things needed to survive while navigating the bleak, zombie-infested world where apart from the zombies other survivors also threaten Anya’s and Cody’s lives which also bring even darker themes as to how to go about handle enemies to fight them and worse kill them and explaining it to Cody why Anling had to do it. Players also need to be sensitive of Cody’s stress level and how much the boy can handle because he will run away if he can’t handle things and get into danger which is frustrating but understandable.

The game got a blend of exploration, puzzle-solving and deep emotional narrative that explores themes of motherhood, loss, and survival where the central theme of the game is the emotional bond between mother and child and her sole mission to make sure to teach, train and safeguard Cody and prepare him for the dangers he will face in the world that’s falling apart without her. Even the game’s graphics and gameplay mechanics may not be for some people the game is worth playing for its engaging and poignant experience.

5. Dead Age I and II


Dead Age (2015) and its sequel, Dead Age II (2022), developed by Silent Dreams, is another game that go off the radar of people who are mostly seeking AAA titles in this genre, the game offer a blend of turn-based combat and survival RPG elements in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies with featuring the combat interface of games such as Mortal Kombat and Tekken. Players manage a group of survivors, each with unique skills and abilities, as they explore different areas, gather resources, and make tough decisions that affect the fate of their community.

The series has a distinctive visual style, using a comic-book aesthetic, and 3d interface as needed and the narrative leads to some choices and consequence where in both games, the decisions players make—whether it’s how to deal with other survivors or which resources to prioritize—can have lasting impacts on the narrative. Specially the sequels expand on this with deeper mechanics, a wider range of characters, and factions and an even larger world to explore.

Dead Age and Dead Age 2 may not have the same level of mainstream recognition as some other zombie games, but for anyone who wanna spend few hours to explore old school type of game set in an apocalyptic setting this game well fits.

6.Dead State: Reanimated

Okay so this game is really good and it had great potential too but as to whether this game stand up to standards of nowadays is up to preference of players though some might argue it may even not be up to the standards of 2014 in which it was released after a while on early access. The Reanimated version it self is the enhanced edition of the original game which includes improvements like updated visuals, gameplay tweaks, and bug fixes improved the game to some standard. If the game ever get a remake or a sequel it would be right up there among the great titles like Wasteland in these kind of games because game mechanics and dynamics are well made.

Dead State: Reanimated is a post-apocalyptic role-playing video game that blends survival, strategy, and narrative elements where surviving means careful planning, strategic combat, and maintaining group dynamics in a world where death is always around the corner. Developed by DoubleBear Productions, it is set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, where society has collapsed and the world is overrun by undead creatures. Players take on the role of a survivor who must navigate this dangerous world while managing a group of fellow survivors.

The game features a tactical combat system, where players can engage in turn-based combat with zombies and hostile humans. Resource management is also key, as players must scavenge for food, medical supplies, and weapons, all while trying to keep morale high among the survivors. In addition, the game includes a branching narrative with choices that impact the direction of the story and the relationships between survivors which will ultimately lead to multiple endings based on the player's decisions through out the game.

Overall, the game combines classic RPG elements with a dark and gritty atmosphere, where every decision counts for the survival of the group in a harsh, unforgiving world giving a good experience for the player.

7.Kenshi Zombie Apocalypse mod and Outbreak mod

In a way I kept this title for last due to the fact that its a mod and not a base game but also due to the fact that this playing Kenshi with this mod manage to give me the best zombie apocalypse experience I wanted than any other zombie apocalypse titled game though I may be one of very few who find it that way.

Kenshi is... well one of a kind game and I should probably write a whole separate article about Kenshi cause the game itself deserve that but for the sake of this article lets say its an open-world, sandbox RPG set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, where players have the freedom to explore, survive, and shape their own story without any fixed objectives thus allowing players to pursue their own goals such as building a settlement, becoming a mercenary, exploring the world, perhaps a slave rebel or becoming a warlord , an emperor , or a feakin half man half robot cult leader leading hundreds of robots and wage war against all humanity who are consisted with racist people, or slavers or cannibals or well normal poor people I guess though as normal in Kenshi means you will probably end up get killed or enslaved by other weirdos. Point is the freedom of this game is just up to your imagination and it got a tedious and sufferable character development which is skill-based, with growth occurring through experience rather than levels, which means you will be weak for most of your time until well for a long time... and all while your survival depends on managing hunger, thirst, injuries, and fatigue and avoiding everyone who is out to get a piece of you. Combat is tactical, focusing on strategy and stamina, while players can control multiple characters and engage in large or small battles which lead back to all the fun and also resource gathering, and base building or empire building and automating everything by having other characters to follow up on jobs. The faction interactions in this game where everyone is probably an enemy to everyone add layers of complexity, offering opportunities for crafting, trading, and creating alliances or rivalries and full blown extinctions of some. Also another important fact this whole game is made by one developer Chris Hunt just one guy made the game so cheers for him and these days he finally gathered some others and working on a sequel though I have no clue when it will come out but it will be a blast like this one.

So with that been said in a game where you can follow up anything in your imaginative role play adding a zombie overhaul mod will definitely bring out whatever it is that you expect from a zombie apocalypse and that's what these mods will do though you may need to tweak a bit to run both mods and among the plethora of other mods it is doable though game will lag sometimes. The zombie outbreak mod specially got 3 stages where each stage trigger under some conditions that will lead to horrendous results and tough hoards of enemies. with over 12 type of zombies and infection system and a new faction who sort of trying to become the last bastion for humanity and all other species while survivors from destroyed settlements roam around the wastelands of Kenshi world hoping to find the safe haven it is up to the player to actually do something about it or like I mention earlier if you are a robotic overlord who cares just chillax in the Ashlands with Mad Cat Lon I guess....

Conclusion

This brings the end to the list of 17 game titles in zombie apocalypse theme that I played and know enough to say and comment about I hope that among them at least one will peak the interest of some of you and lead to a good experience on a boring weekend so have a good time...