Zombies In Games
The truly ‘undead’ – Are they dying off?
by AXIS of Reality
©2009 Alex Baldwin
Zombies have always been a part of the gaming landscape. From early ’80s games such as the imaginatively titled “Zombie Zombie” on the ZX Spectrum right up to Left 4 Dead on the Xbox 360 and PC, gamers have been shooting, chopping, sawing, cutting, stabbing, beating and generally causing all sorts of abuse to our brain-eating undead friends.
However, with the release of Resident Evil 5 and its ‘not-zombies‘, are gamers slowly getting tired of slaughtering the mindless shambling hordes?
Back last generation a lot of buzz was caused by the removal of traditional zombies from Resident Evil 4, the series that had always championed the undead in video game culture. Despite this RE4 was widely considered the best of the Resident Evils and a change for the better with intense combat against enemies that could run and wield weapons. Likewise, Resident Evil 5 is now hitting stores and has followed this formula leaving doubt to the fate of zombie-kind in the series.
This slow movement away from traditional zombies can be attributed to the increase in complexity of modern games. The first-person shooter genre in particular now thrives on incredibly realistic, adaptive AI showcased in games such as Killzone 2, FEAR 2 and Halo 3. Enemies respond to player actions and form their own strategies, giving a serious challenge and forcing tactical thought when playing.
Action games are becoming more intelligent, yet the main attribute of traditional zombies is their complete lack of brain function. The most thought they can generate is which person’s brains they wish to devour first.
This limits the zombies’ behaviour to simply shambling towards the player, making the game a simple shooting gallery. In past generations this was fine, and one of the attractions of zombie games – the mindless all-out slaughter that Dead Rising paid tribute to. The recent games that use zombies however have been twisting the formula to accomodate the evolving tastes of regular games who need more of a challenge to keep them playing.
Left 4 Dead introduced various types such as the Hunters and Boomers to provide some variety and need for tactical consideration from the player, despite the fact they went against the traditional zombie model.
It also gave the game an overall ‘Director’ that dictated the movements and appearance of zombies in the effort to keep the player thinking. One has to wonder if without these additions the game would still be fun? Would the mindless brain-seeking undead be enough to satisfy the modern gamer?
It is doubtful, and as a consequence current and future zombie games are slowly distorting the traditional zombie into something completely different. They have always been favourite antagonists in games but it looks like the “zombies” we’ll be slaughtering in future games will have little similarity to ‘real’ zombies at all.
©2009 Alex Baldwin
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Filed under: Console gaming, Editorial, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | dead rising, Dead Rising reviews, games with zombies, Left 4 Dead, Left4Dead, OXCGN, re5, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 5, Xbox 360, Zombies
Dead Rising: Las Vegas would be awesome!
You know, if only for the joys of using cards to paper cut zombies to death (again).
Man…imagine a Dead Rising-like Dubai mall! Egyptian themes, gold-plated goods to beat zombies up with…
Only problem is instead of having the ‘racist’ issue as with RE5, you’d have the religious issue of zombie Muslims. Don’t think it’d go over well.
I know Dead Island is supposed to be doing the zombie island thing (but probably tropical -yawn-) but what about an ‘un-named Mediterranean Island’? Spain was a great location for RE4. (I admit I’m obsessed with Europe!).
Maybe somewhere in South America? Ghost Recon vs. The Zombies!
I think the next Dead Rising being set in Las Vegas works as far as US locations go, if they think they have to stay there.
New York and LA are a bit overdone aren’t they?
I reckon Tokyo could be awesome.
Or if you wanted mega-expensive destruction, Dubai. =)
If they do make one in an open city, make it somewhere AWAY from the US for once!!
Haha no surprise someone with 666 in their gamertag would be a zombie fan.
While Dead Rising takes place in an open shopping centre I’d really like an open city in the midst of a zombie apocalypse – there are enough movies about it, but no true open-city / world zombie games.
At least the upcoming Prototype has ‘mutants’…
Zombies should be “zombies”. Meaning,slow and stupid. That´s what makes them fun. Playing golf in DR is funny as hell. Lawnmower…awesome.
But I also enjoy the other “versions” of The UnDead.
Left 4 Dead. Fast as hell. Reminds me of the re-make of Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days/Weeks Later.
Great movies that inspired game manufacturers to make great games. Condemned: Criminal Origins is inspired by 28 Days Later.
It´s hard to pick… Slow & Dumb or Fast & Agressive?
I pick both. The only problem I have now is that I have to get up to change the disc.
// Joel
PS! That´s my gamertag in the name box.
Absolutely LP fan – ‘zombies’ in games now need to be more inventive and different to keep the player’s attention.
However, other than in Dead Rising I do miss the slow, mindless brain-chomping zombies of old. They had a brilliant comedic value that somehow made them so much fun to simply mow down (sometimes literally if you had a good lawnmower….)
I think you can only do so much with the zombie “species”. Now devs are trying to be more creative by bringing some ingenious and gruesom enemies. A.k.A dead, fallout 3 and rage.