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Even if the zombie genre isn't nearly as popular as it used to be during its explosive craze in the early 2000s, that hasn't stopped developers from delivering innovative hits in franchises like Dying Light and Dead Island. While newer entries have shaken up the format with creative takes on action-focused or zombie survival games, plenty of major franchises have already been leading the way for decades. This isn't to say that breakout hits like Project Zomboid or World War Z aren't strong contenders for some of the best zombie survival games, but their single offerings don't have quite the same legacy as their longer-lived competitors. Thankfully, if you're looking for a zombie series to sink your teeth into, there are plenty of franchises over the years that each offer a worthwhile take on the genre. Dead Island Is The Perfect B-Movie Horror Game Breaking ground as one of the first melee-focused zombie-killing games, the Dead Island series offers a gory and addictive gameplay loop that stood apart from the competition when it released. While the initial trailers advertised it more as an emotional, story-driven title, Dead Island thrives in its corny B-movie setting, with an intense tropical atmosphere that feels just as much of a vacation as an apocalypse. Even if the latest Dead Island 2 wasn't as positively received as the original Dead Island or even the Riptide expansion, it still excels at delivering the same lighthearted and satisfying gameplay experience that made the franchise so beloved at the time. Call Of Duty Zombies Far Surpassed Its Humble Beginnings While Call of Duty Zombies isn't exactly a traditional zombie survival game by any means, what started as a simple bonus mode for Call of Duty: World at War has grown massively into a beloved world of its own. CoD Zombies hasn't gotten a standalone spinoff just yet, but it's still one of the highlights of the first-person-shooter franchise, with each iteration introducing new characters, maps, and mechanics. Every CoD Zombies experience has plenty of replayability with its addictive survival gameplay loop, packed with convoluted Easter eggs that provide hours of potential entertainment. Even outside iconic maps and power-ups from the series, the nearly two decades of overarching storylines offer plenty to sink your teeth into. Dead Rising Puts A Creative Spin On The Survival Horror Genre The Dead Rising series has undergone several transformations over the years, but the core elements of chaotic environments filled with countless creatively destructive tools still shine through regardless of its iterations. Putting the survival into the survival horror genre, you'll need to scavenge for both weapons and groceries galore as you try to escape mutated malls or cities before it's too late. While not everyone will enjoy the pressure of Dead Rising's timed gameplay premise, it adds even more tension to its stressful yet comedic zombie-infested settings. Later entries in the Dead Rising series lack the simplistic charm of its predecessors, but the addition of greater customization and destructive scale with powerful weapons adds even more absurd ways to wreak havoc on the dead while uncovering greater mysteries behind the scenes. No Apocalypse Is As Horrifying As Dead Space Dead Space is another franchise that might not come to mind when thinking of a standard zombie survival game, but the shambling reanimated corpses brought to life by the Markers fit all the boxes of an undead zombie. Unlike traditional undead, however, the Necromorphs of Dead Space are better taken down by slicing off their limbs as opposed to destroying the head. Despite being defeated through dismemberment, Necromorphs are functionally unkillable and are only temporarily stopped after having their means of attack removed, or from losing too much blood to use them. Deadlier and more unkillable than regular zombies, the Necromorphs of Dead Space are one of the most terrifying forms of undead you can face off against, with their claustrophobic and eerie environments only adding to the horror. With plenty of undead variations across the three games in the franchise, Dead Space has always innovated new ways to kill, wipe out humanity, and traumatize its characters all at the same time. The Last Of Us Needs Little Introduction For Its Undead Horrors The Last of Us has taken the world by storm several times over the years, with the release of the original, its sequel, and a TV show introducing it to a whole new generation of fans. TLOU is one of the most iconic zombie franchises out there. The original TLOU is still the most universally praised, but one of the most unique aspects of the series, outside its fantastic characters, is its take on the zombie formula. While The Last of Us offers traditional zombies through the form of its aggressive runners, it's the even deadlier variants like Stalkers, Bloaters, and most notably Clickers that steal the show. Forcing you to plan ahead carefully and treat the infected as a serious threat, the best aspects of The Last of Us and its creative combat loop shine the most. Left 4 Dead Is One Of The Genre's Most Influential Shooters Setting a golden standard for all co-op horde shooters to follow, both Left 4 Dead games are still an absolute blast to hop into for a campaign or two after all these years. With an influence on countless zombie games over the years, including direct spiritual successors like Back 4 Blood, the legacy left by Left 4 Dead is still felt to this day. Even outside its addictive gameplay loop of taking down hordes of weak and special infected alike, the sheer modding potential of Valve's Left 4 Dead lets you tailor the experience to all your personal needs, at least on PC. State Of Decay Is An Incredibly Underrated Zombie Experience Even though State of Decay isn't on the same level as a realistic zombie simulator like Project Zomboid, Undead Labs' take on the zombie survival genre takes a much more grounded approach. Offering a replayable narrative where any of your characters can get infected or permanently die at a moment's notice, State of Decay is one of the closest experiences you can get to playing through a cinematic zombie thriller. With base-building, resource management, and a game world and characters that realistically react to your actions, each natural or predetermined story beat across the series feels more than earned. While the series can still be a little rough around the edges, its ambitious premise makes it an easy cult classic that's worth trying out. The Resident Evil Franchise Is A Long-Running Staple For A Reason Even though Resident Evil is better known for its mutated monstrosities and puzzle-solving mechanics than its regular zombies, the series itself has had an absolutely massive impact on the industry. Having changed drastically since its origins in the 90s, the ever-evolving Resident Evil franchise has come a long way over the years, with the upcoming release of Resident Evil Requiem already breaking records for the series. Offering iconic villains over the decades from Albert Wesker all the way to Mother Miranda, there are just as many egomaniacal supervillains as there are monstrous undead antagonists to face off against in Resident Evil's uniquely horrifying world of bioweapons. The Walking Dead Shook The Gaming Industry As A Whole In a surprising shift away from arcadey zombie killing to an incredibly grounded and emotionally-charged story, the original 2012 release of Telltale's The Walking Dead proved just how much the genre can offer in the right hands. With a legendary zombie franchise backing it up, The Walking Dead perfectly captures the feeling of the story while letting you make meaningful choices along the way. The gameplay may have suffered as a result of The Walking Dead's story-focused shift, but the characters and heartwrenching moments more than made up for it and broke out of its medium for new audiences, keeping you on the edge of your seat for hours. Even if The Walking Dead games have been gone for a few years now, the franchise is still getting new collaborations to look forward to. Dying Light Refines The Formula Of Its Predecessors Taking full advantage of the groundwork laid by its predecessors in the genre, the Dying Light series is one of the few that captures both the heartpounding action and sheer terror of the zombie apocalypse. Even if the second entry in the series had a mixed response from introducing more RPG-like mechanics, the zombie survival series was brought to new heights with the latest release of Dying Light: The Beast.
