Upcoming zombie games

Key things

• Zombie games need to be unique and of high quality to appeal to modern audiences in an age of oversaturation of the gaming market.
• Expect a wave of upcoming zombie games, from indie to AAA, with different settings and genres to keep players interested.
• Watch for projects like STALKER 2 and Project Z offering fresh takes on the zombie genre.

The zombies the genre has ruled the entertainment landscape for the better part of the last decade, and while audiences are currently a bit jaded, it's the post-apocalyptic setting that's making a comeback in waves. It's been that way since George A. Romero released Night of the Living Dead back in 1968.

In this day and age, a zombie-themed video game can still capture the excitement and anticipation of the audience, but it needs to deliver something that is refreshing, unique, and/or of unsurpassed quality. In modern times, more games are being released, both AAA and indie, than ever before. That said, there are probably more than a handful upcoming zombie games something to look forward to at any time.

Updated October 3, 2024 by Mark Sammut: September 2024 had a few zombie games, though they mostly came in the form of remasters. October bucks this trend by opting for a remake rather than a remaster.

As long as her monsters are zombie-like, the game will be considered a game even if she assigns them a different name.

Arizona Sunshine Remake

VR staples are changing

While not necessarily universally adored, Arizona Sunshine nevertheless, it is among the most important VR games of all time. Released in 2016, the original Project Vertigo was one of the first titles that felt like a fully fleshed out experience rather than a VR tech demo. Sure, the campaign was somewhat repetitive, and the gameplay was hardly ground-breaking for a first-person shooter, but Arizona Sunshine was impressive as a demonstration of the potential of virtual reality. The sequel is pretty decent too, although it didn't make that much of a splash when it launched in 2023.

Vertigo has confirmed that a remake is in the works, which will be available to both PC and PS VR2 owners. As with the original, Arizona Sunshine Remake is still strictly a VR experience, so this re-release isn't designed to adapt the game to standard gameplay. While it may seem unnecessary at first glance, the 2016 version is showing its age quite a bit, especially when contrasted with its successor. Visuals use the same engine as Arizona Sunshine 2while the combat and gore systems have also been updated. All DLC will be included as well.

People who own the original
Arizona Sunshine
they will receive a discount if they want to upgrade to the remake.

No more room in hell 2

Co-Op action shooter

The long-awaited sequel, rumored since at least 2017, No more room in hell 2 it's finally on the horizon and so far it's looking great. The game will launch first in Early Access and will debut with one map (Power Plant) which is said to be quite large. At the start of the run, eight players will spawn alone and surrounded by undead, and their first goal should be to try to find each other. From there, they can strategically plan their next moves as they try to survive as long as possible.

Although this all sounds quite simple, No more room in hell 2 it has one unique element that sets it apart: Permadeath. Yes, if a player falls, their run is over and they lose all progress. This mechanic should increase the intensity significantly, with every move, plan and missed bullet having consequences.

No more room in hell 2
will enter early access on October 22, 2024.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl

Survival in an open world

Regardless of the circumstances, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl it's always going to be a big deal. The GSC Game World franchise has amassed an impressive cult following on PC, and the sequel's console availability and Game Pass Day 1 launch should greatly expand the franchise's audience. Although some posts are better than othersSTALKER has yet to produce anything resembling a bad project, and expectations for the modern game have steadily increased over the past decade, especially since the last release in 2009. Call of Pripyat.

Using Unreal Engine 5, Heart of Chernobyl will allow longtime fans and new players to return to the Exclusion Zone, a nuclear wasteland that is slowly trying to rebuild. Faction warfare, anomalies, and strange artifacts are just some of the things players can expect, along with a (presumably) heavy focus on survival mechanics. STALKER 2 should be one of the biggest games of 2024.

Dying Light: The Beast

An open world first-person zombie RPG

Techland Dying light is well established as one of the best zombie franchises in the open world. Although it didn't receive rave reviews, the original project combined action, parkour and exploration in a wonderful way that did not negatively impact its horror capacity. Even after all these years, Dying light It stands as an impressive sandbox that manages to be terrifying and constantly entertaining. continuation, Dying Light 2 Stay Human was more of an action RPG with some horror elements than the other way around, which received a somewhat mixed reception from die-hard fans of its predecessor. However, the positives outweigh the negatives, so it's worth it for anyone who craves zombie antics.

Dying Light: The Beast appears to be a return to the style and tone of the 2015 entry, including the return of Kyle Crane as the protagonist. The standalone adventure set in Castor Woods begins with Kyle breaking out of prison and releasing him into an environment that has changed a lot over the past decade. More importantly, Kyle has some zombie DNA that gives him unique abilities.

The “Beast” in the title seems to refer to both Kyle and the monster roaming Castor Woods. At least that's what it seems based on currently available information.

Beast should have most of the essentials associated with the franchise. During the day, players will be able to explore relatively freely (though not without risk); meanwhile, the night brings the worst horrors found in Castor Woods. The game also supports 4-player co-op, which should be a fun alternative to running solo.

Dead season

Turn based tactics Zombie game

Although zombie games are usually associated with first-person shooters, they cover a fairly wide range of genres, although there is always room for expansion. For example, Dead season is a tactical game that puts players in charge of survivors who must work their way through 16 missions of turn-based combat that appears to use an invisible grid system similar to something like XCOM or to a lesser extent Baldur's Gate 3.

If nothing else, this project takes the genre in a new direction, at least in terms of gameplay. While zombie games typically thrive on creating chaotic environments that constantly threaten to overwhelm ill-prepared survivors, Dead seasonA more judicious pace could have a similar impact, forcing the player to periodically examine their next move to make sure they don't draw in more enemies or lead one of their characters to defeat.

On your Steam page
Dead season
has a demo.

John Carpenter's Toxic Squad

Cooperative shooter

Revealed in June 2023, John Carpenter's Toxic Squad introduced itself with a famously cheesy 80s trailer to a Bon Jovi soundtrack. Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, Toxic Commando it looks like it's a co-op first-person shooter with a class system and a quirky sense of humor. Any horror project that bears John Carpenter's name comes with higher expectations, but at least this game left a positive first impression.

Saber Interactive has an extensive resume that includes world war zanother co-op zombie shooter that was fairly well received. Toxic Commando this edition seems to retain the massively massive hordes that are the best part of this game; hopefully the upcoming title will be tweaked and improved world war zideas.

Project Z: Beyond Order

Cooperative FPS

It is hard to imagine that the game is simply called Project Z it's coming out too soon, but this WWII zombie shooter has made quite an impression with its trailers. Not only does it provide an immersive atmosphere that injects some horror into a well-trodden genre setting, but visually the game offers beautiful lighting and textures.

The developers are a new German independent studio called 314 Arts, which has a total of nine employees. It will offer both single-player and online co-op zombie-slaying spectacle as players try to uncover Nazi secrets hidden on an occupied island.

Killing Floor 3

Cooperative FPS

technically speaking, Killing FloorZeds aren't zombies, but they basically play the same role and the games cater to the same crowd. Co-op shooter Tripwire is finally gearing up for its comeback, although not much has been revealed Killing Floor 3the franchise is generally pretty reliable. Killing Floor 2 it has a very long lifespan and is still fairly active considering it has been around since 2016; the title is still starting to show its age, and a lot of similar games have entered the market in recent years.

Set in the year 2091, the upcoming sequel will have an almost cyberpunk theme and feature a mega-corporation as the main evil. Unsurprisingly, this organization decided to arm the zeds and force the resistance group to rise up and rebel. Outside of this basic plot summary, Tripwire has kept most of the other details under wraps, though the developer has confirmed it Killing Floor 3 will support 6 player co-op.

State of decomposition 3

Survival in the sandbox

Undead Labs feels like a game developer destined to bring a truly remarkable zombie experience to the world of video games. Their first entry into the genre was a low-budget zombie survival arcade game that won the hearts of gamers despite many bugs and issues. Its sequel, State of decomposition 2moved the streak forward.

in 2020 State of decomposition 3 has been revealed, and interviews with the studio indicate that they are working to make it the zombie survival game they believed they were capable of delivering. Now owned by Microsoft and overseen by Xbox Game Studios, it appears that the third installment in the State of decomposition series could be the one that puts Undead Labs on the map in a major way.

After spending several years out of the limelight, State of decomposition 3 made its big return during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase with a new trailer that hopefully hints that a release might not be that far off.