Mat Langford’s Gaming World: Mmm…Brains! It’s the Zombie Infestation!

Zombies are everywhere lately; they’re in film, on TV and especially in our video games. With the success of games like Left 4 Dead and the Resident Evil series, it’s no wonder they’re being used as frequently as they are. But where is the line when it comes to undead oversaturation?

It is obviously a cash-in on the pop culture phenomenon that seems to have gotten much bigger since Resident Evil first pioneered the modern zombie hunt back in 1996. But now that it is creeping into games that perhaps wouldn’t normally feature the undead, it would appear that the zombie apocalypse might be wearing out its welcome.

Red Dead Redemption was easily one of the best games ever made. The country setting was ideal for an epic western experience. Then they released the expansion that centered around, you guessed it, zombies. Although the expansion was good, it was obvious that the producers at Rockstar were obviously looking for an easy sell. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cheapen the series for me a little, but that’s the business.

The issue I have with this zombie infestation – other than the unnecessary cameos in non-zombie games – is that many of the games that feature our flesh-eating friends share similar qualities. In fact, some would even venture to say that they’re almost all alike. It’s a small leap from a game like Left 4 Dead to Dead Island, the newest zombie adventure. In L4D, you play in a group of up to four characters, who strive to survive against an undead horde that has infested your city. In Dead Island, you play in a group of up to four people that must defend themselves on a remote island from a horde of zombies. Pretty similar to me! And lets not forget Dead Rising, which features extensive weapon customization. This feature is shared in Left 4 Dead as well.

If there are no major differentiations that set the inevitable sequels of this new set of games apart from the old, the genre may lose its appeal and stagnate. We can only take so many reiterations of Left 4 Dead. Lets see a game where you play as the zombie and infest a city yourself, causing mass panic and destruction! That would be different! I suppose it could be worse though, it could be …vampires.

Are you hungry for more braiiinnnssss? Do you think that its time to get rid of zombies? Let us know in the comments!