Dying Light 2is still on the way, despite some hefty delays. Originally meant to release in the Spring of 2020, it’s now been cryptically teased that fans should expect at least some news about the game in 2021, though there’s still no confirmed release date.
Still, that’s quite a long way to wait for the new zombie game. The good news isDying Lightisn’t the only zombie game on the market; there are plenty of really good zombie games that players can get their hands on right now to hold them over untilDying Light 2actually sees the light of day.
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State of Decay 2
State of Decay 2is anopen-world zombiesurvival game that puts the player in charge of running a new camp of survivors. Keeping that band of survivors alive throughout the apocalypse is going to prove a challenge, not just due to the zombies, but due to the resource scarcity, as well.State of Decay 2does not give players an overabundance of resources, and they’ll constantly be having to make difficult decisions and risk lives in order to get the things that they need.
While the gameplay of theMicrosoft exclusiveState of Decay 2andDying Lightare pretty different, they’ll both scratch that zombie itch, if that’s what players are looking for.State of Decay 2is an entirely third-person experience, with a mix of stealth and melee/shooting combat, which is drastically different from the action-oriented, parkour gameplay ofDying Light.State of Decayfeatures permadeath for characters, which does mean that even though the gameplay might be a bit slower-paced, it’s still definitely delivering on adrenaline.
Days Gone
Days Goneis a story-centric zombie game with an impressive open-world and some of thebest zombies in gaming. There are 40 different hordes spread across the open-world ofDays Gone, some of them somewhat small, others extremely-not-small. This alone would have made the game a blast to play, butDays Gonealso creates some very well-drawn characters and tell a pretty cool and emotional story. It feels like an interesting mix of games likeThe Last of UsandState of Decay, making it one of the most memorable zombie games to date.
Days Goneis another entirely third-person experience, but there’s quite a bit of variety here. A lot of time is going to be spent riding the main characterDeacon’s motorcycle, which is actually a lot more fun than it sounds. Actually getting that motorcycle from Point A to Point B can prove to be a bit of a challenge for a variety of different reasons, including the terrain. While that’s not exactly the parkour ofDying Light, navigating tricky terrain is a similar mindset.
Resident Evil
For one of the tensest zombie experiences out there, look no further than (most of) theResident Evilfranchise. In particular, the recentResident Evilremakes andResident Evil 7have some very good zombie/horror stuff going on, with some extremely close-quarters action. The zombies (and other monsters) in these games are some of the most resilient on this list, some of which even appear dead for a long time before reanimating once again.
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These games are an entirely different pace to the high-octane action ofDying Light, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring by any stretch. TheseResident Evilgames excel at continuously building tension and, at the perfect moment, snapping that tension into a very dangerous scenario. These games are great for theDying Lightfans that like a trulyterrifying horror game.
DayZ
A mix of zombie and PVP action,DayZis one of the oldest games on this list, though it is still being continuously updated. It is, without a doubt, the most grueling and challenging game on here, but that’s what makes those moments where players actually do succeed in something memorable. Players are going to die here, whether it’s getting killed by zombies or other players. It’s best not to get too attached to loot, because it might not last a very long time. That said, this game does now have somewhat limited forms of base-building, allowing for players to be somewhat self-sufficient once they acquire certain things. This game offers players a lot of freedom, and amassive open-world.
This game does not lack for zombies, much likeDying Light. Towns are especially going to be full of the undead, and incidentally, that’s where the majority of the loot is going to be, too. Where there’s loot, there are players, making these the most dangerous locations. Everything gets a little bit more dangerous at night too, because night in this game is actually dark, meaning if players don’t have a light source, they can’t see much of anything outside of arms reach.
The Last of Us
Another very story-centric game,The Last of Usboth 1 and 2 have superbly-told stories of the post-apocalypse. These are both extremely narrative-driven, with the first game being a bit more on-rails than the second, which featured a somewhat open-world, in portions. This series also has some pretty tense zombie encounters, especially with the Clickers, which are zombies that can’t see but use echolocation to locate their prey. Clickers aren’t the only type of zombie inThe Last of Usthough, ranging from the classic running and screaming variety to the big and bloated variety to more. There are also plenty of human enemies that have some pretty good AI, making them just as formidable enemies as the zombies can be.
In comparison toDying Light, this game has a different approach to the gameplay, but inventive combat is well-represented in both games.The Last of Ushas a lot of different gadgets players can craft, from different kinds of traps for enemies to walk into, whether they be zombie or human. There are a lot of differentweapon upgrades inThe Last of Us 2, and what the player decides to craft and upgrade is going to drastically change the way the game is played.
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