What are the best zombie games? Be it running from fast-paced undead foes or slaying infected enemies, there are so many exciting depictions of zombies. Many of them appear, one way or another, in the best zombie games around. You’ll need your wits to survive against them, though.
From single-player narrative games that deserve a spot on our best games of all time lists to multiplayer shooters from our best co-op games list, zombies are everywhere. If you’re hoping to either become prey or predator against these terrifying corpses, here are the best PS5 games and best Xbox games featuring zombies.
The best zombie games are:
1. Left 4 Dead
A classic that always comes back to life whenever a group of friends asks what to play together on a Friday night. While we’ve seen a number of iterations of the concept since, from Back 4 Blood to Warhammer: Vermintide, Left 4 Dead 2 remains unmatched in style, design, and identity. With premises as simple as getting through a zombie-infested carnival or a swamped town, the key distinction is set in the momentum and the finesse required to achieve the goal.
Fighting special infected requires precision and, in higher difficulties, sharp coordination. In the in-between moments, however, you’ll be dealing with hordes upon hordes of fast-paced zombies, akin to films like 28 Days Later. The rhythm at display never gets old, and whenever you’re feeling bored, both the difficulty options and the absurd amount of mods will ensure dozens upon dozens of playtime hours to come.
Unfortunately, Left 4 Dead is only available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One thanks to backward compatibility, as well as on PC. Sorry PlayStation players!
2. Killing Floor 2
The original Killing Floor started as an Unreal Tournament 2004 mod, with a full retail version being brought by Tripwire Interactive back in 2009. Seven years later, Killing Floor 2 showed up to rival the zombie-infested market of shooters, maintaining the essence of the original in a much tighter and more modern package.
Instead of going through a set of levels, you and other characters team up to explore and defend yourselves from hordes of increasingly harder enemies in one scenario at a time, from strange labs surrounded by snow to a virtual depiction of Paris. If you manage to survive a wave, you’ll get a time window in which you can purchase new weapons and replenish your supplies.
There are multiple difficulty options to tackle, as well as several classes to choose from, all of which level up and have their own skill trees to experiment with. If you’re looking for a game that will have you and your usual multiplayer group hooked for a while, this is one of the best options out there.
Killing Floor 2 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
3. The Last of Us Part 1
If you’re hoping for a narrative-first game from the studio that created beloved titles such as Uncharted, you’re in luck. The Last of Us Part 1 is a remake of the critically acclaimed PS3 exclusive that delivers a heart-warming and devastating story focusing on a grieving father transporting a teenager across America who possibly holds a cure to changing the world.
The Last of Us has some strong survival gameplay that makes it worthy of being on the best survival games list. But, its biggest strength is a narrative that has been so great, that it became one of the best TV series‘ too. We truly believe this is the best story in a zombie game, ever, and has yet to be defeated.
If that doesn’t sell you, our The Last of Us Part 1 review gave it a 10/10, stating that it’s “a truly stunning remake that significantly heightens the immersion of one of the best games ever made”. While the series is a PlayStation exclusive, The Last of Us can also be played on PC for the first time ever thanks to this remake.
4. The Last of Us Part 2
If you’ve played The Last of Us or watched the HBO show and are yet to jump into the sequel, well, what are you waiting for? The non-traditional take on zombies is enough to allure you to give it a try. But it’d be a disservice to recommend The Last of Us Part II without highlighting its story, and the narrative beats it manages to pull throughout a hefty campaign.
Without diving into spoiler territory (the clueless you can dive in, the better!), you’re now taking the mantle as Ellie years after the events of the first game. Pretty much almost every aspect of its predecessor has been either expanded or strengthened. Combat is swifter and more brutal, there are more The Last of Us zombie types, exploration leads to actually interesting storytelling pockets that enhance the experience, and going through the entire campaign will, in some shape or form, stick with you long after the end credits.
As with the original The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part 2 is available only on PlayStation.
5. Resident Evil 2 remake
Welcome to the Reisdent Evil section! It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Capcom’s iconic series features heavily in this list – they’re quite brilliant despite the odd dud here and there. Kicking off the list, we have the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2.
Resi 2 is a classic, but depending on which generation you were born in, you might have missed it. Alternatively, it could also be the case that, well, the tank controls aren’t your cup of tea anymore, and you’d like to relive Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield’s stories in a different light. Regardless of your experience with the series, the Resident Evil 2 remake is one of the most intense and gripping zombie games in recent times.
Presenting itself in a third-action perspective, you’re entrusted to survive the night inside Racoon Police Department. Your ammo will be scarce, the undead will surround you and leave you heavily injured if you’re not careful, and you’ll end up backtracking quite a lot, slowly unraveling the station’s secrets. Similarly to the original, getting to the end credits once only tells one side of the story, and you’ll have to go through three other routes to get the full picture, facing different challenges but also approaching the station with familiarity and knowledge in mind. It’s also perfect for speedrun enthusiasts.
Resident Evil 2 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
6. Resident Evil 3 remake
Resident Evil 3’s remake won’t get the same sort of kudos as the other modernized versions of Capcom’s classics – its critical reception is all over the place – but we at The Loadout love Jill and Carlos’ bizarre adventure through Raccoon City.
Though way more focused on action setpieces than the other remakes, 2020’s Resi 3 reimagining manages to recapture all of the horrific tension of its source material, while giving its gameplay loop a fresh coat of paint. If puzzles and exploration are what draw you to Resident Evil, then this might not be the one for you. However, if you’re just looking to be terrorized then don’t sleep on this one.
Resident Evil 3 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
7. Resident Evil 4 remake
You should absolutely make the time for this remake, as we mentioned in our Resident Evil 4 remake review. When thinking about the best zombie games, though, it’s worth treasuring its legacy and honoring the game that paved the way for many, many others in the coming years. Resident Evil 4 remains a classic, and while the fact that it’s gotten so many ports is pretty much a meme nowadays, there’s definitely a reason why the game has been put on numerous platforms.
The campiness of both the story and how Leon S. Kennedy reacts and confronts every character and villain that he encounters in his search for Ashley Graham remains as funny as ever. The action, especially in the way weapons can change how you approach each encounter and how far you can push them through upgrades, is still unmatched. With so many little touches and secrets to find, Resident Evil 4 is still worth playing (or replaying) right now. And, from the looks of it, this will be the case for many years to come still.
Resident Evil 2 is available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
8. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Okay, fine, Resident Evil 7 doesn’t technically have zombies in it. But, in the same vein as The Last of Us, we are looking at zombie-like creatures in the form of the Mold. While we won’t spoil what the Mold actually is – it’s a pretty simple guess… sort of – we would be remiss to not include what we reckon is the scariest Resi to date in our rundown.
Set in Louisiana, Resi 7 plants you into the shoes of Ethan Winters as he hunts around a derelict plantation in a desperate attempt to find his missing wife, Mia. In typical Resi fashion, Biohazard gets real weird, real quick, as Ethan finds way more than he bargained for on the family front.
Resident Evil 7 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
9. Resident Evil Village
If the different approach of Resident Evil 7 enticed you to return to the series, good news, as Resident Evil Village ramps up that foundation. Taking cues from the likes of Resident Evil 4, the focus is on a much more fast-paced rhythm around its action. As Ethan Winters, you’re sent to an Eastern European village to fight against a peculiar cast of enemies. There are undead-like foes, sure, but also werewolves, vampires, and other classic creatures.
Compared to our other choices on this list, Resident Evil Village might seem like a departure of sorts. It definitely is for the series as a whole, too. But if you’re looking to tread familiar grounds while also being open to unexpected twists and turns, this is a great option.
Resident Evil Village is available on PlayStation and Xbox. For those playing on PlayStation, the horror of Village can be enhanced thanks to PSVR 2 compatibility, making it one of the best PSVR 2 games right now.
10. Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Back when the hit TV series was at the height of its popularity, The Walking Dead videogame told a smaller, more self-contained story in the emblematic comic book universe. Through the eyes of Lee Everett, you witness the very beginning of the “walkers” outbreak, unintentionally ending up taking care of a young girl called Clementine.
Similar to other projects from developer Telltale, the story progresses episodically and takes you through linear scenarios where you need to think fast, react faster, and slowly start to generate grudges with the people around you due to them not agreeing with your actions or decisions. The choices are yours to make, but it’s the humane portrayal of the typical zombie apocalypse setting that raises the stakes and makes this an episodic trilogy worth playing for both fans of the TV series and those who aren’t familiar with it.
The Walking Dead is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
11. Dead Rising 2
The Dead Rising series has always been proud of its signature premise, which puts you in big spaces filled with all sorts of weapons, everyday objects, and machinery to take down hundreds if not thousands of undead in your way. Dead Rising 2 refines its predecessor’s foundation by enhancing the controls and introducing a new protagonist into the picture, whose main goal is to find Zombrex for her daughter — a temporary cure of sorts that needs to be regularly administrated.
Of course, on your way, you’ll find dozens of other survivors in need of your help. Without realizing it, you’ll end up being part of a much larger story. But hey, the most critical aspect is always to dress the protagonist as silly as possible after going through a clothing store inside the mall, and then crafting strange weapons to plow through zombie hordes.
Dead Rising 2 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
12. Zombie Army Trilogy
Introduced as a spin-off of the Sniper Elite series, the gameplay in Zombie Army Trilogy remains fairly similar. Sniper rifles are your primary weapon, while pistols, shotguns, and assault rifles are secondary and don’t have as much ammo. It’s imperative that you take your time and aim at your target from afar. But, unlike the original series, stealth is replaced by a desperate need to clear your surroundings as dozens of zombies come your way from every single corner of a map.
Whether you choose to face the campaign head-on solo or with friends in co-op, you’ll get to experience a gritty and intense experience that, with just the right tweaks to how you usually approach zombie games, ends up being a breath of fresh air in return. Plus, to me, the soundtrack has more than a few notes reminiscent of The Warriors movie, in case you’re also a fan.
Zombie Army Trilogy is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
13. State of Decay 2
State of Decay was a game that excelled in its small stories. In conjunction with a smart approach to an open world map, back when the scales of the genre hadn’t gotten as massive as they are now, the game had novelty to spare. But it was perhaps the way it treated death and companions, iterating on ideas from games like ZombiU, that set it apart from the rest. You begin each playthrough surrounded by randomized characters, each with their traits and skills. It’s up to you to decide who’s going to tag along in the next expedition, and how far they’ll make it.
This interesting approach to freedom in the genre is only enhanced in State of Decay 2. You’ll have to build defenses around your base, scavenge for resources from abandoned outposts and decaying facilities, and attempt to build — and maintain — a community of survivors. Moreover, if you’ve been away from the game since its original release, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition adds a wide array of improvements, additional modes, and tons of vital features that vastly improve the experience. So, check it out ahead of the State of Decay 3 release date.
State of Decay 2 is available on Xbox only.
14. Dying Light 2
If you miss the thrill of wall-running in Mirror’s Edge and wonder how it would play out in a zombie-infested city, Dying Light 2 provides the answer. Iterating on the very same idea of its predecessor, you’re now taken into a much larger environment to test your might, and swiftness, as you help the city’s inhabitants while searching for a person yourself.
Compared to the sequel, the range of movements available at your disposal is greatly increased, as well as how the environment offers itself to try new tricks. It’s a much larger campaign and one that has been receiving support with beefy updates since its launch.
If you’re hoping to hit zombies with everything you’ve got, from electric-enhanced wrenches to two-handed scythes that slice through undead corpses like butter, Dying Light 2 is a great experience. And while the story might not be the best, the gameplay is certainly a stress reliever.
Dying Light 2 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
15. Dead Space (2023)
While Dead Space’s Necromorphs may not technically be zombies, they are reanimated corpses so we count it. In this faithful recreation of the original game, the Dead Space remake puts you into the spacesuit of Isaac Clarke, an engineer who is assigned to a job at the USG Ishimura. Upon arrival, you’ll realize that things aren’t as hopeful as they seem.
As an engineer, many of the weapons that you’ll come across are tools that Isaac knows how to use, and with a spacesuit fit to survive the worst things imaginable, you’ll be stomping on Necromorphs in no time. Unfortunately for you, this is a survival horror game, so instead of expecting hordes, it may be better if you expect jumpscares and blood-curdling heart-pumping moments.
When The Loadout’s own Kyle Wilson wrote his Dead Space review, he said ” [The Dead Space remake] is a story-rich, gory, and more engaging experience than the original, and one you won’t want to miss”, so whether you’ve played the original or not, you’ll want to experience the horrors in the Ishimura.
PS5 players can purchase a copy of the game, while Xbox players can either purchase the full game or play it as part of their Xbox Game Pass subscription.
16. World War Z: Aftermath
Based on the popular film of the same name, World War Z: Aftermath takes you and up to three friends across the globe in horde-infested locations as you fight to survive an ever-growing zombie threat. You play as one of eight unique classes, as you progress and level each one, perfecting your play style and building a zombie-killing team with your friends or AI companions.
Like the film it is based on, World War Z: Aftermath focuses on zombie swarms that will undoubtedly cause great anxiety to even the most prepared squads, with the hordes acting as if they’re real crowds by clambering over each other and stumbling in narrow hallways. Your team must make it from one end of the level to the other, attempting to survive the devastating undead.
The Aftermath version of the game includes the first-person mode as well as a new location to enjoy and current-gen console improvements for 4K60. And the best part? Xbox players can enjoy it as part of their subscription to Game Pass.
World War Z is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
17. Days Gone
In Days Gone, you play as Deacon St. John, a mercenary working in the Pacific Northwest of the USA following a global virus outbreak that turns most of humanity into zombie-like creatures called Freakers. Alongside your friend ‘Boozer’, you must survive against the Freakers, as well as malicious humans as you attempt to figure out the mystery of the virus.
As a PS4 and PS5 exclusive for console (it has since been released on PC), Days Gone is a much more narrative-heavy experience than other titles on the list, focusing on character-driven story beats that are beautifully done. However, the world of Days Gone is made great by a variety of survival-like mechanics, such as finding limited-use suppressors and looking after your motorcycle, your main way of traveling.
While the game received a mixed reception at launch, with Days Gone getting a 71 on Metacritic from critics, we believe that it is still worth playing simply due to its focus on narrative, and the fact that it has a huge cult following.
18. Dead Island 2
A title that no one thought would ever release, let alone be good when it does, is none other than Dead Island 2. Despite being a sequel to a game from 2011, there’s no need to play its predecessor to enjoy the zombie hack-and-slash chaos that Dead Island 2 offers for players.
You choose from one of the Dead Island 2 characters and must use the best Dead Island 2 weapons before taking on hordes of the undead. While the idea of killing infected humans is fairly dark, Dead Island 2’s comedy and jokey attitude makes killing zombies a lot of fun.
Considering the long wait due to the game being in development help, our Dead Island 2 review called it “Gross, gory, and gorgeous in equal measure”, saying that it’s “hell of a lot of fun and well worth the wait”.
Dead Island 2 is available on PlayStation and Xbox.
19. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
Modern Warfare 3 switches up the formula for Call of Duty Zombies, transitioning the action from round-based skirmishes to open world battles. You’ll be finding loot and weapons to survive, all while completing contracts and special missions to earn awesome rewards like Wonder Weapons and the ability to craft Perks. Of course, you can still buy classic Perks like Juggernog and PhD Flopper around the huge map of Urzikstan.
Built off of Call of Duty Warzone’s old DMZ mode, extraction is also a core part of the experience. Each ‘match’ typically lasts up to an hour, and before that timer runs out, you need to take your loot to an extraction point to escape safely. It’s a welcome refresh for the long-running survival mode, and worth picking up MW3 for.
20. Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Yes, Rebellion’s undead sniper fest is that good we’ve got another entry on this list. Dead War is the perfect leap forward from Zombie Army Trilogy, perfecting its weighty gunplay and tense action to provide one of the better zombie killing experiences out there. Multiplayer maps are super tight and require every ounce of your resource to stay alive, while the game’s campaign takes you a brilliant globe trotting adventure. It is pure b-movie cheese, and you’ll likely love every second of it.
21. DayZ
When we think of the survival games that paved the way for the genre to reach its current wave of popularity, DayZ immediately comes to mind. Starting life as a mod for soldier simulator ARMA, DayZ added a boatload of flesh-eaters as well as all the standard survival mechanics you’ll find in a game within the genre.
Over a decade later, DayZ is still iterating and releasing new content. In May 2024, new expansion Frostline was announced. This Fall, you’ll get to experience a new, frigid map called ‘Sakhal,’ alongside reworks to existing systems and more. It’s easily the biggest update we’ve seen for some time, marking this year as the perfect time to begin your journey on PlayStation and Xbox.
That covers our choices for the best zombie games to play but for more games to check out, why not take a peek at some upcoming horror experiences in our list of the new Xbox games and new PS5 games on both platforms?
