Did you catch the season premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC the other night? Hard to believe this is the fifth season already. And if the opening episode - No Sanctuary - accomplished anything, it's that this season is going to be every bit as graphic and brutal as any of the previous seasons. This episode actually had a scene I found really hard to watch (not so much because of the gore but more because of the graphic violence). No spoilers though. I was actually beginning to doubt the direction the series was headed but this episode singlehandedly convinced me to keep watching the series...and even more than that...had me longing for a new zombie game.
I don't really consider myself a zombie game player much like I don't really consider myself a FPS gamer. But at the end of the day when I look at the games I play a lot of...and the games I typically enjoy the most. Well, there are a lot of shooters...and there are a lot of zombie games. I've played some doozies, and you probably have too. Games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising are memorable zombie games. And whether you think The Walking Dead episodic games are really games or not - I'm having fun with them, whatever they are (interactive stories maybe). Even as we speak, I've been playing through State of Decay on Steam (PC). It has some amazing qualities for a zombie game.
Since I'm kind of daydreaming about zombie games (I'm surprised at how often I do that) I wanted to compile a list of features I think the perfect zombie game would have.
Timeline:
Most zombie games seem to occur well after the crisis has started but I've always been interested in the pandemonium that would ensue after the initial outbreak. The widespread panic and mass confusion. The breakdown of civilization and the transition to lawlessness. There have been a few games to include this as part of the narrative, but I'd prefer a game that starts at the beginning and slowly works its way through the mess of an Extinction Level Event.
Location / Setting:
Most zombie games throw you into the chaotic world as one of the survivors...and you're pretty much stuck in the same general region since transportation has practically ground to a halt. I wouldn't mind a game that sort of shows you the perspective of different characters from around the world. Trust me when I say, I was not even remotely a fan of World War Z, but I did suffer through it until the end. One redeeming quality (and it might be the only one) I did like about the movie was the fact you get to see the effects of the devastation from around the world and how the different countries responded to such an event. I want to see zombies swarming the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. And I want to take them out. But I can't exactly be the good ole boy surviving in the hills of Montana and wind up in Beijing or Jerusalem.
Perspective:
First Person Shooter...of course. It seems like quite a few zombie games use the third person or the over the shoulder perspective, but I'd like it to be a First Person Shooter. I just like this view, not only from a combat perspective, but also from a "walking around the world and being scared out of my pants" perspective. Left 4 Dead uses this approach and it is my favorite way to play a zombie game.
Gameplay:
Gameplay is kind of a broad topic that encompasses a broad range of elements, but I'd love a zombie game in a big huge open world with players running around kind of like they do in Destiny. I can be out there fighting zombies, and I might stumble across another player fighting their own zombies. Yeah, that sounds nice.
Realism:
Regardless of the game I'm playing, zombies or not, I prefer a certain amount of realism. I know this might sound ridiculous with some of the games I play but in my mind they still exhibit realistic qualities. Even though Titanfall is a game based on science fiction, it still has a degree of realism to it (at least for me it does). I don't want a zombie game where I'm carrying a dozen weapons with unlimited ammo and can be overwhelmed by a horde of zombies and barely break a sweat, even though I've been clawed, bitten and taken down. I want a game with a level of realism like we see in Day Z. Weapons are scarce. Ammo is scarcer. And when you die...you're dead. That character is done. You might as well create a new character and start over from somewhere else. Maybe Beijing or Jerusalem. I hear they're having issues there too.
Types of zombies:
I know there are organizations out there devoted to defining the different types of zombies. I am not a member of said organization. All I can tell you is the types of zombies I've seen on TV, in the movies or run across in video games. As much as I like Left 4 Dead (probably my favorite zombie game), I'm not really a fan of the various zombies in that game like the witch or the tank. I will admit the Clown Infected are good for a chuckle, but really hard to take too seriously. The fast moving, capable of thought zombies from I am Legend - also not a fan of. I guess I like my zombies how they are portrayed in The Walking Dead. You know...zombie zombies. Like they are in Michael Jackson's Thriller video, minus the dancing.
Miscellaneous Elements:
Hard choices: Yes. Like The Walking Dead, but only in a First Person Shooter. I want to be put in a position that tests my moral compass and my ability to make difficult decisions that affect me, other players I might've hooked up with, and those who I encounter that I might've let live. Who do you save? Who do you trust? Who do shoot on sight?
Weapons: Yes. Lots of them. Realistic weapons, too. If I find a zombie cop, he or she oughta have a Glock or similar sidearm. If I search an old cabin in the woods, it oughta have a rusty old double barrel shotgun above the fireplace. And if I find a Dick's Sporting Goods or Cabela's, it oughta be a jackpot of weapons and ammo. Assuming I get there first. My dream zombie game would also have makeshift weapons. No, nothing crazy like Dead Rising. But you should be able to fashion clubs, spears and other rudimentary weapons. I'm not a fan of weapons that "wear out" but they should periodically break.
Vehicles: According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics for 2009, there are 254,212,610 registered passenger vehicles. A zombie game should include a lot of vehicles because well, there are a lot of them in the world. And since this is the beginning of the outbreak, many of them will still be drivable. But ones you find abandoned on the side of the road should be out of gas, have flat tires or may require some "parts" before its drivable. It would certainly add an interesting element and perhaps a number of side quests.
Consequences: Besides having to make hard choices, I want the choices to have consequences. Meaningful consequences. Meet someone new along the road and team up with them for the night - okay...yes. Wake up in the morning and all your stuff is gone. Weapons. Food. Water. Yeah, you're still alive, but for how long without the essentials. But if you trust no one and kill everyone you come across, well...word gets out and now not only do zombies want you dead, but so do the humans.
Well, I could go on and on and on about zombie games, but I suppose I better wrap it up here. I'm sure we'll be treated to a new zombie game here in the future, and who knows...maybe it will even have some of these features. Oh, and did you hear the news - it looks like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is going to have a zombie mode again. Sweet!
Cheers.