Charles has been writing about games for years and playing…
Have you ever searched about what are the best zombie gamed for PC? Zombie games are spread into various categories like survival simulation to the shooting. Some genres never get old no matter how many times you’ve done the same thing over and over again. They can even branch into sub-genres and sometimes, those sub-genres can be so popular that a whole industry can form over them. Zombie-shooters are one of them and the market is truly flooding with them, but that is not a complaint.
Table of Contents
ToggleBest Zombie Games of All Time
Of course, when you mention “zombie-shooters”, there are not just one type of games. We have a lot of different, distinct video games such as survival-horror to FPS/RPGs to straight-up shooters. Today, we compiled our favorite best zombie shooting games of all time just so you can have some brain-dead fun.
This list of Zombie games has everything any zombie enthusiast could ask for.
Dead Island: Definitive Collection
Dead Island: Definitive Collection contains 2 remastered games: Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide. They throw you on a zombie-infested island and you choose one of the 4 characters that are immune to the virus, each with their own strengths. The story isn’t the highlight here, it is the gameplay.
There are guns in the game, but they don’t stand out among the various melee weapons you can craft and mod with the stuff you find on the island, be it an electrified kitchen knife or a bat with a saw disc on top. The zombies get torn apart according to your slashes and it is really satisfying. You can also play it co-op with up to 4 players and slashing and smashing zombies to death has never been this fun with your friends.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – Zombies
Treyarch’s CoD games began to divide its player base with CoD: World at War, in a good meaning. They implemented a 4-player co-op zombie survival mode, and it got bigger and better each game. Black Ops 3 was the peak of this with a total of 14 zombie maps with the DLC. Treyarch somehow managed to give these survival maps a story and character, with each map having dozens of easter eggs and different gameplay mechanics.
We all know the classic CoD Zombies gameplay: With up to 4 players, you hold an area, buy weapons, move to the next area, upgrade your weapons and move on. But these aren’t just simple wave-to-wave zombie maps, they all actually tie into a proper story. Even though the different characters you play don’t have different abilities or stats, their voice lines and personalities differ, giving them a sense of character. All in all, Black Ops 3’s Zombies mode is so good that it can be its own separate game without the singleplayer or multiplayer.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Dying Light
Dying Light sets place in a fictional city called Haran. Most of the people are turned into zombies and you control a guy called Crane to find a cure for the infection. The map is completely open and the game’s unique feature is its parkour elements. Almost every building you see can be climbed and most of the map is designed to flow when you are running through its obstacles. Just like Dead Island, the melee weapons are the stars here and they can be crafted and upgraded in many different, creative ways. You can also unlock many different skills that combine with your melee arsenal to create one of the most fun experiences you can have in a video game.
You can perform various melee attacks, do jumping kicks, jump over zombies, slide, parkour your way through the zombies and shoot them while you go, etc. The possibilities are endless and at the night, it gets even crazier. The zombies get more powerful and the special zombies go up in numbers, so most of the time, night time means stealth time. The whole campaign can be played co-op with up to 4 players and you can invade other players’ games with the “Be The Zombie” mode, where you control a powerful zombie to kill the main player. Overall, Dying Light -in my opinion- is the best video game that is centered around zombies, ever.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS
S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl
The first and the best game of the famous S.T.A.L.K.E.R series, Shadow of Chernobyl gives you the control of the “Marked One”, a soldier with amnesia. You are in The Zone, a place around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant that has anomalies, mutants, zombies and different human factions. The game combines FPS and RPG elements beautifully; the inventory system, weapons, armors, shooting mechanics, the world and its characters all come together to form a living, breathing world.
The story revolves around finding and killing a guy called “Strelok”, but the more you get into the story, the better it gets. The game has many bugs, but thanks to a huge modding community, most of them can be patched pretty easily. It is a game best experienced first-hand; believe me when I say “There is no game like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. but S.T.A.L.K.E.R.”. Now get out of here stalker!
Platforms: PC
Left 4 Dead 2
If you want a great 4-player co-op zombie shooter with memorable stories and characters, Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 still holds up to today’s standards. With many different co-op mini-scenarios, team-play elements, special zombie types and PvP mods coupled with Valve’s great gameplay, it is a blast to play with your friends. Easy and Normal difficulties are usually not that challenging, running and gunning usually works out, but if you really want to experience L4D2, you should play it with 3 other friends and on at least Expert difficulty.
Each section requires a much more strategic and thought-out approach and the tension is always high. It is sold for really low prices nowadays and goes on sale pretty often, so if you haven’t tried it before, take your friends with you and jump right in.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Killing Floor 2
Killing Floor 2 is a massively fun 6-player co-op zombie shooter. There are 10 different classes you can choose from, each with their own abilities. The zombies (Or the “Zeds”, as the game calls them) are extremely aggressive and have many different types. You can buy different upgrades, weapons etc. between every round and every single gun in the game feels powerful.
The shooting mechanics are extremely satisfying, especially when coupled with slow-motion and heavy metal music. The game also features a 6 vs 6 Be the Zed! mode where you can control different types of zombies to kill other 6 survivors. It is a game that ticks all the boxes you want from a fun co-op zombie-shooter.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Linux, SteamOS
Doom
Though a game we can call “demon-shooter” rather than “zombie-shooter”, Doom is a fantastic reborn of the legendary FPS series and a wet-dream of every FPS fan. Once again, you take control of the DOOM guy once again with just one aim: Kill them all. With great level and enemy designs, dozens of different weapons with alternate shooting modes, astonishing soundtrack and graphics, brutal melee takedowns that reward you with ammo and health, memorable boss battles and well-hidden secrets that require good platforming, Doom comes close to being the perfect First-Person Shooter game.
You will play it again and again with little to no boredom. It also features a multiplayer mode that combines old-school arena shooters with modern elements with a gameplay reminiscent of Halo games, plus it is much more balanced nowadays than it was when the game first launched. Ultimately, the latest addition to the genre-defining series, Doom, is a perfect shooter that every gamer must play.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Dead Rising 3
Have you ever wondered what would you do if a zombie apocalypse actually happened? Whatever your answer is, I am sure it is not “I would modify a leaf blower into a weapon that launches sex toys into zombies in lethal velocities.”. Yeah, you can do that in Dead Rising 3. Although there is a 4th game, 3rd is my personal favorite and does many things better than its sequel.
The game is goofy from start to end, from funny lines and characters to over-the-top, ridiculous +300 weapons you can find and craft. From a freaking lightsaber to a laser gun made out of a microwave, there are no limits here. Each gun has different attacks with distinct, funny execution animations. There are many situations where you can see literally hundreds of zombies on screen and you can just charge in and kill all of them.
There are also vehicles in the game and yes, you can attach chainsaws in front of your cars and decimate hundreds of zombies while you drive. No matter how you choose to go about killing zombies, it all feels satisfying and fun-to-use. It is even better with a co-op partner. So just give up all the seriousness and start killing zombies with your giant weaponized teddy bear.
Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Resident Evil HD Remaster
The game that defined the survival-horror genre is back with a well-done remaster. Resident Evil HD Remaster retains everything that made the original great while adding everything it needs to be a current gen game. The graphics, the environment and the UI has all been reworked to a great degree, but do not worry, because the classic RE gameplay is still here with fixed camera angles and fighting for your life against zombies in tight spots, all the while trying to manage your resources, solve puzzles and backtrack to open that door that was locked previously.
The original’s awkward controls are reworked too, so if you haven’t played the original and don’t want to break the game, you can play with modern controls; but if you are a long RE fan you can still use the old control scheme. If you want to experience where the modern survival-horror games originated from, Resident Evil HD Remaster delivers a very-well-done reworked experience of the original game.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Fortnite (Save The World)
Even though most people know Fortnite as a Battle Royale game, it also features an extremely fun co-op zombie mode called Save The World; some even say that it is better than its BR mode. Save The World features many more weapons, skills, upgrades, traps etc. There is just so much to dig into here and you can play it all with friends which makes it a thousand times more fun.
The storyline and how it ties into gameplay is really well-implemented. You can build huge, permanent bases and because of that, the whole process of building a big base and a high-level character takes a lot more time. The gunplay, just like its Battle Royale mode, is extremely satisfying and it is made even better with many more different, fun weapons. Also, Save The World will be free-to-play at some point in 2018, so if you do not want to pay now, you can wait a couple more months for the free-to-play switch.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, iOS
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
If you’ve ever wanted to shoot zombies with the amazing gameplay of 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, you came to the right place. The Old Blood acts as a prequel to The New Order as a stand-alone DLC and you visit the original Wolfenstein’s location, Castle Wolfenstein. The first half is just more of the same, great The New Order with amazing action and smart stealth segments.
The gameplay is pretty much the same here, but around halfway through the 6-hour campaign, the zombies start to appear and things get escalated pretty quickly. It serves as a nice change of pace from the first half with waves of zombies being thrown at you. It all ends pretty quickly, though, but it is still a blast to play and will wake up some nostalgic feelings for those that have played the old Wolfenstein games.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
The House of the Dead: Overkill
When you mention “zombie-shooters”, it doesn’t match the definition more straightforward than The House of the Dead. You literally just shoot zombies, reload, move to the next room, rinse and repeat. It is the old, arcade shooter experience but it is still heaps of fun. The story and the characters are all goofy and the dialogue is vulgar. You can unlock more mutants, guns and gun upgrades to shoot even more zombies. If you want some mindless fun, just pick up your guns.
Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 3, Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Rockstar’s GOTY-contender Read Dead Redemption got a great DLC shortly after its release: Undead Nightmare. It is a story that is completely separate from the original one; basically, there is a zombie infection and it is up to you, John Marston, to stop it. The game carries everything that made RDR great.
The characters are colorful and alive, the shooting feels great and the story is funny and quirky. It is basically a cheesy horror movie, but when you add that to a masterpiece like Red Dead Redemption, you get a really fun experience.
Also, check out our articles about Games Like Red Dead Redemption.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
The Evil Within 2
The modern survival-horror masterpiece returns with an even bigger playground. This time, you set into the darkness to save your daughter that was believed to be dead. The gameplay is still much the same though, and that is a compliment. The Resident Evil 4-like over-the-shoulder gameplay really shines, but with a much more modern feel to it.
The extremely creepy places and grotesque monsters are still here to haunt your dreams, but luckily you can kill all of them with various weapons and upgrades. The boss fights are great again too and they are not easy to take down. It is a phenomenal survival-horror experience for the genre’s fans.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Dead Space 2
If you are more into survival-horror rather than just straight shooting, Dead Space 2 brings both action and horror together beautifully. Once again, you control Isaac and try to uncover the mysteries behind Markers, the secret alien artifacts that turn people into various monsters. The gameplay is much smoother than its predecessor and there are more guns with alternate shooting modes, suits, and powers.
There isn’t a single loading screen through the whole game (unless you die) and this makes the game feel much more realistic. The way the game demands you to use your different weapons, stasis and telekinesis powers to deal with different situations is really unique and satisfying if you can pull it off. The horror segments really hit the spot with an amazing sound design, extremely creepy level, and enemy designs. All in all, it is a great survival-horror experience even in 2018.
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Conclusion:
Shooting zombies with sawed-off shotguns and watching them get torn apart never really gets old. Zombie-shooters have formed a great sub-market among the regular action games and it seems that they are here to stay for a long time. From the goofy action of the Dead Rising 3 to the creepy corridors of Resident Evil, there is a place to go for everyone and we are sure you will find something for you in our list of best zombie games of all time. If you did, let us know below.
Charles has been writing about games for years and playing them all his life. He loves FPS, shooters, adventure games like Dota 2, CSGO and more.