There’s nothing quite like the zombie apocalypse to thrill and entice when it comes to adventure into brave new worlds in gaming. There’s something about survival amidst the threat of being literally eaten alive that just pulls gamers in, isn’t there? Anyway, if you love a good foray into the plague-infested wilds of zombie territory, then you should check out this list of some of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
The sequel to the original State of Decay might be four years old now, but it’s still hugely popular. In this edition of the zombie survival adventures, players are able to explore different maps around post-apocalyptic American towns with a view to reclaiming them from the zombies.
State of Decay 2 has a great open-world approach to the zombie apocalypse.
The ever-present undead do not make the job of establishing your own community and rebuilding humanity any easier. There’s a variety to these monsters too; Ferals, Screamers, acid-spraying Bloaters and gigantic Juggernauts are just some of the zombies that players will meet. State of Decay 2 has great co-op options with its online multiplayer as well, so if you need help building and defending your base, your friends can jump in and help you out.
World War Z
A zombie game that’s probably best experienced with friends is World War Z. In this game, players will find themselves visiting a variety of global locations and attempting to escape from a seemingly endless zombie scourge. World War Z is an ideal shooter game to jump into with others, as the endless swarms of zombies definitely take some beating back.
If you want to fend off literal swarms of mutants then this is one of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.
Coordination and teamwork make a big difference. Also, for those like me who prefer their action with a bit less intensity, the game is a third-person shooter, meaning the blood and guts aren’t too up close and personal, which is a relief.
Dead Space
Frequently referred to as one of the best video games ever made, Dead Space is actually a game designed for the Xbox 360. Thanks to backwards compatibility though, it’s still playable on the Series S/X console, on Xbox One and PC thanks to Game Pass.
Dead Space is considered to be a masterpiece.
Dead Space really puts the horror into sci-fi survival horror and sees players undertaking a mission to defeat a horde of their undead crewmates on a space station. Thanks to an alien disease outbreak, the risen ex-crew of the space station are truly out to get you. Think zombies, but in space. It’s terrifying and brilliant all at once.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
Zombie Army 4: Dead War is a game that exists in the Sniper Elite universe but gives everything a horrific undead twist. In this game, the armies of the undead are, perhaps unsurprisingly, former Nazi soldiers who players must send to hell. Which, coincidentally, it seems that Hitler is residing while he commands the hordes of undead soldiers above ground.
Take on the forces of evil itself in Zombie Army 4: Dead War.
Sounds plausible, frankly. Anyway, Zombie Army 4: Dead War is great fun and can be played on both consoles and PC. Team up with friends to undertake the game’s main campaign mode in co-op or carry out different missions in online multiplayer.
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season
For me, The Walking Dead titles are perhaps one of the best examples of narrative excellence in video games. In an episodic horror survival story based upon the comic books, players step into the shoes of protagonist Lee Everett in the first season. Set during an outbreak of infection that turns the population into the undead, Lee finds himself taking care of a young girl called Clementine, who becomes a central figure in the following seasons of the game.
The Walking Dead is an excellent narrative adventure.
The zombie action in Season One of The Walking Dead is truly adrenaline-fuelled at times, which is no mean feat for a game that’s predominantly narrative-oriented. An absolute must-play for those with Game Pass, however, it’s only playable on consoles and not PC.
Back 4 Blood
Another game that’s built for multiplayer fun is Back 4 Blood. This is one chaotic ride of zombie carnage that’s definitely best played with friends. Back 4 Blood sees players taking on the hideously mutated zombie ‘Ridden’ who have seemingly taken over the world and have forced humanity into a corner.
Back 4 Blood is a great chocie for multiplayer.
As ‘Cleaners’ players will take the fight to the undead monstrosities, which are pretty challenging, to say the least. Back 4 Blood also incorporates a unique deckbuilding element into the gameplay, whereby players can use different cards in their loadouts to challenge themselves in their gameplay. Great fun, but it’s FPS, so definitely one for those who like blood and guts.
The Walking Dead: Season Two
Season Two of The Walking Dead is also available to players on Game Pass on Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One. This next chapter of the story sees us returning to Clementine, now the main playable character.
Revisit Clementine in one of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.
It’s a continuation of events from the dramatic ending of Season One and features yet more intense zombie action. Somehow, the undead attacks feel even more dangerous when playing as Clementine, which is a testament to the design of the game.
DayZ
In DayZ, players will have to survive the wilderness of an extremely harsh post-apocalyptic world that’s also full of infected zombies. The emptiness of the game’s environment requires quick thinking and real-world common sense in order to outwit and defeat the zombies as well as actually manage to stay alive.
Survival is the aim of the game in DayZ.
Players can work together in online co-op in DayZ, which can be a really satisfying way to survive the harsh conditions and kill some of the infected. However, the game’s sandbox and open-world multiplayer structure mean that other players are just as likely to kill you and loot your corpse as the zombies are to eat it. Nice.
7 Days To Die
7 Days To Die takes the classic elements of horror and survival as standard and throws an interesting open-world environment into the undead-filled mix. Crafting is key to your ability to outlast and outwit the zombies that litter the game world.
7 Days To Die is probably one of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass.
This is a zombie game that puts a bit more emphasis on players’ abilities to craft their own bases and defences, which gives it more of a creative feel than some of the standard zombie shooters out there. Currently only available on Xbox consoles with Game Pass and in Game Preview state on PC, this is a zombie game you can sink hours into without getting bored.
Sunset Overdrive
More of a notable mention than a specific ‘zombie game’, Sunset Overdrive gets a shout-out on this list for the pure fun factor. The zombies in this game are actually hideously mutated humans who’ve become zombie-like mutants after drinking an energy drink.
Time to ease up on those energy drinks.
The open-world apocalypse setting of Sunset City provides an engaging playground in which players on PC and consoles can explore. The speed-based mechanics of combat and world traversal make this a highly enjoyable way to defeat the mutants. So this game is definitely worth a play if you’re looking to drop into a vibrant world and cause chaos amidst an infected population.
So there you have it, 10 of the best zombie games on Xbox Game Pass. Is there one you’d include in the list that hasn’t been mentioned? Let us know in the comments, or over on social media. Until then, we’ll see you in the apocalypse.
