Over the years, zombies have become a genre all their own. They’ve appeared in almost every style of video game and have been used to tell all sorts of stories. In fact, most games don’t even bother to explain why the dead are up and walking around. They just skip right to the skull-smashing, brain-spilling fun that games have come to expect.

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Then there are the zombie games that harken back to their roots in science fiction. The ones that typically have grounded, in-depth explanations for the zombie outbreak and use zombies to discuss larger sci-fi themes of technology, survival, the nature of humanity, and the uncertain direction of the future.

6 Dead Space (2023)

Zombies In Space

The original 2008 Dead Space was a perfect blend of zombie horror and science fiction. Protagonist Isaac Clarke navigates the eerie hallways of the USG Ishimura planet cracker spacecraft while being attacked by undead entities known as Necromorphs. The 2023 remake ups the ante with improved graphics and gameplay, breathing new life into a game all about fear and isolation.

The Necromorphs are one of the more unique reimaginings of the classic zombie out there. A corpse reanimating as-is is bad enough, but Necromorphs undergo horrific mutations when they turn, thanks to the alien infection that transforms them. This gives Dead Space a lot of breathing room when it comes to its zombie designs, allowing them to reach John Carpenter’s The Thing levels of body horror, which was a clear inspiration for the original game.

5 BioShock (2007)

Shocks To The System

Zombies make for an easy source of conflict in science fiction stories, but BioShock took the trope of "monsters created by science" and used it to help weave a tragic tale of classism, addiction, and unethical experimentation. While the Splicers that wander the city of Rapture are technically still alive, they've been so ravaged by ADAM usage that they've lost all sense of their former self, physically and psychologically. As the game's most frequent enemy, they're everywhere, and as freaky as they are to look at, it's hard not to feel sorry for them. Or at least for the people they once were.

The true nature of Splicers can leave players feeling conflicted. It gets worse when they encounter the Little Sisters, the genetically-engineered children designed to essentially be ADAM-mules. The player's sympathies for these little girls has a drastic impact on the game's outcome. Almost like a test of how well players have been paying attention to the game's themes.

4 Resident Evil 2 (2019)

The G-Virus Is Just A Symptom, Umbrella Is The Disease

The Resident Evil franchise is the mother of all zombie sci-fi video games. Each game focuses on various heroes struggling against the notorious Umbrella Corporation and the numerous outbreaks of zombies and other mutated monsters they’ve unleashed on the unsuspecting public. Resident Evil 2 focuses on the most infamous of these outbreaks, the one that brings Raccoon City to its knees.

The 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 is widely considered to be one of the best examples of video game remakes done right. Not only does the game get some seriously updated graphics, but it manages to maintain the original’s tone and atmosphere perfectly. These zombies are gnarlier than ever, and the themes of evil corporations risking public lives in the name of profit are just as topical as they were in 1998. While Raccoon City itself isn't a sci-fi city, the Umbrella labs located underground certainly use futuristic technology well ahead of anything seen today.

3 Days Gone (2019)

One Man Versus Oregon

When most post-apocalyptic science fiction says"the end of the world," what they really mean is "the end of humanity." Apocalypse scenarios such as global zombie outbreaks tend to only focus on the collapse of society, not the natural order. Plants and animals are usually left alone, free to reclaim whatever's left of the world.

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Days Gone flips the script a little. The "Freaker Virus" doesn't just infect people. Bats, wolves, birds, and even bears can become freakers, too. This adds a whole new level of danger as protagonist Deacon struggles to survive. Seriously, no one wants to fight a zombified bear. While the majority of Days Gone features humanity at its lowest, there are story moments that focus on the science behind the "Freaker" virus that lean heavily into sci-fi themes.

2 Half-Life 2 (2004)

Not-So-Friendly Little Crabs

The Half-Life series is one of the most famous science fiction franchises of all time. Half-Life 2 is considered to be one of the best games ever made, launching a years-long memeable outcry for the mystical Half-Life 3.

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Zombies in the Half-Life franchise start from the humble (yet horrifying) headcrab. These critters latch on to a hapless victim’s face and slowly turn them into a decaying, violent puppet. These creepy little beasties seem to take inspiration from the infamous Face-Huggers from the Alien franchise, with the final zombified form somewhat resembling the fully-grown Xenomorphs. Their parasitic origins may also remind players of a certain post-apocalyptic game that came out a few years later, too…

1 The Last of Us: Part I (2013)

Look For The Light

Of all the entries here, The Last of Us franchise by far has the loosest definition of a “zombie.” The Infected on display aren’t undead; the reality is much, much worse. The fungal infection in their brain puppeteers their bodies into feral, bloodthirsty monsters that attack on sight. For all intents and purposes, the Infected are zombies, just with a more scientifically-sound origin. The themes and questions the game raises are still widely discussed to this day, thanks especially to the recent HBO adaption.

Not to mention, the world of The Last of Us takes a surprisingly grounded approach to an apocalyptic scenario. Not only are the Infected a frighteningly realistic take on zombies, but humanity’s various approaches to survival all feel like honest portrayals of how people react to crises. Between total isolation and fiercely controlling resources, most people are just trying to survive, the only way they know how.

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