Naughty Dog's highly anticipated sequel to 2013's The Last of Us looks set to drop on May 29, 2020. All things considered, the game's release date is not that far away; however, time tends to slow to a crawl whenever the future holds anything worth getting excited over. The Last of Us Part II definitely fits the bill.
As a way to pass the time until the PlayStation 4 welcomes its newest addition to the survival horror genre, let's take a look at ten zombie-themed titles that might feel the void until The Last of Us Part II hits store shelves. Please note, these games are not necessarily all that similar to Naughty Dog's action-adventure series, but they should scratch that post-apocalyptic itch.
10 Telltale Games' The Walking Dead
Starting with a franchise that is simultaneously extremely similar and completely removed from The Last of Us, Telltale Games' The Walking Dead helped reinvigorate episodic adventure games in modern gaming.
While the quality can be rather inconsistent in subsequent entries, 2012's first season tells a gripping tale filled with endearing characters and difficult choices. Lee Everett and Clementine's relationship is reminiscent of Joel and Ellie's in Naughty Dog's masterpiece, while the minimalistic gameplay serves as a welcome change of pace from the other more action-heavy entries featured on this article.
9 Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition
From the studio responsible for Dead Island, Dying Light improves in nearly every way on Techland's other famous zombie license. The original release was adequate, but Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition rendered that version obsolete.
Including the base game and The Following expansion pack, this edition of Dying Light offers a huge map to explore, enhanced gameplay that highlights the license's incredible parkour system, and a new bounty mode to add even more content.
8 Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Now for something slightly different, Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse flips things around by placing players in the shoes of an undead protagonist. Somewhat comedic in nature, Stubbs follows the titular character as he explores a 1950s inspired city while searching for a former lover and digesting the occasional brain.
Released in 2005, Stubbs has understandably aged over the last decade, but the setting and soundtrack are still top-notch. The premise is executed relatively well and remains as unique as it was the day Stubbs hit the market.
7 State Of Decay 2
State of Decay 2 earned a mixed reception due to launching with an array of bugs and looking barely any better than its predecessor. That said, 2018's open-world survival game fine-tunes State of Decay's already satisfying combat and delivers more of the cooperative gameplay loop that made the original title a cult hit.
While The Last of Us is far more cinematic in nature, Naughty Dog's Joel feels like an ordinary person forced into situations better suited to action heroes. State of Decay 2 offers a similar perspective, as this is a game about average people struggling to survive a zombie infestation.
6 They Are Billions
Moving away from third-person action, They Are Billions is a real-time strategy game set in a steampunk post-apocalyptic landscape overrun with giant hordes of zombies. Focusing on base building and resource management, They Are Billions should feel rather familiar to anyone intimate with the RTS genre.
Numantian Games execute the genre's conventional elements effectively and in a setting quite different from most other RTS titles. As the campaign progresses, the zombie hordes grow exponentially larger, until they truly seem to number in the billions.
5 Left 4 Dead 2
Valve's cooperative zombie shooter needs no introduction, as most people who have owned a PC over the last decade have presumably sampled Left 4 Dead at one point or another. As The Last of Us Part XV will likely come out before Left 4 Dead 3, 2009's sequel will have to do for now.
Left 4 Dead 2 is designed to be played with friends, as four Survivors try to make their way through five campaigns packed with the walking dead. The kinetic gunplay is inherently entertaining and the levels last just long enough to feel comprehensive without overstaying their welcome.
4 Project Zomboid
Project Zomboid is a special case as the game has yet to be released in any stage beyond alpha, although it has been part of Steam's Early Access since 2013. One of the better examples of that service's potential, Project Zomboid delivers a satisfying survival horror experience that is in a constant state of development.
Along with a traditional survival mode that tasks players with persevering in Knox County for as long as possible while managing a collection of resources, Project Zomboid also has an alternative sandbox mode that provides more freedom in the way the user interacts with the world.
3 Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Serving as a prime example of how to craft a proper expansion, Undead Nightmare succeeds in presenting an adventure that is quintessential Red Dead Redemption while also being completely unlike the base game.
Taking place in an alternate reality to the main story, John Marston finds that a plague is injecting something akin to life into the dead, prompting the former gang member to investigate this occurrence while trying to protect his family. Fusing Gothic imagery with the original's western aesthetic, Undead Nightmare is a delightful side-story that rivals Red Dead Redemption in many ways.
2 Dead Rising
Capcom's Dead Rising has very little overlap with The Last of Us, however, they share one thing in common: They are both great games featuring zombies. Capcom's franchise drops players into open-world environments - be it malls or towns - and asks them to use all sorts of everyday items to fend off the undead hordes.
While The Last of Us offers a mix of gameplay and story, Dead Rising primarily focuses on the former. A beat 'em up with the occasional escort mission thrown in, the original Dead Rising is arguably the most frustrating entry in the franchise, but it also has the most unique voice.
1 Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Capcom essentially popularized the survival horror genre in gaming, especially ones with a zombie spin. Any of the early Resident Evil entries are must-play games for anyone remotely interest in the medium, but 2019's Resident Evil 2 remake is the perfect title to fill in the void until The Last of Us Part II drops in May.
Resident Evil 2 not only does a fantastic job of updating the original for a modern audience but it also set a new standard for third-person action-horror games. Like Naughty Dog's license, Resident Evil 2 expertly balances cinematic grandeur with tight gameplay that makes every encounter feel potentially fatal.