With The Last of Us 2 Remastered landing on PS5, we’re willing to bet there are some Xbox players out there craving a great zombie game. So if you’re dying (sorry) to do battle with the undead or take on the brain-hungry hordes yourself or with friends, check out our roundup of the eight best Xbox zombie games around.
1. Dying Light (and Dying Light 2 Stay Human)
Back in 2015, Techland’s Dying Light’s fast-paced first-person gameplay, innovative parkour, and the huge, dynamic open world were like a breath of fresh air for the zombie genre. You play as Kyle Crane, an undercover agent who must traverse the quarantined city of Harran after The Fall, battling with zombies and human foes to retrieve sensitive information. One of the game’s highlights is its day-night cycle, with the most terrifying zombies emerging from the bowels of the city after dark.
The horror continues in Dying Light 2 Stay Human, released in 2022. Set fifteen years after the Fall and 20 years since the original game, humanity is slowly dying. You play as Aidan Crane, a wandering messenger/delivery man who connects survivor settlements with news and delivery of goods. You’re also on the hunt for your little sister Mia, who was separated from you when you were both the victim of childhood experiments by the evil Dr. Waltz. Set in the city of Villedor, Earth’s last remaining city, there’s improved, faster-paced free-running across rooftops and you’ll need to get somewhere safe before dark — or face the monsters that emerge. This time around the story feels deeper and more engaging, too.
The unique parkour mechanics, constant threat of sunset, terrifying zombies, and expansive open world ensure these two games are a must-play for fans of the genre. Both are available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
2. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
If you’ve never played Telltale’s The Walking Dead series, you can’t call yourself a true fan of zombie games; sorry, but that’s just a fact! Back when the games were first released in 2012, we had to wait for each season to drop. But with The Definitive Series you can play all four seasons, 4000 Days, and The Walking Dead: Michonne — that’s 23 episodes and more than 50 hours of gameplay!
Based on Robert Kirkman’s comic series, the story kicks off with the story of Lee Everett, and later you’ll explore the world as sassy kid Clementine. This narrative-driven game features the same dark yet colorful comic-book style as the original series, with your choices influencing both the story and your relationships with the varied characters you meet. You’ll face tough choices, moral dilemmas, and a range of challenges, and you’ll often regret your choices.
Those into narrative-driven games and comic-style graphics will drink in every episode of The Walking Dead, and once you’ve played all the episodes, it’s hard to resist going back for a second playthrough to see how your choices change the story.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series is available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
3. Dead Rising 2
Capcom is no stranger to zombie and horror games, but Dead Rising 2, the 2010 sequel to the original Dead Rising, gives us a whole new look at how best to take out the shambling hordes. It’s available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and there’s an online co-op mode to get stuck into with friends, too.
You play as Chuck Greene, a professional motorcycle racer who finds himself in the casino town of Fortune City. There’s just one problem: You’re surrounded by hordes of brain-hungry zombies. Actually, make that two problems: your daughter Katey needs Zombrex to stay alive, and it’s up to you to find it while fighting off zombies with whatever you can find, from electric guitars to street signs and pot plants. Oh, and you’ll also need to clear your name after being framed as the individual who caused the zombie outbreak.
Dead Rising 2 is frantic, fast-paced, and a whole lot of fun, packed with humor and laugh-out-loud moments. Though it feels like a less serious take on the zombie game genre, there are still emotionally charged and tense moments. You don’t need to have played the original game to enjoy this sequel, either.
4. World War Z
World War Z, the video game adaptation of the 2013 film and Max Brooks’ original novel of the same name, was released in 2019 and sees some of the biggest hordes of the undead yet taking over the planet. This third-person shooter can be played with up to three friends in online co-op mode (or three AI NPCs). Choose your class and work together to carry out objectives while fighting off the relentless zombie waves.
Each episodic campaign takes place in a different worldwide location, with the Swarm Engine rendering massive hordes of zombies for incredible fast-paced action and advanced gore systems for gruesome kills.
In simple terms, if you love gory zombie action and want to face off against huge hordes of the undead, with your friends, World War Z is a solid multiplayer choice. You can play it on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and it’s also available on Game Pass.
5. Resident Evil 2 remake
Another Capcom game to make our list, the Resident Evil 2 remake is either a great place to start if you’re new to the Resident Evil franchise or a great dive back into the series if you remember the original game fondly. It’s hard to believe it was first released back in 1998!
The remake, released for Xbox in 2019, adds technical and graphical upgrades and enhanced gameplay mechanics, with a new, more flexible control scheme. There are new rooms that didn’t exist in the original game, a new over-the-shoulder camera for a different perspective, more challenging zombies, and new 360-degree binaural audio for an immersive experience. Ada and Claire also get some practical outfits that look more at home in a zombie-ravaged city, too.
The game is set in Raccoon City and you’ll play as either rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield, who’s looking for her veteran cop brother Chris Redfield. With the city in the grips of a zombie outbreak, you meet at a suburban gas station and must head into Raccoon City to explore a zombie-infested police station as you find a way to escape the city.
The upgraded graphics, new camera angle, brand-new dialogue, and voice-acting all add to the appeal of the remake for those new to the game. But for those who played the original, all the charm of the cheesy dialogue, lumbering zombies, and tight corridors remains for a healthy dose of nostalgia.
Resident Evil 2 Remake is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and is also on Game Pass.
6. State of Decay: Year-One (and State of Decay 2)
State of Decay: Year One and the sequel, State of Decay 2 are Undead Labs’ take on an open-world zombie survival game. If you’re a fan of exploring vast, open worlds, managing resources, and building a base, either of these games is worth playing. The narrative isn’t as deep as some other zombie games, with the focus more on managing your survivor community, but your choices do matter here and could mean the difference between life and death.
Both games are a few years old now but still hold up pretty well against more recently released zombie titles. Dynamic events ensure the gameplay remains challenging on each playthrough, there are various types of zombies to face off against, and you can team up with friends thanks to co-op multiplayer mode. For those more into the survivor and base-building side of zombie games, the State of Decay games are compelling. If you prefer a rich, character-driven narrative, we’d probably dive into one of the other titles on our list instead, like Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
Both State of Decay games are available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and are included with Game Pass.
7. The Evil Within 2
From executive producer Shinki Mikami, Tango Gameworks’ The Evil Within 2 is not only a must for those who loved the first game, it’s also a solid entry on our list of the best Xbox zombie games. The 2017 survival horror title is available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and is also on Game Pass.
You play Detective Sebastian Castellanos, a man who has lost everything but is given a chance at redemption when he has the opportunity to save his daughter. Drawn back into the horrifying world of STEM from the first game, you must explore and survive a world that treads a thin line between nightmares and reality, encountering an onslaught of terrifying creatures. It’s up to you how far you explore this semi-open world, and you can choose how to survive: go full-on stealth and sneak past enemies, run and hide, take them on with limited ammo, or craft traps.
Not only is this one of the best zombie games on Xbox, but it’s also one of the best survival horror games, making it a must for fans of both genres.
8. Dead Island 2
Dambuster Studios first Dead Island game was a huge hit, and its sequel is no less thrilling. Set in a gore-drenched LA (HELL-A), this first-person action RPG lets you explore the city’s most loved locations, from Beverly Hills to Venice Beach — though they might be a bit gorier than you expected. Choose from six characters, each with their own dialogues and personality, and customize abilities using a brand-new skill system.
The game saw several development challenges and delays before its early 2023 release, but it’s finally here. Even if you didn’t play the first game, the sequel is a visceral, gory experience packed with a huge range of weapons to ensure you’re the Ultimate Zombie Slayer. Don’t forget the humor, though — Dead Island 2 is packed with it, for a lighter take on the apocalypse! You can play alone or team up with two friends in co-op mode to battle the undead hordes.
Dead Island 2 is available to play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Are you brave enough to dive into one or more of these Xbox zombie games? We’d play with the lights on if we were you. If you’re feeling in the mood for survival horror, why not check out our top 13 horror games to play on Xbox? Into fighting minus the horror element? Our pick of the top fighting games on Xbox should be right up your street.
