What are the best PS5 zombie games? This is a valid question, considering how the PS5 catalog continues to amass all sorts of experiences around the living dead. From parkour-infused open-world titles to more remakes than we can count, there’s something in the best PS5 zombie games list for everybody.
If you’re looking for recommendations to tackle (or add to) your backlog, the following list encompasses different styles of the best zombie games. Sure, for most of them aiming at the head and keeping an eye on your ammo remain as hard rules. But it’s the different stories, mechanics, and gameplay modes that set them apart from each other. If you want to shake things up a little bit, why won’t you check out the best PS5 survival games and the 8 best PS5 space games?
The best PS5 zombie games are:
- The Last of Us Part II
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Resident Evil 4 remake
- Killing Floor 2
- Dead Island 2
- Resident Evil 2 remake
- The Walking Dead
- Dead Rising
- Zombie Army 4: Dead War
- Resident Evil Village
- The House of the Dead remake
- Signalis
1. The Last of Us Part II
Whether you’re a first-timer in The Last of Us universe or you just finished watching the HBO show, The Last of Us Part II is pretty much a mandatory game to have in every PS5 library. The non-traditional take on zombies is already a strong premise of the first game, and that aspect is only strengthened in the sequel, opening up the areas around you to incite exploration while giving you more options to defend yourself.
You can confront large enemy groups head-on or use your surroundings with stealth in mind, placing traps, looking for opportunities to flank your targets, and much more. And, of course, the narrative beats are equally blunt, delivering a story that continues to surprise and wrangle with your emotions until the end credits.
2. Dying Light 2 Stay Human
Dying Light 2 Stay Human mixes the acrobatics of the likes of Mirror’s Edge with a hostile city where both zombies and other humans are against you. Building upon the foundations of the first game, you’re now tasked with surviving through larger environments. The hazards in it are as ferocious as ever, but your mobility has been expanded greatly, too, giving things a spin when it comes to traversal and verticality.
It’s a much larger campaign and one that has been receiving support with beefy updates since launch. The most recent one, called “Good Night, Good Luck,” makes the night cycles of the game even more scarier, and darker than before. In addition, there are now Volatiles roaming around, which are fearsome enemies to contest against. For the usual parkour, you can now pick between physical and assisted modes. And if you want a break from the main campaign, there are now community maps to explore through.
3. Resident Evil 4 remake
Let’s face it, Resident Evil 4 is a classic. After so many years, it’s still worth playing, especially if you have a copy in a modern console. That being said, 2023 brought us the Resident Evil 4 remake, which we loved in our review, demonstrating that the original release has plenty to offer still even through a different lens. While Leon S. Kennedy’s search for Ashley Graham in Spain remains fairly similar to the script we are all familiar with, there are plenty of changes — both visually and mechanically — that make this iteration shine.
Picking up the gameplay style introduced in the Resident Evil 2 remake, the action you knew and loved is bumped up to new heights. The impact of your weapons, the cast of new enemies that keep you on your toes, and the addition of side quests are only a few of the standout features of the remake.
4. Killing Floor 2
The premise of Killing Floor 2 is simple but effective. You and a group of players all start with just a weapon, a few bullets, and your wits in level after level. Survive the enemy wave, and you’ll have a short window of time to purchase guns, ammo, and other resources. When the second wave rolls in, there’ll be more zombies than before, as well as the ever-increasing presence of special infected.
The original Killing Floor started as a Unreal Tournament 2004 mod, with a full retail version being brought by Tripwire Interactive back in 2009. Seven years later, Killing Floor 2 showed up to rival the zombie-infested market of shooters, maintaining the essence of the original in a much tighter and more modern package. There are multiple difficulty options to tackle, as well as several classes to choose from, all of which level up and have their own skill trees to experiment with.
5. Dead Island 2
In the video game space, 2023 continues to amaze with long-awaited sequels, remakes, and surprise hits. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that Dead Island 2, after so many trials and tribulations, is finally available to play. Under the mantle of developer Deep Silver Dambuster Studios, you’re able to pick between a pack of peculiar characters, either solo or in company of others online, to explore a semi-open take on sunny Los Angeles. Of course, you can expect lots of crafting, jokey one-liners, and an absurd amount of blood splashed on your screen.
One of the most interesting aspects of the sequel is how it uses a fairly popular mechanic in the indie game space, deck-building, to allow for experimentation when it comes to the skills you want to bring to the busy streets and luxury hotels. From passive augmentations that kick off after meeting certain criteria, such as defeating zombies in quick succession, to different attacks altogether, there’s plenty to play around with. Also, it’s one of the most gorgeous-looking games on the PS5 in recent memory.
6. Resident Evil 2 remake
Resident Evil 2 will always be a classic. But there’s nothing wrong with playing the Resident Evil 2 remake if you missed the original. After all, tank controls aren’t for everybody, and this revision stays faithful to the scary roots of its influence. Tasked to survive the night inside Racoon Police Department, you’ll experience tough challenges and terrifying encounters in the eyes of both Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, exploring the labyrinthic hallways and creepy corners of the station.
Regardless of your previous experience with the series, the Resident Evil 2 remake is one of the most intense and gripping zombie games in recent times. Ammo is scarce, the undead won’t think twice to surround you despite their slow nature, and there’s a large number of secrets to uncover. It’s a tight package with an absurd level of replayability — if you can withstand the frightening sights, that is.
7. The Walking Dead
Sorry to be the bearer of this news, but it’s been over a decade since Telltale Games released The Walking Dead. The story of survival starring Lee and Clementine left it mark in the industry long ago, and if you are yet to experience it yourself, it’s still worth the time. Acting as a self-contained story in the comic book universe of the same name, you progress through the story in episodes, making decisions along the way that affect your relationship, and ultimately, the outcomes of the people around you.
The choices are yours to make, but it’s the humane portrayal of the typical zombie apocalypse setting that raises the stakes. If you, like me, loved the first season but didn’t get around to playing the trilogy as a whole, you owe it to yourself to see the story through.
8. Dead Rising
Dead Rising dares to ask the question: What would you do if you had a mall available all to yourself? Before you start thinking of all the stores you would visit, there’s a downside. The mall is infested with zombies. In fact, there are not a dozen, but hundreds of them. All of a sudden, anything from benches to golf clubs will be your best bet to survive the undead attack and unveil how it all came to this.
Playing as freelance photojournalist Frank West, you’re entrusted with the mission of reporting from the ground and live to pitch the story to an editor. Along the way, you’ll encounter all sorts of characters — some more likable and harmless than others — that will serve as pieces of the bigger puzzle. If you manage to save them before the timer runs out, that is, you aren’t able to just spend an unlimited time inside the mall. Good luck with the pitch. I mean, the zombie apocalypse.
9. Zombie Army 4 Dead War
If you’re a fan of using snipers in multiplayer games or just want a change of pace, the Zombie Army Trilogy serves as a great candidate. The series started as a spin-off of the Sniper Elite franchise and has gotten a total of four releases to date. In fact, the recommendation for this list is the latest one, Zombie Army 4: Dead War, as it makes for an all-around good entry point.
While the Zombie Army Trilogy aged well, Zombie Army 4: Dead War might feel more at home for players used to the recent wave of multiplayer games. That means going through season passes, dozens of challenges, and completionist-like rewards to customize your characters. The game continues to be updated, making it a great time to dive in and shoot undead nazis.
10. Resident Evil Village
Taking cues from the likes of Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village mixes those iconic elements with the foundation seen in Resident Evil 7. The focus is on a much more fast-paced rhythm around its action. As Ethan Winters, you’re sent to an Eastern European village to fight against a peculiar cast of enemies. There are undead-like foes, sure, but also werewolves, vampires, and other classic creatures.
If you’re looking for an alternative to the usual undead enemies, Resident Evil Village might seem like a departure of sorts. But the familiar grounds, as well as enticing mechanics and a gripping story that will particularly enchant classic horror movie lovers, make a huge difference.
11. The House of the Dead remake
We did mention there’ll be quite a few remakes in here, but this one feels different. The House of the Dead Remake evokes a different memory than fighting zombies at home and sitting in front of the TV. Instead, it’s all about lightning guns and spending quarter after quarter at the local arcade. Aside from a visual overhaul and some touches here and there, the classic experience remains 1:1 in this revised version.
With the absence of lightning guns, as we knew them in the past, it’s hard to replicate the exact same feeling as being in an arcade. But on PS5, you can play with both your DualSense with a variety of options or using the PS Move controllers if you have the adapter. It might not bring back the communal smell of an arcade or the rush to go and add more funds to the card to swipe just before the retry timer ends, but it’ll get close enough.
12. Signalis
Many games set their roots in nostalgia. Signalis might seem familiar if you’ve played the first few Resident Evil or Silent Hill games. But instead of trying to replicate them, Signalis honors its influences and mixes them with its own thing. Commanding a humanoid android, you need to survive through challenging puzzles, increasingly strange beings haunting you in claustrophobic corridors, and an unnerving ambiance that never quite feels accommodating.
If you’re looking for a different experience with a strong identity, blending a dreamy narrative with impeccable use of pixel art, lightning, and anime-style cutscenes, Signalis is for you.
That covers our picks for the best PS5 zombie games. For even more games to play on your console, check out our list of the best PS5 games and some great upcoming PS5 games to play in the coming months.
