To quote a man stuck on an island, “Live Together, Die Alone”. Those words meant something to the…Lost…but it also is appropriate for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. Because he (or she) who has friends can survive longer. And in these video games? That rings just as true.
#12 Dead Island 2
Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Epicgames | Playstation | Xbox
It took years and multiple development studios to bring a sequel to Dead Island. Fortunately, the wait has ended, and you can dive right into Dead Island 2. The game takes place several years after the first installment, where we’re now dealing with a zombie plague outbreak in California. You’re just one of the unlucky few stuck in Los Angeles and on a journey to find an escape. Soon into the game, your protagonist will discover they are immune to the disease, and their blood could be the cure, but it’s a long way to reach an extraction point. Gameplay is similar to the first installment, focusing on melee combat. Fortunately, you can play this game online with friends. Currently, at the time of writing this description, Dead Island 2 supports up to three players online. All you need to do is reach about thirty minutes into the campaign before the cooperative mode opens up. From there, you and your friends can go through the storyline with progression carrying over to each player.
#11 Back 4 Blood
It honestly shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that Back 4 Blood is a bit low on this list. After all, this game was supposed to be the “return to what Left 4 Dead left behind”…but it didn’t exactly turn out that way…at all.
This 4-person co-op title has you fighting beasts known as Ridden so that you can try and save the Earth. The potential is there, but the execution not so much. Not to mention, the price isn’t the best either.
Still if you are able to get it, you’ll have more than a serviceable title, you just won’t have one that will make you jump for joy every time you win a map.
#10 Killing Floor 2
While many co-op fighting games have you trying to do a lot in order to survive. Killing Floor 2 takes the approach of giving you a lot in order for you to just…kill everything that isn’t your co-op partners.
Yep, it’s a game that prides itself on its violence and its gore, and hey, it absolutely works at doing that. What’s more, you can actually have up to 6 players doing co-op at the same time here. Meaning that you’ll have even MORE carnage as you wipe out the enemy threat.
Or, you can take on the multiplayer modes and actually become one of the monsters to try and wipe out all of your friends. The choice is yours, naturally.
#9 Resident Evil 5
Resident Evil 5 getting co-op for the main campaign was supposed to be one of the newer and fresher elements in the RE franchise as a whole. Especially since this was a main title. But when you put that with the main campaign which is…problematic at best? Then you see why this is one of the lower-rated RE titles in the series.
Don’t get us wrong, everything is still functional here, and you’ll have plenty of zombies to kill between Chris Redfield and his partners, but it just doesn’t have the same feel as other (better) RE titles.
Still, if you’re looking for an RE game to play with a friend, you can absolutely choose this one. Or, you can get…
#8 Resident Evil Revelations Series
The Resident Evil Revelations Series originally came out on handheld systems to “share the love” around, but eventually they were remastered and put on consoles, and given that there are two games in this series to play with friends, that means you’ll have more options for zombie killing than before.
What’s more, the Resident Evil Revelations Series serves as a kind of bridge between the main stories of certain games (like RE5) and helps fill in the gaps as you try and figure out how certain outbreaks are occurring in places like a ship and more.
These are two games that try and go deep with the horror feel. So if you want to have an intense experience as you try and wipe out the horde, here you go.
#7 Zombie Army 4 Dead War
What’s a person got to do to end a zombie war around here? You’ll find out in Zombie Army 4 Dead War, because for the past three games, the Survivor Brigade have been trying (in vain) to try and stop the occult forces of the Germans from taking over the world. But every time they think that they have a victory, something worse comes out instead. It never ends.
And now, you’ll face a stronger enemy force than before, which means you and your 3 co-op buddies have to be on top of their game in order to make sure that they are as tight knit and ready to kill.
Time to stop the end of the world, or die trying.
#6 World War Z Aftermath
World War Z Aftermath is a zombie survival title where it’s not just about going to exotic locations in order to fight zombies, it’s about trying to survive truly unstoppable waves of zombies in various modes. Whether you’re in the Vatican and its city, or on the cold fronts of Russia trying to push back the hordes, you’re going to be in for a very tough fight.
And that’s just in the story mode!
Then there’s the Horde XL mode where you’re going to be fighting an unlimited amount of zombies to see how long you can survive before they get you. This is a game for those who don’t mind dying…a lot. So be aware of that before you go in.
#5 Dying Light 2
A title that came out earlier this year, Dying Light 2 puts you into the role of a mysterious protagonist as they set upon a mission to learn more about themselves and their past…only to end up in a city overrun by zombies and factions trying to assert their authority. And that leads to you doing all sorts of missions to try and change the city “for the better” and kill all the zombies you can in the process. Or don’t, its your call.
What’s more, you are one of the infected! As you do missions at night you’ll need to be careful about how long you take, else you’ll be running for the safety lights so that you don’t turn.
Even with a co-op partner this won’t be easy, but it will be fun…in its own zombie way.
#4 7 Days To Die
We’re putting 7 Days To Die so high on this list for a very basic reason. No matter whether you play this game in a co-op form or just go single player, you’re going to have a LOT to do!
That’s why 7 Days To Die has had over 14 million players, this isn’t a simple game, it’s a massive one! So much so that you have truly a country-sized map for you to try and survive in, and survive you must! You’ll have to go and get supplies to live and build shelter, then get weapons to fight off threats. But just as important, you’ll be able to explore vast terrains and cities in order to see what’s left in this world.
No two games will be the same, and that’s part of the fun.
#3 State of Decay 2
For a slightly different kind of zombie survival experience with a friend, you need to try out State of Decay 2. In this game, you’ll play as a leader/leaders of a community. A community of whom its YOUR JOB to protect and grow.
By that, I mean that you will be building up their new home from scratch, and have to make sure it’s sustainable, as well as defendable. Because between zombies and other humans, you’ll need to ward them off, fight them off, and choose who to send against them, as well as to who will go out on supply runs.
Permadeath is real here, and if you aren’t careful, your choices will leave you alone, or dead.
#2 Dead Island
Dead Island is a game that should’ve had a sequel by now…but it never really came to pass. So we’ll just have to live with what we’ve got, ok?
In this game, you go on vacation on an island, but…while you were sleeping…everyone got turned into a zombie. So now, you and your co-op partner must try and figure out what the heck happened, and find a way to get off the island before you become part of the horde.
It won’t be easy, as the zombies could come out of nowhere, but with a partner at your back, you might just make it out alive…maybe.
#1 Call of Duty Zombies
Arguably the definitive mode for battling zombies with friends, Call of Duty Zombies started out as a simple addition to a core game that eventually took on a life of its own. Now, every main COD game has a Zombie mode or a zombie expansion. And gamers will happily (and sometimes angrily) let the developers know if they made a worthy addition to the lineup, or just slapped on a basic run of things in order to get the gamers money.
Either way though, you’ll have plenty of maps and stories and zombies to go through. And with a respite in the series coming soon, one has to wonder what the franchise will be like when the games, and zombie modes, return.
