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Gaming has been filled with hosts of zombies since the first console was released. In the last few years, as the horror genre has found its feet, these creatures have become even scarier. Each game wants to outdo others with new and frightening enemies, leaving players scared witless. But just which ones have been the most fearsome?
Rat King – The Last of Us
Just when we thought video game zombies had been done to death… In this franchise, zombies were not magically undead or due to scientific experimentation. They were the result of a fungus that altered the brain patterns and characteristics of a person, turning them into infected creatures that devoured flesh to survive.
The longer these creatures were infected, the more grotesque and harder they became to kill. At the top of this was the Rat King. According to ExpressVPN’s list of the zombies in The Last of Us, they describe the monster as multiple people that have been infected for several decades and have bonded together.
The Rat King has a ridiculous amount of limbs and extreme strength. When playing in the game, you need to stay at a distance and use all your heavy weaponry to take them down. Naughty Dog Studio’s game The Last of Us came along and turned the concept on its head.
Licker – Resident Evil
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Lickers are arguably one of the most iconic monsters in video game history. Belonging to the king of zombie franchises, Capcom’s Resident Evil, it is one of the odder villains in the game. Running around on all fours, it partly resembles a dog and a zombie, characterised by a huge lashing tongue. Their brains are outside their skull, making them extra gruesome.
As a result of a secondary metamorphosis of the T-Virus, the lickers live in large colonies. Lickers will attack and pin you down with their large talons, then use a barbed tongue to pierce your skin and flesh. In later franchise games, they were even used like hounds as biological weapons. The franchise was criticised for straying from its roots, the lickers have now returned to their primary job of hunting you down and scaring you witless whenever they can.
Necromorphs – Dead Space
The Necromorphs are the antagonists in the Dead Space games, part alien, part zombie. Spreading their diseases through pathogens in the air, they take over a host and quickly have control of its body. They can also infect others extremely quickly and have the ability to create various strains of deadly creatures.
Unlike shambling undead, these are extremely fast. With sharp claws and teeth, they destroy you at speed, and you will need to blow them to small pieces if you want to have any chance of survival. Once they begin to combine, they become even more powerful, so it is best to get in early and hope for the best.
There are many others, from Husks in Mass Effect to The Witch in Left 4 Dead. Games will also continue to raise the bar, creating more grotesque creatures for us to fight. Which are your favourites? Let us know on social media or in the comments.
