Perhaps one of the best eras in gaming thus far was undoubtedly the Xbox 360’s seventh generation. No matter the genre, this generation of consoles had classic upon classic released that is still either trying to be replicated or “remade” altogether. But one of the biggest trends of this time was that of zombies. So if you’re wondering what the best zombie games of the Xbox 360 era were, we’ve got 12 of them right here!
12 Best Xbox 360 Zombie Games, Ranked
12. Resident Evil 5
Coming in at number 12 is a title that’s pretty good by zombie standards but just isn’t really a great Resident Evil game. Resi 5 introduced more action-packed combat which made the moment-to-moment gameplay exhilarating and fun, especially with a second player.
11. Lollipop Chainsaw
A title that’s been claimed as a cult classic is the beat-em-up title, Lollipop Chainsaw. Though the game features some truly questionable sexualization, the gameplay is honestly pretty fun and the premise itself is actually great. The comedy and horror aspects blend fantastically.
10. State of Decay
Marking the console’s first true survival game akin to titles like DayZ or H1Z1, State of Decay is what gave the Xbox player base its own game to play and explore. It’s actually a very great title, kicking off its own full-fledged franchise.
Related: All Telltale The Walking Dead Games, Ranked
9. Deadlight
A personal favorite of mine, Deadlight is a fantastic title in many cases. For one, it adds depth to the sub-genre by implementing a 2D playstyle, and its levels are strictly reliant on you getting through them by quietly sneaking or using the undead against themselves. It’s pretty similar to the Limbos or Insides of today.
8. Dead Rising 2
There’s no doubt that one of the best game’s to play if you’re just in for a good, zombie slaughtering time is specifically Dead Rising 2. Though there are many games of this franchise on the 360, 2 is really where it’s at. And that’s due in part to its great Las Vegas-inspired map which is filled with great weapons to play around with.
7. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Though it’s just an expansion, Undead Nightmare is most definitely an experience to be had. The world of Red Dead Redemption, the setting, subject matter, and musical score all fit so well here, making it the best never-before-seen episode of Gunsmoke.
6. Dead Island
Before we had Dying Light, we had Dead Island; a vacation environment torn apart by the undead plague. This title is a real staple in modern FPS titles, not just for games like Dying Light, but for any that use level-based combat. Plus, it had some real RPG elements to offer players.
5. Left 4 Dead
Though Resident Evil kicked off survival horror in a big way, it was Left 4 Dead that did that for the multiplayer survival co-op genre. This game had intense gameplay, unparalleled AI enemies, team-reliant strategy, and great maps to encapsulate it all. This is near perfection.
4. Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Though the zombie sub-genre likes itself some shooty shooty bang bang, the narrative-driven RPG title by Telltale, The Walking Dead, is most certainly one of the largest highlights for the zombie title and also helped catapult more narrative-driven games with less action to new heights on consoles.
3. Dead Space
It’s arguable that the seventh generation’s major survival horror title was Dead Space. This is among one of the top 10 best horror games of all time and is most deserving because of the way it handles not only sci-fi elements, but the undead ones as well. If you thought fighting aliens or zombies on their own was tough, try fighting undead aliens. It also has some of the best scary moments in gaming, period.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
A title that can oftentimes be forgotten when talking about the great zombie games of the 360 era, Black Ops really did a phenomenal job of not only scaring the pants off of players but also giving them a truly addictive and high-quality survival experience. Though World at War set the stage for modern FPS zombie survival, Black Ops ran with the idea and totally changed the game.
1. Left 4 Dead 2
Topping off our list is quite possibly the best zombie-themed game ever made, Left 4 Dead 2. What can be said about it that hasn’t already? Its cast of characters is unmatched, the New Orleans setting is foreboding, and the combat is somehow even more refined than in the first one. Not to mention the DLC that connects them to each other directly. This is as good as it gets, and it’s still lovingly played by thousands of fans.
There you have it! That’s our list of the 12 best zombie games on the Xbox 360! Be sure to check out some of our other great lists too, such as “5 Best Horror Games on Game Pass (January 2023)”. And don’t forget to like Gamer Journalist on Facebook too for even more great content!
