Zombies: Are they under-utilized?

In a new Gamasutra feature, college professor Chris Totten takes a look at how zombies arose in popular culture, how they're used in games, and how they could be put to better effect than cannon fodder. Just like games, movies, TV, and books have made great use of zombies for years; but when you peel back the layers, you will realize that in different works, zombies represent different things. Can games use them as more than brainless cannon fodder? Often, zombie survivors lose sanity over the course of a work, writes Totten: "In a real zombie apocalypse as well as effective zombie stories, the combination of losing loved ones, being overwhelmed, feeling trapped, and rushing to escape can take a toll on survivors. Over time, the mental health of those 'lucky' enough to survive can seriously deteriorate." "The idea of zombie encounters causing individuals' sanity to deteriorate is a common thread throughout both ancient and modern zombie media. In the Book of Revelations it is said, 'But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.'" That mechanic has been successfully applied in at least one game, and there's room to explore it further, Totten argues. "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is one game that has players manage sanity and emotional responses to enemies as a resource. When enemies spot a player, the game's Sanity Meter slowly empties. When players finish the same enemies off, they can regain some of the lost Sanity points. In this game, sanity is a resource." In the full feature, Totten explores four more ideas on how zombies could work better in games, as well as sharing more examples from games and other media as jumping-off points for new ideas. It's live now on Gamasutra.