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Our Most Anticipated Zombie Games

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Zombies. Everybody loved them until games developers started dropping their rotten asses onto all the video games in an attempt to cash in on their enormous popularity. As their numbers swelled, so did their haters. The slow, wobbly march of the undead hordes has slowed down somewhat since then, leaving us with an acceptable number of new games to look forward to over the next two years.

I’ve been working to break down the fairly intimidating slate of upcoming horror games that are the most deserving of your anticipation into themed listicles, so this is more of that. Alright, let’s go!

OUR MOST ANTICIPATED HORROR GAMES:
Crowdfunded | Science Fiction | Lovecraftian | Virtual Reality

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Season 3 of Telltale’s acclaimed episode series based on The Walking Dead promises to be more of the same — but in a good way — when it arrives later this year. After the mostly solid appetizer course that was Michonne mini-series, we’re more than ready to reunite with Clem and Co. for another round of post-apocalyptic people watching.

Why We’re Excited: The first and second seasons were frighteningly consistent in their ability to make us laugh, cry, or quickly switch to something less emotionally draining, so we’re confident Telltale will deliver another dose of drama with the third season.

Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC, PS3, PS4, 360, XBO, Mobile)

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E3 2016 was really good to fans of the zombie genre. Like, it revealed enough new titles starring walking corpses that I had to update my list to include games like Dead Rising 4 and a handful of others we’ll be going over below. And this time, we’re returning to where it all began — a Christmasy Willamette, Colorado — because Frank West demanded it. Yeah, he’s back, too.

Why We’re Excited: Because Dead Rising is one of a select few zombie-themed video game franchises that’s not afraid to get silly, for better or for worse.

Release Date: A December 6, 2016 release was leaked, but it’s unconfirmed. (PC, XBO)

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The PlayStation 4-exclusive open-world horror game Days Gone is another gift from E3 2016, where it had an enormously impressive showing that included a live demonstration in which a lone biker takes on a swarm of infected like a badass, right up until the point where he gets overwhelmed by the seemingly endless horde.

Why We’re Excited: Because it’s a blockbuster action horror game that blends The Last of Us, “Sons of Anarchy”, and the World War Z movie

Release Date: Fall 2016 (PS4)

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As far as sequels go, Killing Floor 2 is one of the few that goes above and beyond in its sequel duties in just about every area. It’s a stellar shooter that looks fantastic and takes its gore seriously. It also sports some satisfyingly visceral gunplay, a solid character customization system and access to an endless stream of user-created content, courtesy of Steam Workshop. This game is an easy one to recommend despite being unfinished, and that’s something I’m not quite ready to say about the other Early Access zombie games, including Moving Hazard, DayZ and H1Z1.

Why We’re Excited: I’ve actually played this one, so my excitement for it is based on 33+ hours of experience, rather than, say, the hundreds of hours I’ve spent dreamily wondering what a Resident Evil 2 remake might look like.

Release Date: It’s out now on Steam Early Access, but a console release is expected this year.

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That’s right. Capcom finally announced Resident Evil 7 at E3 2016, and it’s heavily inspired by Kojima’s brilliant P.T. demo for his cancelled Silent Hills game, so it looks nothing like any other game in the series. You can learn more about it over here.

Why We’re Excited: It won’t have a single QTE — not even one. Hallelujah.

Release Date: January 24, 2017 (PC, PS4, XBO)

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I think I’ve adequately covered Overkill’s The Walking Dead game, as well as my anticipation for it, in these lists. We have yet to actually see the game in action, and that’s not likely to change until we’re a little closer to its late 2017 release date. We know it’s a standalone story set in the Walking Dead universe, and that it’ll feature a cooperative multiplayer mode similar to Payday 2. We also shouldn’t confuse it for Overkill’s The Walking Dead VR, which is it’s own thing.

Why We’re Excited: Series creator Robert Kirkman seems super pumped about the game, which he once referred to as the “Walking Dead co-op action game fans have been waiting for.” Surely he wouldn’t lead us astray?

Release Date: Fall 2017 (PC, PS4, XBO)

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Jeff Strain, co-founder of State of Decay 2 developer Undead Labs, says the highly anticipated sequel will be “a bigger, badder, bolder, smoother State of Decay that you could play with your friends.” The incredible success of the original game has made the series a high priority for its publisher Microsoft, so I imagine it’ll deliver on all fronts. Fingers crossed.

Why We’re Excited: Undead Labs hit it out of the park with the first State of Decay, and its sequel looks like a worthy follow-up.

Release Date: TBA 2017 (PC, XBO)

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This footage may no longer represent the actual game.

When I stare longingly into the Dead Island 2 screenshots I keep in a very special place on my MacBook — i.e. next to the por- actually, forget it, no one downloads porn in 2016 — I see a game that wants to bring us the best of California (the lovely weather, ocean views), sans the less-appealing bits, like kale chips or the state’s propensity for seemingly sentient wildfires. Now that I think about it, knowing the longer I stay within state lines increases my chances of getting caught inside a blazing inferno might actually benefit this game.

Why We’re Excited: This kind of depends on what’s been changed since Deep Silver replaced its original developer, Yager, with Crackdown 3 maker Sumo Digital — but you can bet it’ll have satisfying combat, addictive co-op and a shitload of zombies.

Release Date: TBA 2017 (PC, PS4, XBO)

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Capcom delighted everyone when they announced their plans to remake the beloved survival horror classic that is Resident Evil 2, so we can all move on to the next items on our list, starting with more Dino Crisis, another Outbreak, and something, anything, that stars the Merchant from Resident Evil 4.

Why We’re Exci-For real? It’s a remake of Resident Evil 2. That’s Resident Evil, followed by a 2. Nothing more needs to be said.

Release Date: A long fucking time from now (PC, PS4, XBO)

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Dying Light 2, and Left 4 Dead 3. We want ’em something fierce, but it’ll likely be a while before we get them. Neither has been officially announced, and that’s okay. They’re still worth mentioning in a list about our most anticipated zombie games. Hell, I’ll even throw the non-conforming zombie game Dead Space 4 in there too. I could probably come up with a few more if I wanted to make myself sad. I don’t though, so let’s wrap this up.

Why We’re Excited:

Release Date: Don’t bother. (That they’ll each make the current console generation is about the best we can hope for until their respective publishers throw us a bone.)

OUR MOST ANTICIPATED HORROR GAMES:
Crowdfunded | Science Fiction | Lovecraftian | Virtual Reality

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Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

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Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

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Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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