Dev Diary 2 - Those Who Have Fallen
While many are familiar with the standard zombies seen in Zombicide, one of the features that sets DCeased apart from others is the use of Zombie Heroes. In DCeased, few are immune to the effects of the Anti-Life Virus, and some of humanity's strongest defenders now seek only to cause as much death and destruction as possible. Today, let’s take a look at some of the threats you will encounter while trying to save what is left of Metropolis.
Michael Shinall here, designer of DCeased - A Zombicide Game, and one of my favorite parts of creating this experience was implementing the various Zombie Heroes, crafting their unique powers to create real threats to the players.
Being Zombicide, we of course still have the full gamut of Walkers, Brutes, and Runners that you will face off against, which are now collectively known as “Horde Zombies” for gameplay terms. Being set largely in Metropolis, we decided to flair up the horde by making all of them various (former) members of LexCorp Security. While every ordinary citizen can also be infected, we really wanted to flavor everything we could in DCeased, right down to your “generic” zombies.
Speaking of “Zombies”, that technically isn’t the most correct term to be using here, as while very “zombie-like” in their mannerisms, in DCeased, the cause of the chaos is actually a universe-wide infection of the Anti-Life Virus, which drives all those effected into a raged-state, only semi-aware of anything around them but entirely focused on causing as much death as possible. This means that, while still capable of utilizing their existing powers, the higher functions of thought are mostly gone in those who have been infected. As far as the game is concerned, though, we are still using the term “Zombie” to describe them. This is Zombicide, after all!
As mentioned before, during the game, Super Heroes will have to contend with the various Horde Zombies, but the real threat comes in the form of Zombie Heroes!
Each of these deadly adversaries is unique, changing how the players approach the mission at hand. Aquaman, for example, aside from being a durable foe, also utilizes his control over the waves and water to pull all Super Heroes and Bystanders towards him (and the horde surrounding him). Meanwhile, the undead Green Lantern creates a powerful barrier around his zone, forcing Super Heroes to get up-close-and-personal to take him down.
Of course, some Zombie Heroes are more direct, such as Hawkman, who will attempt to swoop in and push unsuspecting targets right into the horde. Players must ALWAYS mind these threats while pursuing their mission goals, lest they find themselves quickly overrun… Oh, and you best have a good plan (and the right tools) for dealing with the infected Man of Steel… Yes, that’s right, Superman himself has fallen to the Anti-Life Virus… How, exactly, do you take down one of the strongest beings in the universe? Ah… Well… Good luck!
The Kickstarter for DCeased - A Zombicide Game is coming soon! Sign up to be notified at launch HERE.
