World War Z (2019 – ongoing updates)

“The Left 4 Dead game we never got, with way more zombies and way more love for the source material.”


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🎥 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Main Game Trailers:

Horde Mode XL Reveal:

DLC & Expansion Trailers:

Aftermath DLC (Rome, Vatican, new melee system, gun upgrade overhaul)

Valley of the Zeke DLC (Arizona maps + new Zeke variant + new characters)

Sin City Apocalypse DLC (Las Vegas 3-map campaign, sandstorm gimmick, melee/ammo challenge)

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🧾 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

This isn’t one protagonist’s story like the Brad Pitt movie — this is survival on a global scale. Four-player co-op, episodic maps set in different countries, hundreds of zombies swarming you like tidal waves, and a strong respect for Max Brooks’ book. Each map has unique survivors, showing how different cultures deal with the outbreak, which lines up with the book’s “oral history” style.

It’s brutal, it’s gory (thank god rated M, not PG-13 like the movie), and it scratches the Left 4 Dead itch with some upgrades: more weapons, more ammo crates, global locations, and post-launch DLC that actually feels like expansions, not scraps.


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👥 Character Rundown

Base Game Survivors (2019)

New York

Arnetta L. (student, journalism major)

Tashaun (ex-firefighter)

Bunko Tatsumi (goth girl, lit major, fan favorite)

Angel Flores (paramedic)


Jerusalem

Daniel Mizrahi (Israeli Defense Force soldier)

Dina Mizrahi (his younger sister, tech support)

Kimiko Nomura (engineer)

Asher Blumberg (retired IDF officer)


Moscow

Oksana Orlov (former doctor turned cold survivalist)

Sergei Popov (police officer)

Roman Belinskiy (prison guard)

Svetlana (political refugee, hardened survivor)


Tokyo

Sho (bus driver, everyman stuck in nightmare)

Bunko Tatsumi (again, appears in Tokyo flashback episode)

Hiroji Mishima (corporate type, shady businessman)

Takashi (soldier)


Marseille Expansion Survivors (2020)

Arnaud (French firefighter)

Philippe (French engineer)

Marie (nurse)

Thiago (dock worker)



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🎞️ Survivor Backstories

Each survivor — both in the base game and the DLC packs — comes with their own animated backstory clip. These are short, stylized cutscenes that explain who they were before the outbreak and how they ended up fighting for survival.

Honestly, the art style of these backstories is gorgeous, totally different from the in-game look, and it makes you actually care about the characters instead of just treating them like skins.

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DLC Survivors

Valley of the Zeke (Arizona)

Kelly (ginger-haired female survivor, tough and sarcastic — fan favorite of the new crew)

Marcus (military base survivor)

Elena (scientist type, practical and calm)

Raul (ex-gang member turned protector)


Sin City Apocalypse (Las Vegas)

Cassandra (casino worker turned scavenger)

Luis (bartender who knows the city inside out)

Anthony (ex-soldier stationed in Nevada)

Sophie (college student, desert survivalist)


(Note: The DLC bios are lighter, but each pack comes with short cutscene backstories in stylized art — worth watching because they add personality beyond “skin #12.”)


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⏱️ Gameplay / Pacing Flow

Episodic campaigns, 3–4 levels each.

Each mission feels frantic — holdouts, supply runs, desperate escapes.

The swarm tech makes hundreds of zombies climb walls, spill through doors, and pour across rooftops. It’s overwhelming in the best way.

Class system gives replay value (Medic, Exterminator, Gunslinger, Slasher, etc.).

Horde Mode XL (newer update) pushes it even further — hundreds more zombies, screen filled like you’re fighting an ocean wave.



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✅ Pros

Faithful to the book: global focus, multiple POVs, survival above heroics.

Tons of zombies onscreen — still impressive years later.

M rating = bloody, gory, and unapologetic.

Post-launch support has been insane (new maps, new characters, new weapons).

Gun upgrade system overhaul made progression smoother.

Locations feel distinct: New York rooftops, Moscow cathedrals, Jerusalem bunkers, Tokyo harbors, Vatican City, Arizona deserts, Vegas casinos.



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❌ Cons

Still very similar to Left 4 Dead at its core (could turn some players off).

Some character backstories are too short, they deserve longer cutscenes.

Difficulty spikes in Horde Mode XL can feel unfair.

Early gun upgrade grind was brutal (fixed later though).



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💭 DLC / Expansion Rundown

Aftermath (2021)

Added melee system (dual katanas, sledgehammers, new takedowns).

Gun upgrade overhaul with points instead of coin grind.

Campaigns in Rome and Vatican City.

4 new survivors.

Horde Mode XL teased.


Valley of the Zeke (Arizona)

3 maps: power plant, downtown Arizona, military base.

4 new survivors (Kelly the ginger = standout).

New Zeke variant that explodes toxins when killed.

2 new weapons.

Character skin pack.


Battle for Arizona

Arizona added to Horde Mode XL.

New weapon skins.

Balance patches.


Sin City Apocalypse (Las Vegas)

3 new levels: Vegas strip, casino ruins, desert outskirts.

4 new survivors.

Ammo gimmick in level 1: start with none, forced melee until you unlock crates.

Sandstorm mechanic blinds you if you stay outside too long.

New gun, new character skin pack.



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⭐ Rating

Base Game: 9/10.
With all updates + DLC: 10/10. One of the best zombie shooters ever made, period.


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning

This is less about spoilers and more about surviving chaos: if you thought Left 4 Dead hordes were intense, wait until you’re on a rooftop in New York and a thousand zombies start climbing the walls like ants. Or when you’re in Arizona trying to fight in a power plant with swarms coming from every vent. Or Vegas with no ammo, just a crowbar and panic.


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📖 Complete Character Gallery

Base Game

Arnetta L. – New York journalism student, caught in chaos while riding the subway.

Tashaun – Former firefighter, tough but weary, puts survival skills to use in NYC.

Bunko Tatsumi – Goth lit major who becomes the unexpected badass of the team.

Angel Flores – EMT worker, keeps his humor even in the apocalypse.

Daniel Mizrahi – IDF soldier determined to save his homeland.

Dina Mizrahi – His younger sister, a tech support worker pulled into the war.

Kimiko Nomura – Engineer with a calm, calculating approach to problems.

Asher Blumberg – Retired officer, haunted but resolute.

Oksana Orlov – Former doctor in Moscow, hardened by brutal choices.

Sergei Popov – Police officer, committed to protecting Moscow civilians.

Roman Belinskiy – Prison guard, gruff and brutal, surprisingly reliable.

Svetlana – Political refugee, strong survival instincts.

Sho – Bus driver in Tokyo, ordinary man stuck in extraordinary nightmare.

Hiroji Mishima – Corporate figure with shady ties, still trying to survive.

Takashi – Japanese soldier fighting to hold the line.


Marseille Expansion

Arnaud – Firefighter, courageous in the ruins of Marseille.

Philippe – Engineer, practical and resourceful.

Marie – Nurse who refuses to abandon those in need.

Thiago – Dock worker turned fighter, scrappy and determined.


Valley of the Zeke (Arizona)

Kelly – Red-haired survivor, fiery personality, fan-favorite of the DLC crew.

Marcus – Military survivor who knows Arizona’s bases and systems.

Elena – Scientist type, using brains over brawn to survive.

Raul – Former gang member with street smarts and loyalty to his new crew.


Sin City Apocalypse (Las Vegas)

Cassandra – Casino worker turned scavenger, knows Vegas’ hidden paths.

Luis – Bartender with grit and a no-nonsense attitude.

Anthony – Ex-soldier familiar with the desert terrain.

Sophie – College student, inexperienced but quick to adapt.