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1[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zombie_panic__source.jpg]]
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3->''Get Them Brain Dawgs!''
4-->-- '''Crackbone'''
5
6''Zombie Panic'' is a ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' mod created by the Zombie Panic team. Later the team redesignated themselves as Monochrome Games and has released a SpiritualSuccessor to Zombie Panic titled ''VideoGame/ContagionMonochrome''. Both ''Contagion'' and its first remake, ''Zombie Panic: Source'', use the Source engine. The plot is [[ExcusePlot fairly generic]], and in many ways it lampshades many BMovie horror films.
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8As a result of an odd NoodleIncident, zombies roam a destroyed earth. A group of survivors needs to fend off a zombie attack until none remain or, alternatively, complete a mission before they are overrun. ''Zombie Panic'' allows players to take either the side of the humans or of the zombies, and survivors that are killed respawn on the zombie team. Zombies begin with a "pool" of lives, which allow them to respawn. Once the pool is empty, zombies cannot respawn until more survivors get killed.
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11!! This game provides examples of:
12* AbandonedHospital: ZPS_Silence and ZPS_Asylum. Both maps take place in asylums.
13* AbandonedSubway: ''Three'' of the official maps (ZPS_Nightmare, ZPS_Underground and ZPS_Subway) have an abandoned subway station and in the case of the latter two, center around it.
14* ArmorIsUseless: Averted. Humans can pick up body armor to reduce damage.
15* AmusementParkOfDoom: ZPS_Thrillville takes place inside a carnival.
16* BoringButPractical: The pistols. If a survivor is in a suitably defended position (say, behind a secure barricade), they can do quite some damage with the pistols as long as they aim for the head. Ammo is common, and the guns themselves are lightweight. Handy when you've already used up most of the shotgun/Magnum/rifle ammo on the map but still need a gun to cap zombies with.
17* BerserkBoardBarricade:
18** Justified. Survivors can push existing objects such as couches and cabinets into a doorway to block it, but due to the limits of the Source engine, there is no way to dictate where they land, resulting in comical but nonetheless effective ([[AbsurdlyIneffectiveBarricade sometimes]]) zombie blockers.
19** The 1.5 update added barricade hammers that can place boards across doorways to further impede the zombies' advance. Interestingly, Diagonal boards are often more effective at blocking a doorway than horizontal boards. These boards can only sustain a few hits before breaking, but a well-maintained barricade can last indefinitely.
20* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: The ammo. Red: pistol, White: magnum, Yellow: rifle and [[ShapedLikeItself shotgun]]
21* DeadlyLunge: All zombies come preloaded with one good lunge. Can also be used to either shift heavy objects more quickly ("Uberpush")or, if saved, can be used in a deadly [[UnstoppableRage rage attack]], where the zombie is given running speed and increased attack for a few seconds.
22* DeadpanSnarker:
23** Paul.
24** "Oh yeah, perfect spot guys! If you wanna DIE AND S**T! Whatever dude."
25* DieChairDie: Many objects are breakable. A key part of the barricading system.
26* EliteZombie: The Carrier zombie, AKA "Whitey", due to his deathly pallor. He moves a little faster than other zombies, has a little more health, is able to infect survivors, can "call" for other zombies to make them spawn close to him, and an uncanny ability to make your pants as brown as his.
27* EscapeSequence: ZPO_Harvest
28* GameLobby: A [[PlayableMenu physical place]] in the game. Usually there are 3 options: A reassuring "Join Survivor" corridor, a menacing "Join Zombie" pathway, and a "join Spectator" door. Bonus points if door 3 is an elevator, staircase, or other observation platform.
29* GenreBlindness: Occasionally…
30** Eugene: "There's gotta be supplies around here, split up and find them"
31** Though it's a gameplay element, one must wonder at the savviness of a person hiding from zombies in a dark corner when they start muttering to themselves or coughing uncontrollably. Probably justified though, as they're likely to be [[GoMadfromtheRevelation going insane by that point]].
32* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath:
33* ImprovisedWeapon: There are a plethora of melee weapons.
34** BatterUp: Comes in both aluminum and wood
35** FryingPanOfDoom:
36** GolfClubbing:
37** WrenchWhack:
38** ShovelStrike:
39** CrowbarCombatant: (There's also evidence of other melee weapons using the crowbar as a placeholder; a broom, a tennis racket, including a "torque".)
40** ChairmanOfTheBrawl:
41** PipePain:
42* InfernalRetaliation: Since zombies have the ability to regenerate, they can afford to set themselves on fire. A flaming zombie running through a human barricade usually results in wild shots, and in the end the only ones left standing have brown pants, are extra crispy, became BrainFood, or any combination of the above.
43* InformedEquipment:
44* JerkAss: Infected survivors tend to be, although it has become anticipated and even planned for, so any rage or vendettas are short lived.
45** Vanessa in particular spends most of her time insulting the other survivors. Not even being killed stops her abuse, as instead of gurgling upon lunging, she instead states "You got me killed...."
46** Servers also tend to have one or two CrazySurvivalist players who will not allow other survivors behind their barricades. This is generally discouraged however, as the denied entrants usually get killed and return as zombies, leading the rest of them back to the barricade. Unless the occupant is either CrazyPrepared or a complete badass, their chances of survival are slim.
47** Ammo sharing tends to be open to abuse as well, to an extent.
48* LudicrousGibs: Both survivors and zombies can get their heads blown or ripped off in various ways, in addition to massive amounts of gore if killed by an explosion.
49* MistakenForRacist: Plays with MightyWhitey hilariously, but has nothing to do with race.
50* OhCrap: when all hope is lost, a survivor can [[TitleDrop panic]], making them drop anything not currently in their hands and allowing a temporary boost in stamina. Survivors can use this to escape a bad situation, run back to the group if scouting, or put distance between the zombies and themself, allowing more time to aim if the zombie is almost dead. Comes with an appropriate dialogue.
51* OurZombiesAreDifferent: Although the zombies are straightforward F/P-type zombies, their intelligence mirrors that of the person controlling them. Also, even though [[BoomHeadshot head shots]] are the best way to deal with them, body shots also cause damage.
52* PathOfMostResistance: Paths directly into the zombie spawn, especially in survival mode, typically have better weapons. It's risky, but tempting.
53* PowerUpMotif: when zombies lunge or rage, they moan and gargle, respectively.
54* RegeneratingHealth: Zombies have this if they wait a few seconds after being hit.
55* RevolversAreJustBetter: The .357 magnum is a veritable HandCannon that can kill all zombies except for "Whitey" with a well placed [[BoomHeadshot headshot]].
56* ShootTheDog: Friendly fire is disabled for an infected survivor in the seconds before he/she becomes a zombie.
57* ShoutOut:
58** ZPO_Harvest references ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968''
59** ZPS_Cinema is full of them. Movie posters for ''Film/TheBlob1958'', ''Film/{{Fido}}, and ''Days of Darkness'', among others, adorn the walls.
60** Marcus is very similar in appearance to Peter Washington from ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978''
61** ZPS_Ruralpanic is an almost 1:1 recreation of the layout of the 1990 remake of ''[[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1990 Night of the Living Dead]]''
62** ZPO_Aquatica takes place in an underwater facility which gets flooded near the end. The setting and the facility's name are both homages to ''Film/DeepBlueSea''.
63*** In addition, the plot about going down in a secret laboratory to retrieve the anti-virus is pretty similar to the premise of [[Film/ResidentEvil2002 the first Resident Evil film]]. There also exists a rare EasterEgg which features a red hologram of a girl similar to the Red Queen.
64* SlidingScaleOfUndeadRegeneration: Type III
65* TheUnfettered: Eugene.
66** "I'm not sticking around to die here!"
67* {{Stripperific}}: In the delightfully rare male case, the punker survivor Paul wears jeans that are absolutely ''covered'' in ragged holes. With enough holes in certain areas to make it pretty clear [[VaporWear that he isn't wearing much under those jeans]].
68* UndeathlyPallor: Again, Whitey
69* VictoryQuote: Both teams have them.
70* YourHeadASplode:
71** Happens when BoomHeadshot is a kill shot.
72** The dev team seemed to understand that headshots are a primary staple of zombie mythology, and so there are close to half a dozen different ways in which a zombie skull can fracture, depending on where the bullet impacts.
73* ZombieApocalypse: The point of the game, Although it's hard to tell how long it's been since the world went to hell.
74* ZombieGait: Averted. The zombies move at a fast walk, and have the ability to "lunge" for a couple of seconds in order to close the distance. They can also jump and have been known to move objects and try ridiculous schemes to get past a barricade.
75* ZombieInfectee: A central piece of the game. Only the carrier zombie, "Whitey", is able to infect survivors. Once infected, there is no cure. Infected survivors tend to avoid a ShootTheDog scenario and instead go about doing their best to slow down or destroy the survivors before or after they turn into a zombie.
76** This depends on the player really. Some may choose the above 'spy' method, while others may drop all their weapons for their team-mates and go out in a blaze of glory with the use of an IED or Grenade; in objective maps, they may opt to stay behind and work as a barrier, giving their team mates just enough time to escape.

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