Abstract

Using the Mass Effect trilogy (2007, 2010, 2012) and Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) as case studies, this chapter interrogates player relations to the zombie. The zombie has regained prominence as a popular culture icon since 9/11, marked as a trope of the biopunk (Schmeink 2016) subgenre. Both games tie their avatars closely to the experience of the zombie, with Commander Shepard from Mass Effect resurrected after death to fight as a soldier in a war the player has no choice over, while the main protagonist of Cyberpunk 2077 experiences a lack of autonomy as their personality is overwritten, signified to the player through V’s glitches. This chapter contrasts the zombie-like experiences for the player as they enter biopolitical landscapes in late-capitalist futurist societies within branching narratives where player control is, in fact, limited. Player-zombie relations will be analyzed through the lens of slowed time, drawing upon body sociology and examinations of COVID-19.