Zombies

This page is an overview of all the zombies, or people infected with **the pathogen**, present during the events of Our Worldly Woes.

Zombies in Our Worldly Woes are arguably the primary antagonists in the game, serving as the universal threat to humanity as well being as the single largest element that the plot of the game revolves around. There are several different types of zombies but all share the common characteristics of aggression towards uninfected humans, lack of higher cognitive activity, and the hunger for human flesh.

There are several different types of zombies in the game, ranging from the pitiful shambling wasters to the extremely dangerous pariah mutants. Different approaches will have to be taken to deal with each type of zombie. Some will prove very effective while some won't work at all on others. For example, shamblers/wasters are very easy to deal with alone, as even the most inexperienced player can easily kill or outrun one. With hordes, an easy way to deal with them is through hiding and staying out of sight until they pass or until the player gets far enough. Runners are more difficult to outrun, so combat or avoiding them in the first place if possible may be preferred options. The more formidable mutated zombies are increasingly harder to deal with, and special strategies will have to be employed to effectively kill or evade them. Vehicles are a great way to escape nearly any kind of zombie, however be mindful that they can attract even more in certain cases. Using high-powered weapons such as fully-automatic firearms and explosives are both quick means to destroy any infected, but again, may increase the amount of unwanted attention. The majority of the infected can be easily outsmarted but some types are physically superior than uninfected humans so certain precautions are desirable to be taken before engaging them. Many zombie types will each require a distinct, special strategy to defeat or evade them, and what works for some infected won't always work for others.

## Types:

Due to The Pathogen's evolution and subsequent mutations, different strains created infected with different characteristics and behavior from other infected. Generally, many of the later infected are increasingly more dangerous as time goes on and the storyline progresses.

### Common Infected:

*a.k.a. Swarmers*

***Common infected*** is term for the category comprising the most numerous of the diseased bodies roaming the streets of \_\_\_\_\_\_. They make up the bulk of the infected population and can reliably be found in large numbers in virtually any part of the city. Common infected are those that were infected with the earlier strains of The Pathogen, and lack the extraordinary abilities that the more evolved infected possess. However, the strains they are infected with are incredibly contagious - even more so than the later strains that created mutants, which is why most people that get infected still turn into common types of infected instead of mutants. Compared to the other types of infected, common infected are generally less physically changed by the infected and are much easier to deal with individually, but their real threat comes in their ability to form hordes and attack en masse, hence why they are sometimes called "swarmers". A seasoned survivor should have little trouble outsmarting any common infected, though getting surrounded or cornered is a death sentence.

* Wasters - extremely weak and slow

* Walkers - the most numerous infected type by far

* Runners/Ragers - fast and hyperaggressive

### Uncommon Infected:

The ***uncommon infected*** class includes infected that reach a stage where they are beginning to show early mutations and are developing strange or unnatural characteristics or behavior, but otherwise seem to be less dangerous in comparison to higher mutant infected. These infected types are not nearly as numerous as the common infected types, but are still more frequently encountered than the super infected types. Many of these infected types are intermediate stages to the more mutated forms, while some seem to remain in this stage indefinitely. These types of infected are individually more dangerous than common infected as they each possess peculiar abilities and require certain strategies to defeat or evade effectively.

- Metamorphs

- Gorgers

- Festers

- Retches

- Shriekers

- Sirens

- Heralds

- Goiter

### Deviant Infected:

Though the common infected are simple-minded and increasingly predictable in their behaviors, sometimes an infected individual will begin deviating from their expected behavior, or undergo minor mutations, and will become a deviant infected. Deviant infected are a separate class of infected that show unnatural behavior or possess other odd characteristics for infected of their expected type. Infected like these, that are potentially more dangerous because they seem to exhibit aberrant behaviors, are keenly studied and researched by scientists.

Freak wasters - wasters who show the extraordinary strength, speed, and stamina of a freshly turned runner.

Freak runner

### Super Infected:

*a.k.a. Mutants*

While any of the non-common infected types are considered "mutated", ***super infected*** types are individuals that have been exposed to the most mature strains of the Pathogen and subsequently underwent enormous levels of mutation. Their mutations have caused them to develop strange and superhuman abilities and behaviors that make them notoriously dangerous. These infected most oftentimes develop grotesque physical mutations that alter their body structure and give them powerful abilities, rendering them exceptionally lethal, but also transforms them into creatures that hardly resemble humans anymore. Usually, it is metamorph-type infected that mutate further into super-infected forms, but in rare cases, a freshly infected survivor may mutate immediately without first going through the intermediate metamorph stage. These types are undeniably the most dangerous of all the infected, but fortunately for the survivors in \_\_\_\_\_, these mutants are usually far and few between.

Gnasher

Thresher

Pariah

Fury

Mangler