The impact of plagues and diseases on humanity has echoed through the ages, representing a relentless and evolving battle against pathogens. Throughout history, as with all biological entities on Earth, pathogens and bacteria continuously mutate and adapt in their relentless quest for survival, often manifesting in forms that terrify us.
While ordinary illnesses can be alarming, fictional portrayals, especially in video games, amplify the fear surrounding disease. This exploration seeks to highlight noteworthy in-game plagues—particularly those that are either naturally occurring or of supernatural origin, explicitly excluding diseases engineered by human hands.
1. The Plagues
Resident Evil 4
In the realm of video game plagues, one of the most iconic is the Las Plagas from Resident Evil 4, a parasitic organism that serves as the fundamental catalyst for the game’s monstrous creations. Despite significant bioengineering, the original Plaga has a storied history, dating back centuries. It was first discovered on a remote Spanish island, infecting its inhabitants and triggering bizarre, cult-like behavior. Victims transformed into the Ganados, displaying extreme hostility, pallid skin, and aggressive tendencies.
2. Cordyceps Brain Infection
The Last of Us
Drawing inspiration from a real-life fungus, the Cordyceps Brain Infection in The Last of Us represents a terrifying evolution of its biological capabilities. Initially targeting insects, this mutant strain expands to humans, devastating lives through contaminated food and water. The infection rapidly terrifies by eroding cognitive functions, ultimately morphing individuals into savage creatures driven by primal instincts to propagate the fungal spores.
3. The “Bright Light”
Hollow Knight
The plague haunting Hallownest in Hollow Knight is often referred to as the “Bright Light.” This unnamed affliction induces nightmarish visions among insects, leading to a chilling loss of consciousness and aggression. Those afflicted become hostile, marked by a telltale orange glow in their eyes and covered in pustules secreting toxic gas, making the infection as dangerous to the environment as it is to the individual.
4. White Chlorination Syndrome
NieR Replicant
NieR Replicant introduces White Chlorination Syndrome, a magical scourge transforming infected individuals into salt pillars. Originating from a giant’s death, this disease reveals a dark pact with an extradimensional being. Choosing to resist leads to a salt transformation, while submission invites monstrous metamorphosis.
5. Scarlet Rot
Ring of Fire
In the expansive world of Elden Ring, Scarlet Rot emerges as a toxic affliction birthed by an Outer God. Affecting every form of life indiscriminately, Scarlet Rot leads to decay, madness, and death, leaving behind husks driven to violence. It proves to be one of the most insidious forms of disease in gaming, resulting in a landscape of horror.
6. Apathy Syndrome
Persona 3
Apathy Syndrome in Persona 3 manifests as a loss of will among individuals, rendering them immobile and devoid of desire. As Shadows attack during the Dark Hour, victims lose their drive to live. This mysterious plague stumps the unaffected populace, heightening the urgency for those aware of its eerie cause.
7. Green Flu
Left 4 Dead
The Green Flu mutation in Left 4 Dead is a derivative of rabies, aggressively altering its victims into rage-fueled attackers. Despite CEDA’s attempts to downplay its severity, this infection leads to violent transformations, with increasing mutations complicating treatment efforts and creating an atmospheric tension in gameplay.
8. Rat Plague
Dishonored
The Rat Plague in Dishonored poignantly reflects the historical bubonic plague, with its gruesome spread originating from bites by infected rats. Each victim’s symptoms escalate dramatically, leading to strange behaviors and even tragic death. Society crumbles under the weight of the outbreak, echoing real historical events.
9. Accurate
Mortal Kombat 1
Tarkat, introduced in the latest Mortal Kombat narrative, prompts horrific transformations among infected individuals, reminiscent of earlier Tarkatan characteristics. This contagion triggers physical mutations and behavioral regressions, casting those afflicted into isolation and igniting narratives of survival and redemption.
10. You
Plague Inc.
Plague Inc. offers a unique simulation of disease propagation, allowing players to control a pathogen striving to infect the globe. Featuring strategic elements, this game effectively presents the chaotic nature of disease spread, emphasizing the unpredictability of mutating germs and the global ramifications of outbreaks.
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