The Corruption

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

This is a tangent from an earlier post of mine, view it here if you want:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.870713-Interesting-Game-Concepts-That-Amazingly-Havent-Been-Copied-Yet#21823215

Mainly the last thought got me thinking even more about the proliferation of zombie games. We've all heard the talks about the various psychological reasons why and the reasons why people find such an outbreak terrifying, particularly if one were to spot a friend or loved one among the shambling hordes, but you know what could be even scarier? A form of infection that left everything else about the character intact, save perhaps some sinister changes to the eyes, those windows to the soul, and a burning need to either torture and kill or infect anyone who isn't already infected. Also a general increase in cruelty, but the character is still who they are, completely aware of what has happened to them... and unable to bring themselves to care.

This isn't quite what I saw in Devil Survivor, but the majority of the characters did become consumed with their demonic power at some point or another even though you can prevent it some of the time, which inspired this train of thought.

Have you ever seen anything like this in any form of fiction? Do you think that this idea or the more traditional brainless corpses have more fear potential? Or is the reason zombies are used more is because this would be too scary?

 

[tippy2k2]

The closest thing to that I can think of was The Crazies

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455407/

Basically you become "infected" when you drink from a contaminated water supply. You are still (relatively) smart as they use weapons and tools and they basically just attempt to murder anyone who is not infected. They can't transmit the disease, they just want to kill.

It was alright to good.

The second closest thing I can think of is The Signal (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/?ref_=nv_sr_2

This one is probably closer to what you want but it's a lot...weirder (which maybe you want that) so I don't know how you'd enjoy it. Basically a mysterious signal emits from our electronics (specifically TV and radio) that turn people insane. It's told from three different perspectives, including my favorite perspective in the film; someone who has gone insane.

If you are fine with the weirdness, this is one I would strongly recommend. It's not the best movie but it's certainly....unique. It was on Netflix but I do not know if that is still the case.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

There are a couple of comic series like this. Warren Ellis's Black Gas is short--only six issues--but it's still pretty horrifying. The titular gas escapes from the ground after an earthquake, and it makes everyone act out their worst impulses.

The much longer and still-ongoing one is Garth Ennis's Crossed. If you want an increase in cruelty...woof. The people infected by the comic's (still unexplained) plague get a cross-shaped rash on their faces and become incredibly violent sadists who, as far as I can tell, no longer feel pain. They exist only to murder, rape, mutilate, and/or eat everyone around them, and if you're extremely lucky, they'll do it in that order. Basically, don't read it if you're at all squeamish. It's really graphic, and bleak as all hell.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Zombies are simple and easy to do (not do well, mind, just do). They require no explanation, cause everyone knows how zombies work (and deviating from the template would annoy purists for some reason).

But...isn't what you re describing more or less people being psychological changed by their experiences? They join a cult, or spend too long in conflict, and they turn vicious...lots of stuff about that sort of thing.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Zombies are simple and easy to do (not do well, mind, just do). They require no explanation, cause everyone knows how zombies work (and deviating from the template would annoy purists for some reason).

But...isn't what you re describing more or less people being psychological changed by their experiences? They join a cult, or spend too long in conflict, and they turn vicious...lots of stuff about that sort of thing.

Good point. I was going to bring up the idea of certain cults but didn't feel it politic since I thankfully don't have much personal experience with such things.

I also recently read The Acts of Caine where there was a virus sort of like this. It's called HRVP. It doesn't kill you. It just gradually makes you so feverish and paranoid that you start killing everyone else around you in self-defence. And it can be transmitted by fluid and air.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

This sounds like it could be 'Condemned' related. But without the hubcaps perhaps.

 

[Darks63]

What your describing is what Indoctrination was in ME. A person is taken and their brain is changed to serve the Reapers until they husk out or die. Until they became husks the individuals were able to blend in and undermine, murder, and subvert their own side.

A great example in Book form would be Brian Keene's The Rising. A series about a malevolent type of Zombie outbreak where the Zeds are totally aware of what they are and they have a mission to exterminate humanity.

A lesser example would be the Monster series (Island/Nation/World) where the zombie hordes are lead by intelligent zombies called litches who are like generals able to control hordes of zombies.

 

[DanteRL]

The second closest thing I can think of is The Signal (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780607/?ref_=nv_sr_2

This one is probably closer to what you want but it's a lot...weirder (which maybe you want that) so I don't know how you'd enjoy it. Basically a mysterious signal emits from our electronics (specifically TV and radio) that turn people insane. It's told from three different perspectives, including my favorite perspective in the film; someone who has gone insane.

If you are fine with the weirdness, this is one I would strongly recommend. It's not the best movie but it's certainly....unique. It was on Netflix but I do not know if that is still the case.

The Signal reminded me of Stephen King's "Cell", where a signal transmitted only via cel phones make people go into crazy violent killing sprees at first, but then

Spoiler

they evolve into beings with psychic powers and sort of a hive mind.

. It has one of the King's not so great endings, but is a "nice" story.

 

[Benpasko]

Sounds sort of like 'Croats' (short for Croatoans) from Supernatural. They deliberately transmit blood to blood (shown holding someone down, cutting the victim and then themselves and bleeding on them), can pass as the uninfected person without serious medical examination, and when someone gets infected you don't notice the change. And then they flip out like Rage Virus zombies with seemingly enhanced physical capabilities. Also they can use guns of course.

Spoiler

It's sort of a perfect biological weapon invented by demons in the series, and is the thing that ends up wiping out humanity (in part) in an alternate future. Sort of the actual killing force of the christian apocalypse.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

The much longer and still-ongoing one is Garth Ennis's Crossed. If you want an increase in cruelty...woof. The people infected by the comic's (still unexplained) plague get a cross-shaped rash on their faces and become incredibly violent sadists who, as far as I can tell, no longer feel pain. They exist only to murder, rape, mutilate, and/or eat everyone around them, and if you're extremely lucky, they'll do it in that order. Basically, don't read it if you're at all squeamish. It's really graphic, and bleak as all hell.

Right when I read the OP, I immediately started thinking of a cover of that comic I saw a while ago. Really struck me as to how insane and demonic the people in it looked too...

Spoiler: Here's the cover. WARNING: Rather graphic and dark.

 

[Legomaniac91_v1legacy]

As terrifying as intelligent infected monsters are, intelligent infected monsters with superpowers are even more frightening. This was the case with the Marvel Zombies series. An alternate earth is hit with an interdimensional zombie plague that turns every superhero into a ravenous, flesh eating, monster with their intelligence and powers still intact. They then proceed to wipe out most of the human race in 24 hours and later kill and devour fucking Galactus! While these are not happy stories, there is an insanely awesome crossover where Ash from Evil Dead gets transported there right as the plague hits.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Here's the cover. WARNING: Rather graphic and dark.

Yeah. And that's one of the tamer covers.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Kinda sounds like how vampires used to be in mainstream media. There used to be a corruption of the soul, as opposed to just wanting to drink Human blood.

Vampires in Buffy, for example, they lost their souls and became cruel but were still retaining their personality