Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Pokemon Legends Z-A
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2025
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Best horror games - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard screenshot of Ethan shooting a mutamycete monster
Horror Games The 25 best horror games to play right now
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill I've been playing the iconic horror franchise for 26 years, and these are the best Silent Hill monsters that are still haunting my nightmares today
Dying Light: The Beast
Action Games The 10 best zombie games that will munch your brain
Best Halloween games: a screenshot of Carole's face being grabbed by a monster in Bye Sweet Carole
Games I've been a horror fan for almost 20 years, and these are the best Halloween games I recommend picking up this year
An alien spider crawling towards the camera in the movie, The Thing.
Horror Games After 43 years, one of the world's greatest horror movies lives on in so many games – from Among Us to Cronos: The New Dawn
The best survival horror games: a screenshot from Resident Evil 7.
Survival Horror Games The 10 best survival horror games to test your endurance skills
Best Resident Evil games - Resident Evil Village's Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters Cassandra, Daniela, and Bela
Horror Games The 10 best Resident Evil games of all time
Bye Sweet Carole screenshot of Lana falling into a shadowy chasm
Survival Horror Games As a Disney kid who grew up on survival horror, Bye Sweet Carole is the final girl princess game I never knew I needed – and it's taken over my entire Halloween
Toxic Commando screenshot with GamesRadar+ Autumn Preview 2025 frame
FPS Games Left 4 Dead has held the horde shooter crown for 17 years, but John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is the best challenger yet
Dead by Daylight
Horror Games The best games based on horror movies
Silent Hill 2 Remake screenshot of James Sunderland examining his face in the mirror
Silent Hill The best Silent Hill games of all time
Best Xbox 360 games: a screenshot of an Xbox 360 console next to a controller and a collection of games.
Games 25 Best Xbox 360 games of all time
Best video game heroes
Games The 25 best heroes in games of all time
Key art for Alone in the Dark 1992, with the GamesRadar+ Horror Special badge
Survival Horror Games 33 years later, Alone in the Dark still deserves recognition as the survival horror that bridged the gap between Cthulhu and Resident Evil
A close up of a scarecrow in Silent Hill f as Hinako attempts to solve a riddle, with the GamesRadar+ Horror Special badge
Survival Horror Games "If everything is the same, nothing stands out" – How lead devs for Silent Hill f and Dying Light: The Beast are putting the horror back in survival horror
  1. Games
  2. Pikmin

The best dead things in video games [ClassicRadar]

Features
By David Houghton published 28 October 2012

Something classically spooky for the Halloween weekend

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Or the 'living-impaired', to be more politically correct...

Or the 'living-impaired', to be more politically correct...

Dead stuff makes a vastly under-rated contribution to the world of videogames. Sure, the heroes are usually a living, breathing, virile lot, with pulses and all that boringly conventional malarky, but dead things bring a much more varied array of coolness to the table. We're not necessarily talking dead characters here. We're not even necessarily talking complete corpses with all the parts. After all, you don't need to be anatomically complete or in a pre-decomposition state to have worth.

This ClassicRadar feature originally ran on November 18, 2008

Page 1 of 22
Page 1 of 22
Pinata Guy - Manhunt 2

Pinata Guy - Manhunt 2

Notable for: Death by hanging just as you reach his cell. Making us curse the lack of a baseball bat on the first level. Mmmm, sugary innards.

Page 2 of 22
Page 2 of 22
Dead birds - Condemned: Criminal Origins

Dead birds - Condemned: Criminal Origins

Notable for: Teaching kids that collecting animal corpses is an 'achievement'. Disgusting mothers and ruining carpets worldwide.

Page 3 of 22
Page 3 of 22
Burning cop - Resident Evil 4

Burning cop - Resident Evil 4

Notable for: Making us go "Uurgh!" and "Cool!" at the same time.

Page 4 of 22
Page 4 of 22
Decapitated barbarian - Castle Crashers

Decapitated barbarian - Castle Crashers

Notable for: Being dead and cute in equal measure. Proving once and for all that you can get away with any level of gore and dismemberment as long as it's cartoony. If only Manhunt 2 had been cel shaded!

Page 5 of 22
Page 5 of 22
Dangling corpses - Gears of War

Dangling corpses - Gears of War

Notable for: Giving us a cheap, ghost train scare early in the game. Splattering beautifully when shot. Making us wonder just what the hell's been going on in that prison anyway. Who's running it? Why's it empty apart from Locust and dangling corpses? What the hell kind of correctional institute is it!?

Page 6 of 22
Page 6 of 22
Player-controlled zombies - Metal Slug 3

Player-controlled zombies - Metal Slug 3

Notable for: Being soul-destroyingly slow. Obliterating everything on screen with a burst of over-powered blood vomit. On balance, being the best status change in videogame history.

Page 7 of 22
Page 7 of 22
Skeleton - Oblivion

Skeleton - Oblivion

Notable for: Looking like a basic bit of environmental detail until you realise you can use the axe like a golf driver and whack its skull off down the hall. Fore!

Page 8 of 22
Page 8 of 22
Gino - The Darkness

Gino - The Darkness

Notable for: Having one of the earliest and most hilariously unexpected deaths in videogames. Teaching us why we shouldn't lean out of moving cars. Trucks are heavy, kids.

Page 9 of 22
Page 9 of 22
Chewed-up Pikmin ghosts - Pikmin

Chewed-up Pikmin ghosts - Pikmin

Notable for: Teaching us that even sentient vegetable people have souls. Making us feel guilty and creeped out at the same time.

Page 10 of 22
Page 10 of 22
Murdered Colossi - Shadow of the Colossus

Murdered Colossi - Shadow of the Colossus

Notable for: Making us feel like total wankers as we turn a once proud and noble creature into just another pile of rock and mould.

Page 11 of 22
Page 11 of 22
Skulls - Zelda III: A Link to the Past

Skulls - Zelda III: A Link to the Past

Notable for: Being one of the first instances in which we could use a piece of disembodied anatomy as a tool or weapon in a game. Speaking of which...

Page 12 of 22
Page 12 of 22
McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

Notable for: Proving that love can blossom between two people even if one of them is a dismembered corpse. Especially if one of them is blind and insane... (more follows)

Page 13 of 22
Page 13 of 22
McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

Providing endless squishy fun when stomped on... (more follows)

Page 14 of 22
Page 14 of 22
McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

...and confirming that there's one thing a gamer will always do when presented with body parts and a gravity gun.

Page 15 of 22
Page 15 of 22
Giant slug-fish thing - Metroid Prime

Giant slug-fish thing - Metroid Prime

Notable for: Being the first of many dead things in MP we could investigate with the scan visor. Training us to poke around in corpses for educational value.

Page 16 of 22
Page 16 of 22
Aeris - Final Fantasy VII

Aeris - Final Fantasy VII

Notable for: Still being the subject of fanboy mourning 11 years later. Get over it! Please!

Page 17 of 22
Page 17 of 22
Captain Price - Call of Duty 4

Captain Price - Call of Duty 4

Notable for: Having the finest moustache that HD can muster. Having an agonisingly ambiguous "Is he?/Isn't he?" death (He isn't - ClassicRadar Ed). Being more heavily mourned than Aeris by certain GamesRadar editors.

Page 18 of 22
Page 18 of 22
Cubone's mother's skull - Pokemon series

Cubone's mother's skull - Pokemon series

Notable for: Being worn on her son's head as part of some hideous necro-oedipal nightmare. Warning us that behind the friendly exterior, Nintendo are a scary bunch of bastards.

Page 19 of 22
Page 19 of 22
Dry Bones - Super Mario series

Dry Bones - Super Mario series

Notable for: Being the coolest of all Koopa variants. Being utterly invulnerable unless swiped with a piece of yellow cloth. Not letting death stop him from scoring endless cheap goals in Mario Strikers: Charged.

Page 20 of 22
Page 20 of 22
Drowned Lara - Tomb Raider: Underworld

Drowned Lara - Tomb Raider: Underworld

Notable for: Maintaining the tradition of great drowning animations in Tomb Raider games. Doing a bizarre head-banging animation for twenty seconds before eventually croaking.

Page 21 of 22
Page 21 of 22
But these are old...

But these are old...

Yes, even poor Resident Evil 4 axe woman up there is no spring chicken. In fact, since this article was written, she's probably rotted clean away. So what would you replace her with? And don't say 'an axe rack' or something equally clever. Let us know your favourite dead things from games in the comments. You never know, we might make another article based on more recent dead things!

And if you enjoyed this classic GamesRadar article, you might enjoy SkeleTONS - nearly every bony bastard in the gaming universe or perhaps What if Hitler smoked pot?

Page 22 of 22
Page 22 of 22
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation Xbox Platforms Mobile Gaming
David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.
Read more
Best horror games - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard screenshot of Ethan shooting a mutamycete monster
The 25 best horror games to play right now
 
 
Silent Hill 2
I've been playing the iconic horror franchise for 26 years, and these are the best Silent Hill monsters that are still haunting my nightmares today
 
 
Dying Light: The Beast
The 10 best zombie games that will munch your brain
 
 
Best Halloween games: a screenshot of Carole's face being grabbed by a monster in Bye Sweet Carole
I've been a horror fan for almost 20 years, and these are the best Halloween games I recommend picking up this year
 
 
An alien spider crawling towards the camera in the movie, The Thing.
After 43 years, one of the world's greatest horror movies lives on in so many games – from Among Us to Cronos: The New Dawn
 
 
The best survival horror games: a screenshot from Resident Evil 7.
The 10 best survival horror games to test your endurance skills
 
 
Latest in Games
Lethal Company screenshots of workers in orange hazmat suits carrying props and junk
Life after Lethal Company: solo creator Zeekerss says "weirdly, not a lot has changed" after one of the biggest indie hits in recent memory, and he still has "a good handful of ideas for games"
 
 
Battlefield 6
Battlefield 6 lead confirms aim assist is getting nerfed, but the 25% recoil reduction is staying for now: "The stickiness straight up kills you if there's multiple enemies"
 
 
Occa Berry locations in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pokemon Legends Z-A Occa Berry locations
 
 
Warhammer Survivors screenshot
Warhammer Survivors puts 40K and Age of Sigmar into the Vampire Survivors mold in a partnership with the devs behind the 2022 indie roguelite hit, and it's launching next year
 
 
A Helldiver holding a flag in a promotional image for Helldivers 2.
Sweet liberty, Helldivers 2 just fixed one of the most annoying glitches in crash-focused new update as Arrowhead continues to address the game's performance issues
 
 
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
How to learn Psycho Cut in Pokemon Legends Z-A
 
 
Latest in Features
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot showing two Earth Directorate agents standing proudly during a promotional video for the organization. The image is surrounded by GamesRadar+'s On the Radar interview banner
The Outer Worlds 2 is an RPG that's as much about what you can't do as what you can: "Everybody is going to have a different experience, and they may not see everything, and that's okay"
 
 
Two nobles getting married in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
RPG fans stay winning: 2025 has been a critical hit for the genre, though I'm anticipating a GOTY bloodbath
 
 
Hades 2
I was one of the first to see Hades 2's true ending, and I don't know how I feel about Supergiant retconning the whole thing
 
 
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot showing the protagonist in a green suit with a bow tie standing with companions Inez and Niles. The GamesRadar+ On the Rader interview banner is overlayed on top
I love that The Outer Worlds 2's Flaw system calls me out on my RPG behavior and then asks me to double-down on it: "Because flaws are optional, we knew we could actually push them a little bit harder"
 
 
On the Radar-branded The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot featuring Inez firing a rifle
The Outer Worlds 2 developers have one major combat tip: "Pick a lane and stick with it"
 
 
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders' studio founder is an enemy health bar hater, saying they turn games into an "Excel sheet" and immersion is better than "answers served on a silver platter"
 
 
  1. Princess Zelda stands in front of a pack of characters including Calamo, a Mysterious Construct, King Rauru, Queen Sonia, Mineru, and others in key art for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment - slightly cropped for use as a header and thumbnail
    1
    Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment review: "Zelda is a fantastic lead in this action-packed Tears of the Kingdom prequel, but boring missions hold the magic back"
  2. 2
    Carimara: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs review: "Playing as a goblin thing to crack a gothic fairy tale mystery with magical cards has quickly become one of my favorite gaming short stories"
  3. 3
    Spooktacular review: "This is the perfect family board game for Halloween"
  4. 4
    It’s hard to imagine there are many gamers who won’t enjoy this quick but tactical board game for 2 players
  5. 5
    The Outer Worlds 2 review: "The Fallout New Vegas creators have crafted a masterful space age RPG that's willing to play game master to my silliest decisions"
  1. Chainsaw Man
    1
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  2. 2
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  3. 3
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  4. 4
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  5. 5
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  1. Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher season 4
    1
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  2. 2
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  3. 3
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  4. 4
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"
  5. 5
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...