Why don't the zombies ever eat each other?

[Zack MacDowell]

How can they tell the difference between us and them? And how do they always manage to find you no matter where you go, I thought they were supposed to be stupid...

Also, do you think they'd try to eat another BOW like a hunter or licker if there was no fresh food around?

[leftshoe18]

You know, I never really thought of that. My only guess would be some sort of smell recognition ability to sniff out fresh flesh as opposed to the rotting corpses that are other zombies. If this sense of smell was enhanced, I guess that would be a way for them to find people no matter where they went.

And, if they tried to eat another BOW, they'd be killed in an instant. We've already seen (in RE3) that Hunters have no problems with killing zombies. Plus, I don't think the zombies actually need to eat to survive. It's more like a drive caused by the virus and they wouldn't necessarily die if they didn't eat.

[A-J]

Probably body heat or something that attracts them, rotting flesh is cold I suppose.

[Nemesis_]

I believe that zombies do not eat the living to "survive", but to spread the virus or whatever is causing people to rise from the dead.

[Darkmoon]

It's not clear exactly what happens to zombies over the long term, regardless of if they eat or don't. It seems to be a safe bet that something puts them off non-living tissue though. Possibly one of the modifications the t-virus does to the body is create some kind of pheremone or the like to make sure zombies don't go for each other? They eat dead people happily enough, or at least the recently dead, so...

[Canas Renvall]

It's not clear exactly what happens to zombies over the long term...

V-ACT then Licker. Beyond that, nobody knows.

[A-J]

V-ACT then Licker. Beyond that, nobody knows.

V-Act > Licker > Sherry

it all makes sense !

[Darkmoon]

V-ACT then Licker. Beyond that, nobody knows.

I thought V-Acts only happened if someone 'killed' them, for lack of a better word?

[Alzaire]

Has nothing to do with intelligence really. It's just how it is. You could attach an idea if you like, and maybe there is one in official game data I'm not aware of, but it's not really something to look too deep into. The zombies were inspired by Romero's zombies. They don't eat each other either. Most zombies and other types of infected (like the ragers in 28 days later) don't usually eat or attack each other. In a gameplay aspect, I think having them attack and try to eat each other wouldn't work too well. It would be hectic, but less dangerous as if many are busy eating on each other, there's less coming after you one way or another.

[Accel]

Exactly, this is a something I always think about whenever I watch a zombie movie/play a game with zombies. Especially if the zombies are just infected with a virus that makes them insane (28... Later, Left 4 Dead, etc.). But there wouldn't be a movie/game if it was that realistic. It's good knowing this is one of the reasons a zombie apocalypse could never really happen.

[Scream]

There's an interesting episode in season 2 of Fringe about a virus. It's a little far-fetched with the idea that the virus almost has a mind of its own and will do anything to survive but it kind of makes sense if you apply it to zombies.

[Darkmoon]

I understand that infected in Left 4 Dead will occasionally attack each other, but it's fairly rare. Also, in Crossed (the most disturbing comic to grace my shelves) the infected do attack each other, if they get bored enough and there aren't any humans nearby. 'Cos they killed 'em all already.

[The_15th]

I thought they were eating each other out in RE1, once you get to the caves.

Speaking of enemies dealing damage to enemies, I would've liked it in Resident Evil Outbreak if Friendly Fire enabled had affected friends and enemies alike.

[Zombie_X]

I thought they were eating each other out in RE1, once you get to the caves. I would've liked it in Resident Evil Outbreak if Friendly Fire enabled had affected friends and enemies alike.

That's right! Right after you fight Yawn and descend into the basement you can see them eating another zombie.

[Vector]

I understand that infected in Left 4 Dead will occasionally attack each other, but it's fairly rare.

I LOVE watching zombie fights in the L4D games. I love sneaking up on them and watching two zombies beat the shit out of each other until eventually, one of them drops to the ground and stops moving. I get mad if someone shoots at them and breaks up the fight.