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Freakers are humans and fauna that fell victim to an infection, turning them into ravenous cannibalistic monsters. They are a major antagonistic force, and catalyst for events, in Days Gone.
History
Two years prior to the events of the game, an unknown virus spread throughout the world, infecting and turning millions of people and animals into these creatures. As a result, civilization fell, and cities were abandoned in favor of smaller settlements in the wilderness.
Freakers remained a threat to the human survivors.
Creation
Freakers are the result when living creatures are infected with an unknown virus. The virus granted them superior strength, speed, and agility of a normal creature of their species, but become feral, cannibalistic, and mindless. All Freakers appear to have their skin covered in bloody sores, and the infected humans seem to have gone hairless.
Thus far it's only known to affect mammalian life, though other types of animals could be susceptible to infection.
Types of Freaker
Deacon finds Two-Dog fleeing from a Newt.
There are multiple different types of Freaker.
Standard: Infected adults, who make up the majority of the Freakers. Alone they are relatively minor threats, but in swarms, they can easily overwhelm their prey.
Newt: Infected adolescents, who will attempt to ambush Deacon and jump on him.
Runner: Runners are wolves infected by the freaker virus are incredibly fast, capable of outrunning Deacon's Motorcycle.
Rager Bear: Rager Bears are infected bears. They have massively increased durability, and are able to take a lot of trauma, as seen with one having barbed wire and weapons embedded in its flesh, and being completely unphased by it.
Ravens: Infected crows that will swarm and attempt to overwhelm Deacon.
Utilised by Humans
At some point, survivors began to use Freakers to their advantage. They have been seen as alarms systems and guard dogs to deter would-be intruders, while also being left as a prefered bait for other freakers that would normally destroy a human camp, thus allowing time for escape and resettlement.
Behaviour
Deacon about to kill a Freaker with an axe.
Freakers when unprovoked or unaware of the presence of non-infected human or fauna will merely wander around in search of them. When they find one they will chase them down in a furious frenzy, usually alerting other freakers with their increased movement and vocals, creating a horde that will run down the human, unless they can be detered somehow. It would be very difficult to outrun a horde, or to to hide from one. It is recommended to attempt to cull their numbers, and then finish them off or make an escape.
Freakers will behave differently depending on the Weather. Rain can silence some sounds more, dulling their senses of sight and sound. Snow will grant them a strength boost, but decreased visibility. Freakers are actually still living beings, and act as such. They also seem to retain base primal instincts, such as hunting and , as seen where the Freakers corner Deacon on a tower at the sawmill, and also where Deacon blew up a wall, allowing the Freaker horde to rush through.
It is unknown if Freakers still retain the required nerve cells to feel pain. This could be proven true, as when a Rager Bear appeared in one of the trailers, it seemed to be unphased and passive about the numerous weapons and barbed wire sticking into it's flesh. Or it could be the fact that they are mindless and zombie-like, and do not have control over their actions.
Weaknesses
Since Freakers are still living beings, they are fairly easy to kill and can be killed by the same methods similar to living being, and as can be killed by ballistic and blunt force trauma, fire and being crushed. However, since they tend to move in a swarm it seems to be a good idea to simply avoid them where possible.
Trivia
- The Freakers still being living creatures despite their infection makes them similar to the Infected from Left 4 Dead and The Last of Us, as opposed to more traditional undead zombies.