Night Vision Video of Man Eaten by Zombies: Real or Fake?

A video shows a man being torn apart and eaten alive by zombies, caught on tape by Russian military night vision. Today we’ll take a closer look at the video and its source.

It’s not real.

Let’s first take a look at the video itself.

The video above is part of the trailer for the 2007 video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl. It was posted to YouTube in February 2010, with a description noting that it is “…a video clip of a Russian Soldier being chased and killed by zombies. From the game ‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'” The video was included as an limited edition extra.

It is a first-person survival game developed by Ukranian-based game developer GSC Game World and published by THQ.  It was known for its exceptional quality and was considered ahead of its time. Some readers have pointed out that the creatures in the game are technically mutants, not zombies.

Despite the fact that the game title is mentioned in the video’s description, some commenters have wondered if the video is real.

Game Synopsis

The game takes place in a 30 square-km area based on the real-life “Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.” The Zone starts at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and extends south. Certain artistic license is used, including moving the nearby city of Pripyat into the zone. The actual city is located northwest of the power plant.

The story line of the game loosely takes place in 2006, 20 years after the accident, where attempts are made to re-populate the area with scientists and military personnel. A second nuclear disaster occurs, killing or mutating the inhabitants. The game starts a number of years later as people once again try to enter the zone in search of left-behind money, artifacts, and scientific information.

There are four types of humanoid mutants in the game including Bloodsuckers, Snorks, Poltergeists, and the most dangerous threat in the game, Psuedogiants, which are balls of several mutants combined into one. Real life animals such as dogs, wild boars, crows, and other perils can also be encountered.

The game was released to general praise scoring 82% on GameRatings and MetaCritic. It has been praised for its style and depth, but criticized for several technical issues and bugs. STALKER has won several awards, and sold upwards of two million units worldwide within a year of its release.

You can learn more about the game at staler-game.com, or on the game’s official Facebook page.

Bottom Line

The video of a Russian solider being torn apart and eaten alive by zombies is not real. It is a trailer from the 2007 video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl.

Thanks to Zombie Magazine for its contribution to this article.

Updated January 8, 2016
Originally published January 2014