Freakers

Freakers are one of the Enemies in Days Gone. These things aren't exactly zombies, though. Instead they're infected humans, turned feral by some as yet unexplained disease. Because of that they're a little more reactive to the game’s open world. "Every creature is different, they are a living type," explains senior animator Emmanuel Roth. "They have some needs and behave differently depending on the weather, the location". We've only seen two variations so far: the main horde type and a "newt" - an adolescent version that appears to be the 'hide and jump on your back' type of bastard.

Description
Learning more about the world of Days Gone, we’re starting to notice that the freakers are taking a back seat to a mixture of other systems. It seems as if the goal for the developers is how to make sure that those interlocking mechanics, and the beautiful, vast world, can shine through the tired idea of another zombie game.

That’s going to be an uphill battle. Trying to call the freakers something other than the Z word is a start, but one that's also not a totally original move. The team is already trying to focus in on the world, and the Motorcycle, as key component in Days Gone, and both of them are much more impressive and original than even a thousand zombies.