There’s no doubt an appeal to apocalypse stories. There’s the tension of survival, and that nobody is safe. There’s also the freedom that comes with society collapsing.
There are no rules, no laws, and social norms. In a post-apocalyptic story, regular people do extraordinary things to survive and save their little enclave of humanity. In a video game, you can be that ordinary person who saves the day.
Plus, there’s no longer a world where you have to pay your bills and debts, and answer to your boss. If this sounds like an intriguing and fun world to play in, then this list is for you. Here are some of the 5 top post-apocalyptic games of all time in no particular order.
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Top Post-Apocalyptic Games
1. Fall Out: New Vegas
Fall Out: New Vegas is a spinoff of the original Fall Out, and it out-does the original in a big way. This role-playing game is at its heart a revenge tale. A character called The Courier is transporting an item across the wasteland of the Mojave desert to post-apocalyptic Las Vegas.
On the way, he is ambushed and killed, with the goons making off with his package. Even though he is buried in a cemetery, he ultimately is dug up, and embarks on a quest to take down his killers and recover that which was stolen from him.
The game takes place in the year 2281. The area surrounding the Mojave of Nevada, California, and Arizona is under dispute by several factions. On his way, The Courier will have to make allies and kill enemies if he wants to survive.
2. The Walking Dead
It started as a comic, and grew to spinoffs, a television show, novels, and yes, games. The Walking Dead game doesn’t follow the characters you know and love from the TV show or comic, although you do come across some and play in some of the same locales. Instead, you take control of new characters to try to survive in a newly zombified world.
The story centers around Lee, a convict, and Clementine, a young girl who he rescues and takes care of. It’s an RPG style game, with some adventure mixed in. Just like with the show, you must make choices that have ambiguous answers.
Nothing is ever black and white, and your ability to make tough choices will determine whether you live or die. On your journey, you come across several groups of people, some are friends, and some are foes. It’s up to you to figure out which is which.
3. The Last Of Us
The television adaptation recently premiered, and to tie-in with it, publisher Naughty Dog remade the original game. It has improved graphics and character models, and takes advantage of technology updates to offer up an improved experience on the original.
It has become a classic due to its heartbreaking storytelling. In the game, you take control of a smuggler named Joel. He is tasked with transporting tween Ellie across post-apocalyptic America.
Although Ellie starts as “just cargo,” she turns out to be so much more, both to the world, and to him.
The journey takes the pair through a number of environments, from cities, to towns, buildings, and sewers. They will encounter friends, such as Joel’s brother Tommy, mutants, and hostile humans.
The gameplay includes stealth, hand-to-hand combat, improvised weapons, and shooting. There are also puzzles that you must solve throughout the game to survive. The game is available as one of YuPlay’s extensive gaming catalog.
4. Gears Of War 3
Mankind has held off the Locust Horde, but their final stronghold has been destroyed in the process. The remaining survivors regroup to an abandoned island to rebuild and plan the next steps for their army and civilization.
Unfortunately, a new threat emerges and their leader is killed in the opening battle. With their numbers dwindling and scattered to the mainland, they try to fight back.
Gears of War 3 is a 3rd person shooter game. You take control of Marcus Fenix and his team of soldiers. You must help them break out of an enemy prison, then help rebuild a fighting force.
You take them across a ruined world to the sanctuary of Azura, where Marcus’ father Adam may hold the key to humanity’s salvation.
5. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow Of Chernobyl
After repopulating the area, a 2nd Chernobyl disaster wreaks havoc on the population. Within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, people who didn’t survive have been infected and mutated into grotesque creatures.
Years after the 2nd disaster and containment, Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers, known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, roam the area, looking for loot or excitement.
In this first-person shooter, you take control of a character nicknamed The Marked One. You have amnesia, with the only clue to your identity and your mission being a PDA that says “kill Strelok.”
Along the way you’ll have to take on missions and tasks to get help from allies, and face down the many mutated people, animals, and plants that inhabit the area.
There’s something about post-apocalyptic stories that capture our interest. Yes, it is wish-fulfillment and freedom, but also it’s fun.
We get to blast away at zombies, or see our most well-known cities in ruins. No matter why you might enjoy these games, check out any one of these for a post-apocalyptic good time.
