Post-apocalyptic settings are one of the few genres that excel in all forms of media, whether it be books, films, or video games. The idea of a post-apocalyptic landscape seems to bring out numerous emotions in people, whether it be fear, intrigue, or even adrenaline-pumping excitement depending on the theme. In theory, video games can offer a superior post-apocalyptic experience to books and films, as they can uniquely put their audience in the shoes of the main character as they journey through the deprived world before them.
Unfortunately, many development teams fail to realize the potential of how immersive a post-apocalyptic game can be, and instead use the genre as a gimmick to improve otherwise bland and generic games. The 10 games on this list, however, offer fantastic post-apocalyptic worlds that excel in either letting the player explore its landscape, telling a gripping story, or offering unique gameplay mechanics to fit the morbid reality.
10 I Am Alive
Ubisoft’s I Am Alive may not be able to hold a candle to the other games on this list in terms of its objective quality, but it deserves a spot nonetheless for implementing some of the most ambitious and forward-thinking ideas that the post-apocalyptic genre has ever seen.
Such ideas include the devastating impact that climbing, jumping, and other strenuous movements can have on the player’s well-being; as well as the lack of ammunition that forces players to utilize bold strategies like aiming an empty gun at enemies, in hopes that they believe it’s loaded. The realistic take on combat was breath of fresh air for the genre, and one that makes many other self-proclaimed realistic post-apocalyptic adventures look like Rambo in comparison.
9 The Walking Dead
Much like I Am Alive, The Walking Dead ensures that it doesn’t become an un-realistic post-apocalyptic adventure that relies on traditional action-gameplay tropes, thanks to Telltale Games’ unique decision-centric gameplay.
Telltale Games’ brand of storytelling and gameplay ensures that The Walking Dead can focus on creating a compelling story that shows the bleak horror a post-apocalyptic world would provide, while still making it engaging for the player.
8 Left 4 Dead 2
One the complete flip side of the two aforementioned titles is Left 4 Dead 2, an action-heavy shooter that makes no apologies in how it focuses on fun gameplay over realism and storytelling. Fans of the game certainly wouldn’t have it any other way, as Valve’s modern classic is one of the most enjoyable shooters to play either alone or with friends.
Although Valve seemingly has no plans to bring the series back for a third installment, there is a spiritual successor set to release in June 2021 titled Back 4 Blood.
7 Metro Exodus
4A Games’ Metro series has carved itself a spot in the post-apocalyptic genre with its fantastic trilogy of survival horror first-person shooters. Metro Exodus marked the franchise’s first attempt at implementing an open-world, which expanded on the game’s narrative in a natural way and offered players a stunning visual journey.
Metro Exodus was nominated for the Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design accolades at the Golden Joystick Awards but lost out to Bend Studio’s Days Gone and Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5 respectively.
6 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow Of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow Of Chernobyl was released in 2007 and likely became a significant source of influence for subsequent post-apocalyptic titles like Bethesda’s Fallout 3.
The gameplay mechanics in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow Of Chernobyl may not be up to scratch with 2009’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat, but the atmospheric setting and encapsulating story of Shadow Of Chernobyl makes it the best choice for this list.
5 Horizon Zero Dawn
Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn was released in 2017 and is today recognized as being one of the highlights of the eighth generation of consoles.
Horizon Zero Dawn was unfairly criticized before it was released for having similar post-apocalyptic themes to Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which was released just a few days later and understandably had far more hype behind it. Now that time has passed, the games have naturally separated from one another in people’s minds, ensuring that Guerrilla Games’ adventure now receives the respect that it always deserved.
4 Gears Of War
Released just four days before the PlayStation 3, Epic Games’ Gears of War was Microsoft’s last opportunity to convince gamers to opt for their Xbox 360 instead of Sony’s follow up to the highest selling console of all time.
Epic Games couldn’t have done much more to sway the opinion of even the most die-hard PlayStation fans, as Gears of War offered one of the most intense and gritty third-person-shooter experiences up until that point, exemplified by the game’s whopping 94 Metascore.
3 The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us was released in 2013 and provided a fitting to the seventh generation of console with its morbid, touching, and heartbreaking story that showed how far storytelling in video games had come.
Granted, the cover-shooting and stealth mechanics are starting to feel dated, but hopefully new generations of gamers can look past such shortcomings to enjoy one of gaming’s most well-written and well-acted stories to date.
2 Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas hit stores in 2010 to a fair amount of skepticism, due to many players seeing the lack of visual improvement from Fallout 3 and subsequently believing the game to be a glorified DLC.
This viewpoint seems ridiculous today, as Obsidian Entertainment’s Fallout: New Vegas has not only become one of the most beloved post-apocalyptic games of all time but one of the best RPGs of all-time also. As well as expanding upon the gameplay mechanics of Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas improved upon its predecessor with the increased freedom of choice available to players, something that many open-world RPGs are still struggling to top today.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The latest Legend of Zelda game has quickly become one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed entries into the iconic franchise, exemplified by its eye-watering 97 Metascore.
Although the Legend of Zelda series likely doesn’t spring to mind when people think of post-apocalyptic titles, the series has in fact explored such themes before, with Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time being prominent examples. Breath of the Wild is undoubtedly the franchise’s best take on the post-apocalyptic genre, with the game’s breathtaking open-world that is wonderfully designed and densely populated with adventures to complete.
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