Fallout 4 will be here next week, but if you can’t wait until then to get your post-apocalyptic fix, we’ve got you covered. All of these games may not follow a nuclear apocalypse, but the world is in bad shape in all of them. You’ll find a mix of genres here as well, so find the game that sounds most appealing to you, and keep your yearning for Fallout at bay for one more week!
Think we missed one? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Left 4 Dead series
Apocalyptic Event: Zombies!
Although zombie apocalypse games have become common, there are few that nail the feeling of desperation quite like the Left 4 Dead series does. You’re one of four survivors who have banded together to try to survive long enough to reach safety. Wave upon wave of undead will bedevil you, and special infected will pounce on you, try to drag you away, or just pummel you into oblivion. If you can pump out enough bullets, you can get your small group through to the end.
Tokyo Jungle
Apocalyptic Event: Unknown (revealed through gameplay)
Without question, Tokyo Jungle is one of the most unique titles to come along in the last few years. In it, you play as an animal roaming the streets of a now-deserted Tokyo. You can play through a story mode that takes you through missions as various animals, and you’ll eventually discover where all the people went. Survival mode lets you choose an animal and see how long you can survive in the wild. Leaderboards track your progress, and you can choose from 80 types of animals. It’s an off-the-wall premise, but Tokyo Jungle is actually worth checking out.
RAGE
Apocalyptic Event: Asteroid Impact
When RAGE begins, you wake up as the sole survivor in a stasis vault known as an “Ark.” Placed there prior to the asteroid impact that devastated Earth, you emerge to find bandits everywhere, and a group called “The Authority” seemingly in charge. You join the Resistance and fight back against The Authority. Although RAGE look amazing, it did have some technical glitches at launch. However, the driving, combat, and AI mechanics are extremely solid. Many people skipped RAGE at launch because of the reported issues. If you’re one of them, it’s worth going back and giving it a look.
Wasteland 2
Apocalyptic Event: Nuclear War
Wasteland 2 casts you as a Desert Ranger, one of a group of survivors that now inhabit the Guardian Citadel, an outpost in the wasteland. After being sent out to investigate a mysterious message in the wake of another Ranger’s death, the player’s team goes through a number of tense situations, firefights, and other experiences before ending up taking on an unexpected boss. This sequel is true to the 1988 original, but still manages to embody modern advances in design. There’s also a new Director’s Cut of the game that released a few weeks ago.
The Walking Dead
Apocalyptic Event: Zombies!
Unlike most of the games on this list, Telltale’s The Walking Dead isn’t about action or shooting. It’s focused squarely on story, and it delivers a knockout performance. For fans of the show, you won’t find familiar characters here. Instead, it’s a story that’s confined to the world of the video game, and it’s a powerful one. Players will find themselves growing attached to the well-developed characters, and they’ll agonize over the choices the game offers, which carry over from episode to episode and season to season. The Walking Dead is a must-play for fans of great storytelling, zombie games, and just about everyone else as well.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series
Apocalyptic Event: Nuclear Explosion
Part post-apocalytic shooter, part survival horror, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games drop players into “The Zone,” which is the area surrounding the Chernobyl accident site. In this world, a second explosion occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, causing changes in the world around it. You start out with amnesia, and then encounter all sorts of anomalies, strange happenings, and a wide variety of other people. The series combines elements of RPGs, shooters, survival horror, and even business simulators to make a very entertaining whole. Add in the the robust mod support, and you’ll see why so many people love to return to the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
The Last of Us
Apocalyptic Event: Fungal infection
While you might think of The Last of Us as a zombie game, the truth is that the enemies are those who have been infected with a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus, as well as the other non-infected humans. As Joel, you’ll be tasked with smuggling a girl named Ellie from the quarantine zone to a group called the Fireflies. Along the way, Joel learns that Ellie may be the key to curing the infection. He also becomes attached to the girl, and the story that plays out between them is one of the most memorable in any recent video game. Although The Last of Us is an action game, it really is a storytelling experience, and a damn good one.
Metro 2033
Apocalyptic Event: Nuclear War
Deep in the tunnels beneath Moscow, a young man named Artyom is seeking help for his settlement (known as a “station”) within the Metro, which is under attack by strange creatures. He fights his way through the tunnels and brief periods on the surface. Artyom will eventually have to make a difficult choice to resolve the conflict. Metro 2033 sells the post-apocalyptic environment in every way, from the visuals of the environments to the scrounged and improvised nature of the weapons Artyom employs. In fact, it’s the atmosphere and setting that make the game as great as it is. The sequel (Metro: Last Light) is similarly worth checking out.
