Post-apocalyptic settings are among the most popular backgrounds in video games, as they have provided a magnificent context for many outstanding titles in terms of gameplay, story, and visuals.
However, post-apocalyptic titles focus on doomsday’s aftermath, highlighting the world’s state and the remaining lives.
In contrast,pre-apocalypticgames focus on the actual calamity, since they happen before (or during) the disaster.
Whether it is an intergalactic war, the invasion of otherworldly conquerors, or dragons, these events unfold just as the player arrives at the scene.
Therefore, if you like to struggle againstthe end of days, check ourranked list of the ten best pre-apocalypse games.
You will find spoilers for some titles presented in the article, you have been warned
An Unsung Hero
Furiis a boss rush hack-and-slash where you incarnate The Stranger, an anonymous warrior who spends his life being tortured in an advanced prison for unknown reasons.
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I’m above slaying minions.
Through flawless gameplay, the title lures you into a growing dispute that’s much more than meets the eye, constantly hinting at the fact thatyou’re not here for just a string of seriously cool skirmishes.
After each boss, you learn more about yourself and your surroundings, asFurialways gains momentum. By the end, the storytelling’s scale and depth grow so large that many AAA games should envy it.
9Hyper Light Drifter
A Corrupted Indie World
Hyper Light Drifter
Borrowing elements fromThe Legend of Zeldaand retro titles,Hyper Light Drifteris a stunning yet melancholic action indie game set in a corrupted world where everything is at stake.
Despite its beautiful art style and unintelligible language, it perfectly conveys the feeling of a doomed journey through challenging gameplay, as well as the splendid use of contrasting colors and sounds.
Hyper Light Drifterearns masterpiece status thanks to its depiction of life’s fragility, with an approach to the end of the world that isas beautiful as it is relaxing. When experiences this emotional and profound exist, it’s easy to fall in love with indie games.
8Nier: Replicant
Humankind’s Collapse
NieR Replicant: ver.1.22474487139…
As one of the darkest and most special games of modern times,Nier Replicanttells the heart-wrenching story of a boy who tries to save his younger sister from a strange disease in a decaying world.
Based on this,each aspect of the game has a melancholic nature to communicate the context’s circumstances. The dialogues, missions, and enemies show not only the personal hardships of the brothers, but also the shared misfortune of a hopeless life.
Thus,Nier Replicantis among thebest RPGsgiven its uniqueness and maturity. This experience exemplifies how engaging and relatable Yoko Taro’s work can be, despite facing deep themes like civilization’s survival or death.
7Dragon’s Dogma 2
A Medieval Armageddon
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Like its predecessor,Dragon’s Dogma 2is a superb open-world RPG that relies on the genre’s common tropes to build an epic tale with dragons, political disputes, and harbingers of destruction.
As you get closer to the apocalypse, you’re able to see how the world changes. From enemies growing stronger to portions of the map becoming inaccessible, the setting naturally deteriorates, asit won’t wait for you to end your quests and grind your levels.
Considering the genre’s unspoken norm is to let you wander as you please despite the context, the audacity ofDragon’s Dogma 2feels even better thanks to the immersion it achieves through its severe and coherent setting.
6God of War 3
The Fall Of Olympus
God of War III
Being the most wonderful game of the original trilogy,God of War 3ends Kratos' Greek journey with the highest standard possible and with some of thebest set pieces of all time.
After many years of hunting gods and seeking absolution, the Spartan warrior faces his ultimate endeavor, to destroy Olympus and everything it represents, as we witness the greatest exhibition of annihilation a hack-and-slash has ever provided.
Therefore,God of War 3changes the narrative and turns the player into the bringer of ruin, which is a breath of fresh air among so many similar approaches to the world’s end.
5Dragon Age: Inquisition
Breaches Between Worlds
Dragon Age: Inquisition
As one of thebest open-world RPGs of all time,Dragon Age: Inquisitionis BioWare’s largest work, which focuses on an inter-dimensional breach that threatens its universe with a demon invasion.
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Your role as the Inquisitor is to create a political, economic, and military force to settle a soon-to-be civil war so that humanity can confront the demons.
It’s a convoluted story full of twists, lies, betrayals, and magic, accompanied by the franchise’s best gameplay.
Experiencing the apocalypse as the ruler who has to manage humanity’s resources beyond mere power is amazing, fun, and immersive, and the reason behindDragon Age: Inquisition’s excellence.
4The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Winter Is Coming
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis one of the best role-playing games of all time, with Geralt of Rivia’s latest adventure being a transcendent piece of art with a remarkable depiction of an imminent apocalypse.
Its immaculate build-up conveys flawlessly the feeling of an unprecedented threat lurking in the background: the White Frost, a phenomenon that freezes entire planets and subjects them to an age of ice.
In the meantime, the Wild Hunt becomes the game’s core at every level, while heralding the beginning of the end of the world. Each encounter, dialogue, character, and quest revolve around its menacing presence, so everything feels organically doomed.
Regarding worldbuilding and narrative,The Witcher 3is a masterclass that isn’t among themost awarded games of all timeby chance, but by merit.
3Half-Life
Unforeseen Consequences
Half-Lifeis a classic in video games whose revolutionary impact changed the interactive medium forever. Valve’s first creation influenced the shooter genre and beyond,pushing the boundaries of gameplay and storytelling.
Gordon Freeman’s story remains one of the most iconic FPS ever created, which stands out for the advanced mechanical and technical elements that granted a spontaneous feeling to his interplanetary protagonism.
Likewise,Half-Life’s representation of the long-lasting human fear of being invaded by an alien race is timeless. Even now, it’s an extraordinary game that often has you at the edge of your seat, so it’s a well-deserved entry on this list.
2The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Draconic Apocalypse
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The appearance of dragons as a symbol of the end times is an old-fashioned trope, butThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimdoes it so well that it’s easy to forget how simple it is.
To this day, few RPGs have reached the immersion of Bethesda’s masterpiece, whose greatest achievement is turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
From absorbing the soul of a dragon to speaking with a simple peasant,everything feels like part of a larger epic that unfolds at every step we take.
Then add in a civil war, dozens of guild stories, and decades of lore, and you getSkyrim’s formula to become the king of open-world gamesand a great example of a pre-apocalyptic tale.
1Outer Wilds
On The Brink Of Extinction
Outer Wilds
While I’m repeating everyOuter Wildsfan’s speech, it’s undeniable we are facing an atypical work that, albeit difficult to describe, symbolizes a pre-apocalyptic context like no other.
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In terms of sensations, stimuli, reflections, and experiences, it’s unprecedented how the game takes everything over the limit. The end of the world has never been so bitter but rewarding and memorable—a contradiction onlyOuter Wildshas overcome.
Ultimately, the emotional scar this game leaves you has to be cherished. If you want to prepare for the apocalypse,this is the best we have to comprehend what it means to become extinct and what we should feel about the void after it.
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The apocalypse has become a popular setting for video games, but which ones have done it best?
