History TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed / VideoGames

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': The matter the victories that the Assassin Brotherhood wins against the Templar Order, the latter will always rise again to try their TakeOverTheWorld plan. In this case, it is because they can be wiped out in one area but triumph in another. Altiar might kick their ass in the Holy Land, Ezio all over Italy, and Conner in the American Colonies, but there are other areas. In his codex, Altiar suggests that this is because the Templars (like the Assassins themselves) are the manifestation of a fundamental and abstract ideal, which can never be permanently killed.

* Almost every major patch of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' introduces a new threat to the world. The Lich King expansion started with a zombie plague, set up 3 separate world-ending threats, ''and'' tossed in a world war on top of that. Slightly justified in that most, if not all, of the world-ending threats are caused, directly or indirectly, by one or the other of two OmnicidalManiac factions, the [[TheLegionsOfHell Burning Legion]] and the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]]. It's not that there are dozens of threats, all of which want to try to destroy the world; there are only two, but they try one scheme after another and their abandoned projects continue with a momentum of their own.

** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeII'': The Mage-Templar War. It started in Kirkwall, but later spread like wildfire across southern Thedas. Unlike the first game, Hawke barely managed to solve the problem due to circumstances and with a [[SarcasmMode help]] of a [[ToxicPhlebotinum lyrium idol]] that will cause [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity a mass deportation from the lands of rationality.]]

** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeOrigins'': The Fifth Blight. The Thedas will be overwhelmed by Archdemon-controlled darkspawns if The Warden (later Hero of Ferelden) won't gather the ancient order's allies. It's not easy though, as you're dealing with their internal conflicts even before you will get their full support to end the Blight.

* Every game in ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' has at least one plot involving some catastrophic global disaster. Apparently, plenty of gods hate humans, not just [[BigBad YHVH]].

* In any given ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' game, the earth is usually dealing with world-wide threats of a dozen or so different series more or less all at the same time.
** Justified in [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Second Original Generation]] when Shu Shirakawa reveals that a literal WeirdnessMagnet had been at work. [[spoiler: His own super-mech, the Granzon, was the magnet. Turns out its black hole engine had been generating a singularity without his knowledge; not only acting as a beacon for the alien race that gave him tech in the first place, but also altering probability so that OG-verse would be targeted by other factions (even other dimensions).]] Shu had already found a way to cancel the effect beforehand, but acknowledges that it's probably too late to stop what's been set in motion.
* ''VideoGame/WildArms'' falls into this heavily. Filgaia is so often hit with disasters that leave it a wasteland and so often menaced by [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] or evil organizations that one's first inclination is to believe that they're a bunch of different planets that coincidentally share the same name... but it's AllThereInTheManual that they're really all the same unlucky place -- although it's apparently AllThereInTheManual elsewhere [[FlipFlopOfGod that they]] [[ShrugOfGod really aren't]]. Though, a small difference is that the catastrophe tends to have happened ''before'' each installment, and apparently the people before weren't able to prevent it (or caused it). The protagonists are generally trying to prevent ''another'' cataclysm from wiping out the last vestiges of civilisation that survived the previous one.
* Almost every major patch of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' introduces a new threat to the world. The Lich King expansion started with a zombie plague, set up 3 separate world-ending threats, ''and'' tossed in a world war on top of that. Slightly justified in that most, if not all, of the world-ending threats are caused, directly or indirectly, by one or the other of two OmnicidalManiac factions, the [[TheLegionsOfHell Burning Legion]] and the [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]]. It's not that there are dozens of threats, all of which want to try to destroy the world; there are only two, but they try one scheme after another and their abandoned projects continue with a momentum of their own.
* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', so very, very much. Seemingly every other week Gensokyo has some problem occurring, varying from "annoying" to "seemingly dooming everyone to horrible death". Sometimes they aren't as bad as they first appear, other times they're ''worse''. This comes to a head in ''[[VideoGame/TouhouShinkirouHopelessMasquerade Hopeless Masquerade]]'': Gensokyo is in a state of near-collapse due to having had too many successive states of near-collapse. After so many disasters, most of which are beyond their control, [[StoppedCaring humanity decided to forgo inhibitions and live for the moment]]: an anarchy. Enter the figureheads of religions --Shintoism, Taoism, Buddhism-- to save the people... provided they don't tear Gensokyo apart with their fighting.

* ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'', the fourth game in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series, lampshades this in the manual: "Anyone can save the universe once, but three times?"
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' never seems to have any shortage of supervillains for any number of heroes to handle, but that's the least of it. Giant monsters roaming the streets, Zombie Apocalypses, Rikti invasions, and horrors penetrating the veil are COMMON OCCURRENCES (i.e. zone events that can be triggered or just happen randomly).
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' runs into these kinds of problems with a disturbing frequency despite its target audience of kids. The only games to lack a potential doomsday scenario are the [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue original pair,]] and even then you fight the mafia mucking up the region. And even better: according to official lore, some of those doomsday scenarios are occurring at the same time. Thank goodness for meddling kids sticking their faces in other people's business.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': Welcome to Hydealyn, a vibrant and diverse world filled to the brim with magic and wonder! And also a violent technologically-superior empire trying to conquer the world. And beast tribes summoning deiform entities that lash out violently at perceived enemies while threatening to drain the planet of its very life force. And a dark conspiracy by a bunch of creepy people in black cloaks and masks to destroy the world. [[spoiler:And all that is before you learn that there's a creepy bird-lady at the very edge of the observable universe that is trying to orchestrate a ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 apocalypse.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'':
** No matter how many times the Vic Viper beats back the Bacterians, it never seems to stick. It's implied the Bacterian Empire is so immense within subspace there is no conceivable way for Gradius to secure a lasting victory. The Bacterian Empire also doubling as a form of TheVirus helps.
** Lampshaded in ''Gradius V'' by the "FinalBoss":
-->"I am just a small part of what once was known as "Venom". Pieces of me are scattered throughout the cosmos. Eventually, another will become sentient and exact retribution. You will ''never'' escape the shadow of fear. My hatred for your kind...''[[EternalRecurrence is eternal]]''."

* The ''Hero 30'' portion of ''VideoGame/HalfMinuteHero'' contains at least 30 different EvilOverlord wannabes who were granted the power to destroy the world in a single breath by an even more powerful EvilSorcerer. As said hero, it's your job to travel from kingdom to kingdom to beat the snot out of them as quickly as possible before they can do so.
* Thanks to the events from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' where [[spoiler:Demise curses Zelda and Link's descendants to fighting his reincarnations forever]], the land of Hyrule will always be in danger from a great evil. However, in at least two of the [[ContinuitySnarl multiple timelines]] [[spoiler:the curse has apparently been broken]], and Ganon KilledOffForReal, [[StatusQuoIsGod but changes nothing about the constant demonic attacks.]]

* This is the basic premise of the ''[[VideoGame/PennyArcadeAdventures On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness]]'' series. It's so bad that an entire evil organization has been founded around making sure the world ends in the ''correct'' fashion.
* From ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsOnline'', about a halfling adventurer, by the healer caring for him:
-->'''Healer''': He is all worked up about some threat to the city, as if Stormreach isn't threatened three times before breakfast everyday.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is a major practitioner of this trope, as part of the series-long {{Anvilicious}} message about the threat of nuclear weapons. Every single game has some sort of menace that threatens to unravel the global world order or start a nuclear war, and Snake and Big Boss are the only people who are able to stop it from happening. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' has a nuke aimed at Washington DC; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 2|SonsOfLiberty}}'' has an EMP aimed at Manhattan and actually has a huge portion of the city destroyed by an aircraft carrier crashing into it and it lands at Federal Hall (causing billions in property damage and thousands dead); ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 3|SnakeEater}}'' has a rogue Russian Colonel threaten to start World War III if he isn't stopped; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4|GunsOfThePatriots}}'' has a hostile takeover of America's military defense grid and the antagonist comes really close to gaining control over the nuclear arsenal by destroying their AI and replacing it with his; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid V|ThePhantomPain}}'' has a madman attempt to [[spoiler: use vocal chord parasites to kill everyone in the world that speaks English and supply every nation, PMC, and terrorist cell with the means to create nuclear weapons.]] And if you wanna count the other two prequels then ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]'' have nuclear launches that Big Boss only manages to stop at the absolute last second.
* In ''Franchise/DragonAge'', Divine Faustine II was planning to name the ninth and current Age the Sun Age. When a bunch of previously thought extinct dragons appeared and devastated Orlais and Nevarra, she named the Age the [[TitleDrop Dragon Age]] and foretold that it would be a time of violence and upheaval. She had no idea how right she was that you might feel sorry for the stress our beloved [[PlayerCharacter protagonists]] experienced throughout his/her journey:
** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeOrigins'': The Fifth Blight. The Thedas will be overwhelmed by Archdemon-controlled darkspawns if The Warden (later Hero of Ferelden) won't gather the ancient order's allies. It's not easy though, as you're dealing with their internal conflicts even before you will get their full support to end the Blight.
** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeII'': The Mage-Templar War. It started in Kirkwall, but later spread like wildfire across southern Thedas. Unlike the first game, Hawke barely managed to solve the problem due to circumstances and with a [[SarcasmMode help]] of a [[ToxicPhlebotinum lyrium idol]] that will cause [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity a mass deportation from the lands of rationality.]]
** In ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'': A barely averted apocalypse all occur within a few years alongside the rebellion mentioned in the second game. And your [[GodhoodSeeker adversary]] sends his men to divide and conquer Thedas, aggravating the already existing problems and even made brand new problems. Not to mention the barbarian {{cult}} trying to TakeOverTheWorld with their dragon-god. And the Age isn't even half over yet!
** And guess what? Even if you end two wars, seal the hole in the sky, kill two alleged "gods", and solve the earthquakes hurting the dwarves' lyrium industry, [[UngratefulBastard the world's still ungrateful to you]]. [[spoiler: Even after you thwart an attempt by Qunari terrorists to TakeOverTheWorld.]]
-->'''Inquisitor''': ''Could one thing in this '''[[PrecisionFStrike FUCKING]]''' world just stay fixed?!''
** And now, on the cusp of ''Dragon Age 4'', [[spoiler: a [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds god]] is trying to destroy Thedas once again in order to restore the former glory of his [[DyingRace people]]. And unlike those mentioned above, he can do it in just a single flick of his hand without fail due of being a god. And he's really hopeful that you will prove him wrong.]]
* Most ''{{Franchise/Kirby}}'' games start off with some EldritchAbomination or otherwise powerful opponent taking over Pop Star (or threatening to do so). If it doesn't, you can safely expect it to happen later, probably from Kirby [[NiceJobBreakingItHero accidentally unleashing it]]. So far, these enemies include an [[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure evil wizard]], a [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2 body-possessing being of pure darkness]] ([[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 again]], [[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards again]] and [[VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad yet again]]), a [[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar morally ambiguous knight]] with an army and a battleship, [[spoiler:a manipulative jester]] [[note]]From ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar''[[/note]], a [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror mind possessor]], an [[VideoGame/KirbyCanvasCurse evil sorceress painter]], a [[VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn weird guy made out of yarn]], [[VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack the "god of death"]] itself, [[spoiler:a manipulative alien]] [[note]]From ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''[[/note]], an [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe insect guy]] kidnapping Dream Land's king [[spoiler:under command of an evil queen wasp]], a [[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse pair of floating hands]] [[spoiler:controlled by ''another'' possessing force of darkness]], and a [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot giant spaceship]] sending down robot invaders. The only main series game that doesn't fall under this pattern is ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'', but even that game's plot puts Dream Land at risk because all its food has been stolen.
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': The matter the victories that the Assassin Brotherhood wins against the Templar Order, the latter will always rise again to try their TakeOverTheWorld plan. In this case, it is because they can be wiped out in one area but triumph in another. Altiar might kick their ass in the Holy Land, Ezio all over Italy, and Conner in the American Colonies, but there are other areas. In his codex, Altiar suggests that this is because the Templars (like the Assassins themselves) are the manifestation of a fundamental and abstract ideal, which can never be permanently killed.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' takes place in a setting where [[EldritchAbomination cosmic horrors not only rule supreme]] [[OmnicidalManiac but are actively trying to destroy the world]]. The tool that they use to this end, the [[JackassGenie Skull Heart]], will turn any woman who wishes on it into a Skullgirl- [[OneManArmy an entity powerful enough to carry out the task all on her own]]. Destroying it only causes it to regenerate seven years later, and simply leaving it be allows the current Skullgirl to return to life and continue her rampage. And again, a Skullgirl, or at least the Skull Heart, resurfaces every ''seven years'', which is hardly enough time to grant the world a reprieve after the previous attack from a Skullgirl. To wrap everything up in a nice bow, it's essentially confirmed that the Skull Heart will continue to return and produce more Skullgirls [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption until one of them succeeds in destroying the world]]... unless, of course, people decide to [[TakeAThirdOption stop wishing on the damn thing]] and simply opt to destroy it every time it appears- and even then, it's doubtful that'll really happen when you have an opportunity to [[MakeAWish make your wildest dreams a reality]], even if only for a short time before the Skull Heart twists it into a nightmare.

* While the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series didn't start off with the world being in danger, the games eventually did fall into a pattern where when one threat against the world was put down, another one would pop up in their place. Justified since said threats are usually bio-terrorism and there's always someone who wants to destroy or rule the world with their B.O.W.s Chris Redfield, who had fought B.O.W.s since the first game, eventually gets tired and jaded from it all but does his best to press on.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'', so very, very much. Seemingly every other week Gensokyo has some problem occurring, varying from "annoying" to "seemingly dooming everyone to horrible death". Sometimes they aren't as bad as they first appear, other times they're ''worse''. This comes to a head in ''Hopeless Masquerade'': Gensokyo is in a state of near-collapse due to having had too many successive states of near-collapse. After so many disasters, most of which are beyond their control, humanity decided to forgo inhibitions and live for the moment: an anarchy. Enter the figureheads of religions --Shintoism, Taoism, Buddhism-- to save the people... provided they don't tear Gensokyo apart with their fighting.

** The world in ''Videogame/{{Nier}}'', kinda sequel to ''Drakengard'' is also this. In simplest possible terms: the GoldenEnding of first ''Drakengard'' causes magic entering our world, which has a side-effect that simply put causes a disease that turns normal people into mindless creatures. The project to save humankind is established by separating souls and creating artificial bodies that the souls can inhabit once magic from the world is removed, while the whole process would be supervised by androids. [[spoiler:This fails and humanity dies out. Then aliens attack that create machines that wage '''14 wars with androids'''. Also, in the meantime machines kill aliens, while androids pretend that humans still live and are hiding on the Moon. Oh, and the 'Always Doomed' part was enforced by the how the war was set up: if one faction had an upper hand, it would be decimated by Logic Virus so there would be new round of fights once both factions got back to their strength.]]

** The world in ''Videogame/{{Nier}}'', kinda sequel to ''Drakengard'' is also this. In simplest possible terms: the GoldenEnding of first ''Drakengard'' causes magic being introduced to our world, which has a side-effect simply put causes a disease that turns normal people into mindless creatures. The project to save humankind is established by separating souls and creating artificial bodies that they can inhabit once magic from the world is removed, while the whole process would be supervised by androids. [[spoiler:This fails and humanity dies out. Then aliens attack that create machines that wage '''14 wars with androids'''. Also, in the meantime machines kill aliens, while androids pretend that humans still live and are on the Moon. Oh, and the 'Always Doomed' part was enforced by the fact that the war was set up that if one faction had an upper hand, it would be decimated so there would be new round of fights once both factions got back to their strength.]]

** The world in ''Videogame/{{Nier}}'', kinda sequel to ''Drakengard'' is also this. In simplest possible terms: the GoldenEnding of first ''Drakengard'' causes magic being introduced to our world, which has a side-effect simply put causes a disease that turns normal people into mindless creatures. The project to save humankind is established by separating souls and creating artificial bodies that they can inhabit once magic from the world is removed, while the whole process would be supervised by androids. [[spoilers:This fails and humanity dies out. Then aliens attack that create machines that wage '''14 wars with androids'''. Also, in the meantime machines kill aliens, while androids pretend that humans still live and are on the Moon. Oh, and the 'AlwaysDoomed' part was enforced by the fact that the war was set up that if one faction had an upper hand, it would be decimated so there would be new round of fights once both factions got back to their strength.]]

* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' is a major practitioner of this trope, as part of the series-long SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped motif about the threat of nuclear weapons. Every single game has some sort of menace that threatens to unravel the global world order or start a nuclear war, and Snake and Big Boss are the only people who are able to stop it from happening. ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' has a nuke aimed at Washington DC; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 2|SonsOfLiberty}}'' has an EMP aimed at Manhattan and actually has a huge portion of the city destroyed by an aircraft carrier crashing into it and it lands at Federal Hall (causing billions in property damage and thousands dead); ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 3|SnakeEater}}'' has a rogue Russian Colonel threaten to start World War III if he isn't stopped; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4|GunsOfThePatriots}}'' has a hostile takeover of America's military defense grid and the antagonist comes really close to gaining control over the nuclear arsenal by destroying their AI and replacing it with his; ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid V|ThePhantomPain}}'' has a madman attempt to [[spoiler: use vocal chord parasites to kill everyone in the world that speaks English and supply every nation, PMC, and terrorist cell with the means to create nuclear weapons.]] And if you wanna count the other two prequels then ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps Portable Ops]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker Peace Walker]]'' have nuclear launches that Big Boss only manages to stop at the absolute last second.