History WretchedHive / VideoGames

* The Undernet in ''MegaManBattleNetwork''.

* Everywhere in the Rogue Isles is the titular ''[[CityOfHeroes City of Villains]]''. The Isles are actually ''run'' by scum and villainy.
** Paragon City, the titular ''CityOfHeroes'', has seen better days itself. Most of the world's superheroes died during the [[AlienInvasion Rikti War]], to say nothing of the havoc it wrought upon the world at large. Street gangs, emboldened by a severely weakened police department and hero population, brazenly harass and threaten citizens with their lives.

* Blackthorne and the SpacePirate ports in ''EscapeVelocity''. One of them even quotes the "wretched hive" line from ''StarWars''.

* Stillwater in the first two ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' games. The police are corrupt as hell and useless, the city was perpetually infested with several gangs until the saints took over(then it was ruled with an Iron fist by a single gang), the local nuclear plant is heavily implied to be on the verge of going Chernobyl, every other street corner has some kind of crime or depravity occuring on it and pretty much everyone is some kind of asshole. The real power is an evil MegaCorp that has no regard for human rights, ethics or people who aren't rich, and ultimately plans to kill the poor, bulldoze most of the city and rebuilding as a glass "utopia". It's questionable whether being run by the saints is an improvement or not.

* Dunwall in ''{{Dishonored}}'' is slowly but surely falling apart at the seams. ThePlague has wiped out great swaths of the population, whole districts of the city have had to be sealed off as a result of it (and some have even flooded out), the upper classes are completely indifferent and content to continue their decadent lifestyles, the city watch is little more than a band of well-armed and state-sponsored thugs, and the ruling regime which came to power by usurping it from the [[TheHighQueen Empress]] is deeply corrupt and oppressive ([[spoiler:and they're the ones who unleashed the Rat Plague as an attempt to KillThePoor in the first place]]). Depending on how much [[KarmaMeter Chaos]] you accrue over the course of the game, Dunwall either eventually manages to get better, or descends into all-out anarchy.

* Stillwater in the first two SaintsRow games. The police are corrupt as hell and useless, the city was perpetually infested with several gangs until the saints took over(then it was ruled with an Iron fist by a single gang), the local nuclear plant is heavily implied to be on the verge of going Chernobyl, every other street corner has some kind of crime or depravity occuring on it and pretty much everyone is some kind of asshole. The real power is an evil MegaCorp that has no regard for human rights, ethics or people who aren't rich, and ultimately plans to kill the poor, bulldoze most of the city and rebuilding as a glass "utopia". It's questionable whether being run by the saints is an improvement or not.

* Kirkwall in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' used to be the new heart of the slave trade for the [[TheEmpire Tevinter Imperium]] 600 years ago, but since so many slaves died in those walls, the boundaries between The Fade and The Real World weakened greatly, allowing easy possession of not just mages from demons, but regular people. There's constant crime on the streets at night from dwarf carta members, mercenaries, slavers, imposter city guardsmen, and blood mages. The Templars and mages are far more insane and extreme than they were in the first game, and their conflict ends up forming the game's main crisis. Finally, this cesspool is under the watch of an AuthorityInNameOnly.

* Stillwater in the first two SaintsRow games. The police are corrupt as hell and useless, the city was perpetually infested with several gangs until the saints took over(then it was ruled with an Iron fist by a single gang, the local nuclear plant is heavily implied to be on the verge of going Chernobyl, every other street corner has some kind of crime or depravity on it and pretty much everyone is some kind of asshole. The real power is an evil MegaCorp that has no regard for human rights, ethics or people who aren't rich, and ultimately plans to kill the poor, bulldoze most of the city and rebuilding as a glass "utopia"

*** Ironically, the one stable leader in Omega, who is the closest thing they have to a ruler, concerned with keeping Omega running, is an openly ruthless asari too. Which can be also said about Omega itself. At least it's honest about being a wretched hive.

* Many VideoGame/{{Dwarf Fortress}}es, especially the infamous LetsPlay/{{Boatmurdered}}, end up like this.

** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', there is Nipton, which by the time the Player gets to it, is already razed by a more (albeit [[AffablyEvil affable]]) evil entity, [[AltumVidetur Vulpes Inculta]], after he duped the town into capturing and killing some visiting NCR troopers on leave. Freeside can also count, although nowhere near the degree of Nipton. As a result, poverty is essentially omnipresent, most of the population is homeless, and those that aren't live in absurdly poor living conditions, and despite the efforts of the Kings and the Followers, crime is rampant to the point where drunks, addicts and general thugs assault people ''in the streets in broad daylight''. However, there are still some redeemably good people there, unlike Nipton.

** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', there is Nipton, which by the time the Player gets to it, is already razed by a more (albeit [[AffablyEvil affable]]) evil entity, [[AltumVidetur Vulpes Inculta]], after he duped the town into capturing and killing some visiting NCR troopers on leave. Freeside can also count, although nowhere near the degree of Nipton. Because it's considered the "outskirts" of New Vegas, Mr. House doesn't devote ''nearly'' as much attention there than he does the Strip. As a result, poverty is essentially omnipresent, most of the population is homeless, and those that aren't live in absurdly poor living conditions, and despite the efforts of the Kings and the Followers, crime is rampant to the point where drunks, addicts and general thugs assault people ''in the streets in broad daylight''. However, there are still some redeemably good people there, unlike Nipton.

** There's also Noveria from [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]]. A planet settled almost entirely by {{corrupt corporate executive}}s and {{mad scientist}}s. Absolutely ''everybody'' on that icy rock is trying to bribe/manipulate/kill you in some manner.

* Kirkwall in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' used to be the new heart of the slave trade for the [[EvilEmpire Tevinter Imperium]] 600 years ago, but since so many slaves died in those walls, the boundaries between The Fade and The Real World weakened greatly, allowing easy possession of not just mages from demons, but regular people. There's constant crime on the streets at night from dwarf carta members, mercenaries, slavers, imposter city guardsmen, and blood mages. The Templars and mages are far more insane and extreme than they were in the first game, and their conflict ends up forming the game's main crisis. Finally, this cesspool is under the watch of an AuthorityInNameOnly.

* Dunwall in ''{{Dishonored}}'' is slowly but surely falling apart at the seams. ThePlague has wiped out great swaths of the population, whole districts of the city have had to be sealed off as a result of it (and some have even flooded out), the upper classes are completely indifferent and content to continue their decadent lifestyles, the city watch is little more than a band of well-armed and state-sponsored thugs, and the ruling regime which came to power by usurping it from the [[TheEmperor Empress]] is deeply corrupt and oppressive ([[spoiler:and they're the ones who unleashed the Rat Plague as an attempt to KillThePoor in the first place]]). Depending on how much [[KarmaMeter Chaos]] you accrue over the course of the game, Dunwall either eventually manages to get better, or descends into all-out anarchy.

* Markarth and Riften in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' are both run by powerful and corrupt families. The Silver-bloods run Markarth in all but name, while the Black-briars run Riften. In Riften the corruption is so rampant that [[spoiler:the near extinction of the Thieves' Guild based there]] has done nothing to reduce it. It's ''even worse'' in Markarth, [[spoiler:since one of the Silver-bloods is using the captured leader of the Forsworn to murder anyone he doesn't like (and disguising the assassinations as terrorist acts). And he doesn't have nearly as much control over the Forsworn leader as he believes.]]

* Dunwall in ''{{Dishonored}}'' is slowly but surely falling apart at the seams. ThePlague has wiped out great swaths of the population, whole districts of the city have had to be sealed off as a result of it (and some have even flooded out), the upper classes are completely indifferent and content to continue their decadent lifestyles, the city watch is little more than a band of well-armed and state-sponsored thugs, and the ruling regime which came to power by usurping it from the [[TheHighQueen Empress]] is deeply corrupt and oppressive ([[spoiler:and they're the ones who unleashed the Rat Plague as an attempt to KillThePoor in the first place]]). Depending on how much [[KarmaMeter Chaos]] you accrue over the course of the game, Dunwall either eventually manages to get better, or descends into all-out anarchy.

* Many ''VideoGame/{{Dwarf Fortress}}''es, especially the infamous LetsPlay/{{Boatmurdered}}, end up like this.

* Even though it lost much of its power in the backstory, the Tevinter Imperium in the world of ''Franchise/DragonAge'' definitely counts. The country is practically one giant [[TheEmpire empire]] where Blood Magic (read:magic specifically designed to control and murder people in the most horrific ways possible) is practically required by law, slavery is legal and exceedingly brutal, and those who are ''not'' mages are treated little better then the slaves. [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII The sequel]] ups the ante by having one of Hawke's companions, Fenris, be a former slave to the Imperium, and he makes it perfectly clear just how horrible the place is.

** And, as an amusing inversion, there's Illium -- it's a Wretched Hive, where drugs, slavery, arms-dealing and prostitution are omnipresent -- but it's run by the artistic, diplomatic, ultra-civilized [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe asari]]. Which means that [[CrapsaccharineWorld it's all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring]] CrystalSpiresAndTogas architecture, with a thin veneer of legality covering everything. Even the most brutally mind-scarring drugs are legal... as long as there's a truthful description of the effects on the package and a legal waiver. And it's not slavery, it's ''[[InsistentTerminology indentured servitude]]''. Also Eclipse mercenaries have their hands in all kinds of illegal and legal operation there and their joining ritual is to kill someone. Garrus comments on it directly if you bring him there... "Look just a bit deeper, and this place is no safer than Omega." It's {{Planet|of Hats}} NobleDemon; Upon arrival, guests are immediately greeted by armed guards and warned to not sign anything -- "We're a whole planet of greedy bastards. If you don't like it, stay away. Otherwise, come on down and bring lots of money."

* Empire City from ''VideoGame/{{inFAMOUS}}'' begins this way, but taking the good path can lead to the city cleaning itself up and return ing to the state of a bustling metropolis it once was. If you take the evil path, however, things take a turn for the worse, and soon not just the city, but indeed, the entire world, is infact a CrapsackWorld.

*** And the Pitt, a PollutedWasteland which in addition to housing another group of slavers, is swarming with Wildmen and Trogs, former humans who have been driven insane or mutated by [[TheVirus the Troglodyte Degeneration Contagion]].

*** And the Pitt, a PollutedWasteland which in addition to another group of slavers, is swarming with Wildmen and Trogs, former humans who have been driven insane or mutated by [[TheVirus the Troglodyte Degeneration Contagion]].

*** And the Pitt, a PollutedWasteland which in addition to another group of slavers, is swarming with Wildmen and Trogs, former humans who have been driven insane or mutated by TheVirus.

* The city of Tortage in ''AgeOfConan'' fits this trope. The city is a haven for pirates, prostitutes, slavers, smugglers, and other less than savory people.