Dystopias in Gaming

Dystopian fiction is something that's always interested me in any medium—literature like Nineteen Eighty Four, music like the works of The Protomen, and in general.

But I'm interested in the concept in video games. Maybe I just haven't played the right kinds of games, but there doesn't seem to be much out there regarding it—you could argue for RP Gs, like Metal Walker and its empty overworld, but that's kind of a genre staple, and probably explains why there aren't too many explicitly dystopian RP Gs out there.

So I'm curious for any examples. I was thinking Mirrors Edge might be one, but that's about all I can think of. Crapsaccharine Worlds can fit too.

Fallout, most definitely. Metal Gear Solid's world, especially in MGS 4, probably qualifies as well.

Neo Arcadia is a solid example, especially after Dr. Weil takes it over when Copy X Mk. II is destroyed by Zero.

The irony is that it used to be a pretty good place to be.

Final Fantasy VI.

Half Life 2.

Strife.

Midgar from Final Fantasy VII.

Any game taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.

The aptly named Dystopia mod.

Videogames like to use Bad Futures as dystopias. Or perhaps that's just where I'm noticing mine. See Ecco The Dolphin (Tides, Defender), The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2.

The Team Ico Series games out so far also don't really seem like very pleasant places to live, what with all the human sacrifice going on.

edited 25th Nov '10 3:24:59 PM by SparkyLurkdragon

Charlatan beat me to Dystopia, so I'll just mention any Half Life 2 mod set in the same time as Half Life 2 (Human Error comes to mind), and possibly Command And Conquer (specifically, the Tiberian universe.)

Sonic The Hedgehog CD also has bad futures. And good futures! And the past.

Marathon Infinity has a bewildering array of futures of varying badness, most if not all of which end with a sun going nova, unleashing a universe-devouring eldritch horror.

The fanmade Marathon mod Marathon Rubicon takes place in a fairly unhappy world, too. The Human/Pfhor War has been going on for 49 years, and a high-tech corporation is conducting very unethical experiments in the shadows and cutting some questionable deals. Multiple endings, 2 of which are ultimate successful at considerable price, and the third...Well, I dunno what happened there.

Beneath A Steel Sky. More comedic than most examples. Still hellish.

Chrono Trigger. BUT THE FUTURE REFUSED TO CHANGE.

Bioshock.

Beyond Good And Evil. More optimistic and colorful than most.

Oni. Also, Syndicate.

Red Faction.

Resident Evil, evidently.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R..

Metro 2033. You don't think that the tagline is "fear the future" just for kicks, did you?

edited 25th Nov '10 3:55:23 PM by Charlatan

The Wasteland in Epic Mickey could be another example.

It seems like a popular setting in FPS type games.

Fallout, Bioshock, Mirrors Edge, Half Life 2, ...

The Legacy of Kain series loves this.

Chronologically, we first see the setting (Nosgoth) as its slowly decaying since the elemental guardians controlling it have all been driven insane and evil.

Next we see Nosgoth its been transformed into an authoritarian state, ruled by a group of religious fanatics/interdimensional demons.

Finally, the hero takes control and wipes out 99% of humanity. T He remaining 1% is kept around as food supply.

And even after that, the empire that wiped out humanity decayed and crumbled so all its former rulers were changed into hideous beasts barely clinging to life and the world is periodically shaken apart since the planet is on its last leg.

Deus Ex. So much.

Beyond Good And Evil, Assassins Creed and its future, and a lot of the games in Shin Megami Tensei namely the ones led by God.

edited 25th Nov '10 10:56:36 PM by Scisless

City Of Heroes especially Praetoria. (the Rogue Isles is more a of a Crapsack World)