The word dystopia is used quite frequently, and nowadays, it is even compared to some places in our own world. Dystopias in video games, movies, and books are similar in a way that they resemble a totalitarian government or anarchistic society. For some games, they’re set in the future, and for others, it’s just the world they live in.
This list aims to share with you the best dystopias in video games — in terms of how horrific they can truly get. The games listed below are each terrible in their own ways, and many are so bad that there’s really no way to ‘fix’ the issues within them. Ranging from zombie apocalypse dystopias to worlds ruled by mutants or fascists, here’s our list of the best dystopias in video games.
10 Western United States – Homefront
Back in 2011, when Kim Jong-un and the potential invasion of North Korea were a growing concern, a game called Homefront was developed by Kaos Studios and published by THQ. The game’s premise revolves around North Korea becoming a superpower and invading the United States in 2027.
In Homefront, players take on the role of Robert Jacobs, a former combat helicopter pilot who served in the United States Marine Corps. The dystopian world of Homefront is both beautiful and terrifying, as it offers players a glimpse of how ruthless an invasion by North Korea could be.
9 Gotham City – Batman: Arkham City
The best Batman video game series is set in a dystopia. While Arkham City isn’t the entirety of Gotham, it is a significant part of the city and plays a crucial role in Batman lore. It is also widely regarded as one of the best Batman games ever made.
It’s well-known that Gotham is synonymous with dystopia, but the level of detail and atmosphere in the Arkham Series is truly remarkable. As you grapple and glide over the city, you’ll get an immersive sense of what Gotham truly feels like.
8 The City – Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge was released back in 2008, and its depiction of a dystopian future is all too possible. The game’s unique gameplay mechanics, combat system, gripping storyline, and unnamed city all contribute to a sense of both excitement and terror.
At the beginning of any dystopia, everything may seem perfect on the surface. However, as you delve deeper beneath the facade and events begin to unfold, it becomes clear just how deceiving appearances can be.
7 Wellington Wells – We Happy Few
One of the few indie games that achieved significant success is We Happy Few. The game is set in an alternate timeline where The Third Reich won the war and invaded Great Britain, leading to an Orwellian nightmare.
What makes Wellington Wells such a terrible dystopia is the appearance of its inhabitants, who look both dreadful and desperate. As the game progresses, you’ll start using a drug called joy to maintain the dystopian dream a nightmare as it is.
6 Chelomey – Atomic Heart
What Rapture was for Bioshock, Chelomey is to Atomic Heart. Even if Atomic Heart is set in 1955 USSR, the topics of AI and super materials like Polymer from the game are being discussed.
The research complex and city of Chelomey bear striking resemblance to the floating city of Columbia in Bioshock Infinite. The transformation of a USSR utopia into a dystopian society overnight is an experience well worth playing through.
5 Post-Apocalyptic Russia & Kazakhstan – Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus, the third installment in the Metro series, is a perfect example of a post-WW3 dystopian game. It shares similarities with games like Fallout 3 but also has unique elements such as the location and the departure from the Moscow Metro after the first two games.
The open world of Metro Exodus is ideal for exploration, but it is intentionally left somewhat empty to emphasize the loneliness and creepiness of a post-nuclear world. Despite this, the game also shows that there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel.
4 Rapture – BioShock
BioShock is still one of the best Sci-Fi Horror RPGs of all time. The game is set in a dystopian underwater city called Rapture where it’s a place not for gods or kings but only for man — and sometimes mutants.
BioShock did something that no other game did; it showed that too much freedom is equal to no freedom at all. The Rapture was founded by Andrew Ryan and his almost anarchistic/communistic utopia turned into a monstrous dystopia.
3 City 17 – Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 is the perfect example of what a dystopian world would be like after an alien invasion. Even if we defeated the Nihilanth, a Xen boss in the first game, that didn’t stop alien forces called the Combine from conquering the world.
In Half-Life 2 you are awoken from your stasis by one of the best villains of all time, G-Man, and you’re taken to City 17. The post-invasion world in Half-Life 2, particularly City 17, is presented realistically and is filled with government propaganda and censorship, making the whole gaming experience thought-provoking and uncomfortable (in the best of ways).
2 The Third Reich – Wolfenstein: The New Order
The best game that ever depicted an alternate timeline wherein the Allied lost WWII is unequivocally Wolfenstein: The New Order. It’s time to wake up and take your weapons, Agent Blazkowicz, because Nazis are back in town.
Other than incredible graphics and beautiful level design, this game has done a great job of really presenting how Nazis would take over the world. This is still one of the best games in the series and the most realistic approach to what could have happened if the Nazis won.
1 The Wasteland – Fallout: New Vegas
Welcome to the dystopia of all dystopias, the Wasteland and New Vegas. The entire Fallout series has become synonymous with the word dystopia, and the reason is obvious. Fallout features the post-nuclear world filled with mutants, zombies, and other horrific creatures.
This is the perfect example of how society would crumble overnight and how human nature easily gets corrupted. Factions, wars, anarchy, and other brutal themes are taken to the next level in Fallout: New Vegas.