December 21 came and went without a single sign of the apocalypse. The world kept on turning. Skeptics were proven correct and doomsday theorists were, yet again, proven wrong. The end times haven’t come – at least, not yet.
However, gamers were well-prepared for the apocalypse. Countless titles are set in devastated landscapes. The trend will continue next year when “The Last of Us” is officially released- assuming the world doesn’t end before then. While players are waiting with bated breath for that game, here’s a look back at some of the best games that took place after doomsday.
Fallout
It’s hard to top the “Fallout” series when it comes to post-apocalyptic games. The franchise, which has been running since 1997, has seen new installments continually soar above die-hard fans’ great expectations. The games feature larger worlds than most comparable titles and give players a genuine sense of struggling to survive in a barren wasteland.
Left 4 Dead
While “Left 4 Dead” might not match the storytelling in “Fallout,” the game is equally harrowing when it comes to survival. The co-op title requires players to work together to find a safe haven in a zombie-ridden Pennsylvania. The team-based gameplay is something of a rarity in this genre of games. Usually, gamers are pitted against each other with their digital lives on the line.
Darksiders
Unlike the above two options, “Darksiders” doesn’t put you into the shoes of human survivors. Instead, you play as War – one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse – who is out to prove that he didn’t eradicate all life on Earth. At its release, “Darksiders” was a breath of fresh air when it came to doomsday games and ignored most of the familiar tropes associated with the genre.
Borderlands
Publisher Gearbox brought unique gameplay and characters to the post-apocalyptic world with “Borderlands.” The game includes elements from role-playing titles and first-person shooters to create a truly unique experience. “Borderlands” has received multiple expansion packs that add new quests, challenges and puzzles.
The apocalypse will always be a popular setting for video games. Publishers can create breathtaking worlds with deadly obstacles that can’t exist in the everyday world. What post-doomsday games do you love most?
