Since science-fiction games are set in the future, or an alternate reality in which technology has far advanced what audiences are familiar with in their times, it makes sense for these sci-fi games to encourage a great foundation of world-building. All games should strive to put the player in a lived-in world that feels new to the player yet familiar to those living it.
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Plenty of sci-fi games have brilliant world-building, and the moment players start their adventure in said game, they are entirely immersed in the world, its features, and the characters involved. There’s a great level of detail deserving of appreciation for these kinds of games.
8Halo: Combat Evolved
From the opening scene ofHalo: Combat Evolved, players are completely engrossed in the content. As a large spaceship ventures towards a halo ring amid unknown space, players arequickly introduced to the characters involved, the Master Chief, and the intergalactic war between mankind and the Covenant.
Halo: Combat Evolvedmasterfully crafts a universe just waiting to be explored in futureHalobooks and video games, even with the smallest of mentions likeReachbecoming a hit video game.Halo: Combat Evolvedhas intense creativity with its vehicles, characters, and dialogue, and it only grows with each scene.
7Mass Effect
As a science-fiction role-playing action game,Mass Effectoffers an intense world-building game from the get-go.Mass Effecthas the player enter a galaxyinhabited by sentient alien life, all of which with their identifiable characteristics and culture. As Commander Shepard, the player will choose their identity and power and embark on a mission with their elite recon squad.
What makes world-building so great inMass Effectis not only the fact that the developers have built a lived-in world for players to hop into but the fact that they can assist the world-building themselves. The game is dependent on the choices that each Commander Shepard makes, making for a different world with different outcomes.
6Destiny
From the team behind the originalHalo, Bungie reinvented the sci-fi genre with an online-only, first-person multiplayer shooter known asDestiny. The build-up and anticipation ofDestinywas full of mystery and desire over this wonderful yet dangerous new frontier of light versus dark. A world that is also further explored in readable lore in-game.
Destinyhas continued to evolve withDestiny 2and further expansions.With no clear end in sight,Destinyis very welcoming to new players who will find themselves as Guardians. Being a veteran ofDestinyis its own reward, as players will feel like they have saved the world countless times and guide new Guardians to further fortune and valor.
5Cyberpunk 2077
Hello, Night City. As a multicultural metropolis, Night City brims with life, but not all good. The central location ofCyberpunk 2077is sprawling in this dystopian cyberpunk world. Audiences ofCyberpunkare already familiar with the locations and characters in the table-top RPG, but CD Projekt RED brought many of the lore to life withCyberpunk 2077.
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The world ofCyberpunk 2077is enthralling, and Night City’s bristling invasion of corporations, corruption, organized crime, and gang activity is what makes it feel so alive.Players will feel the desires of Vas they seek to become a Night City Legend like the ranks of Johnny Silverhand.
4Death Stranding
After a series of supernatural events plague the near future of mankind,Death Strandingprovides audiences with a future where mankind is scared to connect. With a mass extinction imminent, only Sam Porter Bridges can save the day by reconnecting humanity by traversing the ravaged wasteland of a prosperous American nation.
When players begin their journey throughDeath Stranding, theymay find themselves confused, as everyone has seemed to adapt to the new world. It’s great to see world-building in which everyone has seemed to move on to the new age.
3BioShock
After a horrifying plane crash over the ocean, the protagonist is left stranded at night until the underwater city of Rapture reveals itself.BioShockhas a lot of horror elements in the crazed and murderous enemies, but even the innocence of the Little Sisters can be terrifying.
BioShockhouses a lot of elements that add to a sci-fi intrigue. The game is great for world-building, as Rapture has its own culture, ripe with its own set oflaws and wild society. There are a lot of questions that players might have about Rapture, including the Big Daddies, but the game answers them if the player is paying attention and exploring.
2Horizon: Zero Dawn
A vibrant world is present inHorizon: Zero Dawn. It’s an era in which the Earth is no longer ruled by mankind but by machines that dominate the post-apocalyptic landscape. As players embark on their journey as Aloy, they must discover what it means to be a shunned outcast andfind the purpose of their existence.
The game is rich with lore, and the player will jump into the shoes of Aloy to find out all the answers both the player and the protagonist seek to solve the mystery of a forgotten civilization that came before.
1Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
It may be considered cheating to add a game that already has the world-building established 45 years ago, butStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordertakes theStar Warsuniverse to some interesting places, all while giving the power of the Force to the player. There’s a lot to unpack in thisStar Warsgame, with the story being sethot off the heels of Order 66.
The game itself follows Cal Kestis, a young Jedi Padawan who had to abandon the Force for his safety but soon finds himself wielding his lightsaber again to battle the Inquisitors and forces of the Empire. The galaxy inStar Warsis inspiring and adventurous, with great original world-building ideas throughout.
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