It’s a bizarre concept, but we as gamers tend to really enjoy a post-apocalyptic title. Whether it’s a world ravaged by disease or a zombie outbreak, we revel in the opportunity to explore a devastated planet. There’s something harrowingly exciting about surviving the end of the world and being left alive to explore the remnants of the human race. In this guide, we’ll outline the top 10 best post-apocalyptic games of all time.
How many of these end-of-the-world experiences have you lived through?
The Top 10 Best Post-Apocalyptic Games of All Time
10. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Released in 2015, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture was a minuscule game, penned as a spiritual successor to Dear Esther. It features something of a walking adventure, with the player exploring a quaint English village. However, the entire population of the village (and assumedly, the world) has completely disappeared. It’s a humble, basic game, but chilling and eerie.
9. Mad Max
Another 2015 title, Mad Max took a well-established apocalyptic franchise and brought it to gaming platforms everywhere. With a game-changing combat system, an intense story, and a desolate, desperate open world, Mad Max was a winner, and definitely one of the best post-apocalyptic games of all time.
8. Metro: Exodus
Image Credit: Rock Paper Shotgun
Metro: Exodus was an expansion of the 360-era Metro franchise that introduced semi-open world environments to the series. Outside of the games, Metro is an iconic post-apocalyptic franchise, telling the story of survivors of the nuclear holocaust, hiding out in the subways of Russia. It’s a fantastic series and probably the most frightening game on this list.
7. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn took the post-apocalyptic genre and flipped it around into something remarkable. In this far-future title, we saw a planet ravaged by a robotic uprising, with the human race shrinking back into nomadic, savage-like tribes. It was an award-winning title with a great cast, and a brilliant take on the apocalypse.
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6. Left 4 Dead
As one of the most instantly recognisable zombie games in the history of gaming, Left 4 Dead definitely deserves a spot on this list. It’s one of the best post-apocalyptic games ever to exist purely because of how insanely fun it is. It’s a cooperative zombie slasher at heart, with players following a loose story throughout several entertaining environments.
5. State of Decay
Image Credit: Epic Games
State of Decay offered a perfect balance between cartoon action and serious survival. When it launched, it quickly became a fan-favourite because of the base building and scavenging aspects of the game that offered players more freedom than the average post-apocalyptic title. Today, it’s a popular and consistent franchise, with plenty of potential in store for the future.
4. Dying Light
If you’re a fan of the best post-apocalyptic games out there and you haven’t played Dying Light, there’s a problem. This is arguably one of the greatest zombie-focused franchises of all time, and today, more than five years after launch, it’s still dramatically popular. It fused a huge open world with fluid parkour and intense zombie-slaying mechanics to rank as one of the greatest post-apocalyptic games ever.
3. Days Gone
Days Gone introduced a brand new character to the post-apocalyptic genre, set up a fantastic world, then disappeared into darkness. Sadly, despite delivering a fantastic, intense, and remarkably enjoyable game, developers Bend Studio cancelled the follow-up title. In Days Gone, players assume the role of a badass biker named Deacon St. John, hell-bent against the violent apocalypse and on a path of retribution, redemption, and revelation.
2. Fallout 4
Image Credit: TechBeasts
There are few franchises that have had the impact on modern gaming like the Fallout franchise has. It’s a legendary, iconic series that has existed for more than two decades, and Fallout 4 is something of a feather in the cap for the franchise. It’s the most popular title in the history of Fallout, offering incredible replayability, remarkable expansions, and a near-flawless base game. Today, almost seven years after launch, it’s still considerably popular.
1. The Last of Us Part II
While the launch of TLOUII was studded with controversy, what lay underneath was an absolutely perfect experience. There can be no doubt that TLOUII ranks as the best post-apocalyptic game of all time, effortlessly dominating the competition. It’s a beautiful, harrowing journey, built around a breathtaking engine that looks better than almost every other game on the market. There’s an all-star cast driving forward one of the most emotional stories in gaming today, and the world is the pinnacle of the post-apocalyptic environments available.
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