Best Sci-Fi/Dystopian Worlds?

Not just games that may include some robots or laser guns, but great sci-fi games that implicate present society's foibles through believable and immersive (yes patrick, i'm still using that word!) settings. I'm thinking Orwell or Huxley.
 
Some obvious examples: 

Deus Ex: HR is definitely up there for me. The little details like the interpersonal computer messages and running around an impoverished Detroit really made this game.
Bioshock. Rapture. What more needs to be said?
 
What else ya got?

Human Revolution is in Detroit. 

Half-Life 2-The opening hour immerses you in an oppressive and fearful atmosphere that sets the tone for the rest of the game.

You might say that Resonance of Fate is dystopian in a way as the events of the game take place after a cataclysm has befallen Earth.

I think City 17 was the first one I really noticed. That was the first one to really immerse me into a dystopian atmosphere. I was just blown away by it, then yeah, later came Bioshock and other stuff.

Human Revolution is in Detroit. 

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Yah, I really thought that moment when you leave the vault is awesome but then you get into your typical cookie cutter repeating-texture and art assets Bethesda gameplay.

How about Oddworld? I mean it's an practically an indictment against society's disposable consumerism. There's pollution, slavery, genocide, corruption and rampant ecological destruction. If it wasn't for the humorous approach to the subject matter, it would be a fairly depressing game-series to play.

My personal favorites are the Half-Life 2 universe and Fallout: New Vegas. Fallout 3 didn't really hook me the same way.

It wasn't explored in any real depth, but I liked the style of the city from Mirror's Edge. Did that city even have a name? Super-clean. Super-bright. And completely devoid of life. It reminded me of what San Francisco looks like on a Monday holiday. There should be people everywhere, but all you hear is the wind and the occasional car passing by.

Not sure if this counts, but the realm of Oblivion certainly has to be my favorite. It's pretty much a sea of lava with huge continents (spheres) which are ruled by evil and sadistic princes. Except for that one that isn't evil, but I forgot her name. And mentioning that, Nirn (the planet which has Tamriel on it) is in the plain of Mundus, which is also a realm of Oblivion. So, it's a pretty damn huge dystopian world.

@Ubersmake said:

It wasn't explored in any real depth, but I liked the style of the city from Mirror's Edge. Did that city even have a name? Super-clean. Super-bright. And completely devoid of life. It reminded me of what San Francisco looks like on a Monday holiday. There should be people everywhere, but all you hear is the wind and the occasional car passing by.

Man, Mirror's Edge. That game, by some, could possibly described as shit, and they wouldn't be wrong.

But man did I love it, and it's world.

@Humanity said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Yah, I really thought that moment when you leave the vault is awesome but then you get into your typical cookie cutter repeating-texture and art assets Bethesda gameplay.

I don't know I kind of let it slide because I really, really enjoyed my 150 hours with that game. It was broken as shit but I had a ton of fun with it.

@Tylea002 said:

@Ubersmake said:

It wasn't explored in any real depth, but I liked the style of the city from Mirror's Edge. Did that city even have a name? Super-clean. Super-bright. And completely devoid of life. It reminded me of what San Francisco looks like on a Monday holiday. There should be people everywhere, but all you hear is the wind and the occasional car passing by.

Man, Mirror's Edge. That game, by some, could possibly described as shit, and they wouldn't be wrong.

But man did I love it, and it's world.

THIS! I agree with both of you guys, I loved Mirror´s Edge and if it ever gets a sequel I want that city to be explored in depth and get a name

I still think that's the most gorgeous game world I've ever seen, wouldn't mind to live in that dystopian city

Deus Ex, the original one. Any of the Fallout games. Half-Life episode 2. Max Payne, although technically not dystopian, the areas and people Max hangs out with certainly makes it look that way. And Anachronox (?) it looked dystopian, based on the 10 minutes i played it...really need to play more of it.

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Humanity said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Yah, I really thought that moment when you leave the vault is awesome but then you get into your typical cookie cutter repeating-texture and art assets Bethesda gameplay.

I don't know I kind of let it slide because I really, really enjoyed my 150 hours with that game. It was broken as shit but I had a ton of fun with it.

I liked it, but mostly because i can identify a lot of actual locations and design inspirations from the area. In fact my town is in the game. Old Olney.

@Dagbiker said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Humanity said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Yah, I really thought that moment when you leave the vault is awesome but then you get into your typical cookie cutter repeating-texture and art assets Bethesda gameplay.

I don't know I kind of let it slide because I really, really enjoyed my 150 hours with that game. It was broken as shit but I had a ton of fun with it.

I liked it, but mostly because i can identify a lot of actual locations and design inspirations from the area. In fact my town is in the game. Old Olney.

I thought it had some great ideas and really horrible execution. Slogged through the single player campaign and even bought some expansions, I don't know why after I had not enjoyed the main questline. I was a big Fallout 1/2 fan and I guess I just thought the Bethesda treatment did not do it justice in terms of writing and presentation.

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Nothing in DC is old. 200 years is nothing.

All the stuff that plays in Stark in The Longest Journey and the Dreamfall. The Moment of Silence is also pretty decent in that area.

The Last Of Us looks awesome.

E.Y.E. has an extremely oppressive sci-fi world, the bad translation just makes it even more goddamn confusing and unnerving.

@AlexW00d said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Nothing in DC is old. 200 years is nothing.

listen that's the oldest we got so I'ma call it old

when fallout: london shows up then you can one up us but until then shut up D:

@Animasta said:

@AlexW00d said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Nothing in DC is old. 200 years is nothing.

listen that's the oldest we got so I'ma call it old

when fallout: london shows up then you can one up us but until then shut up D:

Fallout: Sumerian Wastes.

@MariachiMacabre said:

@Animasta said:

@AlexW00d said:

@Animasta said:

@MariachiMacabre said:

The Capital Wasteland in Fallout 3 was awe-inspiring. The first time you walk out of the vault and you're blinded by the sun is one of my favorite game moments of recent memory.

too bad that game actually has a terrible world that is interspersed with OH HEY LOOK AT THAT THING THAT IS OLD (cemetery, lincoln thing, whatever)

Nothing in DC is old. 200 years is nothing.

listen that's the oldest we got so I'ma call it old

when fallout: london shows up then you can one up us but until then shut up D:

Fallout: Sumerian Wastes.

Meh, I prefer DC to London anyway. Fallout Rome though, that'd be sick.

Fallout's just Mad Max. I'd go with... aw, nuts to this. You've already said Bioshock. And someone already said Half Life 2! I'm going to make myself a sandwich.

Half-Life... 1?
Microwaves don't function properly.  Terrifying.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream was a fantastic example of dystopia.

As most of the other examples I would have provided have been given, l say a different one: Halo

If you look beyond the humans besieged by aliens and oh look Flood stuff, you actually see hints (reinforced outside of the game) that the human race was already under the foot of an oppressive, totalitarian, fascist regime bent on conquest. Hell, the Chief and friends were kidnapped as very young children and replaced by clones designed to die a certain amount of time later.

A similar example is the world of Sera from Gears of War, which also featured human governments quite content fucking their own people before the appearance of the Locust, and you're playing as a soldier representing said oppressive government while an underclass of people try to eke an existence in the ruins of civilisation.

@Grumbel said:

All the stuff that plays in Stark in The Longest Journey and the Dreamfall. The Moment of Silence is also pretty decent in that area.

YES! God, I love the Longest Journey games. Also, obligatory mention of Westwood's Blade Runner.

Deus Ex! Cyberpunk and Steampunk are my favourite genres.

Oh, and the fantastic Gemini Rue definitely deserves mention! It's on Steam for those interested in a good, moody adventure game with some serious cyberpunk vibes. Great music, too.

Mass Effect (series) has one of the best sci-fi themes around. It's the only sci-fi series where I actually remembered the various races, characters, and lore by name. The music and sound just add to the experience. On top of that most of ME3's space battles put anything else in the genre to shame. Being a part of that universe actually seems plausible to me.

How has nobody said S.T.A.L.K.E.R. yet? (this isn't my vote, but it sure as hell is a cool setting, and a nice alternative to Fallout.)

I would have to say Final Fantasy X. Take FF7's world, fast forward like 1200 years, destroy all the cities that used tech, and throw in a secretly-techno-vatican that hypocritically forbids all technology more advanced than melee weapons. The central government/religion keeps it's citizens ignorant and unable to rebel by spreading the story that the giant unkillable monster (Sin) that ravishes their towns is punishment for relying on technology, ensuring that they will never be able to rebel because any weapons they could bring to bear would be no match for the guns & mechs that the Magic Popes have. And while the oppressive government is there, they're pretty content to sit in their white tower & watch their constituents live & die - it's not a police state, but the oppression is subtle, and not known about by most of the population. Cities like Besaid & Killika, while ravaged by Sin occasionally, are fairly peaceful places to live. But even then, when Summoners come to power enough to take on Sin, nobody talks about the sacrifices that they are demanded by the Church/Government to make to "stop" something that just comes back in 10 years anyway.

I've read into FFX's world quite a bit.

@TheActionFigure said:

Mass Effect (series) has one of the best sci-fi themes around. It's the only sci-fi series where I actually remembered the various races, characters, and lore by name. The music and sound just add to the experience. On top of that most of ME3's space battles put anything else in the genre to shame. Being a part of that universe actually seems plausible to me.

Yeah, but ME's universe isn't really dystopian. It's not exactly Utiopian, just "toipian." (edit: not saying I hate ME's universe, I love it. Just saying that it doesn't really fit on this list.)

You reminded me of something though: Shadowrun. Not the shitty 360/PC multiplayer game, but the pen & paper one, that they just finished the Kickstarter for. I fucking LOVE that world, and I would certainly say it could be considered "dystopian" enough for this thread.

@TheActionFigure said:

Mass Effect (series) has one of the best sci-fi themes around. It's the only sci-fi series where I actually remembered the various races, characters, and lore by name. The music and sound just add to the experience. On top of that most of ME3's space battles put anything else in the genre to shame. Being a part of that universe actually seems plausible to me.

Yeah, but ME's universe isn't really dystopian. It's not exactly Utiopian, just "toipian." (edit: not saying I hate ME's universe, I love it. Just saying that it doesn't really fit on this list.)

You reminded me of something though: Shadowrun. Not the shitty 360/PC multiplayer game, but the pen & paper one, that they just finished the Kickstarter for. I fucking LOVE that world, and I would certainly say it could be considered "dystopian" enough for this thread.

@Potts: If we're going down the Final Fantasy path, I'd say that FFVIII's world is pretty interesting as well. As far as scifi goes, it's kinda different with some really high tech stuff like cloaking devices for entire cities and spaceflight but also with almost medieval looking villages and magic. And a dictator witch.

Children of men

The entire Deus Ex universe is the one that really got me. Not because it is cool, but because it is logical. Most of that stuff will happen sometime in the future, some would argue that it is already happening now.

@Stonyman65 said:

The entire Deus Ex universe is the one that really got me. Not because it is cool, but because it is logical. Most of that stuff will happen sometime in the future, some would argue that it is already happening now.

Yeah, the whole "corporations running the government" thing is scary more because you can see it coming true within our lifetimes. It's one of the reasons I like Shadowrun too - Shadowrun is Deus Ex + Magic.

@AndrewBeardsley said:

Children of men

Agreed, but that's not a game.

@Sackmanjones said:

@Potts

@TheActionFigure said:

Mass Effect (series) has one of the best sci-fi themes around. It's the only sci-fi series where I actually remembered the various races, characters, and lore by name. The music and sound just add to the experience. On top of that most of ME3's space battles put anything else in the genre to shame. Being a part of that universe actually seems plausible to me.

Yeah, but ME's universe isn't really dystopian. It's not exactly Utiopian, just "toipian." (edit: not saying I hate ME's universe, I love it. Just saying that it doesn't really fit on this list.)

You reminded me of something though: Shadowrun. Not the shitty 360/PC multiplayer game, but the pen & paper one, that they just finished the Kickstarter for. I fucking LOVE that world, and I would certainly say it could be considered "dystopian" enough for this thread.

If still go with mass effect as my answer.

I'd like to know how you would describe Mass Effect's universe as "dystopian." There's no oppressive central government, no free-for-all anarchic wasteland as the rule, not the exception (like Omega), a government that's separate from corporate interests, and people are free to pretty much do what they will. If the Reapers had taken over & enslaved all the civilized worlds, then I would agree with you, but a world at war is not necessarily a dystopian setting.

@Potts said:

@Sackmanjones said:

@Potts

@TheActionFigure said:

Mass Effect (series) has one of the best sci-fi themes around. It's the only sci-fi series where I actually remembered the various races, characters, and lore by name. The music and sound just add to the experience. On top of that most of ME3's space battles put anything else in the genre to shame. Being a part of that universe actually seems plausible to me.

Yeah, but ME's universe isn't really dystopian. It's not exactly Utiopian, just "toipian." (edit: not saying I hate ME's universe, I love it. Just saying that it doesn't really fit on this list.)

You reminded me of something though: Shadowrun. Not the shitty 360/PC multiplayer game, but the pen & paper one, that they just finished the Kickstarter for. I fucking LOVE that world, and I would certainly say it could be considered "dystopian" enough for this thread.

If still go with mass effect as my answer.

I'd like to know how you would describe Mass Effect's universe as "dystopian." There's no oppressive central government, no free-for-all anarchic wasteland as the rule, not the exception (like Omega), a government that's separate from corporate interests, and people are free to pretty much do what they will. If the Reapers had taken over & enslaved all the civilized worlds, then I would agree with you, but a world at war is not necessarily a dystopian setting.

While I agree with most things in your post, I disagree with that last statement. Wouldn't a world (or galaxy in this case) at war be dystopian by definition?

@AndrewBeardsley said:

Children of men

Agreed, but that's not a game.

Not technically, though I suppose an argument could be made if the war continues for an extended period of time (like years or decades) and effects the vast majority of the population. If the Reaper war had lasted more than a few weeks/months as ME3 would have you believe, I don't think that you could consider that a dystopia. And the first two certainly don't fall under that description.

dys·to·pi·a/disˈtōpēə/

I guess a good example of this would be WWII Europe, but that may be stretching it. If the war had gone on another 10 years, than I would have no problem classifying that as a dystopia. However, it's a loose definition, and open to interpretation.

@Potts said:

Not technically, though I suppose an argument could be made if the war continues for an extended period of time (like years or decades) and effects the vast majority of the population. If the Reaper war had lasted more than a few weeks/months as ME3 would have you believe, I don't think that you could consider that a dystopia. And the first two certainly don't fall under that description.

dys·to·pi·a/disˈtōpēə/

Noun:

An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.

What do you mean, "not technically"? Sure there is a specific tradition in literature in which dystopic societies are portrayed as totalitarian states or environmentally degraded worlds. But that a dystopia is typically this or that way, does not mean the word refers exclusively to this or that state of society. If it's, as you put it, a matter of technicality, we could start with dystopia as utopia's antonym and as such it is important to not that it is utopia's contrary. Dys (bad or mal) topos (place) is a terrible place or place where one absolutely wouldn't want to be (as opposed to utopia) which completely fits with a place that is at war. War's location is by definition a terrible place. The latter part of Mass Effect definitely fits this description.

That said, while I do think Mass Effect is an outstanding scifi world, I don't think its portrayal of the dystopia of war is very good--Mass Effect can feel very sterile at times.