Across the science fiction genre – or as the cool kids call it, sci-fi, there are too many great games to count. For a period of time, it seemed like truly great sci-fi games weren’t ever going to become a major genre, but the last few decades have proven that thinking wrong.
At this point, some of the greatest sci-fi games of all time are widely agreed upon. While there is some variance from person to person, it’s hard not to acknowledge a few key games thanks to what they did for the genre and gaming as a whole while taking you on massive adventures in distinctive worlds.
If you’re looking forone of the best sci-fi horror experiencesaround, you aren’t going to go wrong by pickingAlien: Isolation. Placing you in a horrific game of cat and mouse with a Xenomorph was a sheer stroke of genius.
You’ll be tip-toeing through every moment of the game, hiding from your impending doom and hoping you can make it to the next objective. It’s not one of the longest experiences out there, but it’s one of the tensest and replayable blends of sci-fi and horror of all time.
There are a lot of great games to shout out from theFalloutseries, but Fallout: New Vegas often stands out in most people’s minds. Painting a truly desolate post-apocalyptic world filled with some of the best characters and missions in the series, the game is a triumph.
It still has all the classic aspects of Fallout, something that keeps it feeling familiar, and yet the game still manages to go in some incredible directions. You need to find the person who tried to kill you, and that’s all the setup an expansive RPG like this needs.
Experiencing the twists and turns that come inPortal 2is always a joy. Whether you find yourself enjoying Wheatley or Glados more, you’ll never be left to your own devices for too long whilesolving some tricky puzzles.
Portal 2 might be known as one of the best puzzle games ever made, but that praise also has to extend to the sci-fi genre thanks to the chaotic robots and fantastic portal gun. With a finale featuring the moon itself, Portal 2 is definitely worth trying if you haven’t done so.
Whether playing the original, the remake, orDead Space 2, you’re in for one of the best horror experiences out there in the sci-fi genre. Being ill-prepared to be trapped on a doomed ship is never a good thing, and horrific Necromorphs only make matters worse.
The horrific nature of the game’s enemies, the many jumpscares and fantastic atmosphere that can be found, and even the fact that you can technically figure out the game’s big twist before it even occurs are all incredible. With tight controlsand revolutionary UI, Dead Space is a sci-fi gem that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Believe it or not, there are actually a lot ofStar Warsgames that could fit on this list. One of the best is a more recent effort in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The adventure of Cal Kestis as he struggles to survive against the Empire and its Inquisitors is a lot of fun.
You have a lot of abilities to learn,soulslike combat to master, and plenty of classic Star Wars locations to visit. This isn’t just a great game for fans of Star Wars; anyone who enjoys tricky combat and a great sci-fi story will be more than happy with this one.
Sci-fi fans who crave some more strategy from their games will both love and curseXCOM 2. It is notorious for being one of the toughest games out there, thanks to the seemingly arbitrary RNG that comes into play when trying to land attacks.
The point of the game is to struggle and to lose your units, so it all makes sense, you just need to be prepared for a tough play-through. Battling against invading alien forces has never been so much fun, and new curves are always thrown into the mix at just the right time.
It’s absolutely true that all three of theBioshockgames are incredible sci-fi experiences, but Bioshock Infinite might be the best. Telling a massive story on Columbia, the city in the sky, you control Booker Dewitt as you attempt to help the mysterious Elizabeth escape her cage.
The twists and turns that the story takes are impossible to deduce during a first play-through, but once you replay the game, everything becomes contextualized perfectly. With great gunplay, fun vigors, and unique combat situations, Bioshock Infinite is a must-play for sci-fi fans who long to take to the skies.
Similar to many other games on this list, many of the Halo games could be said to be the best, so it makes sense to go back to the original.Halo: Combat Evolvedrevolutionized not only the FPS and sci-fi genres but also an entire console.
Letting you take control of Master Chief while you take on waves of horrific aliens in order to keep the galaxy safe is simple and tons of fun. It’s shocking how well the original still holds up in terms of gameplay and the amount of fun that can be had with the campaign more than two decades later.
All three of theMass Effectgames are acclaimed for the massive sci-fi epic that they tell, but the second is often viewed as the best of the best. Acting as a triumph of character-building and storytelling, Mass Effect 2 is one of the deepest andmost explorative RPGs out there.
The choices for what your Shepard does are up to you, which can lead to new friendships and horrendous ends in the midst of the final mission. Your choices on your mission against the Reapers in the first game all matter here, and your new choices will matter as you continue your battle into the third and final portion of Commander Shepard’s story.
It’s basically a given thatHalf-Life 2is one of the best sci-fi games of all time. Half-Life 2 can take credit for a lot of ideas and elements that still exist in modern video games, and its deep and rich story certainly doesn’t hurt.
If you want some classic sci-fi storytelling that still provides some interesting and thought-provoking ideas, Half-Life 2 (and the rest of the series) is a must. It’s another game from the early 2000s, but it still stands out as a game that can be enjoyed easily in the modern day.
