You’ve finished the Fallout TV show from Amazon, and you want something to play. What will scratch that post-war apocalyptic itch? Will it be an RPG, or something more linear? Now that Lucy, Maximus, and The Ghoul are absent from your life, what can replace them?
We’ve combed through the PlayStation Plus catalogue to bring you 15 free games perfect for these days after Fallout, whether you’re looking for another involving narrative, or something action-packed and full of monsters.
Disaster Report 4
Bizarre Japanese adventure Disaster Report 4 puts you in the shoes of a person surrounded by disaster and you have to make choices to survive. It’s part adventure, part visual novel, where all your choices decide who survives the ongoing disaster which, in this case, is a huge earthquake. It’s narrative driven and features some very quirky moments as well as some heartfelt sequences.
DOOM Eternal
A different kind of apocalypse, here the Earth has been invaded by minions from hell and it’s up to you, as the Doomslayer, to vanquish them all. DOOM Eternal is an action-packed adventure where big guns tear big demons to pieces, while the world falls apart. Full of gore, heavy metal music, and fast-paced gunplay, you’ll fly through this game by the seat of your pants and be thankful for every minute.
Fallout 4
Okay, probably a bit of an obvious one here, but let’s go for the newest version of the mainline Fallout games. Fallout 4 is a great experience if you’re coming from the TV show and want some great companions, brilliant missions, and a vast world to explore. This is the closest you’re going to get to capturing the brilliant tone and pacing of the Amazon show - it has all the humour, style and grotesque nature of the wastelands.
FAR: Changing Tides
A 2D side scroller next, and one that features no firm narrative. It’s a subtle game of environmental storytelling where you travel a desolate land in a craft, stopping to solve puzzles. But FAR: Changing Tides is more than that, it’s the genius devices you’ll have to wield, it’s the design of the world around you, and it feels post-apocalyptic and empty, devoid of life. You feel like a sole survivor trying to make your way in the world.
Frostpunk
Frostpunk is another that changes the idea of a world-ending moment, this time dealing with plummeting temperatures and horrific cold. This isn’t a cheerful game, well, many of these aren’t, but there are parts of Frostpunk where you’ll enact child labour laws to keep your civilisation alive, or you’ll have to force the populace into horrible scenarios. Of course, you could be a kind leader, but witness as your society crumbles. It’s brutally tough, but then so is the end of the world.
Horizon Forbidden West
Perhaps the prettiest apocalypse, Horizon Forbidden West is the sequel to the franchise and succeeds in improving on what came before and making everything look lush and vibrant. Seriously, you have to see it to believe it. Feel free to exchange this for the first game so you can benefit from the story beginning, but if we’re choosing, then this one makes the list. Wage war against the machines, explore the world, and encounter wonderful characters who fill out this brilliant experience.
Miasma Chronicles
In the not-too-distant future, America has been torn apart by something called the Miasma. The land is now a wasteland and you’re searching for answers that could change the course of human history. As a tactical RPG, this is very similar to the original Fallout games with a deep narrative on the side of gameplay that pits you against enemies in a turn-based fashion. Miasma Chronicles is fully voiced, and very dramatic, with oddly touching moments between the protagonist brothers.
Rage 2
It’s an anarchic world in Rage 2, a far better instalment in this short franchise. The chaos flows from every direction with huge, bombastic battles, a huge world to explore, and a level of carnage that seems to follow you around. This is a proper dystopian world. There are no rules, everyone is against you. Combining breakneck vehicle traversal and superb gunplay, this is a take-no-prisoners action game made by some of the best in the business.
Skyrim
It’s hard not to recommend Skyrim when talking about Fallout. They’re made by the same company and where one is a post-apocalyptic journey through a wasteland, the other is a high fantasy adventure with magic and swordplay. Skyrim is often cited by many as one of the best games ever made as it will steal away hundreds of hours of your time as you trek across the beautiful world of Tamriel looking for treasure or enemies and dragons to vanquish. With so many ways to play the game, you can enjoy Skyrim for years to come.
The Last Guardian
I’m going to include The Last Guardian on this list because it deserves a lot of love. It’s not action-packed, there are no weapons, and there’s barely any dialogue. Instead, you have a desolate world with just a boy and his buddy, Trico, solving puzzles, traversing the world as you watch the love between these two innocent souls. It’s gorgeous, it’s lovely, and it will whisk you away to a gorgeous place.
The Last of Us Remastered
The end of the world. Zombies, that aren’t really zombies, but they gobble you up if you give them half a chance. It’s a cold and bleak world, one overrun by horrible creatures and even worse humans. The Last of Us Remastered is a masterpiece in storytelling and it has the gameplay to back it up. Constantly drifting from heartbreak to tension and scattering in some tremendous setpieces, this is a must-play. Then you should go and watch the HBO series.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds was made by Obsidian, the renowned company that created some amazing RPGs including Fallout: New Vegas. Essentially, The Outer Worlds feels just like a Fallout game minus the radiated apocalypse and with a heavy dose of sci-fi. Many see this title as a spiritual successor to the Fallout franchise where Obsidian got to play around with everything they love in a deep RPG world bursting with story and colourful characters.
Featured Image Credit: SONY, Amazon StudiosTopics: Fallout, PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Playstation Plus, Doom Eternal, Doom, Horizon Forbidden West, Horizon Zero Dawn, Skyrim, The Last Of Us