There is an inherent appeal to the sci-fi genre that has made it a go-to example for creative explorations in all wide variety of different mediums, from bombastic sci-fi movies to deep, introspective sci-fi novels. However, nothing quite effectively places one directly into a vast, sci-fi world quite like a sci-fi video game. From massive intergalactic adventures to ruthless futuristic dystopias, there are a wide variety of different ways to create a memorable sci-fi videogame.
As video games as a medium have evolved over the years, so have the quality of sci-fi games, leading to the modern day where there are a multitude of masterful sci-fi video games to choose from that are each major steps ahead of the humble early days of Asteroid and Galaga. While each individual is going to have their own opinions and tastes on what a truly great sci-fi video game should be, these games continuously find themselves at the forefront of culture and definitive masterpieces of what is possible with sci-fi in video gaming.
10
‘Fallout: New Vegas’ (2010)
The Courier in front of the New Vegas sign.Image via Bethesda Softworks
The Fallout franchise has gone through massive evolutions throughout its time as one of the definitive post-apocalyptic role-playing games out there, with the early games having a larger focus on tactical decision-making and character writing while later entries were more focused on moment-to-moment action and exploration. However, Fallout: New Vegas continues to stand as the best combination of the two distinct eras of the franchise, on top of being a fan-favorite in terms of story, style, and overall passion.
The game takes the greater gameplay strengths of the previous first-person installment, Fallout 3, and utilizes a much more effective and layered story with more compelling quests for the player to experience. It also helps that the very setting of New Vegas, a corrupt attempt at restoring goverment and order in the wasteland, is one of the most memorable and intrinically compelling settings in the entire Fallout franchise. While glitches held the game back at launch, time has been incredibly kind as many now consider the game the height of the franchise.
9
‘Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’ (2003)
Darth Malak fighting a Jedi in gameplay of ‘Star Wars – Knights of the Old Republic’Image via LucasArts
Considering the fact that Star Wars has been the definitive face of not just sci-fi filmmaking, but the entire science fiction genre ever since its debut, there have been countless attempts at bringing the glory and scale of Star Wars to the world of videogames. However, among the hundreds of different Star Wars games released over the years, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the very few that actually lives up to the stature and brilliance of the original trilogy.
The game is an expansive action role-playing game that takes place thousands of years before even the events of The Phantom Menace, combining the style and exhilaration of utilizing a lightsaber with the layered character and storytelling of an RPG. Every aspect of the game has such an acute attention to detail and care for the Star Wars world, feeling like a true extension of the vast world and amplifying the thematic strengths of the immortal struggle between Jedi and Sith.
8
‘No Man’s Sky’ (2016)
One of the great distinctions that modern video games have over other mediums is how the prospect of updates and additional content can completely change a game and its perception compared to how it was when it was first released. No singular game quite exemplifies this phenomenon like No Man’s Sky, which went from being considered one of the biggest disappointments in gaming history to one of its greatest comeback stories.
In the lead up to its release, the game’s overwhelming amount of promises reached a point where it could never have been met by an indie team. However, unlike every other disappointment in the video game industry, the No Man’s Sky team were instead dedicated to additional updates that, one-by-one, would transform No Man’s Sky into the limitless explorable sci-fi world that was originally promised. Where it stands now is one of the most expansive toolboxes of multiplayer creativity that sci-fi video games have to offer and still recieving massive updates to this day.
7
‘The Last of Us’ (2013)
Image via Naughty Dog
Often standing as the go-to example of powerful, tearjerker narrative in video games that is so effective that it was further adapted into an award-winning prestige television show, The Last of Us takes the horrific dystopia of a zombie apocalype and tells a powerful human story out of it. Further amplifying the tension of its story is striking moment-to-moment gameplay, with scarce resources, horrifying mutated fungus enemies, and giving players control even during quiet, somber moments.
It continues to be one of the absolute best examples of getting the player invested in the world and characters of the game, proving to be much more than the simplicity of killing zombies in fun ways. The Last of Us has left a permanent mark on video games as a whole with its pristine execution and high-art storytelling, taking inspiration from great dystopian stories before it to be one of the definitive video game masterpieces of the 2010s.
6
‘Half-Life 2’ (2004)
Image via Valve
The second game in Valve’s legendary Half-Life franchise, Half-Life 2 expanded upon the scope and scale of the original game to create a massive leap forward in terms of first-person action games and detailed graphical strengths. Especially for 2004, the game’s greatest strength is its top of the line polish and flair that helps it feel incredibly immersive and impactful, even compared to games released in the modern day. From an intricate physics system to complete control and movement during cutscenes, Half-Life 2 is as immersive as a first-person game can get.
The story is relatively simple, as players control Gordan Freeman on his journey to help liberate earth from a ruthless alien empire. However, the overwhelming strength of Half-Life 2 comes from its massively influential gameplay. The game feels just as fluid and impactful to play now as it did when it first released over 20 years ago, continuing to be the gold standard for immersive sci-fi video games.
5
‘Metroid Prime’ (2002)
A still from Metroid PrimeImage via Nintendo
Completely revitalizing and evolving a classic sci-fi video game franchise into the modern age and easily standing as one of the greatest GameCube games, Metroid Prime is about as perfect a reboot as one could ask for. It takes the previously 2D Metroid franchise and amplifies its greatest strengths in the jump to first-person 3D gameplay, still keeping its platforming and exploration roots while supplementing it with exceptional sci-fi action.
Metroid Prime largely distinguishes itself from other first-person action games of the era by not making the shooting of enemies its entire appeal, as Metroid Prime places just as much importance on puzzle solving and exploration as it does its actual combat. This exceptional balance is what has made the film a continuous fan-favorite for so many years, not just as the height of the Metroid franchise but considered one of the greatest games Nintendo has ever released.
4
‘Bioshock’ (2007)
A little sister standing next to a Big Daddy with its drill raised in BioShockImage via 2K
A definitive masterpiece from the seventh generation of consoles, Bioshock‘s masterful story combined with compelling gameplay and a mesmerizing mixture of all varieties of genres has made it one of the great artistic achievements in the history of videogames. It’s one thing to simply have a game with a compelling story and memorable gameplay, but Bioshock exceeds so greatly in both regards, with its strengths constantly complimenting one another to create a masterful vision of depth and art on top of entertainment.
A lot of the film’s overwhelming appeal comes from its presentation and storytelling, with the chaotic underwater city of Rapture being one of the most striking and memorable set pieces in game history and leaps and bounds creatively among other original video game worlds. Combined with an array of thematic strengths, dynamic and effective gameplay, and one of the absolute greatest video game endings of all time, Bioshock is a game whose influence and perfection have made video games a more enticing, impactful medium.
3
‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ (2001)
A group of soldiers holding weapons in ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’
Halo is the face of sci-fi video games for many casual gamers across the globe, as the inherent fun of battling each other as intergalactic space warriors will always have an appeal to fans of the sci-fi genre. While many great Halo games have been released throughout the 21st century, the first game in the franchise, Halo: Combat Evolved, continues to be truly special in all regards. Its multiplayer sci-fi action at its absolute best, having an infectious yet simple gameplay loop that has kept fans energized and entertained for 25 years.
It’s the charm and timelessness that continues to make Halo: Combat Evolved the height of the franchise. While subsequent games would add more wild evolutions of the style, online multiplayer, and exceptional visuals, Halo: Combat Evolved‘s simplicity is the beauty of what makes it such a definitive masterpiece. It fundmentally understands and perfects the strengths of first-person action, complete with one of the best single-player campaigns in first-person gaming history, as well as being able to play through the entire campaign in multiplayer.
2
‘Mass Effect 2’ (2010)
BioWare had long since proven themselves to be masters of storytelling and action role-plaMass Effectying games in the past, through their work on exceptional games like Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, and the previously mentioned Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. However, Mass Effect continues to be their most acclaimed and successful franchise to date, with Mass Effect 2 easily being their greatest game and the definitive blueprint for amazing sci-fi games.
Mass Effect 2 continues to be one of the most impressive and replayable role-playing experiences imaginable, actively building upon save data from the previous game to build a sprawling web of a story that shapes and alters itself based on the decision-making of the player. It’s the closest that any sci-fi game has gotten to not just playing through a sci-fi movie, but changing the movie as one is playing it. It sucks the player into its world and characters better than most actual sci-fi movies can do and is a leading force for the brilliance and strengths of video games as an artform.
1
‘Portal 2’ (2011)
Portal 2Image via Valve
When an original game is already being celebrated as one of the greatest games of all time and a step forward for puzzle games, the prospect of following up and creating a sequel places an overwhelming amount of expectation on that game to evolve and improve the formula. While few sequels rarely live up to original games of such high praise and caliber, Portal 2 is one of the rare exceptions that consistently builds upon the strengths of the previous game and provides wild new concepts that push it above and beyond as an even greater masterpiece.
Portal 2 could simply have delivered the same compelling portal-based puzzles of the original Portal, but it ups the ante not only with an addicting co-op mode and endless content with user-made levels, but one of the most engaging stories in video game history. It twists what was already an unpredictable time from the original game to build upon its mythos and utilizing a wide array of memorable characters brought to life by some of the greatest vocal performances in video game history. It’s the type of masterpiece that the sci-fi genre was made for, utilizing the greatest strengths of sci-fi and the video game medium to create a perfect experience from top to bottom.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz
Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like?
Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
Paul Atreides
Capt. Kirk
Princess Leia
Ellen Ripley
Max Rockatansky
FIND YOUR HERO →
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher?
The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
AI absorb everything — every variable, every pattern — and move only when I know the path forward.
BI read the room, make the call, and own the consequences. Hesitation costs more than mistakes.
CI rally people. A cause needs a voice, and I refuse to let fear be louder than conviction.
DI assess the threat, establish what needs doing, and get it done without waiting for permission.
EI don’t lead. I act. Others can follow or not — I’m already moving.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis?
The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
APrescience — the ability to see further ahead than anyone else and plan accordingly.
BImprovisation — I’m at my best when the plan falls apart and I have to invent a new one.
CConviction — I know what I’m fighting for, and that certainty doesn’t waver under fire.
DComposure — I stay functional when everyone around me is falling apart. Panic is a luxury.
EEndurance — I outlast things. I take the hit and keep moving long after others have stopped.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for?
Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
AThe survival and dignity of my people — even if I have to become something frightening to ensure it.
BThe safety of my crew — every single one of them. No one gets left behind.
CFreedom — for my people, for every world still crushed under the weight of an empire.
DThe truth — what actually happened, what’s actually out there, whether anyone believes me or not.
EThe one person — or the one memory — that still makes any of this worth surviving for.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
How do you relate to the people around you?
Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
AWith intensity and distance — I care deeply, but the weight I carry makes closeness complicated.
BWith warmth and irreverence — I take the mission seriously, not myself.
CWith directness and trust — I say what I mean, and I expect the people I work with to rise to it.
DWith professional care but clear limits — I’ll protect you, but I won’t pretend we’re family.
EWith wariness that slowly becomes loyalty — I don’t trust easily, but when I do, it holds.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do?
How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
APrepare in silence. If they won’t listen, I’ll be ready when they finally have to.
BKeep pushing until someone listens — and if no one does, handle it myself.
CBuild the case, find the allies, and make the threat impossible to ignore.
DDocument everything. The truth matters even if no one believes it yet.
EStop trying to convince anyone. Survive it. That’s the only argument that counts.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What has your heroism cost you personally?
Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
AMy innocence — I’ve seen what I’m capable of, and I can’t unsee it.
BPeople I loved — the command chair has a view, but it’s a lonely one.
CA normal life — I gave up everything ordinary the moment I chose the cause.
DMy sense of safety — I know exactly what’s out there now, and I can’t pretend otherwise.
EAlmost everything — and I’m still not sure what I’m carrying it all for. But I keep going.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in?
Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
AI understand them deeply — and I know exactly which ones must be broken, and why.
BI respect the spirit of them and bend the letter when the situation demands it.
CThe system is the problem. I’m not here to work within it — I’m here to dismantle it.
DI follow protocol until protocol stops being useful. Then I make the call myself.
EThe rules collapsed a long time ago. What’s left is instinct, and mine are reliable.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going?
The answer is the most honest thing about you.
ADestiny — or something that feels so much like it that the difference no longer matters.
BThe people on my ship — their faces, their trust, the fact that they’re counting on me.
CThe belief that what we’re fighting for is worth every sacrifice, including this one.
DSheer refusal to let it win — whatever it is. I don’t stop. That’s just who I am.
EI’m not sure anymore. But the road is still there, and I’m still on it.
REVEAL MY HERO →
Your Hero Has Been Identified
Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
- You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
- You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
- Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
- That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
- You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
- Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
- Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
- That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
- You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
- You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
- Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
- That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
- You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
- Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
- You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
- When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
- You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
- Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
- Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
- That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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