6: ‘Spec Ops: The Line’
Most of us love a good shoot-'em-up title, but war is far from glamorous. And Spec Ops: The Line shows just how taxing it is on soldiers. The mission to rescue Colonel John Konrad involves slaughtering enemies, negotiating falling buildings, and enduring a massive sandstorm. However, in the grimmest of ironies, Konrad is already dead, and throughout the game, Captain Martin Walker hallucinates conversations with him as a way to justify some of his squad’s actions. The most disturbing bit? Walker’s squad orders a blanket of white phosphorous over a group of enemies. That makes some level progress easier, but the attack also catches a group of innocent civilians. One of the most haunting images: a burned mother holding her child in the aftermath of the attack. It may be "just" a game, but it's a gut-punch.
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5: ‘Fallout 2’
Black Isle’s final entry in the Fallout series had you retrieve a Garden of Eden Creation Kit from Vault 13 so the post-apocalyptic town of Arroyo would flourish in the nuclear wasteland. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished. Doing so reveals a series of events that shows The Enclave’s (a.k.a. the United States government’s) plans to use an airborne virus to wipe out any living being with mutated D.N.A. One portion of the journey will also take you to New Reno, where you’ll have to deal with organized crime, drugs, and prostitution. Let us know if you find a ray of sunshine here. Still looking.
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4: The ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Series
On a surface level, the adventures of the legendary Snake always pit him in epic combat against some giant mechanical robot. But the series has way more to offer on metaphysical and political-awareness levels underneath the action. It explores themes of nuclear warfare, private militaries, and clashing ideologies, among others. Even though the game is, at the core, all about killing foes to stop a conflict, the overall message is surprisingly anti-war. With the threat of nuclear weapons and never-ending warfare percolating through current events, the long-running series uses combat, in an ironic twist, as a way to keep players informed of the real world’s problems.
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3: ‘This War of Mine’
Next up, our community said: How about a straight-up anti-wargame? The horrors endured by civilians caught in the crossfire of conflict are as old as warfare itself. This game flips the script and puts you in the shoes of innocents as they attempt to survive in their war-torn towns. In the evenings, you can venture out from your shelter to scavenge for items or meet other characters. By day, you’ll craft medicine and food to keep your band of survivors alive until a ceasefire is established. The mechanics are interesting enough to keep you playing, but This War of Mine also serves as a window into the life of refugees as they try and survive while gunfire and chaos engulf their lives. Grim indeed.
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2: ‘Grand Theft Auto V’
No surprise that our community tagged the iconic, massive GTA V, as much a cracking action title as it is an emotional roller-coaster. The three unforgettable main characters (Michael, Trevor, and Franklin) all share the same plight: trying to move on from their past sins, while gravity keeps dragging them back down the abyss. Your exploration of Los Santos and its surrounding areas will let you live each character’s tormented life through street shootouts, therapist's sessions, constant carjackings, and some seriously sarcastic, frought tennis matches with your spouse. Maybe, along the way, you'll find a path that will leave them happy and guilt-free at the end of the game. Or not. Just don’t forget to have some very guilty fun along the way.
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1: ‘The Witcher’ Series
Geralt’s three-part adventure is loaded with unforgettable characters and scads of monsters to kill, but throughout the story you’ll also have to make a host of horrible Hobson's choices: You have to choose, and, at best, it's the lesser of two evils. For instance, the monster you were paid to kill might make a decent case for a stay of execution. Or it could be in your best interest to slay it to keep a nearby town's citizens from starting a riot. What to do? Sorry to be you. In other cases, a small decision you make now won’t have an impact until later in the game. And sometimes, the ramifications can make a situation better or worse, and you’ll just have to live with the consequences. In other words: just like life!
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