5 Brilliant Open-World Games About Oppressive Regimes

The "go anywhere, do anything" design of open-world games ​​​​​​is a deliberate choice to impose as few restrictions on your progression as possible. No "correct" order in which you need to explore the world, no limits on how you reach your next objective, and no invisible walls preventing you from climbing over a clearly climbable ledge. That freedom can be tricky for developers to wrangle, but when it's done right, there's no feeling like it in gaming.

However, while the developers aren't trying to put undue restrictions on your gameplay, that doesn't mean that the game world isn't doing it instead. These next open-world games are still freely explorable, but their worlds are ruled by oppressive government regimes that have no qualms about taking you down for trespassing where you're not welcome. Naturally, your goal is to turn the tide on these regimes, and maybe take them down instead. Good luck.

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst

A Regime So Entrenched You Can Barely See Its Source

The oppressors in Mirror's Edge: Catalyst took over long ago. Known as the The Conglomerate, these rulers are made up of twelve corporate families who seized power from the former government and installed heavy surveillance throughout Cascadia. The Corporate Houses have been around for centuries, and are spread throughout the country.

The one thing that is clear is that The Conglomerate maintains control by restricting information, turning the citizens of Glass against the protesters fighting for their freedom, rather than the rulers restricting it. While many are content to live under this system for the stability it brings, others know that they are being kept in the dark, especially when it comes to the outCaste, people who effectively have no rights. As a runner, Faith's role is to traverse the city rooftops to deliver restricted information to her clients. This keeps her out of reach of much of the city's surveillance, while also helping her to fight back against The Conglomerate and their control over Glass and Cascadia as a whole.

The Saboteur

The Regime That All Fictional Regimes Are Somewhat Based On

The Saboteur is widely regarded as a cult classic from the PS3 era, and while it didn't get a ton of love back then, those who played it still sing its praises today. That's because while it's a World War 2-era game, and there are plenty of those, The Saboteur approaches its depiction of Nazi-occupied France from a very different perspective.

Typically, a game like this would feature the military engaging in large-scale firefights to liberate France one city at a time. In The Saboteur, you play an Irish spy who instead infiltrates Paris and uses subterfuge to gradually liberate districts one by one. It has a striking aesthetic, with the Nazi-controlled districts presented in colorless black and white except for the regime's flags and symbols, but once you liberate the area, the color returns, giving you a clear and satisfying visual that your work is progressing somewhere. The Nazis are everywhere when you get started, but as you make your way through Paris district by district, their presence begins to fade, and you start to see hope for the future blossom in their wake.

We Happy Few

A Regime Where Happiness Is Mandatory

While also Nazi-related, We Happy Few is set in an alternate history where America never joined the war effort, leaving Britain to fall during World War 2. However, the town of Wellington Wells did "something" to drive the Nazis out, but whatever that thing was, it was so awful that it either sent the locals into a deep depression or drove them insane. This led to the invention of Joy, a drug that induces feelings of happiness and comfort, which quickly became mandatory for all people in Wellington Wells to consume.

Told through the perspectives of three different characters, you explore Wellington Wells' both its bright, cheery veneer while under the influence of Joy, and its horrifying reality when you stop taking the drug. The oppressors are ever-present and vigilant in catching those who stop taking their Joy, but it becomes clear that the city is slowly failing, and the influence of Joy is preventing anyone from fixing it. The dark brilliance of We Happy Few is that none of the characters can outright rescue Wellington Wells from its fate; all they can do is try to save themselves while the city collapses from within.

Just Cause 2

A Regime Built On Idols, Symbols, And Use Of Extreme Force

The regime you're overthrowing in Just Cause 3 isn't anything particularly special. In fact, that's what makes the game so fun. The fictional island of Medici, which is protagonist Rico Rodriguez's homeland, has fallen under the control of a tyrannical dictator, and the most aerially gifted action hero in video game history makes it his mission to send the regime packing.

The beauty of Di Ravello's militia is that they are largely incompetent. Sure, they boast a ton of firepower and have set up massive military bases all over the island, along with statues, banners, and posters praising their dear leader, but when push comes to shove, one badass with a grappling hook is more than enough to take them down. Those military bases are absolutely loaded with giant red explosive barrels that are just begging to get blown up, and none of their soldiers can shoot a moving target if their lives depended on it. While this diminishes the threat of the regime, it makes for a hell of a good time as you single-handedly shred through Di Ravello's forces and eventually take down the man himself, liberating Medici once and for all.

Homefront: The Revolution

A Regime Established In Familiar Territory

There aren't many open-world FPS games outside of the Far Cry series, but one of the standouts is absolutely Homefront: The Revolution. Set in an alternate history Philadelphia, four years after the Korean People's Army took over the city, you play a soldier who has recently joined a resistance movement. The goal is to slowly liberate districts within Philadelphia while avoiding Korean patrols and their dangerous near-future tech.

This is a particularly fascinating setting because you aren't playing in the region where the oppressive regime is well-established, but somewhere it is slowly taking over. It's a bit like The Saboteur in that way, but the KPA's hold on Philadelphia isn't nearly as firm. As such, between your own tech, a ton of really cool weapon upgrades, and the freedom to approach the world from any angle, there is a persistent feeling of effective resistance throughout the game, as if every remaining citizen is pulling on the same rope. Even though the KPA are very dangerous and have a clear numbers advantage, you're on home turf, and the feeling of driving the enemy out of Philly bit by bit is extremely satisfying.