Even though we’re seeing a lot of advancement in finding the cure, the Coronavirus epidemic is still very unpredictable and potentially wields a wide range of dangers for the humankind. The world and the gaming community particularly are heavily influenced by the serious situation, including the temporary postpones in some game events both in China and over the world such as the Taipei Game Show or the League of Legends Tournaments in China.
As we know quite little on how Coronavirus can further influence our life, it’s time to prepare our minds for any possible outcomes. And what’s the better place to find such information and skills than the world of video games?
So here we are today, bringing you the games with the worst viral outbreaks that will give you some experiences if, unfortunately, the Coronavirus goes beyond our control.
Without further ado, let’s have a look at the first title:
1. The Division
Release date: 2016
Supported platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
We will start this list with the four-year-old title, Tom Clancy’s The Division is actually still standing out from many of the modern apocalypse games. In fact, it’s one of the greatest games that introduced the real-world concept struggling with the epidemic rather than some random fantastical concept.
The Division takes you to the journey of a special agent fighting against not only the danger of the viral outbreaks in New York City but also the harsh situation of criminal acts caused by the pandemic as well. Containing the beautiful post-apocalyptic future world and an intriguing story, the game is definitely Ubisoft’s best-selling game for a reason.
You can see its trailer below to look for yourself:
If I have to name a flaw of The Division, the only thing I can point out is that the game is only available for online play. Hence, you have to have an Internet connection, but once you get in, you’ll be immediately mesmerized by the aesthetic visuals of this world, even though it’s in the middle of the crisis of the “Green Poison” or the “Dollar Flu.”
In this game, you'll take control of an unnamed Special Agents from the Strategic Homeland Division, working on your duty to look into the source of the virus outbreak in New York City. Additionally, you'll also have to cooperate with other people to keep the lives of the citizen here in check by combating the violence happening after the virus strikes.
However, the chaotic situation in Manhattan does not only stop from just influencing the civilians living in the city, but also the agents that supposed to do their work here. People have gone mad, killing each other, and it's your job to find the groups sitting behind and manipulating the situation. It's very cruel but realistic enough to the point that you can learn one or two things about keeping yourself together in such a harsh situation.
The second installment of the series - The Division 2 is planned to come out on March 15, 2020, so keep an eye for that.
2. Resident Evil 2 Remake
Release date: 2019
Supported platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Speaking about games with virus pandemics, we can't miss out on Capcom's fan-favorite series Resident Evil. Unlike The Division, Resident Evil 2 Remake focuses more on the survival journey rather than the humane messages behind.
Reuniting with Claire and Leon in HD resolution and beautiful visuals, we will embark on the investigating tour throughout the fictional Racoon City again. The threats of random zombies jumping out of nowhere are now even more haunting, and together with the classic story of a mysterious corporation behind the virus outbreak, it's still by far the best Resident Evil game and also one of the best games of its decade.
Watch the trailer down here for more details:
Do you know there's a plot that someone in China has tested a chemical weapon that is actually the source of the Coronavirus outbreak? We can't confirm that conspiracy by any means, but we can have a similar look through this game. Resident Evil 2 Remake puts you into the shoes of two special agents fighting the zombies from T-Virus.
The special things that separate this game from the others are the gun actions and the survival elements. You won't have infinite bullets and supply to run over the whole city filled with zombies but will have to tactically collect the necessities and exploring step by step.
Through their journey, the duo will gradually realize that the viral outbreak from the last Resident Evil game is not a natural disaster but the result from the Umbrella Corporation's activity and the rest of the story is filled with plot twists that will lead the two survivors to the aims of their lives: combating the Umbrella Corporation.
3. Dying Light
Release date: 2013
Supported platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
If you're finding a game that actually portrays the hardship of fighting zombies in the first-person perspective, Dying Light is the one to go for. It's a survival horror game from the developer Techland and the publisher Warner Bros., and it's the game that makes your dreams of parkouring while running away from hordes of zombies come true.
Usually, people will run away from the quarantine zone, but in Dying Light, you'll play as the secret agent Kyle Crane, and will have to infiltrate into the infected areas of a Middle-Eastern city (the origin of MERS-CoV in real-life). On behalf of helping the people stuck in the area, you will have to seek the confidential files for your corporation, and believe me, you will never want to be this guy.
You can see how he flees away from the zombies in the trailer below:
The zombies in this city are very fierce at nightfall, which makes you nearly unable to do anything at this time. And even at the day time where they're less ferocious, you will still find yourself parkouring from the location you want to reach almost all the time. At least the parkouring experience is very fluid and satisfying, or else, you will be utterly desperate.
In order to reach your objectives, you'll have to collect water and foods for the long run while looking for weapons to fight the zombies occupied in the locations. The fight with the zombies is more realistic than you've thought. and even though they still die with one strike if you're precise, you won't want to make noise and be surrounded either.
Overall, Dying Light is more of an enjoyable horror game than a harsh game featuring useful information about viral outbreaks, and it's a great deal to spend your time at home to avoid the Coronavirus.
4. Sunset Overdrive
Release date: 2014
Supported platforms: PC, Xbox One
Sunset Overdrive is not as famous as the other games on this list, but it has its own tricks behind its goods. Sunset Overdrive brings more of the fun vibes and less serious elements, where you can enjoy swinging and jumping over buildings' top and shoot down zombies like they are no problems at all.
If I have to find the short descriptions for it, I would say that it is like your playing a Fortnite game in a zombie apocalyptic world. You can catch the colorful visuals as well as the jump-n-shoot gameplay that is very identical to Fortnite in Sunset Overdrive's trailer below:
Sunset Overdrive makes its way to our list of the best games with the worst viral epidemics because of its ridiculous and intriguing source of the virus. To be more specific, the FizzCo corporation has gone too fast with its new beverages by skipping testing, and it has ended up in the pandemic. Every person uses the drink has turned into the "Overcharged Drinker" (OD) - what a hilarious name for zombies.
Of course, FizzCo tried their best to cover this accident, and preventing everyone inside the Sunset City to get in or get out. That's when you'll strike as the employee of the corporation, working with other people to build your way to escape from the quarantine zone and bring the truth to the world.
Unlike other games in this list, Sunset Overdrive takes a less serious approach by telling the story with humorous jokes, vibrant visuals, and the playful gameplay. You will dash and jumps around the city to gather your items, and if you encounter the ODs, just hopping around them while shooting them in the face.
The interactions with the environment in this game are very satisfying, and you won't recognize spending hours jumping around the city by skating on the electricity network. If you're looking for a more action-packed entertaining game, then don't forget to check this one out.
5. The Last of Us
Release date: 2014
Supported platforms: PS3, PS4
We'll cap our list of the best post-apocalyptic games today with The Last of Us - the masterpiece from Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game has won multiple awards and is still mentioned very frequently nowadays for its touching story with a lot of humane messages, as well as the aesthetic visuals of the world people have abandoned.
It's a huge loss if you haven't played this game, since it's one of the best games with the virus epidemic concept that's suitable for the Coronavirus situation today, and its sequel - The Last of Us Episode 2 is coming very close to us. Let's watch the trailer below to raise some interest to play the game and even replay it for one more time:
We've written about The Last of Us for many times by now, but every time I have to do it again, the images of Joel and Ellie on their surviving journey still haunt me. In short, The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where the mysterious virus has turned almost the entire world into zombies, which has also taken the life of Joel's daughter away in an accident.
The painful memories from the past keep haunting Joel, especially with the appearance of Ellie - the young innocent girl that he has to 'ship' to a research base outside the safe zone. Their journey is not only filled with breath-taking zombie fights but also a lot of humane things that people share with each other in the harshest times of their lives.
The visuals are a huge plus of The Last of Us, as there are times that we can admire the beautiful sun in a colorful world without the having to deal with zombies, having some little chats that can calm our souls, and learn how to deal with zombie outbreaking situation by preparing.
Everything was capped with a touching ending as Joel takes Ellie away from the research base, conveying the message that we should never sacrifice people's lives to cure the virus, including the Coronavirus.
Conclusion
That's the end of Gurugamer's list on the best 5 games with viral outbreaks to meet your needs of preparing for the Coronavirus epidemic. Hopefully, through this game, you'll learn how to deal with the virus itself and how you should treat other people amid the looming threats.
After all, Coronavirus is never more dangerous than the negative attitudes people are holding toward each other. Be positive, and have fun!