5 Sci-Fi Games Not Enough People Remember

If there’s one genre that’s contributed to video games from the jump, it’s science fiction. Think of titles like Tempest and Asteroids. It’s all spaceships and blowing things up, so there’s a plethora of sci-fi games out there. While many complement existing multimedia franchises like Star Wars, plenty of others are unique IPs, so there’s a lot of variety. Throughout video game history, there have been countless sci-fi classics, many of which have been largely forgotten over the years. These five sci-fi games are great examples, as they’ve been mostly forgotten but still had an impact on the genre and the industry.

1) Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty

Dune is one of the most foundational sci-fi novels ever written, and there have been countless adaptations. One of the most important video games is Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty, released in 1992. While it’s not the first real-time strategy game, it established the format of pretty much every RTS game that followed. If it weren’t for Dune II, we wouldn’t have Command & Conquer, Warcraft, Age of Empires, and so many more. Dune II is a true RTS archetype, and while it’s incredibly important to the sub-genre, it’s been forgotten. New generations of players have likely never heard of it despite benefiting from the norms it established, and while dated, it remains a brilliant adaptation of Frank Herbert’s immense world.

2) Prey

Prey is a first-person shooter released in 2006 for the Xbox 360 and various computer platforms. The game centers on a Cherokee man named Domasi “Tommy” Tawodi, who is abducted alongside his girlfriend and his grandfather. Tommy must quest through the alien environs to find his way home, and his Cherokee spirituality allows him to return to life after dying. Prey uses variable gravity that creates interesting mechanics for moving through the levels, and it also employs portals to exploit areas. The game’s success eventually led to its sale to Bethesda Softworks, but a true sequel was ultimately cancelled. As a result, not many gamers remember Prey, which was innovative and exceptional.

3) The Dig

Point-and-click adventure games were all the rage in the early ‘90s, thanks mainly to LucasArts, which produced the best in the genre. The Dig is a 1995 game co-written by Steven Spielberg and Orson Scott Card, based on a planned script for Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. It’s a very cinematic-feeling game despite the now-dated graphics and mechanics. It centers around a five-person team planting explosives on an asteroid to avert the destruction of Earth. They’re transported to an alien world and must discover how to use alien technology and solve a mystery to return home. The Dig features some challenging puzzles, so not everyone loved it. Still, for those who enjoyed its complexity, it offered a thrilling adventure experience.

4) System Shock

System Shock was released in 1994 on various computer systems and is a cyberpunk action-adventure set in 2072. The game follows an unnamed hacker who’s on a quest to stop an AI called SHODAN. System Shock is archetypal of the immersive sim, establishing many of the genre’s base elements, and it has a long tradition of influencing even more successful games. Prey, BioShock, and Deus Ex all owe their existence to System Shock, as they’re all spiritual successors to what it established. A sequel followed in 1999, and the original game was remade in 2023, so it’s likely some newer games are familiar with it. Still, it’s largely forgotten by the gaming masses, which is a shame given how much fun it is.

5) Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

There’s a handful of forgotten Star Wars games, but one that should be remembered is Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. The Star Wars-themed RTS was released in 2001, and a subsequent expansion pack followed in 2002. The game was developed using the same engine as the first two Age of Empires games, so it’s similar in terms of gameplay and mechanics. That said, it’s entirely based within the Star Wars universe, allowing players to command armies of AT-ATs, Rebel troopers, and more. It was successful and a fun way to immerse players in the franchise’s lore by giving them command of bases they built and manned with all sorts of units. While mostly forgotten these days, it retains plenty of replayability and remains a fun addition to the Star Wars franchise.

What’s your favorite long-forgotten sci-fi game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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