Too Many Sci-Fi Games Are Ignoring a Crucial Part of the Genre

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Many of the most compelling science fiction games take place in space, focusing on exploration, discovering new worlds, and engaging in spaceship combat. The genre is fundamentally about self-discovery – it asks ‘who are we?’ by imagining other intelligent life forms, unique cultures shaped by alien environments, and societies that force us to question our beliefs about right and wrong, who we are, and how we advance. Unfortunately, many games miss the mark, either omitting alien species altogether or portraying them as uninteresting. Too often, space is simply a setting for action, instead of a vibrant, populated frontier where encounters with others can truly change our understanding of life.

These huge galaxies often feel deserted or lacking in depth. Players travel from planet to planet, gathering materials and investigating strange occurrences, but they rarely meet the alien lifeforms that should be central to the game. It’s not that all games fall into this trap – some have managed to do it brilliantly. Space games should offer opportunities for personal exploration, but also spark our imaginations with encounters with other species.

The Hollow Vastness of Modern Space Games

Modern science fiction games often excel in graphics, gameplay, and storytelling, but they frequently fall short when it comes to truly imaginative worlds. While they offer huge universes, realistic space simulations, and countless planets, many of these worlds feel empty and lack interesting life. Bethesda’s Starfield is a good example – it prioritizes having a lot of content over making that content meaningful. It’s like exploring a museum filled with identical paintings; where’s the variety and originality?

This isn’t simply about small details; it’s a fundamental issue with creativity. Science fiction excels when it creates a sense of tension between what we know and what’s unknown. When games eliminate that contrast, they lose the mystery, fear, and sense of awe that make the genre so compelling. The universe feels empty as players become aimless explorers, charting territory without any real discoveries. Developers often claim they’re aiming for realism, but this is just a justification—and it’s hurting the industry.

Many games feature alien species, but often these aliens aren’t very well developed or feel superficial. Even ambitious games like No Man’s Sky sometimes fall into this trap. It can feel like aliens are included just to check a box, like the Thargoids in Elite Dangerous. They exist in the game, but we don’t know much about them, and their main role seems to be as enemies. This is disappointing because alien civilizations offer so much potential for interesting stories and gameplay.

When Sci-fi Gets It Right

The Mass Effect trilogy is still considered the gold standard for science fiction gaming because of its vibrant and believable galaxy. BioWare recognized that what makes space exploration exciting isn’t just the places you visit, but the intelligent life you encounter. Each alien race in Mass Effect, like the serious Turians and mysterious Asari, felt fully realized, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of life, culture, and history. These diverse backgrounds shaped how players experienced the game’s universe.

Building relationships with the alien species is central to the story and how the game plays. You’ll create alliances and navigate conflicts through diplomacy, understanding them despite their differences. Your decisions feel meaningful because you’re interacting with fully realized civilizations, not just simple stereotypes. The depth of each alien race in Mass Effect really encouraged players to learn about their cultures and histories. These interactions felt natural and were something players actively sought out.

Compare this to games like Starfield or The Outer Worlds, which create vast space settings but primarily focus on human stories and civilizations. The galaxy often feels limited because it lacks meaningful alien life, offering no real contrast to humanity. While games like No Man’s Sky and Elite Dangerous offer huge universes, they sometimes fall into the same trap. They might have many alien creatures, but these encounters often feel superficial, lacking the depth of genuine alien cultures.

Why Space Needs the Alien

The lack of alien civilizations in many sci-fi games isn’t just a creative oversight—it’s a deeper problem. Meeting aliens isn’t just good for gameplay and stories; it’s a core part of what science fiction does best: challenging us to think about what it means to be human. Through interactions—whether friendly, hostile, or simply confusing—aliens force us to examine our own values and beliefs. Without these encounters, the genre feels less imaginative and thought-provoking.

The future of space-based video games looks promising. A new Mass Effect game could be exactly what BioWare needs to regain its footing, and Exodus represents an exciting fresh start for the sci-fi genre. BioWare has always excelled at creating diverse alien species, and Archetype Entertainment has a unique chance to build upon the legacy of the original Mass Effect trilogy. The success of both games will likely hinge on how well they integrate and portray alien civilizations alongside human characters.

While it’s not essential for every space story to include aliens – the popular show Firefly proved that – having them often enhances the experience, especially in video games. Players crave the new possibilities and variety that alien life brings to a game world. Space itself is a captivating setting, and it’s disappointing when developers overlook this key element. Ultimately, even if space doesn’t need aliens, players definitely want them.

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2025-10-25 20:14