Summary
Punk rockstarted as a music genre in the 1970s. It was defined by its stripped-back sound and rebellious nature, standing against the mainstream and often shouting out about struggles against “the man.”
Since then, punk has become its own subculture. It encompasses many different variations, but always keeps the spirit of rebellion and anti-corporate anger at the forefront. There are thousands of books, movies, and songs that are perfect examples of the punk mentality, but finding the most punk rock video games of all time can be a challenge when storefronts are loaded with wanna-be’s. These are the most punk rock games ever, for players to loudly explore and indulge in.
Red Factionis perhaps the most upfront rebellious game on this list. Theclassic FPS gamestarts with the players joining a mining colony on Mars, where they see the awful effects of poor working conditions, terrible living standards, and a Plague that is wiping out the miners. Players join an uprising against their corporate overlords, fighting waves of security for the Ultor Corporation.
Destructive environments encourage players to take their own approach to the obstacles in their way. As players discover that the corporation plans to cover up their crimes against humanity, they can blast their way through mercenaries to find a cure to the Plague and help the miners stand against the people who pushed them down.
For a more low-key and emotional game,Life is Strangeis an incredible story that still wears its punk nature on its sleeve. Taking on the role of Max Caulfield as she returns to her hometown to go to college, players will find themselves wrapped up in a missing persons case, the crumbling home life of Max’s old best friend Chloe, anda supernatural plot.
Chloe embodies a punk mentality as a dropout who takes charge of a good section of the game’s soundtrack. The beautifully crafted story sees Max using a newfound power to rewind. It’s about teen angst and the protagonists struggling to find themselves despite the crushing weight of expectations and pressures from adults who don’t trust them.
A classic arcade game that later received ports to a swathe of other systems,Crazy Taxilives up to its name in every way. Controlling a taxi and picking up passengers, players race against the clock and gain extra time when they drop off their customers or pick up a new one.
Players have to earn as much money as possible, all while the sounds of Bad Religion and The Offspring pulse them onward.Rewards for destruction and reckless drivingurge players to cause as much chaos as possible, and the anarchic spirit of the game makes this a surefire inclusion.
In a dystopian future run by all-powerful companies, players will be recruited into a murderous security force called the Cruelty Squad. There, they receive a list of targets to take out, including employees, the heads of rival companies, and politicians who are trying to rally against corporate overlords.
Although punks will notice that they are working for the evil corporation and may not approve, thetrippy retro crunchof the art style is likely to draw them in. The game is constantly fighting immersion, making players aware that they are in a programmed world. When the protagonist eventually decides to face off against their bosses, the punk anarchy drips from the screen.
A sporty platformer that oozes charm through its cel-shaded graphics,Jet Set Radiois a crowning achievement by SEGA. The game is renowned as a testament to alt-punk aesthetics with a generous helping of neon meeting the grungy streets of Tokyo-To.
Players will traverse the town on roller skates, facing off against other gangs while spraying their graffiti anywhere they can. Facing off against opposing skaters, players will eventually find themselves fleeing from the police and trying to take down an evil business conglomerate. With the US release featuring Rob Zombie’s music and having heavy influences fromFight Club’s anti-establishment themes, this game is deserving of its place on this list.
Many have calledSunset Overdrivea spiritual successor toJet Set Radio. At first glance, it has many similarities: a focus on movement and environmental exploration, a pulse-pounding punk rock soundtrack, and the ability to perform tricks. However,Sunset Overdrivehasmore in-your-face violence and cartoony combat.
Set in a post-apocalypse where consumers of a new fizzy drink become mutant monsters, players fight against hordes while keeping their Style Meter high to progress the story and upgrade their weapons. The game pokes fun at the power that the massive corporation has over the city it resides in. Players finish up by stopping the drinks company from wiping out witnesses, meaning they will be made to pay for their crimes.
Amid many poorly received movie tie-in video games, Rockstar Studios released a 3D Beat ‘Em Up game tie-in that follows the plot ofThe Warriors. However,The Warriorswas immediately recognized as a cut above, fleshing out the world of the film using information given in the movie to create new scenes.
Gamers can play through origin stories for select gang members, and the plot of the movie balloons into an epic storyline that lets players brawl with rival gangs, confront crooked cops, tag buildings with graffiti, and become the best gang on the streets.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesis a gothic punk game that sees the player joining a secret underground society ofvampires, werewolves and other supernatural creaturesfighting for dominance over the mortals who roam the streets of the open world. It fits a punky aesthetic as well as giving players plenty of choices about whom to ally with, how to fight, and how to approach any given obstacle.
The rich businessman is a ruler over the vampires, exercising regal control over those beneath him. Players can take him down from the inside with a variety of powers. This cult classic deserves the high praise it still receives to this day.
Disco Elysiumseems to fit the bill of every kind of game. When players find themselves controlling a down-on-his-luck detective with alcohol-induced amnesia who can hear the facets of his personality talking to each other in his head, they must get down to business and solve a murder in thisdialogue-heavy RPG.
Disco Elysiumis famous for the many different political opinions that the protagonist can be loaded up with, and for random outbursts of political theory. The unions are corrupt, communism has been bombed out of existence, and the police have very little respect even when they are working hard to solve a very real conspiracy. The dialogue and the minute-to-minute gameplay are the definition of punk rock.
For another game that challenges gamer expectations and finds anarchy in following orders,Hotline Miamithrows players into a neon-drenched nightmare where they will drudge through their day-to-day lives as an elite hitman. Wiping out gang members and wading through corpses, the narrative starts to ask the player questions directly: do they like to hurt people? Are they just following orders in the same way as the protagonist?
During the normal blood-soaked gameplay, players are hypnotized into repetitive killing, but players are encouraged to rebel against the thinking that the game encourages. There is always someone pulling the strings.
