Attendee Kristen Sarah uses Sony’s Playstation VR at the Sony booth during CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 9, 2018. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
The new year is upon us in less than 40 days and its a very special one. 2020 represents the end of a decade and what many of us that grew up in the 90’s considered to be “the future”. So what did video games have to say about the year 2020? Did they predict anything that’s come true or will we look at these games the same way our parents looked at “The Jetsons”? Here’s a look at a couple games set in 2020 and their take on “the future”.
Saints Row IV (2013)
An absurdist take on the GTA sandbox game. This game sees a gang leader become president of the US fighting off an alien invasion. This version of the 2020 is at least set in a familiar early 2010’s city. But aliens and “Matrix” style powers for sure make this version of the future feel fanciful but not futuristic.
Perfect Dark Zero (2005)
A prequel to the N64 game This version of 2020 is not too far off fromreality. A secret agent that’s trying to stop a Chinese plot to uncover ancient glyphs that give people superpowers. Tons of turn of the century technobabble like “hackers” and “neurodrives”.
Crysis (2007)
In this game, you battle against the North Korean army while outfitted with the most advanced nanotech battle suit. It was also known for frying your graphics card. While its good to see that the folks over at Cryteck felt like there would still be jungles and foliage, the future feel isn’t in the setting. Here its the supersuit. It could cloak, punch people and vehicles yards away, give you super-speed and more. Perhaps its for the best we don’t have these in our 2020.
Turtles in Time – Neon Night Riders (1991)
In Turtles in Time, one of the best beat-’em-ups of all time, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are thrown to various points in time trying to save Splinter. On of those periods is the year 2020. This future is incredibly bright, filled with hoverboards and helicopter men. You zip across a magnetic highway in the shadow of a giant neon city. It also has THE BEST music of all the games of this list.
2020 Super Baseball (1991 & 1993)
In the most technologically advanced version of 2020, man sized robots throw 200mph fastballs, all the fans sit beneath glass in the outfield as to not be killed by the flaming line drives. A screamer to dead center is an automatic HR and you can upgrade your players to have hit & pitch enhancing armor. I. Love. This. Game.
Tom Clancy’s EndWar (2008)
In Tom Clancy’s 2020, World War III breaks out in this Real Time Strategy game. You use voice commands to move units around the battlefield and secure a laser satellite defense system. Its near future so almost nothing is too fanciful. Besides the fact that this war is fought over a laser based satellite defense system. In a very, slow, dry and boring manner.