Across its now four seasons, HBO’s Westworld has consistently discussed themes of artificial intelligence, what it means to be alive, and the nature of humanity through a critical, philosophical lens.
Concepts like these have been explored by numerous works of science fiction, and video games are certainly no exception. If you’re looking for games to play that feel like Westworld, read on.
SOMA
Games To Play if You Love Westworld
From the word go, Frictional Game’s SOMA sees the player working their way through a derelict, subaquatic research station packed to the brim with artificial intelligence that refuse to acknowledge the fact that they aren’t human. As the plot unfolds, the game deepens its themes in kind and frequently turns established plot developments on their heads, opening the door for the player to ask their own questions.
Despite its status as a horror game (it is made by the studio that brought us the Penumbra and Amnesia series after all), SOMA is an easy recommendation for all science fiction fans on the basis of story alone. What’s more, the game features a “Safe Mode” that allows players to experience the title without having to worry about any of the game’s eerie enemies attacking them. It’s available on PC, Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Games To Play if You Love Westworld
The first three releases in this popular RPG series were developed by BioWare and published by its parent company Electronic Arts between 2007 and 2012. Outside of the general science fiction premise, the Mass Effect series’ Westworld relevancy is largely explored through the Geth, a mechanical race that operates with a hivemind. In the game’s backstory, they were created for labor and warfare but began to gain sentience, which prompted their creators to try and exterminate them completely.
While this moment in galactic history is touched on in the first Mass Effect, it comes into primary focus in Mass Effect 2. To speak on it more would be venturing deeper into spoiler territory, but fans of Westworld will very much appreciate this particular part of Mass Effect’s expansive lore.
It’s never been easier to play through the trilogy thanks to the recent Mass Effect Legendary Edition, so why not see if you should pick up the collection on PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One?
System Shock 2
Games To Play if You Love Westworld
An undisputed classic of the immersive sim and survival horror genres, System Shock 2 was released in 1999 courtesy of Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios, with Electronic Arts taking up publishing duties. Throughout the course of this cyberpunk game, you explore the interior of a sprawling spaceship overrun with humans that have undergone genetic modifications.
If Westworld is an exploration of artificial intelligence in the early stages of gaining sentience, System Shock 2 is an exploration of AI sentience at a very late and twisted stage. The megalomaniacal AI SHODAN is an iconic antagonist for good reason, and her consistent taunting and belittling of humankind towards the player is reminiscent of a particular host’s view of humanity in Westworld.
System Shock 2 is available on both PC and Mac OS X, and it just might be the perfect title to prepare you for the upcoming remake of the first System Shock.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Games To Play if You Love Westworld
In keeping with the theme of malevolent artificial intelligence, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Cyberdreams in 1995. It takes place in a far-flung future, where a supercomputer named AM has eliminated all of humanity except for five people, who he forcibly keeps alive and tortures indefinitely by exploiting the flaws in their personalities.
This game is an adaptation of the 1967 short sci-fi story by Harlan Ellison, and it has the interesting distinction of being written by him as well. In that way, the game is essentially supplemental material to the original story that further expands on the characters and narrative. It deals with some very mature themes and might be a bit cumbersome to play given that it’s almost thirty years old, but I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream was critically acclaimed by reviewers and is readily available to purchase and play on PC.