Science fiction and video games go hand in hand and have for a very long time. Back when video games first became a reality, they were a kind of science fiction in and of themselves, and with the capabilities of current-gen hardware, those comparisons persist, even if the medium itself is now as common as television. The sci-fi genre is all over the gaming industry, from the consoles to the games themselves.
However, there is a subgenre of sci-fi that doesn't show up as often in video games: space operas. That may be because of how expansive a space opera needs to be, spanning multiple planets if not entire galaxies. Space operas are stories set primarily in space. They are usually thematically simplistic, but extremely imaginative in terms of futuristic civilizations and advanced alien species. Technology takes a backseat in space operas, with the focus instead on epic action, dazzling romances, and larger-than-life characters. These worlds take a ton of work to envision, and even more work to build into a game. Of the games that have accomplished that feat, here are the absolute best.
8 No Man's Sky
A millennium into our future, a machine called Atlas is created that is capable of simulating infinite universes. After humanity has departed from Earth, they install Atlas units on planets across the galaxy, hoping they will help uncover the mysteries of our universe. An early model Atlas unit is abandoned, and it is within that unit that the entirety of No Man's Sky takes place.
The player character is created by the Atlas unit, with the Atlas hoping the player - called the Last Traveler - will help it understand why it was abandoned. Therefore, every action the player takes is in pursuit of this goal, whether they know it or not. All of this lore is not immediately apparent when playing No Man's Sky, but the literally-infinite universe, numerous alien races, space battles, and advanced technology plant it just as squarely in the space opera genre as much as its narrative does.
7 Sins Of A Solar Empire
When an ancient alien race called the Vasari wanders into human-controlled space while fleeing an ancient enemy, they immediately enter into conflict with humans, and the Vasari are winning. In a last-ditch effort, humanity forms the Trader Emergency Coalition (TEC) and is finally able to fight back against the Vasari race. Just when the tide begins to turn in the humans' favor, a new enemy arrives; the Advent, an evolved group of exiled humans who have developed psychic abilities, and seek revenge on those who banished them.
All of this is told through a handful of CGI cutscenes, as the Sins of a Solar Empire games do not feature campaigns. Instead, they are pure old-school 4x strategy games (which stands for explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) where players take control of one of the three races and fight for control of everything from star systems to entire galaxies. The scale, distance, and constantly-moving 3D maps incorporated into the gameplay are astounding, especially for a 14-year-old game. The sequel, Sins of a Solar Empire 2, was released in October 2022.
6 Rogue Galaxy
A sci-fi action JRPG developed by Level-5 - the studio behind Professor Layton, Ni-No Kuni, and Yokai Watch - Rogue Galaxy was one of the games that helped the developer break into the gaming scene. It's a one-and-done, with no sequel in sight, but the visuals and art style still look gorgeous, despite the game releasing all the way back in 2005.
The story follows Jaster, a "Luke Skywalker-esque" hero who unwittingly takes up the sword of the bounty hunter known as Desert Claw, one of a collection of seven extremely powerful Galactic Swords. When a group of pirates mistakes Jaster for the real Desert Claw, they hire him to join their crew. Part Star Wars, part Firefly, and all Level-5, Rogue Galaxy is a forgotten gem that deserves more attention than it gets.
5 Advent Rising
Written by sci-fi legend Orson Scott Card, 2005's Advent Rising takes a fascinating direction with its interpretation of human-alien relations. The Aurelians, an alien race, have called humanity to a first-contact meeting. There they explain that they view humans as god-like beings, and offer to train humanity to harness their latent mystical abilities. This training comes in handy, as humanity is soon attacked by the Seekers, another species of aliens that seek to wipe out the human race.
Upon finally meeting the leader of the Seekers, it is revealed that they are, in fact, the actual future of the human race, and the humans that have been present throughout the game are an unevolved imitation. While the third-person shooter aspects of Advent Rising have not aged well, it still has one of the most unique and exciting sci-fi narratives across all gaming.
4 Chorus
Going from 2005 to 2021, Chorus follows Nara, a former Circle pilot, and her sentient ship, Forsaken, who defect from their positions and become heroes for a galactic rebellion. The Circle is a religious super-cult that follows the word of The Great Prophet and uses the power of a group of mysterious beings known as The Faceless to dominate the minds of their subjects, turning them into complacent soldiers.
Chorus sets a new bar for intense space dogfighting combat. Nara's ability to Drift Trance allows for unprecedented levels of control while flying through space at top speed. Meanwhile, Forsaken's ability to warp directly behind enemies is an intensely satisfying maneuver that can flip the tide of battle. The world-building and scenery in Chorus are top-quality, but the gameplay is on another level.
3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
There should be no surprise here. Star Wars put the space opera genre on the map back in 1977, and while the franchise continues to find new and exciting ways to explore its expansive lore, nothing has emphasized the scale and endless possibility of the Star Wars universe like BioWare's 2003 RPG that is now lovingly known as KOTOR.
Set a thousand years before the Star Wars films, KOTOR follows a nameless player character who wakes up on a Republic ship with no memory of their past. Darth Revan's apprentice, Darth Malak, has just unleashed a Sith assault on the Jedi, scattering them across the galaxy. As the player works to reunite the Jedi Order, their decisions will determine if they align with the Light side or the Dark side, and will significantly affect the game's conclusion. Almost 20 years later, this game remains one of BioWare's best.
2 Starcraft
The Starcraft universe is dense and complex, and it has evolved dramatically since its beginnings in 1998. An alien species called the Xel'Naga attempt to make a perfect being, and create both the Protoss and the Zerg. Eventually, the Xel'Naga are all but wiped out by the Zerg, and centuries later, a group of human colony ships wanders into their midst. The first game begins shortly after the first Zerg attack on those ships, with the Protoss acting as humanity's silent protectors.
Unbeknownst to the humans, the Protoss are forced to kill corrupted humans to contain the Zerg infestation. The humans take this as an attack by the Protoss and engage in war with both species. This lays the groundwork for the real-time strategy gameplay that makes up the Starcraft franchise. The gameplay and story are carefully intertwined, but it's the deep and intricate lore that makes Starcraft one of the best in its genre.
1 Mass Effect
Bioware took everything they learned while making the KOTOR series and applied it to their own brand of space opera, and the result is Mass Effect, one of the all-time best gaming series both in the sci-fi genre and as a whole. After humanity discovers an alien outpost on Mars, further exploration reveals that one of the Martian moons is in fact a Mass Relay, an advanced space station that allows for faster-than-light travel throughout the Milky Way. These discoveries hastened humanity's technological evolution, and while their first contact with aliens resulted in war, a governing body known as the Galactic Council quickly stepped in, achieved peace, and welcomed humanity into its ranks.
So begin the adventures of Commander Shepard, a top agent in Earth's space force, known as the Systems Alliance Navy. Players can determine Shepard's appearance and gender, as well as what kind of leader they are. Commanding a crew of fantastic characters, Commander Shepard travels the galaxy investigating the actions of an unknown alien race called the Reapers. The Mass Effect series' third-person shooting remains a standout in the genre, but it's the storytelling and world-building aspects that elevate it above its peers. There's a reason the franchise has branched off into novels, comics, and soon an Amazon Prime series.