There are many forms of entertainment that allow audiences a source of escapism and fantasy, but video games are a medium that can go even further in terms of their level of immersion. There are lots of video games that turn towards the future and create stunning visions of space or what’s to come, but there’s been an increasing trend in video games that turn the clock backwards and explore pockets of the past.
Video games have evolved to the point where they’ve found stories and franchises that allow them to explore many important time periods from history. The 1980s is still an era that’s often romanticized in television and film, but there are also plenty of video games that are set within this time period.
10 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The Grand Theft Auto series have become some of the most popular video games of all time and there’s a surprisingly intricate story that’s told across the many titles and spin-offs within the universe. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is set in 1986 and deals with former mobster Tommy Vercetti’s release from prison and return to the streets. Grand Theft Auto’s signature gameplay is drenched in the pastels of the ‘80s as it takes its cues from Scarface and Miami Vice. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is set in 1984 and acts as a prelude to this danger.
9 Street Fighter
The Street Fighter series has helped define the fighting genre. Street Fighter II is the first game in the series that really got people’s attention, but the original Street Fighter still has its charms. Street Fighter is a more simplified version of its sequel, but the story and most of the characters remain the same. Street Fighter feels more grounded than Mortal Kombat, but it still often leans towards fantasy. Despite this, the first game is set during the end of the ‘80s within the real world, as if the events in the game mirror the title’s release in 1987.
8 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a PlayStation 4 game developed by Vanillaware and published by the talented Atlus that's unfortunately flown under many people's radars. 13 Sentinels is an impressive blend of genres and the game's epic story combines real-time strategy elements with adventure gameplay.
13 teenagers are pushed into a deadly war between giant mechas and terrifying Kaiju that leaves Japan in ruins. 13 Sentinels tackles a lot, but it's a risk that pays off. The heightened action delivers, but the game's vision of an alternate version of 1980s Japan is also fascinating.
7 Police Quest: In Pursuit Of The Death Angel
The point-and-click genre of video games dominated the ‘80s and ‘90s and Sierra was one of the top names in the market. Police Quest didn’t find the same popularity as King’s Quest or Space Quest, but it still earned a number of sequels over the years. Designed by a retired police officer, Police Quest tries to take a realistic approach to the crime genre and has a lot of creative ideas. The game is set between the years 1983 and 1987 as police officer Sonny Bonds tries to apprehend a violent drug lord known as “The Death Angel.”
6 Cryostasis: Sleep Of Reason
Cryostasis: Sleep Of Reason is a terrifying psychological horror title that's set in 1981 aboard a shipwrecked freighter at the North Pole. The first-person horror game incorporates some unique ideas, like using the character's body heat as their health meter, as well as the concept of Mental Echoes, where the protagonist can invade memories and change the past through this process. Cryostasis owes a lot to The Thing, but it still feels original. So many titles these days are multi-platform releases, but Cryostasis is exclusive to Windows, which makes it one of the better horror games restricted to the PC.
5 Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory
The Hyperdimension Neptunia series throws together wild anime stereotypes with a surprisingly meta narrative that turns the characters' big battle into a literal Console War of sorts. The titles excel in their use of bubbly characters and heightened action-RPG gameplay, but there's also a constant bombardment of crazy visuals and absurd twists.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is the third entry in the series and while it's set in an alternate world to the series' standard Gamindustri, it still takes place in 1989, even if it's a crazy interpretation of the '80s.
4 Shadow Of Memories
Shadow of Memories is a mystery and adventure title for the PlayStation 2 that's one of Konami's more overlooked entries. The game has a creative storyline where the protagonist is on the hunt to prevent his own murder and discover who's responsible for it. Shadow of Memories is heavily involved with time travel and the game visits four different periods—2001, 1902, the 1580s, and 1979/1980—in order to tell this intricate story. 1980 isn't the game's dominant era, but it's still an important part of the journey, which stands out more in contrast to the game's other eras.
3 Cursed Mountain
The Wii is a console that gets a lot of criticism with the rampantly forced motion controls in many of its titles, but there are still some hidden gems that fall through the cracks. Cursed Mountain is a mature survival horror game for the Nintendo console that's set in the late 1980s amidst the backdrop of the harsh terrain of the Himalayas. Eric Simmons is a climber who braves these conditions to rescue his brother and retrieve an important artifact, but he also must contend with angry ghosts in addition to the deadly weather.
2 Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
The Call of Duty franchise can sometimes feel more like an annual obligation than a series that continues to push boundaries for first-person shooters. Fatigue has definitely set in with the Call of Duty series, but the games have clued into this and tried to mix up their formula. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (along with Black Ops II) is set within the Cold War and plays into the real-life conditions and dangers that were present during the tumultuous time in the 1980s.
1 Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando is one of Capcom's earlier franchises and it's still a series that the company tries to bring back to life every so often. Bionic Commando often gets singled out for how it helped push action and platform games forward, but the original title also has an insane plot where the negative effects of World War II have never ended and led to a nightmare version of the 1980s. Nathan "Rad" Spencer's quest puts him up against weapons of destruction and the game's version of the '80s isn't that different from how its ending presents the futuristic 2010.