Image via Complex Original
The United States is about to close in on the two-week mark of it's government shutdown with no definitive end in sight. As Democrats and Republicans continue their matches of political Pong, "non-essential" employees struggle at home to make ends meet without money coming in. Meanwhile the rest of us citizens feel the effects of shutdown a bit more everyday.
Undoubtedly, these are stressful times but as they often do, video games can help to alieviate some of the pressure. We've got a list of ten that reflect the chaotic country everyone is dealing with right now.
Are you angry? Give a game like State of Emergency a shot. Crackdown is the perfect outlet for people fearful of criminal anarchy in the streets and space nerds saddened by the closing of NASA can find solace in a very appropriate yet odd Call of Duty: Black Ops map. There's a something for everyone in this list so if you range from the wussingly passive to the most hot tempered aggressor, we've got you covered.
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State of Emergency 2011
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platform: PS2
There comes a time in every instigator's life where organizing small scuffles after sporting events just isn't enough. Starting riots is a tough job and as a citizen fed-up by The American Trade Organization, your just the one to set it off. To take down the man, you've got to get everyone around you just as beligerent with the same not-giving-f*** attitude as yourself. Afterwhich, you watch as the streets light up with molotov cocktails and exploding cars. It's the perfect remedy for
The Last of Us 2013
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3
With The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closed, there won't be any government funded vaccines or places to call for medical questions. Since--according to Murphy's Law--if anything bad can happen it will, there's a remote chance that spores will mutate humans into zombie-like creatures that the uninfected will have to do battle with. Multiple rounds of The Last of Us can prepare us all for an impending infestation of Runners, Stalkers, Clickers and Bloaters. Laugh if you will but we're getting our shivs together.
Sim City 2013
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: PC, Mac
The Department of Housing and Urban Development won't be around for a while so to get a feel of how people will be affected, boot-up the latest Sim City release and stop building houses for your town. In no time, you'll run into problems and see the city revert into the slum you started out with. That's just one city, so imagine an entire country dealing with housing problems of the same type.
Zoo Keeper 1982
Publisher: Taito
Platform: Arcade, PS2, Xbox, PC
Zoos and parks will be affected by the shutdown so that means it's party time for the animals. In order to prepare for the wild rager, Taito's arcade classic Zoo Keeper will teach the necessary skills needed to restore order. Granted, stacking bricks and jumping over escaped animals is the most practical solution but at least you'll be in the spirit of a full zoo lockdown.
Call of Duty: Black Ops "Rezurrection: Pack 4" map 2010
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac
NASA's doors are closed due to the government shutdown, but a trip to the moon is still possible with the downloadable add-on for the first Call of Duty: Black Ops If you think that flying to the moon with earthbound weapons is insane, mix in blood-thirsty zombies and zero-gravity. Yes, guns work in space within the video game universe.
Crackdown 2007
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
In fictional Pacific City, crime has risen so high that criminals have taken over completely. With the streets flooded with miscreants and the police force strained to the limit, you as a cyborg must take down the three kingpins of each gang. Crackdown is made from some of the most purse clutching, car window rolling fear out there. It's just the type of setting that one would imagine to come out of days of no government intervention. Thank the gaming gods for someone like The Agent (the game's main character) to step in and save us all from the results of a health care plan.
Surgeon Simulator 2013
Publisher: Bossa Studios
Platform: PC
With healthcare insurance hanging in the balance of the Democratic and Republican dong size contest, treating medical issues may come down to people doing it themselves. Surgeon Simulator can remind you that going that route is not a good idea at all.
Homefront 1999
Publisher: THQ
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
The now defunt publisher THQ struck paranoia gold with the release of the highly political shooter Homefront. In a world where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has set his scope on taking down a weakend United States, it's up to you—the alpha patriot—to buck down the bad guys. It's a good thing that Homefront came out months before the death of Kim Jong-il or there would've been a lot more political hell to pay as a result of its release. The only damage it caused was the removal of Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un's names along with any references to Korea in the Japanese version.
We can't say for sure but there's a good chance that if there was a list of video games that talk radio personality Alex Jones would play, this would top it.
Democracy 2 2012
Publisher: Positech Games
Platform: PC
Here's a video game that allows players to be as involved or apathetic as they want. In Democracy 2, gamers can take on the role of any type of citizen be it a hate-everything right winger or a bleeding heart, anything goes lefty. Since it's a lot easier to mouth-off from behind a keyboard, being a virtual activist is the perfect win for people who want to argue about political issues without doing anything real.
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
Bar the connectivity issues at launch, no one can dispute the anarchaic pleasures of the online counterpart to this year's billion dollar game. Grand Theft Auto V Online has successfully mixed the multiplayer environment with mission-based gameplay. Knocking over liquor stores that the government taxes for its booze may not be a good idea in real-life but in the game, it's the perfect F-U to the law while it's on it's back like a flipped turtle. It's this near lawless landscape that made so many gamers willing to put up with Rockstar's growing pains.
