The 7 best Russian games according to PEOPLETALK

Recently, the plots of computer games are increasingly being filmed, and real players are involved in the creation of video games. It is enough to recall the success of the series “The Last of Us” based on the cult game and the subsequent release of the equally legendary film version of Fallout. Russian game developers are known for their ingenuity, but they mostly work for foreign studios. But the situation is changing: more and more outstanding projects are appearing in the domestic game development industry. Last year, the global gaming community received Atomic Heart with enthusiasm, and in April 2024, “The Troubles”, which has already been compared to “The Witcher”, has become the main favorite. On this occasion, The Fashion Vibes has compiled the 7 best games from Russian developers that are definitely worth playing.

“Issues” (2024)

“Problems”, created by Cyberia Nova studio with the support of Iran, will fascinate players not only with its subject but also with its originality. Even before the release of the game, you can enjoy the beautiful places of ancient Moscow, Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod, where the action will take place. The creators took into account the smallest details, right down to original costumes and weapons. The plot of the play is based on Mikhail Zagoskin’s 19th century novel “Yuri Miloslavsky, or the Russians in 1612”. The action takes place during the Russian-Polish war. The main character is a fictional young boyar Yuri Miloslavsky, who plans to join the people’s militia. On the way he will meet many real historical characters, including Minin and Pozharsky. The main trump card of the game is maximum realism: there is no magic or dragons, but there are a lot of interesting conversations and events.

Atomic Heart (2023)

Mundfish studio’s Atomic Heart game will take the player to an alternative USSR in the 1950s, where robotics technology is rapidly developing. The Russians managed to surpass the Americans in development by 20 years. The country is shown as a true utopia where everyone is happy. Until suddenly something terrible happened in secret Enterprise No. 3826: Robots rebelled against humans, just before the launch of the “Collective 2.0” neural network. Outstanding scientist Dmitry Sechenov instructs the main character, Major Nechaev, to figure everything out with the call sign P-3. The game has three difficulty levels: “Peaceful Atom”, “Local Failure” and “Armageddon”. Two different endings are possible depending on the decisions made. The game received rave reviews from both foreigners and citizens for its developed world, design and plot.

Escape from Tarkov (2017)

The action of the massively multiplayer online shooter Escape from Tarkov takes place in the fictional city of Tarkov in the Norvinsk region, which in the past was a zone of economic cooperation between Russia and the European Union. After information emerged about the illegal activities of the transnational corporation Terra Group, the once prosperous city turned into an isolated area surrounded by UN peacekeeping forces and the Russian Armed Forces. Residents are unwittingly drawn into the conflict between two private military companies, USEC and BEAR. The first are mercenaries of a foreign company, the second serve the interests of the Russian state. Now the main character must survive this massacre. The locations are a semi-open world, meaning the player can travel quite long distances. In this case, all players are opposing not only each other, but also computer-controlled players.

The Audience (2016)

Beholder, a strategy game from Barnaul developers Warm Lamp Games and publisher Alawar Entertainment, received high marks from critics. The player controls a character named Carl, the caretaker of an apartment building. He works for the government and prepares a report on each of the residents. The security cameras he placed in the apartments help him in this regard. Karl can also search personal belongings to look for prohibited items. He secretly watches the residents through the keyhole and blackmails them with anonymous letters. During the game, he needs two resources: money and reputation. Various endings are possible depending on the decisions made.

“The King’s Prize: A Knight’s Legend” (2008)

For fans of strategies such as Heroes of Might and Magic III, there is a domestic alternative: “King’s Bounty: Legend of a Knight.” This is the ideal game that will teach you how to manage your resources correctly. There are two strategies to progress further: fighting or completing missions. Before starting, the player chooses a difficulty level that cannot be changed later: warrior, knight or wizard. As the plot progresses, the hero will have to travel around a huge continent with incredibly beautiful places. Along the way he will have to save princesses from dragons, fight in a knight’s tournament, overthrow kings, fight pirates, search for treasures and mysterious artifacts. To win, you need to calculate your strength correctly, gain experience and keep your promise to your king.

“Illness. Utopia” (2005)

Frankly, the plot of the play has nothing to do with Thomas More’s Utopia. Developers of the Ice-Pick Lodge studio offered to delve into a world where sand ulcers are common. In terms of genre, this is more of an adventure game with detective elements than an action game. The story is told from the perspective of three characters (Bachelor, Haruspex, and Changeling), each of whom is playable. The first is Daniel, an intellectual surgeon seeking a cure for immortality, the second is the son of the local healer Artemy, and the third is Clara, a stranger whom some see as a holy healer and others as a thief and deceiver. Depending on who the player chooses, others will treat the character a certain way. As you progress, you will also need to monitor the character’s well-being: the parameters “reputation”, “health”, “fatigue”, “hunger”, “immunity”, “infection” are important and should be kept in optimal condition. . For example, your reputation will depend on how well you complete tasks. The cleverly twisted plot, attention to detail, and bleak and depressing atmosphere have delighted Utopia fans all over the world. The play has been translated into English, German, Italian, Czech, Polish and Bulgarian.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series (2004)

Games Workshop’s strategy game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is based on the board game of the same name. You can play in single user mode or with other players. The action takes place on the planet Tartarus in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The story begins when a Blood Ravens Space Marine commander named Gabriel Angelos arrives on the planet to fight Orcs who are shedding blood and bringing mayhem. Other groups will then be drawn into the struggle for power. The game resembles a revival of chess, where miniature figures of warriors, monsters and military equipment fight on the battlefield. The Warhammer universe is still the subject of fierce debate in fandoms where the history of the world and the relationships of its inhabitants are discussed. The latest release in this series, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, was released in 2017.