Summary
- Video games set in Washington D.C. Offer a glimpse into potential futures and conspiracies surrounding America.
- Games like The Conduit and Fallout 3 showcase the iconic D.C. Landmarks in various post-apocalyptic scenarios.
- Titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 show intense battles in the capital, while Saints Row 4 lets players govern as the President.
Washington D.C., the capital of the United States of America, has seen much during the Nation’s history. This includes a Civil War and two World Wars, as well as a global pandemic and an attempted coup. Yet the city still stands as an icon of democracy.
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Thanks to its historical significance and its architecture, several video games have used D.C. As a backdrop. Not only have video games covered Washington’s present, but also give a glimpse into a future that many hope does not come to fruition, and remind all of the fragility of America’s institutions. Some titles have also delved into the more conspiratorial perception of the Capitol, the validity of which can neither be confirmed nor denied.
7 Independence Day
“Welcome To Earth.”
Independence Day
- Released
- February 1, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
- Genre(s)
- Shooter, Simulation
The 1996 film starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum made destroying national monuments a work of art. The film imagines an alien invasion scenario in which the visiting force eviscerates the White House in Washington, D.C.
The video game based on the movie for the PlayStation gives fighter pilots a chance to save the Nation’s Capital. One level has pilots flying over D.C., targeting turrets on the underbelly of the mothership hovering overhead. The graphics are janky, but the D.C. Architecture is easily recognizable. It might be a good way to celebrate the Fourth of July.
6 Saints Row 4
Hail To The Chief
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
Saints Row 4 is the follow-up to the wildly irreverent Saints Row 3. This time, the protagonist is the President of the United States, as designed by the gamer. An extraterrestrial force traps the President in a virtual city, and he must create as much chaos as possible to break the program.
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One of the earliest scenes is set in the White House, where the President walks down a hallway in style. The President can choose to either cure cancer or end world hunger, as well as potentially punch a politician. Saints Row 4’s enemies soon stage a siege of the White House, prompting the Commander in Chief to take down the enemy with guns and a giant turret.
5 The Conduit
A Conspiracy In The Heart Of The Nation’s Capital
The Conduit
- Released
- June 23, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
The Nintendo Wii was an interesting console for first-person shooters, thanks to its pointer controls allowing for motion-based aiming. Several shooters came out for the system, including High Voltage Software’s ambitious title The Conduit, created using a custom game engine designed to maximize the potential of the Wii’s underpowered hardware.
The Conduit focuses on an alien invasion of Washington DC. Protagonist Michael Ford starts off chasing down an alleged terrorist for an organization known as the Trust and finds himself thrown into a grander conspiracy. Firefights against alien invaders take place against the backdrops of such D.C. Locations as the National Mall and the White House.
4 The X-Files: Resist Or Serve
Visiting The FBI's Most Unwanted
The X-Files: Resist or Serve
- Released
- March 18, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
The X-Files was the doorway to government conspiracies for many in the 90s. The show follows FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate cases involving aliens, monsters, and the occasional ghosts. Even today, it seems eerily prescient, given recent Senate Hearings on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and testimonies from government whistleblowers.
The X-Files: Resist or Serve for the PlayStation 2 follows the agents in a three-episode arc set within the events of Season 7. Episode 2: Resonance sees the agents at the FBI building in Washington, D.C. There, Mulder and Scully can visit their boss Skinner’s office, wander down the hallway listening in on other agents’ conversations, and visit the office of the FBI’s Most Unwanted, complete with Mulder’s iconic “I Want To Believe” poster.
3 Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Is A Real American Hero
Duke Nukem 3D
- Released
- January 29, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
Duke Nukem is the manliest man to have ever manned this Earth. 3D Realms’ iconic first-person shooter sees the Duke slay alien pigs and rescue gorgeous women, all while delivering corny one-liners. The character endures to this day, having appeared in the cult shooter Bulletstorm.
The Duke Nukem 3D expansion pack Duke It Out In DC brings Duke to the Nation’s Capital. Blasting aliens is always fun, but doing so in the White House makes Duke feel especially patriotic. The setting also leads to some hilarious scenarios, including fighting in the Lincoln Memorial bathroom and seeing a poster in the FBI building that makes a nod to The X-Files.
2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The Battle of Washington, D.C.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
- Released
- October 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Infinity Ward
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
The Call of Duty franchise started off as a series of first-person shooters set in World War 2. With the fourth mainline entry, EA shifted the focus to a more contemporary setting and even the not-too-distant future. This includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is remembered for a number of reasons.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered has soldiers fighting in a hypothetical World War 3, where Russian forces have invaded the eastern coast of the United States. One level sees Washington, D.C. Up in flames, and troops fighting against the backdrop of the city’s most iconic structures, including the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument.
1 Fallout 3
D.C. After The Apocalypse
Fallout 3
- Released
- October 28, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
The Fallout franchise is a household name, featuring video games, merchandise, and now a hit television show on Amazon Prime. The franchise started out as a pair of isometric RPGs, followed by a strategy game.
After Bethesda acquired the rights to the property, they made Fallout 3, which brought much of the post-apocalyptic role-playing DNA of the classic titles into an open-world, first-person perspective. The setting for Fallout 3 is Washington, D.C., in the aftermath of nuclear Armageddon. The game world has lots to see and do, including visiting the ruins of D.C.’s classic architecture.
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