Someone recently asked me why game developers are obsessed with using Apocalypse settings. Are they just creatively bankrupt? Here was my answer:
Apocalypse settings are the equivalent of fertile soil. They naturally lend themselves to an environment which is good for game development:
1) Few characters that you feel a desire to talk to (most dialogue limitations can break immersion and aren’t the focus of many gameplay-driven titles)
2) Lots of irredeemable enemies to fight.
3) Sensible reason to have loot caches lying around.
4) Lots of need for heroic action.
5) Sensible reason to have limited information, relying on data logs or radio transmissions that are easy to produce.
6) Natural reason most buildings and shops are boarded up (so it doesn’t feel fake that you can’t enter them).
There’s a lot more, but that’s a start.
Dan Felder 