God of War Writer Says Post-Apocalyptic Games' Popularity Stems From Our Troubled Times

Marianne Krawczyk, who won a BAFTA award for her character and story work on God of War II, thinks that the popularity of post-apocalyptic games is a reflection of our own troubled times.

"With climate change, revolutions starting every other day, YouTube beheadings, corporations being recognized as people, massive oil spills, etc, etc, etc., I think it’s very easy to feel small and powerless," Krawczyk said in an interview posted to Gamasutra. "So one take on why the post-apocalyptic world is resonating with people is that it’s a reflection of our own troubled times and, more to the point, the lack of control that we have over what is happening. It just seems like it’s a matter of time before we are there in some way or another."

While that is certainly a grim interpretation, Krawczyk also said that there's an inherently optimistic aspect to these types of games, because at their core, post-apocalyptic worlds are about survival and the hope that there's an answer despite the sad state of affairs.

"When we take this very human condition and manifest it in a world where you get to play, shoot stuff and take back some of the control that we currently lack, it makes sense to me these games/stories resonate," she said.

In addition to writing for the God of War series, Krawczyk also worked on the Prince of Persia series, Far Cry, and Skylanders. She recently started teaching a course at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s Professional Programs called “Interactivity: A Course in Video Game Design and Development.”

Why do you think post-apocalyptic games are so popular? Let us know in the comments below.