Summary
You wake up to your alarm. You put on your clothes. You head out of the house. You clock into the office. You go into a daze forgetting what even happened. You get home and eat some dinner. You go to bed. You wake up to your alarm and repeat it all over again.
Working a corporate job can be draining. The same thing day in and day out without any tangible effect on the world. Maybe playing some of these games will give you some catharsis. At a minimum, they’ll make you feel a little bit better that your job doesn’t have any roaming animatronics.
Though theOddworldgames have become renowned for their unsettling humour, it becomes easy in pop culture to forget that these games are about indentured servitude wrapped up in corporate drudgery. Though nigh on slavery is not contractually obligated of you.
While you could argue that Oddworld is actually more about breaking free from corporate life, in equal measure you have to survive it and make sure your friends do too. Armed soldiers are very keen to hold you to your quotas, and guard dogs will make sure you never clock out early.
Congratulations, you’ve been hired as a Night Guard for Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria! You are filled with joy, knowing you get to work at this renowned family franchise filled to the brim with pizza and amusements in equal measure. Don’t mind those rumours of creepy animatronics, those are just jealous competitors.
The night shift should be easy, right? Ah but these restaurants sure do seem pretty poorly maintained, everything just keeps breaking down. What’s that noise? Oh, that’s the Freddy Fazbear animatronic trying to kill you, obviously. Don’t worry though, he’ll go back to sleep come morning. You’ll get your paycheck then.
VR has been touted as a beautiful way to escape from reality, to experience things firsthand that you never thought possible. So get home, strap on your headset and get ready for another day shift in Job Simulator, an experience you’ve assuredly never witnessed before.
Job Simulator has a bit of a twist on the scenario here, in thatyou are actually playing a robotattempting to learn what a job is since humanity doesn’t need to do all that menial stuff anymore. You see, Job Simulator is actually a glimpse into the future when corporate life is just a funny pastime for humans!
Alright Stanley, sit down. You’re at work now and need to focus on that. No, you don’t need a break. Stay in your seat Stanley, please. Oh, you’re going to the toilet? Oh ok, go on then. Stanley, that’s not the way to the toilet. You’re just not listening to me at all, are you?
Stanley is you. And Stanley is also Stanley. Stanley is working, and he’s also trying to leave work. Work is work, and work is also life. Though that’s all for Stanley to decide. Well, actually the narrator will tell you what to do. Just pay attention to them. You’ll get to the end of the day no problem. Are you paying attention?
You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, sit down in your booth, deny someone their future, and head back home to your freezing apartment. Welcome to the life of an Arstotzkan Border Immigration Inspector. ensure no undesirables enter the state. Glory to Arstotzka!
Of course, the choice is yours to make. Do you have a heart in your chest? Surely you wouldn’t deny a refugee their only asylum? Ah, but they’ll dock your pay if you do, won’t they? Yes, your family is freezing in that apartment, your poor mother needs her medicine. Just do your job, don’t worry about any of those morals. Glory to Arstotzka!
Your alarm goes off - it’s March 15th, 2032. You wake up for your final tests before you get shipped off tothe Talos I space stationto help your brother with his research. It’s a glorious day, until the Typhon attack. Oh god, why’s this happening? This was meant to be a normal day.
Your alarm goes off - it’s March 15th, 2032. Have you seen this before? No, this is your last day before you get shipped off to Talos I. The morning is so nice, but something about the vista feels…wrong. You touch it and it falls away. It’s not March 25th, 2032 at all. The Typhon are already here. Get to work.
Humanity dreams of a future where the universe is colonised by us, the crumbling earth only a vestige of history books to document our great diaspora. “Wait, but who gets to run all those planets we colonise?”, you ask. ‘We’, what a silly proposition. The corporations run them, silly. Welcome to the Outer Worlds.
You wake up after who knows how long in cryosleep and step out into a series of planets quite literally run by a corporation operating remotely from Earth. Please pay for your own grave. Sorry, you have enough social credit to work that job. Could you kindly expire so a fresher colonist can take your place? Your service is greatly appreciated. Your next of kin is welcome to apply for your position.
Bioshock dares to ask the question - what if Ayn Rand had been allowed to build a city based on her own philosophical and economic beliefs? The rather obvious answer was a complete and utter failure but hey, Andrew Ryan gave it a go anyway. He failed.
Ayn Rand-, sorry, Andrew Ryan builtthe city of Rapturebeneath the ocean as a city of the elite where they could flourish freely, away from silly concepts like ‘law’ and ‘morality’. This resulted in Rapture meeting its own rapture. Ironically, living within Rapture was its own brand of surviving corporate life.
Good morning, and welcome to the Tomorrow Corporation. Every day here, you’ll make decisions that advance humanity, and have a real impact on the people around you. Don’t worry, we’ll ease you into the role. You’ll be in the upper echelons of the company in no time. Good luck!
Human Resource Machine is all about using humans as the resources to make the machine tick. Oh not you though, you’re one of the good works. The people on the floors below just aren’t as good as you. Don’t forget to pull up the corporate ladder with you on the way.
1Viscera Cleanup Detail
Have you ever been afraid of the concept of aliens invading? It’s a frightening idea, but really not something you need to worry about. We’ve got guns and bombs and a strong sense of xenophobia built in. Aliens don’t stand a chance. You just clean up the mess, alright?
Turns out aliens have blood just like us! A lot of it. Plenty of guts and for, too. We need this space station back in working order by tomorrow though, so get it cleaned up pronto. You’re doing a great job guys. You’ll definitely get a pay raise by the time the next alien invasion comes around.
