Sci-fi games better than Fallout available on Game Pass

Fallout has been a titan in the sci-fi space for many decades. But just because it might be a favorite of many gamers in the genre, doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other great games out there that capture the essence of sci-fi in even better ways.

Indeed, many of the best sci-fi games have found a home on Game Pass, allowing players to experience futuristic worlds and apocalyptic scenarios for the same price. Whether players are looking for an open-world epic or a slower, more story-driven experience, the platform truly has it all.

Management

Shifting Reality One Step At A Time

Details:

• Physical combat with lots of creativity

• A more tactile world to interact with in greater detail

Management sends players into a shifting, paranormal environment that feels truly alive and completely different from the dilapidated wastelands Fallout. The Oldest House is not just a backdrop, but a place that actively reshapes itself in real time, with each room telling a story through environmental details rather than explicit objects or notes.

The fight is where Management pulls completely forward. Players have access to a variety of abilities that they can use on both enemies and the environment itself, creating a sense of power that is quite hard to find elsewhere. The game also flows at a much faster pace, allowing players to really dictate how aggressive or passive they want to be with their newfound abilities.

Doom: Eternal

The road to hell and back

Details:

• Fast-paced action that is billed as the best in the series

• A huge variety of weapon combos, each serving specific purposes

DOOM Eternal is the culmination of more than two decades of franchise development and delivers the best experience of the series by a country mile. Players can jump back into the demonic world with even more courage than ever before, sprinting through enemies and blasting their way through levels however they want.

The game handles perfectly capturing the sci-fi elements of the universe and takes them into a satisfying firefight that will keep players coming back again and again. When it comes to FPS games in this genre, few can compete for sheer fun Eternal provides and cements itself among the greats both in the franchise and in the wider space.

Spoil

Nowhere in space is safe

Details:

• Intelligent enemies that require constant adaptation

• Open-ended problem solving rather than definite solutions

Spoil provides the kind of system freedom that many Fallout games promise but never quite deliver. Each obstacle in Talos I can be solved using a variety of methods, allowing players to creatively forge their own paths without ever feeling restricted.

The world itself also feels incredibly unique, which is hard to achieve in the otherwise rather dated sci-fi horror genre. Ultimately, the game feels like a love letter to all sides of the sci-fi spectrum, leaving players feeling lost in tense gameplay that pushes them to their psychological limits.

Wasteland 3

The pinnacle of turn strategy

Details:

• Classic RPG feel

• Party interactions that harken back to the beginnings of the genre

Wasteland 3 very reminiscent of the early days of Fallout, it has turn-based mechanics that give players all the choice they need to approach each individual encounter. But where the game overshadows Bethesda's Apocalypse is how well it handles decision-making, where consequences can often be delayed and long-term results can be dire from even minor mistakes.

The tactical nature of combat also allows players to feel much more in touch with the world itself. Every piece of cover has a meaning and players will need to focus more on their surroundings to succeed and fully immerse themselves in the environment from the moment the game starts.

Titanfall 2

Exceptional from start to finish

Details:

• An incredible single player campaign with a perfectly integrated progression

• Mechanically demanding multiplayer that encourages you to master movement

Titanfall 2 manages to achieve something that very few other modern FPS games even attempt, having both a stellar campaign and an exceptional multiplayer experience. Players aren't just forced into one scenario after another, but instead are given meaningful tools at critical moments that can then be used throughout the rest of the story, rather than just gimmicks.

When it comes to multiplayer, no other game really comes close to the action and intensity of the large-scale battles of Pilot vs Titan. One minute the player can be dashing and traversing the map and the next jumping into a giant mechanical killing machine, giving them a powerful fantasy that simply doesn't exist in the sci-fi genre.

No Man's Sky

Removing all limits

Details:

• An open universe with unparalleled scale

• No barriers to exploration, both on planets and in space

No Man's Sky is an open-world sci-fi adventure to beat them all. Players are no longer limited to a single world to explore and are instead gifted with an entire universe to explore, filled with countless galaxies and planets, all covered in life.

The game offers basically every fantasy a sci-fi fan could want, with more freedom to see and do things on a truly unlimited map. Fallout may have a more grounded world but No Man's Sky giving players the ability to explore on a scale unlike any other.

Gears Of War

Defining modern sci-fi shooters

Details:

• Responsive combat that focuses on tactics and cover

• A stronger presence of the enemy in the world

Gears of War is for many the place where they truly fell in love with video game shooters. The game gives players an experience like no other, sending them into terrifying battles against towering alien creatures with the intensity of a feature-length action movie, while forcing them to make real-time tactical decisions in the midst of an intergalactic war.

Narratively, the game also maintains a stronger sense of momentum and emotional focus. Instead of sprawling side content and a fragmented narrative, the narrative maintains a focus on the brotherhood throughout, and the iconic characters of Marcus and Dom give it a level of emotion that just isn't there. Fallout.

Mass Effect 2

Rich storytelling across multiple worlds

Details:

• Movie-level story scenes with much more character focus

• The player's choice is directly reflected in the characters' long-term stories

Mass Effect 2 brings a level of narrative coherence and character complexity that was, and still is, virtually unheard of in the sci-fi space. The world is built entirely around the relationships between the characters and the personal conflicts each carries, so every choice feels personal on a much deeper level.

The fate of many lives is also completely up to the player, and the final operation itself is heavily dictated by the decisions the player made earlier, even in the next game. This level of control remains impressive after all these years, making it a stalwart in a genre dominated by big names and franchises.

Citizen Sleeper

Bringing humanity back to the future

Details:

• Deep RPG systems woven into the story

• A long-term narrative with meaningful consequences

Citizen Sleeper combines survival and science fiction into a deep RPG that constantly tests the player's ability to make tough decisions with dire consequences. Instead of weapons and loot, the core systems revolve around time management, resource scarcity, and relationship building, creating a constant loop of uncertainty that makes every decision feel weighty.

Also, the narrative is completely controlled by the player through dice-based outcomes that constantly change based on past choices. It's a much more intimate, emotionally grounded sci-fi experience that brings the player closer to the world around them rather than overwhelming them with scale.

Outer worlds 2

From New Vegas to a completely different universe

Details:

• Obsidian RPG expertise combined with a unique sci-fi setting

• Emphasis on player agency above all

Outer worlds 2 is the most direct successor to Fallout's RPG style, but avoids many of Bethesda's system weaknesses and instead introduces players to a world where quests branch out and dialogue options carry real meaning beyond a single interaction.

Building on the success of New Vegas, it's clear that Obsidian is taking a lot of lessons and pushing it to a new level in both how the world is designed and how players can interact with it. Like the original, characters take center stage with complex relationships and story lines that follow the player from start to finish in expected and unexpected ways.