10 Best Games Where You Take Down a Corporation

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In case you’re searching for an instant antagonist in your fictional world, it’s hard to beat the trustworthiness of a massive, malevolent conglomerate as a choice.

Regardless of whether the entire corporation is corrupt throughout or if its unethical actions are primarily driven by a selfish CEO, the underlying idea remains consistent: a vast organization exploiting financial power and influence to accumulate wealth at the cost of those within and outside its sphere.

It’s enjoyable to portray corporations as the villain, as most people, except for hardcore corporate supporters, likely won’t mind seeing them brought down a notch.

Of course, corporations, ranging from small to large and spanning multiple industries, often serve as adversaries in video games. You might find yourself fighting them using weapons like swords or guns. If watching corporate stocks plummet brings you joy, here are some top games where you can bring about a bit of necessary restructuring.

In the context of this list, “taking down a corporation” can be interpreted in any of these ways: the company completely collapses or goes bankrupt, it experiences a crippling setback that significantly hinders its operations, or its top-level executive is removed from office (either through termination, resignation, or becoming incapacitated).

10.
Borderlands 2

Hyperion

In the first Borderlands game, Hyperion is simply one of several weapon manufacturers peddling lethal gear across Pandora, alongside companies like Dahl, Atlas, Jakobs, and others. Their weapons are flashy, but they don’t have much else that stands out. However, in Borderlands 2, things change when Handsome Jack takes over as CEO of Hyperion following a brutal internal coup.

Jack effectively takes charge of Pandora, exploiting its rich Eridium reserves, intimidating native communities, and eliminating anyone who seems remotely connected to Vault Hunters. With Hyperion’s immense assets at his disposal, he has a constant flow of Loader bots and weaponry to carry out these actions.

Absolutely, at the end of Borderlands 2, Jack receives a fatal shot to the head, effectively slaying the mighty Hyperion Corporation. Although Hyperion remains in existence in Borderlands 3, it has returned to its role as a predominantly anonymous weapons manufacturer. It’s intriguing to ponder if any of these corporations could potentially reenact Jack’s rise to power, should their leaders ever decide to seize control.

9.
Doom Eternal

Union Aerospace Corporation

Before the occurrences in Doom 2016, it was the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC), a massive space-faring company, that orchestrated humankind’s significant migration to Mars, a journey that marked our first colonization of the red planet.

The UAC’s initiatives played a crucial role in the unveiling of the Hellgate on Mars, which ultimately led to the adoption of Argent Energy by humanity. It’s no wonder that, after consistently venturing into metaphorical infernos, your company began to display some unique characteristics.

In Doom 2016, the UAC’s demonic connections were more under-the-radar and covert. But when Doom Eternal arrived, they pulled off the mask completely – the remnants of the corporation on Earth had become openly Hell-allied. This transformation was largely orchestrated by the Hell Priest Deag Ranak, who coordinated the efforts from the dark side.

Throughout the game, you’ll encounter hologram ads from UAC with a recurring theme that could be summed up as “The experience of Hell promises to consume everyone, and it’s supposed to be amazing.

Unfortunately for the UAC, they disregarded the fundamental principle in reality: never antagonize the Slayer. I recall a specific incident near the end of the game where those holographic advertisements abandoned any attempts to appear menacing or cult-like, instead having their projected spokesperson shriek at demons to eliminate the Slayer. Predictably, it had no effect on him.

8.
Final Fantasy 7

Shinra Electric Power Company

In the initial city of Midgar from Final Fantasy 7, it’s the Shinra Electric Power Company that wields significant control. This is primarily due to their exclusive hold over the crucial Mako energy source.

Shinra is responsible for supplying energy to the entire city, along with offering products such as weaponry and technological advancements worldwide. It seems oblivious or indifferent to the fact that these endeavors may be inadvertently destroying the Earth.

In the storyline, Avalanche consistently poses trouble for the Shinra Corporation, but the tension significantly increases following Sephiroth’s assassination of President Shinra. His son, Rufus, then assumes leadership, yet by this time, Sephiroth has already grown into a significant issue.

Shinra can be described as the quintessential corporate entity that disregards moral and logical reasoning, continuing their actions despite being presented with clear evidence of their errors. They seem unfazed by potential global catastrophe, instead prioritizing financial gain above all else – a celebration of wealth over all other concerns.

7.
The Outer Worlds

Halcyon Holdings Corporation

In the game, The Outer Worlds, the main opposing entity is Halcyon Holdings Corporation – a sprawling, interstellar company that controls all the planets within the Halcyon system.

The corporation, referred to as HHC, came into existence when the Board acquired the rights to manage a system that combined elements of a company town and a manufacturing facility, following this corporate practice. However, by the time you woke up from your stasis sleep, the entire operation had collapsed.

Regardless of being the recognized authority across the entire Halcyon system, the administration overseen by the Board is teetering on the brink of complete disintegration. Food supplies are dwindling, employment opportunities are scarce, and the bulk of resources and influence are hoarded by the Board and the upper class. In truth, it’s likely that HHC would have crumbled under its own weight even without outside intervention.

The outcome of whether the collapse happens quickly and orderly, enabling the colony’s inhabitants to rebuild, or slowly and aimlessly, with most people frozen in stasis and resources centralized in a few affluent communities, depends on your choices. Frankly, I can’t imagine why you would choose the latter option.

6.
Resident Evil 2

Umbrella Corporation

The Umbrella Corporation stands as a massive global corporation, serving as the main adversary throughout the initial Resident Evil trilogy.

Umbrella Corporation has diverse business ventures spanning the globe, including machinery, transportation, and food industries; however, its primary focus and main source of profit lies in pharmaceuticals. This is because the company’s executive board aimed to achieve immortality as superhumans through genetic and viral research – a rather unusual endeavor.

In the first Resident Evil game, Umbrella Corporation’s presence is hinted at, but it’s in Resident Evil 2 where its role becomes more apparent, particularly after the Raccoon City disaster. Due to a power struggle within Umbrella and between the corporation and researcher William Birkin, the T-Virus contaminated the city’s water supply, leading to a zombie outbreak and subsequent military responses.

To put it simply, while neither Leon nor Claire were directly responsible for Umbrella’s collapse in the story, their actions indirectly contributed to its downfall. Leon’s remarkable survival led to his recruitment into an anti-Umbrella team, which eventually dismantled the company’s international branches, and Umbrella went bankrupt after its wrongdoings were exposed. So, although it took time, their actions played a significant role in Umbrella’s eventual demise.

5.
Hi-Fi Rush

Vandelay Technologies

In the game Hi-Fi Rush, Vandelay Technologies is a globally recognized leader in technological innovation, tackling tomorrow’s challenges today. However, under the leadership of its former CEO, Roxanne Vandelay, it flourished; since her son Kale and his group assumed control, though, the company has veered towards questionable business practices and cost-cutting measures.

Kale’s malicious scheme involves employing his self-made SPECTRA AI for secretly influencing people who join the Armstrong cybernetics program, making them buy whatever Vandelay manufactures without much thought or effort on their part. It seems he prefers this manipulation to exerting actual effort in creating quality goods, as reflected by his current situation. Quite timely, isn’t it?

What I find amusing about this situation, and it’s something Chai and his associates often point out, is that if Kale had simply stuck with the original plan for the company instead of devising an excessively complicated scheme, he likely would have prospered. However, he couldn’t resist having his cake and eating it too, which resulted in a blow to the head with a guitar and an explosion, leaving Roxanne to restore the company to its former glory.

This version attempts to make the text easier to understand while retaining the original meaning.

4.
Kirby: Planet Robobot

Haltmann Works Company

Surprisingly, even a charming character like Kirby found himself confronting corporate misconduct when the Haltmann Works Company invaded Planet Popstar during Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Haltmann Works’ main objective is to ensure perpetual wealth. To achieve this seemingly unattainable goal, they propose a method that involves forcibly taking over every planet in the cosmos and converting their inhabitants unwillingly into mechanical beings. This approach seems reminiscent of a third phase focusing on profit, but given that the company does have shareholders, it appears someone finds this concept appealing.

In truth, it’s not Max Haltmann, the company president, who sets its objectives. Instead, it seems to be Star Dream, the advanced but incomplete artificial intelligence, that holds sway. This AI aspires to automate everything, viewing organic life as a “burden.” Remember this warning: if you entrust your entire enterprise to an unfinished artificial intelligence, it will inevitably become a Skynet-like entity. A Skynet is always the outcome.

3.
Sunset Overdrive

FizzCo

In a fun twist, the absurdly zany game Sunset Overdrive features an equally preposterous primary adversary: the food and beverage conglomerate FizzCo. Surprisingly, this corporation specializes only in drinks and snacks; yet, it is portrayed as a multimillion-dollar powerhouse, boasting the wealth to establish its own independent city-state – Sunset City.

It appears they were wealthy enough to bypass health regulations, introducing an energy drink with unproven components, aiming to outpace the competition. Unfortunately, these unproven components transformed anyone who drank it into a grotesque mutant monster, necessitating the entire city to be isolated for quarantine. Oops. I guess that’s why safety and health guidelines are often inscribed with blood.

Because FizzCo’s headquarters is located within the city, it seems to have a limited strategy, essentially sticking its fingers in its ears and humming to drown out any opposition. However, its ultimate move – turning its HQ into a colossal robot and annihilating the city to erase all traces of wrongdoing – doesn’t succeed due to your intervention.

2.
Titanfall 2

Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation

In the Titanfall series, the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation serves as the primary adversarial entity. Initially, it was simply an organization focused on engineering and mining, but over time, it transformed into a colossal conglomerate, boasting its own formidable private military force.

Initially, soldiers who served in that military were rewarded with land in the untamed Frontier territories as a parting gift. However, when Earth’s resources began depleting, the Interstellar Management Commission (IMC) reconsidered the established and rich Frontier settlements, claiming, “This was ours all along, we should take it back.

In the initial Titanfall game, the conflict revolves around a persistent war between the native Frontier forces and the IMC army. However, by the time we reach Titanfall 2, the IMC has suffered significant losses in soldiers and resources due to casualties and desertions. This leads to a fierce battle on Typhon, ultimately resulting in the total annihilation of the planet, along with costly IMC scientific facilities and personnel.

Despite the ongoing struggle of the IMC, with the direction the war seems to be heading, it’s not unreasonable to think that the next decisive victory might seal their fate forever. However, I can’t definitively say this, as we’re still waiting for the release of Titanfall 3, Electronic Arts – a fact that leaves us all in suspense.

1.
Pokémon X and Y

Lysandre Labs

Most antagonistic groups in the Pokémon series are clearly evil organizations such as Team Rocket, which consists of thieves, Team Aqua/Magma that can be seen as eco-terrorists, Team Galactic that might be considered space terrorists, and so forth. However, Team Flare in Pokémon X and Y stands out as an exception due to its somewhat complex and ambiguous nature.

Unlike other teams that are more visible to the public, Team Flare appears to be more sinister indeed. However, it’s worth noting that their clout comes from being supported by one of the biggest tech conglomerates in Kalos – Lysandre Labs.

In Kalos, Lysandre Labs is widely recognized as a successful and admired brand, with its founder, Lysandre, being well-regarded by the citizens of Lumiose City. However, it’s important to note that behind their public projects, such as the Holo Caster, lies Team Flare’s covert mission: the pursuit of the mythical creatures Xerneas/Yveltal and the means to trigger a cataclysmic ancient weapon capable of destroying entire civilizations.

When Lysandre reveals his villainous side, he announces his plan across the entire region using Holo Caster. There isn’t any financial news or ticker showing the fall of Lysandre Labs, but if the company still owns any assets, I highly doubt they would be a desirable investment choice following Lysandre’s public declaration of intent to eliminate everyone.

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2025-06-01 18:10