Historical Influences

The story of 60 Seconds is based in that of a 1950s suburban neighborhood in the United States. The setting chosen by Robot Gentlemen contextualizes the scenario of their game quite masterfully. Having been placed right at the beginning of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the 1950s saw both countries mass stockpiling nuclear weapons in the aftermath of World War II. As tensions between the two countries grew during this time, fears of global nuclear warfare sparking at any moment was a growing sentiment throughout the States. In response to this, many civilian homes took the initiative to create their own fallout shelters, oftentimes digging bunkers under their yards and stockpiling supplies to be able to avoid the nuclear fallout that would follow a nuclear bombing. Due to lacking weapons surveillance technology at the time, incoming nuclear strikes could only be discovered minutes before they struck, and could sometimes even go completely undetected. This also helps to contextualize the very real time limit of 60 seconds that the game portrays. After witnessing the devastating aftereffects of nukes in Japan during World War II, coupled with people’s mounting fears of experiencing these terrifying weapons again, the mid-1950s could be said to be the origin point of radiation eco-horror.
 

Mutation

Mutation is a major theme amongst many works that feature radiation eco-horror, whether that be through the mutation of people or nature. In many cases, these mutant beings are portrayed as mindless, savage creatures spawned out of nuclear wastelands to wreak havoc on what is left of civilization. 60 Seconds also does not shy away from this idea, as several events in the game have players interacting with mutant creatures, with one such event even turning your daughter, in-game, into a mutant creature you can utilize to more efficiently explore the nuclear wastelands.  

Though the idea of mutant monsters set out to destroy humanity is purely set in works of fiction, these fears did stem from media reports of the aftermaths of events like the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the nuclear reactor meltdown of Chernobyl. In the wake of the atrocities that had come from these events, pop-culture began to over-embellish and shape the perception many in modern society have of mutation through works such as Spiderman and Godzilla. In reality, while high levels of radiation can result in mutation at the cellular level, the end result is often death, and not mutant beasts or superpowers.

Survival

Survival is yet another popular theme amongst many works in the radiation eco-horror genre. Due to the genre often being set in the wake or aftermath of a nuclear disaster, the setting is commonly an apocalyptic world where the surface of the earth is irradiated beyond habitability. In these worlds, the characters we follow not only have to worry about the environment passively working against them, but they also have to face off against other survivors for limited resources and fight for another tomorrow.

The theme of survival in 60 Seconds is once again portrayed in the many events that can occur to the player in the game, as well as through the different types of endings that can be achieved. For example, during a playthrough, the initial stockpile of food and water gathered by a player will eventually run out. This forces the player to have to decide who among their family they need to send out into the wastelands to scavenge for more supplies, which risks that character dying as well. The two main winning scenarios for 60 Seconds is to either make contact with the military and get rescued, or to join a newly formed survivor community. These events also reflect that only by persisting and working together can people succeed in the apocalypse.