Best Video Games With Historical Fiction

Key Takeaways

Older stories provide insight into past mentalities, and video game developers have capitalized on this potential for entertainment.
Hades allows players to escape the underworld with the help of godly relatives, weapons rooted in various cultures, and mythological encounters.
The Warriors series takes historical events like the Three Kingdoms period and the Warring States period and transforms them into action-packed gameplay.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, let me tell you about two series that have captured my heart and challenged my brain: Dynasty Warriors and Bookworm Adventures.

Stories from the past, with their origins steeped in history, have the ability to be both engaging and enlightening. A brief dip into an older narrative can offer a glimpse into the thinking and attitudes of a particular era. This potential for entertainment isn’t overlooked by game creators.

Many story series frequently draw heavily from real historical events or stories derived from them. Typically, these narratives are reimagined to prioritize entertainment. However, this fictionalized account of true events can serve as an engaging introduction to genuine historical knowledge, or function as an enjoyable trivia for those already well-versed in the subject matter.

5 Hades

Greek Mythology Reimagined

Best Video Games With Historical Fiction

If you haven’t gotten around to playing this widely-acclaimed roguelike game, let this piece serve as your encouragement to finally give it a try. The protagonist is Zagreus, the son of Hades, who embarks on an adventure to break free from the Underworld. With the help of his divine family members, he gains special powers that enhance his capabilities. He wields numerous underworld weapons, some of which unlock features inspired by cultures beyond Greece.

Beyond meeting several legendary characters like the Minotaur, Charon, and his companion Cerberus, Zagreus also cultivates relationships with diverse figures, some of whom might develop romantic feelings. While Zagreus occasionally manages to flee from the Underworld, he’s inevitably pulled back. The gameplay revolves not just around advancing through its four levels, but also nurturing bonds with other characters and enhancing your own skills. This diversity makes it feel like more than a simple game. The upcoming sequel Hades 2 is already accessible in an early version on Steam.

4 Assassin’s Creed

Unique Blend of Fiction

In a unique spin on history, Assassin’s Creed presents the conflict between the Assassins and the Knights Templar as a battle between free will and control, with the former advocating for individual freedom while the latter seeks power to maintain peace. The game employs stealth mechanics along with role-playing elements, although some installments have faced criticism for excessively focusing on RPG aspects. Throughout the series, the story unfolds across diverse historical periods, from ancient Egypt to modern times. Characters in the present are often transported back into the past to live through the experiences of other characters, which they then use to further their own objectives.

In the subsequent storyline, the protagonists experience alternate depictions of history influenced by the actions of both the Assassins and the Templars. The next episode, titled “Shadows“, is set in the Sengoku Era of Japan.

3 The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Sherlock Holmes meets Phoenix Wright

As a dedicated gamer, I can’t help but rave about my favorite visual novel series – the thrilling Ace Attorney. This captivating franchise revolves around me, a lawyer, solving intricate murder mysteries to bring justice and save my clients from unjust accusations. The original star of this series, Phoenix Wright, is a true master in this field, employing his sharp wit and knack for turning cases upside down to uncover the truth.

It’s plausible that The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles demonstrates the ongoing capacity for growth within this series. The story unfolds in the late 19th century, both in Victorian London and Meiji period Japan. A Japanese university student named Ryunosuke Naruhodo, an ancestor of Phoenix Wright, was wrongfully accused of murdering a foreign professor. Naruhodo is known for his debating skills, which persuade his friend Kazuma Asogi, who is just starting out as a lawyer, to secretly transport him to England. There, Naruhodo learns the art of defense lawyering. He’s also assisted by Susato Mikotoba, a more knowledgeable partner in court, and Herlock Sholmes, an eccentric English detective who solves cases using futuristic gadgets and deductive reasoning.

This prequel period piece to the Ace Attorney series removes certain staples of the series whilst expanding on others, to give what is all in all, a relatively unique experience. It loosely adapts certain narrative beats from the Sherlock Holmes tales, and combines that with a historical look at the persecution the Japanese faced in England. It also features Japanese novelist and scholar, Sōseki Natsume, best known for writing I Am a Cat, as one of Naruhodo’s defendants.

2 The Warriors Series

Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and Warriors Orochi

The novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” written in the 14th century, was inspired by “Records of the Three Kingdoms” from the 3rd century. Both works, one being a partially fictional narrative and the other a historical account, focus on the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era in China. The story has been passed down through the centuries, with Tecmo Koei adapting it into a turn-based strategy game in more recent times. This adaptation eventually led to the creation of the “Dynasty Warriors” series, an action game where players can control characters from the Three Kingdoms period, capturing territories and battling vast numbers of weaker enemies.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve got to say, “Dynasty Warriors” expanded its family with a sibling series, “Samurai Warriors,” diving into Japan’s Warring States Period instead. These games may share a common ancestry, but they take liberties with historical accuracy for the sake of fun. You’ll find a wider array of weapons than what existed during that era, a significant presence of women in combat roles, and even some time-bending moments where warriors engage in battles they wouldn’t have been part of historically. It’s all about the entertainment!

As a gaming enthusiast, I find myself utterly captivated by the epic saga that is “Warriors Orochi.” In this extraordinary crossover universe, characters from different eras of time collide, creating an intriguing blend. The focus on Eastern mythology is particularly strong, adding depth and mystery to the narrative. As the series progresses, newcomers join the fray, hailing from various video game worlds (some with a nod to historical figures) and even incorporating Greek and Norse mythologies into the mix.

1 Bookworm Adventures 1+2

A Literary Retrospective

Initially, not many people would have guessed the evolution path of the simple word puzzle game when its sequel was released. The initial ‘Bookworm’ is essentially a traditional connective word game, where the character Lex links adjacent letters to emerge victorious. Some tiles are advantageous for forming words, while others can cause trouble if neglected. In ‘Bookworm Adventures’, they’ve expanded on this concept by incorporating numerous role-playing game (RPG) aspects.

In this game, Lex explores various genres of literature from the past, assuming roles symbolic of these periods as he goes. He accomplishes this by forming words, limited by a grid of 16 predefined letters. The longer the word, the greater the impact it has on his adversary. Each grid contains the maximum of 16 letters that can be used at once for a specific word. Overcoming each level rewards Lex with a new treasure, which may prove useful in future endeavors. Furthermore, Lex earns experience points every time he defeats an opponent.

Levels are split by more specific categories, such as one subset of the Greek Mythology stage focused on enemies based at sea, such as Scylla, Charybdis, and the Kraken. The first Bookworm adventures focuses on Greek Mythology, One Thousand and One Nights, and Gothic Literature. Its sequel focuses on Western Fairytales (half of which are Alice in Wonderland), Chinese Mythology, and Futuristic Literature. The sequel also adds companion characters who can aid Lex with beneficial abilities. Both games have an irreverent sense of humor which adds to their charm. Unfortunately, either game is quite difficult to obtain nowadays.

2024-08-25 06:33