Primarily, games are meant to be fun and give you a nice reprieve from the stresses of everyday life. Yet, they can offer more than just good times. They can actually teach you things. Obviously, that isn’t the case with every game, as you probably don’t learn much from playing the likes of Gang Beasts or Mario Kart. However, there are some other titles out there that can teach you plenty about history.
After all, if you see a game set in a particular period of time, it’s very likely that the developers of the game put a lot of time and effort into researching that era. Then, they use that research to create a world and a narrative that fit the setting. Therefore, you can actually learn a lot about events, locations, and more by simply playing these games. Here are some titles that fit that description.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of the best action-adventure games of its era. A lot of this comes down to its deep, character-driven story. Yet, while the main narrative revolves around Arthur Morgan and his personal relationships, there is plenty of real-life history woven into the story, too.
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Of course, Arthur and the Van Der Linde gang didn’t actually exist. However, the changes taking place in the world at that time do play a part in the story. Outlaws were being pushed out as the world became more civilised, and their behavior was increasingly less accepted. Plus, the game touches on many of the difficulties Native Americans faced at that time, with broken treaties and the loss of land
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an action RPG set in Bohemia in 1403. The game has a reputation for its realism, and this stretches to its historical accuracy. While it isn’t a completely accurate representation of what the 1400s were like, it’s fairly close. Therefore, through playing the game, you can learn plenty of things about the time period.
Primarily, you can learn about the social and political atmospheres from that time. You also meet and interact with some historical figures, so you learn about them, too. Yet, the most useful thing in the game to help with your education is the in-game codex. There is so much historical information inside it.
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway
Typically, first-person shooters aren’t exactly seen as a learning tool. After all, they rarely depict war in a realistic and grounded way. That said, they are known for using real historical events in their narratives. Brother In Arms: Hell’s Highway is the perfect example of this. The game is based on the real-world operation: Operation Market Garden. It was a conflict that occurred in German-occupied Netherlands during World War 2.
In the game, you control the 101st Airborne Division, which is a real group that was involved in the operation. The weapons and general atmosphere of the game are also known to be fairly accurate to the real-life event. The developers did take some creative liberties for gameplay reasons, though. That said, you can still learn a fair amount about Operation Market Garden by playing this game.
L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire takes you back to the 1940s by putting you in the shoes of a Los Angeles detective. As him, you get to wander around a highly accurate version of the city from that time period. Everything from the architecture to the fashion makes you feel like you’re really waltzing around 1940s LA.
However, the historical accuracy doesn’t just end with the clothes and buildings. The game also teaches you about various things going on in society at the time. For example, the game shows how difficult it was for soldiers to return from World War 2, put their trauma behind them, and re-integrate into society. It also touches on racial and sexism issues from that period.
Call Of Duty: World At War
You can’t say that every Call of Duty game is historically accurate. After all, Black Ops 6 has you shooting up a Bill Clinton gala and escaping from it on a motorcycle. World at War is a bit more grounded and in line with real-life history. Throughout the campaign, you go to plenty of real-life locations from World War 2, and engage in re-creations of famous battles. For example, the likes of The Battle of Stalingrad and The Battle of Berlin feature in the campaign.
The people involved in these battles and how they exactly play out have been changed a bit. But throughout the game, you can learn about many locations and conflicts that happened during World War 2, particularly in the mission briefings that use archival footage.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Video game developers love to make games about the Second World War, but World War 1 doesn’t get as much attention in the gaming world. One game that does focus on it, however, is Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This is a different type of war game, since it’s a puzzle-adventure title rather than a shooter.
The game shows you different perspectives on the war and tries to let you see its true horrors. Along the way, you can learn a lot, especially if you take time to find collectibles. This is because these collectibles are items and letters from the war, and they come with real-life information. For instance, the first collectible you can grab is a German helmet, and if you inspect it in the menu, you can learn about its real history.
Assassin’s Creed 3
The historical accuracy of the Assassin’s Creed series is often debated. The games use real-life places, people, and events, but they warp things to fit their narratives. Historical figures have different personalities, and events are changed to include hooded Assassins or their enemies. In Assassin’s Creed 3, for example, the American Revolution is heavily influenced by the actions of the Templars, who are the Assassins’ main nemeses.
Beyond that, though, you can learn plenty about the American Revolution from AC3. You can learn about and participate in real events, such as The Battle of Bunker Hill and The Boston Tea Party. On top of that, you meet the likes of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin during your adventure.
Pentiment
Pentiment is a colorful 2D adventure game set in the 16th Century. The narrative isn’t an exact re-creation of a historical event, but the world is designed in a way to make you feel like you’re walking around in the 16th Century. This means everything from the clothing to the dialogue to the game’s overall social atmosphere is accurate to that time period.
Therefore, by playing the game, you can learn a lot, especially by using the in-game glossary. This glossary allows you to look up words that come up in conversations if you don’t know what they mean. So, it’s very literally teaching you about things from the 16th Century.
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