Considering that a large part of my life has revolved around preserving history, one might think that my game habits would lean in that direction. As it goes, the opposite is more true than less. But, just because my own library and subsequent recommendations from it aren’t heavy history hitters content-wise, it doesn’t mean that my penchant for the past isn’t as fiery as ever. It often means that I veer towards the “historical” aspects of a game that may be present in, for example, its environment, lore, or characters. You’ll see what I mean (I think), with this list of my gaming library recommendations for those who didn’t mind all those boring history classes they were once forced (or are being forced) to take.
The Uncharted series
Besides having great characters and decent action, Naughty Dog did a great job placing history in the Uncharted games. In the same vein as the Indiana Jones movies, they contain enough historical tidbits to keep the stories intriguing and grounded without hitting players over the head with historical information. The games are rooted in the notion that the protagonist, Nathan Drake, treasure hunter extraordinaire, has in his very bones the soul of exploration and adventure. After all, he’s descendant of Sir Francis Drake, which is a decent enough historical jumping-off point for any character arc.
Fallout 3
While the United States’ capital, Washington DC, is as far from a place of virtue as any, it still holds some of our nation’s most important historical treasures. That’s why I felt pangs of sadness when I first saw what Bethesda did to it in Fallout 3. That so many priceless artifacts were lost to an apocalyptic wasteland; perish the thought! Ah, but should our lone wandered stumble upon it, they can work to gather up some of these lost relics as part of a particular quest. Most of the quests in the game require traveling in and out of DC, among likenesses of familiar landmarks and museums. The game definitely pulls on the ol’ historical heartstrings…well…American heartstrings, if one is so inclined.
Dragon Age 2
There are plenty of games that offer great lore; one of my own top picks is the Dragon Age series. These games go deep into the history of the fictional world of Thedas. Lore is strewn about everywhere, and it covers so many different topics, from the world’s races down to decorating motifs. Why pick Dragon Age 2 as the one game of the series for history fanatics? Primarily because of the game’s setting in the city of Kirkwall. It took me several playthroughs to understand the importance of this city to Thedas – its location, its features, and its populations — and why it was chosen as the game’s primary location. Now that I know, I can safely say that learning about it through all those playthrough proved a worthy venture. Those with a liking of historically-minded lore would do well to hunt down this game for plenty of it.
Assassin’s Creed 2
Much like the Uncharted games, the Assassin’s Creed series is also steeped in history. I know it owe it to myself to explore the AC games much more than I have, but I’ve only played the first and second game. Of them, Assassin’s Creed 2 offers up a beautiful romp through fifteenth century Italy. Well, “beautiful” might be overstating things, but the developer’s take on the Renaissance and Italian history shines brightly in the game. In donning the garb of protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze, players meet the likenesses of Leonardo Da Vinci and the Medici family, visit famous landmarks such as St. Peter’s Basilica, and travel through old Italian villas (which, granted, probably haven’t changed all that much in 500 years). That players can take breaks with the game’s Animus 2.0 database to learn more real-world history in between assassinations is a pretty big win, too.
Pentiment
If there’s one game in recent memory that serves as an ode to what it means to really love history and the study of it, it’s Pentiment. Admittedly, I didn’t quite see eye-to-eye with the game at first, but that’s only because I wasn’t prepared for its historically-rich premise. Fitting that it should fall after Assassin’s Creed 2, in Pentiment, we move up to the early sixteenth century and to the southern province of Bavaria in Germany. The game brilliantly succeeds as a murder mystery wrapped in European, religious, and literary histories. Pentiment’s developers did their homework, and then some, as the game asks players to carefully consider protagonist, journeyman Andreas Maler, in place and time as he works to reveal the truth behind a series of very unfortunate events.
Lede image take by author during Xbox One gameplay of Fallout 3: Game of the Year edition (© Bethesda Game Studios).
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