Games are primarily meant to be fun and provide you with a pleasant relief from the stress of everyday life. Still, they can offer more than just good times. They can actually teach you things. Obviously, this isn't the case with every game, as you probably won't learn much by playing the likes of Gang Beasts or Mario Kart. However, there are other titles that can teach you a lot about history.
After all, if you see a game set in a certain time period, it's very likely that the developers of that game spent a lot of time and effort researching that era. They then use this research to create a world and story that fits the setting. Therefore, you can really learn a lot about events, places and much more just by 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 time. Much of this comes from its deep, character-driven story. Although the main narrative revolves around Arthur Morgan and his personal relationships, there is also a lot of real history woven into the story.
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Of course, Arthur and the Van Der Linde gang didn't really exist. However, the changes taking place in the world at that time play a role in the story. Outlaws were pushed out as the world became more civilized and their behavior became less and less accepted. Additionally, the play touches on many of the difficulties Native Americans faced at the time, with broken treaties and loss of land.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an action RPG set in Bohemia in 1403. The game is known for its realism, and this extends to its historical accuracy. While it's not a completely accurate representation of what the 1400s were like, it's pretty close. Therefore, you can learn a lot about the time period by playing the game.
Above all, you can learn about the social and political atmosphere of the time. You also get to meet and interact with some historical figures, so you get to learn about them as well. Still, the most useful thing in the game to help you with your education is the in-game codex. There is so much historical information inside.
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway
First-person shooters aren't usually thought of as a learning tool. After all, they rarely portray 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 a perfect example of this. The game is based on a real operation: Operation Market Garden. It was a conflict that took place in the 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 overall atmosphere of the game are also known to be fairly accurate to the actual event. However, the developers took some creative liberties for gameplay reasons. This means that you can still learn a lot about Operation Market Garden by playing this game.
LA Noire
LA Noire takes you back to the 1940s by putting you in the shoes of a Los Angeles detective. As him, you can wander around a highly accurate version of the city from that time. Everything from the architecture to the fashion makes you feel like you're really dancing around 1940s LA.
However, historical accuracy doesn't just stop with clothes and buildings. The game also teaches you about various things that are happening in society at that time. For example, the game shows how difficult it was for soldiers to return from World War 2, put their trauma behind them and reintegrate into society. It also touches on racial and sexist issues from this period.
Call Of Duty: World At War
Not every Call of Duty game is historically accurate. After all, Black Ops 6 has you filming Bill Clinton's gala and escaping it on a motorcycle. World at War is a bit more grounded and in line with real history. During the campaign, you will travel to many real World War 2 locations and engage in re-creations of famous battles. For example, the battles of Stalingrad and the Battle of Berlin appear in the campaign.
The people participating in these battles and exactly how they are played have changed a bit. But throughout the game you can learn about many places and conflicts that happened during World War 2, especially in the mission briefings that use archive footage.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Video game developers love making games about World War II, but World War I doesn't get as much attention in the gaming world. One game that focuses on this is Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This is a different type of war game as it is more of a puzzle-adventure title than a shooter.
The game shows you different views of war and tries to show you its true horrors. You can learn a lot along the way, especially if you take the time to look for collectibles. This is because these collectibles are items and letters from the war and come with real life information. For example, the first collectible you can get is a German helmet, and if you look at 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 places, people and events, but twist things to fit their stories. Historical characters have different personalities and events change to include hooded assassins or their enemies. For example, in Assassin's Creed 3, the American Revolution is heavily influenced by the actions of the Templars, who are the main enemies of the Assassins.
But beyond that, you can learn a lot 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. In addition, you will 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 recreation of a historical event, but the world is designed to make you feel like you're walking around in the 16th century. This means that everything from the clothing to the dialogue to the overall social atmosphere of the game is true to the time period.
Therefore, you can learn a lot by playing the game, especially by using the in-game dictionary. This glossary allows you to look up words that appear in conversations if you don't know what they mean. So it literally teaches you about things from the 16th century.
These historical strategy games will turn you into a history buff in no time
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