History may seem like a boring subject to anyone who has struggled with the subject in school. However, video games can liven up otherwise boring subjects and make them more engaging. They may not be 100% accurate, but when it comes to history, the thing that isn't always mentioned is that not everything is accurate anyway.
That's why it's okay if historical epic games taking some liberties, although sometimes in a more extreme way than books and movies. Let's take a look at some of the best historically inspired games of all time, ones that can make learning fun with their impressive range of fantasy and realism. If classrooms added these video games to their curriculum, maybe kids would be more engaged.
Ghost Of Tsushima
In The Shadows
Ghost of Tsushima takes place on the Japanese island of Tsushima, which was invaded by the Mongols at the end of the 13th century. The history of the Mongol Empire is fascinating as they expanded all over the world, but their efforts were halted in Japan because they could not gain a firm foothold.
It was due to the combined efforts of the Japanese from various clans, but in Spirit of Tsushima, instead, it focuses on the revenge plot of one character, Jin. After being defeated by the Mongols and seeing his uncle captured, Jin embarks on a quest to recapture bases and raise resistance. While it's not 100% accurate, it's an interesting time to set an open world samurai game.
Red Dead Redemption 2
How was the West
Red Dead Redemption 2 is not based on a single event, but is one of the most historically accurate video games set in the Old West, allowing players to play the role of a cowboy. Players take on the role of Arthur Morgan, a man who is part of a roving gang of down-on-his-luck bandits.
Through missions, players can rob banks in cities, hunt down train safes, chase down killers on the road, and more. It is the ultimate Wild West simulator, full of epic scenery and characters that make the story unforgettable and ranks among Rockstar's best games.
Medal Of Honor: Frontline
Attack on the beaches
Medal of Honor: Frontline is one of the first great military shooters of the PS2 generation, and decades later fans still remember the opening mission vividly. It was a thrilling rendition of storming the Normandy beaches. While it may look dated by today's graphical standards, it's still a harrowing quest that makes it difficult to navigate through heavy crossfire.
Behind this mission is a great campaign that takes players through the many streets of Europe trying to stop the Nazi regime one battle after another. Also, historical interviews with real veterans between missions add some extra oomph and historical relevance.
Assassin's Creed 2
Ezio appears
The Assassin's Creed the series is full of sci-fi themes, but at their core they're also great ways for players to traverse some of the greatest civilizations in history. For fans of the Italian Renaissance, Assassin's Creed 2 is game to win. Thanks to a modern-day device, Desmond Miles can experience the life of his ancestor Ezio Auditore, an assassin within the Ancient Order.
Players can explore several cities in Italy, including Florence and Venice, with the main objective of each Ezio-based chapter being to assassinate a high-ranking Templar leader, usually hidden within the church or government. There are also side missions where players can interact with famous people from history, including Leonardo da Vinci.
Battlefield 1
Shovel Knights
Battlefield 1 sets Battlefield series set in World War 1, a setting that not many first-person shooters have explored. This is because it can be difficult to make trench warfare exciting, but DICE has done it.
Behind the trenches, players will travel across Europe on foot, on horseback and in airplanes to fight the Great War from different perspectives throughout the campaign. Perhaps one of the most defining characteristics Battlefield 1 was the use of the shovel as a melee weapon, which was well remembered already in 2016.
Saboteur
Color Me Paris
Saboteur is another World War 2 game, except it's set in one city: Paris. He is loosely based on a racing car driver of the same era, William Grover-Williams, who helped sabotage the Nazis through espionage missions.
The fictionalized version of him that appears in the game is called Sean Devlin and is a bit rougher. He's capable of doing everything from racing to shooting to exploding things like any good saboteur should. Stylistically, there are few similar games, as Nazi-occupied territories are colored in black and white, and the color returns when they are freed from Nazi control.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
GTA in the Middle Ages
Have you ever wanted to explore medieval times without using any magic system? Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a game that meets these expectations. Despite the deep RPG mechanics, it feels more like a simulator at times, as players have to be careful about everything they do.
If they roll around in the mud, they can smell and have to wash their clothes and take a bath, otherwise the NPCs will treat them differently because they smell. There are also plenty of exciting moments, including hunting animals or fighting soldiers, but it's a game that requires patience. For most, life in the Middle Ages was not fun, and even the best life was often filled with struggle.KCD2 trying to capture it as accurately as possible.
Ryse: Son of Rome
Squad-based Roman battlefield
Ryse: Son of Rome was an Xbox One launch game that isn't as well known anymore. As an action game set in the Roman Empire, however, there are plenty of qualities that at least help it stand out as a historical epic.
There are more intimate moments where players will internally kill their enemies in smaller skirmishes, along with large battles where players can command their troops. It's not a perfect game, but for anyone who wants to experience what it's like to be a Roman soldier in a somewhat realistic setting, there's no better action game than Ryse: Son of Rome.
