As the gaming market continues to grow, developers and writers are producing gaming titles at a faster rate than ever. And while they may focus on the gaming graphics and speeds – another important feature is the story. A compelling storyline captures the hearts and minds of players and helps a game broaden its audience, potentially even leading to a franchise. But as game creators look forward to the next innovations in gaming, they sometimes look back into history to seek out inspiring story ideas.
Whether they’re looking to recreate the look and feel of a bygone era in order to fully immerse the gamer in the story, or just taking historical or mythological figures on their own new adventures, there are thousands of years of epic stories and colourful characters to choose from. Let’s take a trip back in time and have a look at some of the great games out there that have taken their inspiration from another era.
Mayan Chief
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One of the exciting new slot games coming to casinos this year, and also making an appearance online, is Mayan Chief. Based on the ancient Mayan culture which dominated the pre-Columbus Americas, this game features symbols and characters inspired by their rich history. Jaguars and parrots spin round, interspersed with treasure chests and items of intricate golden jewellery.
Watch out for the spinning Mayan calendar: line these carved discs up in the right combination and they will realign to reward you with something special – a huge jackpot.
For some players, some slot games are beginning to rival high-end consumer titles in terms of how engaging and immersive they are. However, titles are released on a near-weekly basis these days that it can be hard to find the ones that have real quality. Mayan Chief is a great place to start, but it’s a good idea to check out some other highly rated new online slots which providing more exciting storylines in different themes.
L.A. Noire
One of the most famous titles on this list, L.A. Noire comes from Rockstar games, the same people who brought us the Grand Theft Auto titles. And L.A. Noire continues their great tradition of letting the player explore a rich open-world city where the attention to detail is simply astounding. A mixture of the real 1940s America and the stylised way it was depicted in noir films and novels, the characters are instantly recognisable tropes – each with their own Rockstar spin.
You play a homicide detective charged with investigating and solving a variety of shocking and grisly crimes perpetrated on the streets of Los Angeles. Many of the crimes were inspired by real-life incidents, such as the infamous unsolved Black Dahlia murder case. Rockstar have done a great job of capturing the look and feel of the post-war era using actual photographs and city planning documents to ensure historical accuracy.
Dynasty Warriors
If you want to go back even further in time then the Dynasty Warriors franchise is well worth a look. Skip the first game as it plays more like a standard pvp fighter, and instead choose one of the many, many, many sequels. Dynasty Warriors 2 plays closest to real events. Based upon the power struggle between warring tribes in China around the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, you command one of the generals in your bid for victory.
The beautiful costumes look authentic and the detailed maps and scenery really transport you back in time. The hack and slash gameplay and the way in which thousands of enemies swarm on you are not particularly historically accurate, but this is a fantasy game, so I think we can forgive the developers for using a bit of creative license. This is a great series of games that is based on history, as opposed to trying to faithfully recreate it.
Assassin’s Creed
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Assassin’s Creed. These games painstakingly recreate all the buildings, landmarks and historical events for whichever period is currently featured. Sail the high seas with pirates in the Caribbean, gallop through Renaissance Florence or race over the rooftops of revolutionary France. In fact their recreations are so faithful, it has been suggested that they could be used to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, after it caught fire in April.
The games are also peppered with familiar historical faces. Wander from the story mission and you could find yourself in conversation with Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin or even Queen Victoria. The games let you participate in historical events, recreating the action that led to Paul Revere’s legendary ride or the ascension to the papacy of Rodrigo Borgia.
Each building, character, event or location also comes with a detailed encyclopaedia entry so you can learn even more about the setting as you play. Ubisoft have got historical games down to an art form and if you love getting immersed in a beautiful and lovingly-created open world, then these are the games for you.
The Town of Light
The final game on our list is a story-based psychological thriller told through the eyes of Renee, an ex-patient exploring the now-closed psychiatric hospital where she spent her teenage years as a patient. The story is not for the faint-hearted. The writers don’t shy away from detailing the abusive treatments the patients suffered, or the actions of doctors, nurses and other patients which could make life there a literal hell.
What makes this story all the more chilling is that all the events are based on real-life occurrences at Volterra in Tuscany, Italy. Th team behind the game conducted extensive research, including reading letters and medical files from inmates, as well as carefully reconstructing the crumbling buildings.
The Town of Light is not an easy game to play, but it uses its historical basis to educate and spread awareness of some of the problems people with mental illness have had to face in the past. It is an emotional journey that stays with you long after the game has finished – just like any good history lesson should.
