As originally published on Set The Tape
With set pieces that films can still only hope to replicate, video games are a medium that can make the most of any location or time period. With so many games set in the modern world, or highly futuristic environments, it’s easy to forget just how amazing our own ancient history can be, and how well they work in the gaming medium.
As the brand new, ancient Egypt set Pharaonic gets a release, we take a look back at some of the best games set in ancient locations.
Far Cry Primal
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Windows
The most ancient game on this list, Far Cry Primal takes everything good about their first person shooter series and turns the dial back to 10,000 BC. The guns are gone, replaced with clubs and spears, grenades are a thing of the past (or future, I guess) and vehicles have been replaced by saber-toothed tigers.
Far Cry Primal has you play as Takkar, a member of the Wenja tribe who is fighting not only for survival against other predators, but rival tribes of cannibals and fire worshippers.
Many of the series mechanics remain, with rival outposts to conquer, bosses to kill, and items to unlock to make your missions easier. Shifting the setting back in time actually makes a lot more sense over previous games, with the setting actually enhancing the game play. Far Cry Primal may have been overlooked upon its release by many, but is easily on of the best of the series.
God Of War
Platform: PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, PS Vita
The God of War series takes some big liberties with its ancient history by mixing a lot of mythology (okay, it’s mostly mythology), but it’s easily the best game set in ancient Greece.
God of War follows Kratos, the permanently angry Spartan warrior, as he battles through ancient cities, the underworld, and the realm of the Gods in his quest for revenge for the death of his family.
The series gives us over the top and insane action sequences that are simply impossible for other games (where else can you ride a Titan up the side of Mount Olympus?), a competent fighting mechanic, and a genuinely engrossing story. With the latest game in the series due out early 2018, now is a good time to look into the rest of the series.
Onimusha
Platform: GameBoy Advance, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Windows
Onimusha began as a very simple concept, mixing Resident Evil with samurais and ninjas; and it’s an absolutely perfect combination. Whilst the series does develop over their four entries to become more of an action series, it never stopped being enjoyable.
The series follows a number of protagonists as they fight against the forces of hell throughout the Sengoku period in Japan. Onimusha 3 mixed the formula up slightly as it split action between ancient Japan and modern day Paris (including an appearance by french actor Jean Reno as a playable character) before returning to its roots for the final game in the series.
Whilst it’s been several years since an Onimusha game, it’s still one of the highest selling and best reviewed Capcom franchise, outdoing many that are still being produced. If you can track down Onimusha it’s definitely worth the effort.
Eternal Darkness
Platform: GameCube
Eternal Darkness is a headfuck of a game. A survival horror that doesn’t just mess with the character, but the player too. The game will make you think that it’s crashed, it’ll reverse your controls, and will pretend to delete your save file. Getting through this is a challenge as you never know what’s real.
The game itself follows Alexandra Roivas, who is investigating the murder of her grandfather. What she uncovers is a story that includes a Roman Centurion, a Khmer slave girl, a Persian monk, and a World War 1 reporter to name but a few. The game spans multiple locations and times as it reveals a story of ancient Gods, dark magic and insanity.
With messed up game play, a globe spanning story, and a cast of amazing voice talent, Eternal Darkness is one of the best games ever released on the GameCube.
Prince of Persia
Platform: Atari, Dreamcast, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, GameCube, iOS, Nintendo DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Genesis, Master System, SNES, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii
The longest running series on this list, Prince of Persia spans multiple iterations and re-imaginings, but at its core it gives the player the chance to adventure through ancient Persia as The Prince, an acrobatic warrior on his quest to save the realm from evil.
The specifics of the games change with each new version, with some allowing for magic powers and time bending, but the core mechanics have remained fairly consistent over the series’ thirty year shelf-life, making Prince of Persia a series that is sure to be around for many more years to come.
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