When video games first arrived, they were fairly simple sports simulations like Tennis for Two. It took a lot of time for them to become something that could be considered as being based on a real event, but as time passed, that became possible. There are tons of games based on wars and conflicts like World War II — just look at the earliest Call of Duty games as well as the Medal of Honor series, many of which use real events as the basis of their missions. Still, some titles are more detailed in the manner in which they’re solely based on actual events and real people, and we’ve rounded up five of the best and listed them in no particular order.
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1) The Saboteur
The Saboteur is set during World War II in Nazi-occupied France, where the player controls Sean Devlin. He’s based on the real-world British Grand Prix motor-racing driver and British Special Operations Executive agent William Charles Frederick Grover-Williams. The game interweaves driving, shooting, and exploration with combat in an open-world setting in wartime Paris, filled with espionage missions that mirror those carried out during the war. Unfortunately, it was released around the same time as Assassin’s Creed and Grand Theft Auto, so sales suffered, and its studio closed as a result. Regardless, The Saboteur is an excellent game that explores the dangerous world of the French Resistance during WWII.
2) That Dragon, Cancer
Be prepared to weep uncontrollably should you endeavor to play That Dragon, Cancer, an autobiographical game about the passing of a child. The game was developed by a small team primarily composed of Ryan and Amy Green, whose son Joel was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 12 months. He survived for four years before passing in March 2014. The game is designed so the player experiences the ups and downs of the parents’ lives in a point-and-click adventure, and it’s tough. That said, it’s also brilliantly made and an exceptionally well-designed piece of art that will evoke strong emotions as you play. It’s difficult, but it’s also helpful in dealing with grief.
3) This War of Mine
This War of Mine was developed in the aftermath of the Siege of Sarajevo, which took place during the 1990s, though it also draws inspiration from similar conflicts since then. Instead of focusing on the military aspect of the war, it’s entirely centered around civilian experiences of the conflict. Gameplay involves making hard choices to survive whatever arises each day, and whatever choices you make will change how each character’s ending will come about. It’s a survival-strategy game that shows what it’s like for people who don’t fight in wars but are nonetheless directly impacted by them. It was a huge success, selling nearly 10 million copies and spawning a small franchise that included a board game and several DLCs.
4) Syrian Warfare
This game is a bit different, as Syrian Warfare is based on the Syrian Civil War, but not the side you’re thinking of — it’s told from the perspective of forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. If you know anything about the conflict, you know that he’s the bad guy (at least, from a Western perspective). Regardless, the real-time tactics game has a highly detailed plot that focuses on real events from the Syrian Civil War. It’s a pretty good tactical war game, though not many copies have been sold outside of places like China or Russia, which makes sense, seeing as it’s told from the perspective of the bad guys — again, from a Western perspective.
5) Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
The first game in the Brothers in Arms series, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, launched in 2005 and recreates scenarios from a History Channel special titled Brothers in Arms that aired the same year. The game is a historical retelling of real missions, units, and personnel who fought in World War II, featuring accurate uniforms, weapons, and more. It’s also a great first-person shooter that gave rise to an expansive franchise, and while there are many WWII-themed FPS franchises out there, Brothers in Arms is the most accurate one, focused primarily on retelling true stories from the conflict.
What’s your favorite game based on real events? Write a question here? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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