Summary
The vast majority of video games — whether they be competitive first-person shooters, massive open-world RPGs, or terrifying survival horrors — are all about fun and entertainment. What we don’t normally associate them with, outside the sad attempts many of us experience in the classroom, is education. But some games can teach us a thing or two.
Some ofthe best open-world games aroundare set in the past. Many of them are about as historically accurate asZack Snyder’s300(read: not very), but there are some that were developed with an admirable focus on historical authenticity. The following games have been ranked on their dedication to historical authenticity. To avoid repetition, this list has cut down on multiple entries from within the same franchises (except forAssassin’s Creed)and includes only truly “open-world” entries, ignoring heavily zoned examples or games with world maps likeBannerlord.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Cityisn’t all that historically accurate. The game’s setting, Vice City, is an exaggerated, satirical take on ’80s Miami that stars no real historical figures and rarely mentions any real historical events. It is, however, one ofthe bestGrand Theft Autogamesand a brilliant homage to 1980s American pop culture.
Barely a second goes by inVice Citywithout bumping into some sort of pop culture reference. The game’s story and missions draw heavy inspiration from 80s shows likeMiami Viceand iconic movies likeScarface. Meanwhile, the city itself perfectly captures the essence of ’80s Miami through its neon-lit cityscape, soundtrack, and fashion. Even the game’s story touches on real historical themes, like the 80’s crack epidemic and the role organized crime played in it.Vice Cityisn’t particularly accurate, so it gets the bottom ranking, but it’s a heck of a nostalgia trip.
The Saboteuris more proof that a game doesn’t have to be all that accurate to feel historically authentic. Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War 2, the game follows protagonist Sean Devlin as he helps the resistance kill Nazis and free Paris one district at a time from their fascist clutches. Sean also happens to be a professional racing driver, which might sound far-fetched until one realizes his character was inspired by a real-life figure, William Grover-Williams, an actual Grand Prix racer who worked as a Special Operations Officer during the war.
The Saboeturwas one ofthe most under-rated open-world games on the PS3, and fans are still crying out for a remaster on modern hardware. The game had a unique art style where color is added to the world only as the map is rescued from Nazi control. Most of the characters and events depicted are fictional, but the game beautifully captures the spirit of the French resistance and the game’s portrayal of wartime Paris feels authentic. Not accurate enough to score a higher ranking spot on this list, butThe Saboteuris still worth hunting down today.
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has produced more historically authentic games than arguably any other gaming franchise. As such, this list limits the number ofACentries to those particularly relevant.Assassin’s Creed Syndicateis one of the more underrated entries in the franchise and is arguably one of the most historically authentic, largely thanks to its brilliant setting.Syndicateis set in 1868 London and features a more humbly sized map than other modern entries.
Rather than taking away from the game, however, it allowed the developers to pack their version of London full of cool little Victorian Easter eggs and details.Syndicate’sLondon feels authentic and is full of landmarks anyone who has visited the famous city will recognize. The game even stars famous historical figures like Darwin, Karl Marx, and even Queen Victoria itself. The game’s story also highlights and revolves around social issues of the time, like the use of child labor and class division. But its portrayal isn’t perfect. Despite collaborating with historians throughout production, some mistakes did slip through. The game includes the British Railways logo a good 80 years early, for example, and the two protagonists' wardrobes are all kinds of anachronistic. Despite being a divisive entry,Syndicateis still one ofthe highest-ratedACgamesand deserves more love.
Ghost of Tsushimais basically a Hollywood-ified take on the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Set around 1274, its developers made great efforts to bring 13th century Japan, its culture, and its landscapes to life but took major liberties when it comes to characters and the narrative. The game’s protagonist, Jin Sakai, is a complete fabrication, and by its end, the game’s narrative diverges fairly significantly from what really happened during the invasion.
But the game still feels authentic. Sucker Punch Productions visited the real Tsushima during production and consulted endless experts and historians, and it shows. The game not only nails the setting, but it also highlights real-life Mongol tactics and their technologically superior weaponry at the time. On top of all this, the game is just a hoot to play. It has some ofSucker Punch’s best combat, which is high praise indeed, and a beautifully realized setting. The liberties the game takes mean it scores a ranking on the lower side, but most gamers aren’t experts in the first Mongol invasion anyway.
Mafia: Definitive Editionis a bit likeVice Cityin that it is set in a fictionalized city based on a real one. WhereasVice Cityis 80s Miami,Mafia: Definitive Editionis set in Lost Heaven, a fictional city heavily inspired by 1930s Chicago. The game’s setting might be fake, but it is full of little details that bring this important historical era to life. Both Prohibition and the Great Depression aren’t just mentioned; they’re integral to the game’s story and leave their mark on every corner of the city.
The game also accurately portrays the real structure of Mafia organizations of the era as well as their codes of conduct and their control over both law enforcement and politics. The city’s architecture, fashion, and vehicles are also impressively faithful to historical reality, with some minor embellishments.Mafia: The Definitive Editiondoesn’t always strive for realism, but it feels historically authentic, something other entries in the franchise have also done to great effect. It also has one ofthe franchise’s best stories, which is no small feat.
Most of theAssassin’s Creedgames have gone to great efforts to appear historically authentic. However, they also feature storylines that revolve around a war between two fictional groups and an overarching plot about ancient space aliens/gods (or something). While picking the most historically authenticACgame is difficult, a strong argument can be made forOrigins.
Being set before the founding of the Brotherhood allowsOriginsto tell a slightly more grounded story. Set in Ptolemaic Egypt, the game accurately recreates the era’s buildings, architecture, clothing, and daily life in brilliant detail. It also stars real-life historical figures like Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, whose portrayals are based on historical accounts. In fact, the game is so accurate that after release, an educational mode was added. This removed combat and story elements and was used in some schools as an educational tool. Not just one ofthe bestAssassin’s Creedgames,Originsis easily one of the most historically authentic.
L.A. Noireis commonly mistaken for being a Rockstar game, but in truth the game was only published by Rockstar, and most of the production was done by Team Bondi. Considering the game’s focus on realism and historical authenticity, and the fact there was a fair bit of backseat driving by Rockstar during production, it’s an easy mistake to make.L.A. Noireis obsessed with accurately recreating 1947 Los Angeles.
Team Bondi used period maps, photography, and film footage to rebuild the city’s past layout, architecture, and atmosphere as accurately as they could. The cars people drive, the clothes NPCs wear, the music on the radio, and everything people talk about feels authentic. The game’s main story is clearly a piece of fiction, but much of it is inspired by real world cases of the period. Of course, this being a video game, some liberties were taken, but next to the likes of our top two entries,L.A. Noireis about as authentic as it gets.
Countless words have been written about Rockstar’s dedication to both realism and historical accuracy when creatingRed Dead Redemption 2. It is a ridiculously detailed game that was roundly praised for its brilliant portrayal of the late 19th-century American West setting. Its story, while fictional, focuses on the decline of the old frontier and the rise of modern civilization and the cultural clashes surrounding it. The game’s writers pulled no punches when it came to depicting the era’s social and political challenges, with ugly themes like racism, the Civil War, and exploitation constantly rearing their heads.
The game makes repeated references to real historical events and figures, and its setting — while fictional — is clearly inspired by real towns and cities with period-appropriate clothing, weapons, and architecture. In fact, a common criticism of the game is that it might just be too detailed, with some of the game’s systems sometimes slowing gameplay down to a crawl. But that doesn’t mean Rockstar didn’t let some inaccuracies slip in. Each weapon in the game is a fictional version of a real firearm, but not all of them are 100% period accurate.
When the originalKingdom Come: Deliverancewas released back in 2018, it didn’t just raise the bar for historical accuracy in video games; it became the new gold standard. Its sequel has done the same again. Warhorse Studies went to insane lengths to make their vision of 15th century Bohemia as accurate as possible. With the help of historians, museums, and even reenactors, they used historical sources like old military maps and archaeological findings to make playing the game feel like stepping into a time machine.
The game’s story might be fictional, but it incorporates real historical events and figures. Most games make some concessions when it comes to gameplay and realism, butKingdom Come: Deliverance 2rarely does. Combat is designed to be fun but realistic, and success means learning to fight, not just raising Henry’s stats. The sequel offers the player even more freedom than the original, and if the player wishes, they can use it as an authentic “life as a Bohemian serf” simulator. When it comes to historical authenticity, it looks like this one will take some time to surpass.
