3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Though the main plot has little to do with any actual historical events, the sixties setting of MGS prequel Snake Eater is full of cheeky references to the swinging sixties. The talks about famous movies of the period, the cold war tensions and even the game’s pastiche of a spy theme tune all use the historical setting in an enjoyable and playful manner. The classic Kojima comedy came to the fore through this, mixing his textbook wit and silliness in equal measure.
2. Dino D-Day
Dino D-Day takes the stale and predictable mechanics of the WW2 shooter and craps all over them. The story entails Hitler resurrecting dinosaurs to use in his assault against the allies. The game avoids the inevitable problem of milking the basic concept by being a purely multiplayer game. With a variety of human and dinosaur classes to choose from, Dino D-Day is an awesome and humorous take on the World War 2 time period.
1. L.A. Noire
Provided nothing has changed in the last seventy years, I feel confident I could find my way in LA having played L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire has to top this list, if only for technical execution. Team Bondi not only lovingly created the atmosphere of a 1940’s LA, they also mapped the entire bloody state. You get an engaging mix of 40’s cliches, along with real street names and locations. The feat is impressive enough, but L.A. Noire’s atmosphere also speaks volumes about the attention to detail that went into designing it. A stellar game with a stellar use of a particular period of American history.
Any other great history inspired games we missed? Let us know your favourites in the comments below.
