The world of video game themes has quite a few interesting niches, from animal simulators to visual novel games that play out like lit RPGs. One of the least covered eras in the modern video game market is prehistory, whether from an action-adventure perspective or a real-time strategy game.
There’s no shortage of coverage in historical eras, from Red Dead Redemption’s rehashing of the Wild West in the early 1900s to Assassin’s Creed’s exploration of the 12th century. Not only do they provide rich historical context, but they’re also visually appealing and dynamic.
However, there are relatively few popular titles that stretch back to the days of prehistory before the written word. Even ‘ancient’ settings, from Ancient Greece to Ancient Egypt, tend to see disproportionately less attention than other releases with historical settings.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist for PC and consoles. Though rare, some video game settings stretch back to the earliest days of humankind—and rightly so. Thousands of years ago, the idea of gaming was just developing. At the time, some of the first civilizations were inventing their own form of entertainment based on skill and chance.
Archaeological dives into the earliest origins of gambling have uncovered evidence of racetracks that accepted bets in Ancient Greece and dice-like objects that date back to the cradle of the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia. However, most projects that cover antiquity in modern video games explore the earliest years of civilization from a mythological or political perspective.
Keep reading for some of the most popular and successful titles that have covered ancient humankind, and may foster more interest in prehistorical video games.
God of War Series
Ancient Greek & Norse Mythology
As one of the first titles that put Sony’s PlayStation on the map back in the early 2000s, the God of War franchise has since become a flagship title for both ancient mythologies and hack and slash games.
The series first follows Spartan warrior Kratos as he wages war against the Greek God of War, Ares. This begins a path of vengeance for Kratos as he makes his way through the Greek pantheon to hold ancient gods accountable for their misdeeds. Eventually, his son Atreus embarks on a similar journey with the Norse Pantheon.
Age of Empires Series
Ancient Empires
With its latest installment released in October 2021, this series is seeing a renaissance as real-time strategy games see more eSports coverage. However, the game has been a staple for PC gamers since its first release in 1997.
It’s been a smash success for history crossover fans, as each new edition covers a new era. The original Age of Empires explored the Stone Age all the way to the Iron Age throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, making it one of the most holistic coverages of the ancient world in any video game series.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins & Odyssey (2017, 2018)
Ancient Egypt & Greece
No developers have capitalized on the idea of history being a playground quite like Assassin’s Creed showrunners. The action RPGs spare no attention to eye-grabbing details, which has helped keep the series at the top of the charts.
However, Origins and Odyssey, which cover Ancient Egypt and Greece, respectively, also go the distance in terms of accuracy. While there probably weren’t any assassins sliding down pyramids circa 4,000 BCE, the rest of the game lets players feel like they’ve traveled into the past.
Far Cry Primal (2016)
Prehistoric Carpathian Mountains
Anyone with a background in history or archaeology might have a bone to pick with the word ‘prehistory’, as none of the titles above predate the written word. Only Ubisoft’s Far Cry Primal pushed the envelope to travel back to 10,000 BC at the start of the Mesolithic period to see the world through the Cro Magnon-inspired main character, Takkar.
Gamers will need to domestic animals and build their own weapons from available natural resources, while also navigating an open-world concept with unexpected dangers and adventures.
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