The best historical war games
Humans have been romanticising war ever since we invented it. From Shakespeare’s plays to the Oscar-winning film Dunkirk, there are plenty of war stories to keep us entertained.
Many of these tales come to life through video games. We’ve gathered the numbers on which historical conflicts have the most video game adaptations, from the biggest wars in history to niche conflicts. The numbers are compiled from several sources, including Google, Wikipedia, and Giant Bomb. We’ll be updating this list with more games in the future, so check back with us for more.
The best historical war games are:
The Gulf War
The final armed conflict of the Cold War, the Gulf War (1990-1991) has fewer video game adaptations than other wars on this list. This is likely due to the recent nature of the conflict, with many games focusing on more established conflicts.
The Third Crusade
Led by King Richard “the Lionheart” of England, the Third Crusade is one of the more popular historical war settings. Several games, including the Assassin’s Creed series and the Total War: Crescent Moon, have dramatised the bloody conflict between the Christian and Muslim forces of the Middle East.
The Napoleonic Wars
While niche, the Napoleonic Wars offer a setting for games featuring infantry and naval battles. Many of these titles are strategy games like Napoleon: Total War and Empire: Total War, though some first-person shooters like Waterloo 200: The Battle Of Quatre Bras and Napoleon:zekrom are also available.
Feudal lords in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai period
The Sengoku Jidai period in Japan is a time of constant warfare between the nation’s feuding clans. Feudal lords in the period have been portrayed in games as scheming, honorable, and betraying – a far cry from the noble samurai that history books would have you believe. To see this period dramatised, check out the long-running series like Dynasty Warriors and Romance Of The Three Kingdoms.
American Civil War
The American Civil War is one of the most popular historical war settings, with a focus on historical authenticity. Both Call Of Duty: Black Ops III and the recently released Red Dead Redemption 2 pay homage to the conflict, with CoD offering a realistic depiction of the Battle Of Antietam and RDR2 taking us through the experiences of an Irish immigrant caught up in the fight.
First World War
While the First World War is often overlooked in favour of the Second, there is a unique subgenre of horror games set on the battlefields of France. Games like Valiant Hearts: The Great War and Hell Let Loose focus on the devastating nature of trench warfare, as well as the technological advances of the time.
The Three Kingdoms Period in China
The Three Kingdoms Period in China is the setting for several long-running series. Both Dynasty Warriors and Romance Of The Three Kingdoms dramatise the political and military affairs of the period, with the former offering over-the-top Action and the latter more strategic gameplay.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War is a divisive conflict, with some considering it a war of liberation and others an unwinnable quagmire. Regardless of how you view it, the war has inspired a number of shooters and flight simulators. One of the more recent Vietnam War games is Squad which, while technically a multiplayer game, has a number of single-player War Stories that recreate experiences like the Battle Of Hue.
Second World War
The Second World War is the most-adapted historical conflict for video games. With tank, naval, and aerial combat sims among the most popular choices, World War 2 games are often period pieces. Meanwhile, games like Company Of Heroes and Hearts Of Iron offer strategic gameplay options for those who prefer a more detailed look at the war.
Call Of Duty and Wolfenstein have both explored the Second World War in their own unique ways, the former with its series of first-person games set during the conflict and the latter with the upcoming Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a co-op game set in the 1980s that is separate from the other Wolfenstein games in the series.
Second World War remains the go-to setting for battlefield gaming – though we suspect it won’t hold onto this crown forever. With games like Hell Let Loose and Valiant Hearts proving there’s still a market for WWI games, perhaps we’ll see a shift in the future.
