Summary
History can be fun sometimes, which is why countless video games take heavy inspiration from real-life events. For instance, series likeCivilizationandTotal Wartake liberties here and there to retain some kind of entertainment factor, but they are firmly based in reality.
However, action games, and in particular, Soulslike games, seem to have found a niche in the historical gaming space. They often use real-life historical eras as backdrops for their zany premises, involving all sorts of demon, robot, or monster foes. In short, here are some of the best Soulslike games that have a mix of both history and fantasy in them.
Another Grimy Look At The Middle Ages
Dark Devotion
Explore the secrets of a mysterious fallen temple and put your Templar faith to the test in Dark Devotion, where no sacrifice is too great in praise of your God. Measure your devotion and your bravery by journeying into deepest darkness for answers to questions that will challenge your very existence.Dark Devotion features a richly detailed, immersive narrative that unfolds a somber tale of your Templar religion’s irresistible calling. Every encounter challenges your fortitude, piety, and conviction as you move deeper into your cursed pilgrimage. Spanning four unique worlds, each with their own incredibly detailed environments, you’ll wield dozens of weapons in your quest to discover the Temple’s secret: all the while assailed by dark enemies and devious bosses whose core mission is to destroy your soul and damn you forever.Throughout Dark Devotion you’ll discover an array of weapons, armors, and relics with which to enhance your character. Each item has its own attributes and statistics, and is customizable with mystical runes. It is essential that you maximize your strengths and adapt your inventory to the enemy you’re facing. Choose wisely…
Death inDark Devotionmay not be as punishing as it seems in many other Soulslike games, but it’s certainly not without its consequences. Specifically, players are spawned back into the game significantly less powerful, having to scrounge for the gear they worked so hard to obtain before they died.
This brutality is par for the course in a world like this, in the era of the templars in theMiddle Ages. Enemies faced throughout the game are often grotesque and are clearlybased in fiction. But its dark inspirations are clearly taken from a very real, often messed-up time in world history.
Thymesiasees players take control of the deadly plague doctor, Corvus, as he works to save a dying world from, you guessed it, a plague that’s turning people into mutants. While the game’s story isn’t anything to write home about, its combat has all the hallmarks of a solid Soulslike.
But what’s really the draw here isThymesia’sdying world. While not super original, its basis in history, that is the 16th century (The Black Death), is an original one, and it does a great job at filling in anyDark Souls-shaped gaps that rear their heads.
Frankly, theFrench Revolutionhas been done to death in fiction likeA Tale Of Two CitiesandLes Misérables. However, neither of those had robots taking over the country in the name of Louis the XVI,likeSteelrisingdoes.
In this game, players step into the metallic shoes of a robo-marionette of sorts to help crush the king’s reign. Take quests from real figures who lived during the time, with the goal of helping to shape France into something that…doesn’t resemble what it is here. Luckily, things can’t get much worse than this.
No, Pinocchio was never a real boy, andLies of Pdoesn’t take place in a real city. But if someone said that Krat was just a fictionalized version of London during theIndustrial Revolution, it’d make an incredible amount of sense. Of course, London never had murderous puppets running around it.
Really, the game’s aesthetics are where the parallels to history stop. Instead, the game focuses on the personal journey of Pinocchio, complete witha few different endingsthat affect him and those around him. If anything, they’re some truly dark but fitting endings that reside well within the game’s established tone.
Step Into the Shoes Of A Real Samurai
Nioh
Ready to die? Experience the newest brutal action game from Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo Games. In the age of samurai, a lone traveler lands on the shores of Japan. He must fight his way through the vicious warriors and supernatural Yokai that infest the land in order to find that which he seeks.The Complete Edition contains the full game, as well as the three expansions with additional story chapters: Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor, and Bloodshed’s End.Dragon of the NorthThis expansion opens up the Tohoku region, where the “one-eyed dragon” Date Masamune is secretly gathering spirit stones.Defiant HonorFight your way through the Siege of Osaka’s winter campaign as you follow the story of one of Japan’s greatest generals from the Warring States period, the brave Sanada Yukimura.Bloodshed’s EndJoin the summer campaign of the Siege of Osaka as the Warring States period draws to a close in this, the final chapter of William’s tale.Steam Exclusive BonusEnjoy wearing the “Dharmachakra Kabuto,” a helmet exclusive to the Steam version of Nioh! You can claim yours by selecting “Boons” from a shrine.
InNioh, gamers play as William Adams, a real guy who really was a samurai, servingunder Tokugawa Ieyasu. Of course, some liberties are taken in shaping his character in the game. For instance, his motivations for going to Japan in real life were to establish trade between England and Japan, whereas in the game, they lie in saving his guardian spirit, Saoirse, from the main baddie.
Throughout the game’s story, players are accompanied by a load of historical samurai and ninjas. However, they serve as mere set dressing for the real goal of killing demons - something that’s done in spectacular fashion utilizing one of the many weapons of the time, like the kusarigama, a particularly scary weapon consisting of a swingable scythe attached to a weight by a chain. If players are looking to lay waste to some demons in style, this is the game for them.
Amidst theYellow Turban Rebellionof the year 184 CE, our customized player character works to save a young boy from the clutches of the Taoist priest Yu Ji. Of course, this is just an excuse to fight through various instances of the conflict, meeting historical figures like the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Ce.
Plus, wouldn’t you know it, demons are being used in the conflict. In fact, the enemy generals are putting themselves through some horrific transformations to try and get theupper hand on the player. Just likeNiohbefore it, the history aspect is just a cool backdrop for these absolutely bonkers fights.
