Mainly, games are meant to be fun and give you a good relief from the stress of daily life. However, they can offer more than a good time. They can actually teach you things. Obviously, that's not the case with every game, as you won't learn much from the likes of Gang Beasts or Mario Kart. However, there are some other titles that can teach you a lot about history.
After all, if you see a game set in a certain period, it's very likely that the game's developers put a lot of time and effort into researching that era. Then, they use that research to create a story that fits the world and setting. Therefore, you can actually learn a lot about events, places, and more by playing these games. Here are some titles that fit that description.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as one of the best action-adventure games of its era. Much of that comes down to its deep, character-driven story. However, while the main story revolves around Arthur Morgan and his personal relationships, there is also plenty of real-life history woven into the story.
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Of course, Arthur and the van der Linde gang never really existed. However, changes in the world at that time play a role in the story. Outlaws were pushed out as the world became more civilized, and their behavior became increasingly acceptable. Also, the play touches on many hardships faced by Native Americans at the time, including broken treaties and loss of land.
Kingdom Come: Redemption
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an action RPG set in 1403 Bohemia. The game has a reputation for realism, and this extends to its historical accuracy. Although it's not a completely accurate representation of what the 1400s were like, it's pretty close. Therefore, by playing the game, you can learn a lot about the time period.
Mainly, you can learn about the social and political environment of the time. You also meet and interact with some historical figures, so you learn about them as well. However, the most useful thing in the game to aid your learning is the in-game codex. It contains a lot of historical information.
Brothers in Arms: Highway to Hell
In general, first-person shooters aren't exactly seen as teaching tools. After all, they rarely portray war in a realistic and grounded way. That said, they are known for using real historical events in their stories. Brother in Arms: Highway to Hell is a great example of this. The game is based on a real-world operation: Operation Market Garden. It was a conflict in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II.
In the game, you control the 101st Airborne Division, which is a real group that was involved in the operation. The weapons and general atmosphere of the game are also known to be very accurate to the real life event. The developers took some creative liberties for gameplay reasons, though. That said, you can still learn a fair amount about Operation Market Garden by playing this game.
LA Noire
LA Noire takes you back to the 1940s by putting you in the shoes of a Los Angeles detective. As him, you get to walk around a highly accurate version of the city from that time period. Everything from the architecture to the fashion makes you feel like you're waltzing around 1940s LA.
However, historical accuracy does not end with clothing and buildings. The game also teaches you about various things happening in the society. For example, this play shows how difficult it was for soldiers to return from World War II, put their trauma behind them, and reintegrate into society. It also touches on issues of caste and sexism of the period.
Call of Duty: World at War
You can't say that every Call of Duty game is historically accurate. After all, Black Ops 6 has you shooting a Bill Clinton gala and getting away with it on a motorcycle. World at War is a bit more grounded and more in line with real-life history. Throughout the campaign, you will visit many real-life locations from World War 2, and engage in re-creations of famous battles. For example, the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Berlin are included in the campaign.
The people involved in these battles and how they actually play out have been slightly changed. But throughout the game, you can learn about many locations and conflicts that took place during World War 2, especially in mission briefings that use archive footage.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Video game developers love making games about World War II, but World War 1 doesn't get much attention in the gaming world. One game that focuses on this, however, is Valiant Hearts: The Great War. It's a different kind of war game, as it's a puzzle-adventure title rather than a shooter.
The game shows you different perspectives on war and tries to let you see its true horrors. Along the way, you can learn a lot, especially if you take the time to find collectibles. This is because these are collectibles and war letters, and they come with real-life information. For example, the first collectible you can grab is a German helmet, and if you inspect it in the menu, you can learn about its true history.
Assassin's Creed 3
The historical accuracy of the Assassin's Creed series is often debated. Games use real-life places, people, and events, but they stretch things to fit their stories. Historical figures have different personalities, and events have been altered to include the Hood Assassins or their enemies. In Assassin's Creed 3, for example, the American Revolution is heavily influenced by the actions of the Templars, who are the Assassins' main nemeses.
Other than that, you can learn a lot about the American Revolution from AC3. You can learn about and participate in real events like The Battle of Bunker Hill and The Boston Tea Party. On top of that, you meet the likes of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin during your adventure.
Pentiment
Pentiment is a colorful 2D adventure game set in the 16th century. The story isn't an exact recreation of historical events, but the world is designed to make you feel like you're walking around in the 16th century. This means that everything from the clothing to the dialogue to the overall social atmosphere of the game is accurate to that time period.
Therefore, by playing the game, you can learn a lot, especially using the in-game vocabulary. This glossary allows you to look up words that come up in conversation even if you don't know their meaning. So, it teaches you very literally about things in the 16th century.
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