NILFGAARD V THE NORTHERN KINGDOMS
There’s nothing nice about war. As a backdrop to the adventures of Geralt of
Rivia, the ongoing war between the invading Nilfgaardian Empire and the Northern
Kingdoms isn’t romantic. It’s not central to the action, but as he travels through
the land turning a profit from the beasts that are roaming the war-torn country,
there are the dead of both sides swinging lifelessly from hanging trees, and
Geralt encounters the common soldiery and commanders from both sides. They’re
bored, petty, exhausted and weary. They’re cruel, and they’re human. It’s in their
demeanour, their disinterest and complaints, and the game revels in the banality
and futility of it all – making it all the more real in the process.
VIETNAM WAR
The Vietnam conflict has made only the briefest of videogame appearances,
though memorably. The 1960s settings of the first Call of Duty: Black Ops game
from 2010 lent itself to some Vietnamese jungle maps, where slogging your
way around swamps and scrabbling through Vietcong tunnels added a level
of grit to the series’ departure from World War 2 or modern warfare settings.
Another notable appearance of the conflict came in the form of an all-too-brief
expansion to Far Cry 5, Hours Of Darkness, in which Hope County Vietnam vet
Wendell Redler recalls his time in the jungles of southeast Asia via a new map
and a mission to rescue PoWs.
PELOPONNESIAN WAR
The war between Sparta and Athens is more than
just a backdrop in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. As
Kassandra or Alexios, you’re a mercenary free
to engage in huge battles, or stealth-attack
local military leaders, to profit from the war while
advancing your own pursuit of the shadowy cult of
Kosmos. Wars have seemingly never been fought
in more beautiful locations, it’s always sunny as
you cleave skulls on the Greek battlefields, or sink
ships from both sides as you sail around its stunning
white-beach islands. You’d expect at some point to
get executed for your actions, but neither side ever
seems to click that you’re a stateless, unprincipled
saboteur, spy and war criminal. Just as well, really.WORLD WAR I
The first global conflict that saw so many young
men butchered needlessly has not often been
represented in videogames for the obvious reason
that there’s absolutely nothing fun about trenchfoot.
Still, Battlefield 1 managed to bring the action out
of the trenches and into the more romantic ideal,
allowing players to take to the skies as flying aces in
Sopwith Camels, take control of early tanks, or even
ride with Lawrence of Arabia. A more sobering, but
utterly fascinating, account of the war is provided
by the thoughtful Aardman game 11-11 Memories
Retold, while other notable appearances of WW1 can
be found in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and in rather
disturbing segments of The Darkness.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 109extra