Top 10 Historical Events That Should Be Made Into A Video Game

Against seemingly insurmountable odds a revolutionary cause known as the 26th of July Movement ousted a corrupt government with close ties to the mafia and large American business. Led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the movement utilized guerilla warfare to slowly chip away at the government forces. This would form the basis of an open world game that encapsulates the diversity of the country while also including a morality system that would allow you to decide if you affect a peaceful or brutal revolution.

Just as the mystery enveloped Robert Graysmith in the movie about this elusive serial killer, so might you be in a detective game that would be comparably baffling. Similarly to the Jack the Ripper murders of the late 1800s, the identity of the murderer was never discovered so any piece of media can take reasonable artistic license with the details of the case. That could perhaps be a different take on the time period of the murders or whom they believe is behind the brutal killings and coded letters that taunted and bemused police in equal measure.

The prevention of selling and making alcohol in the United States was meant to address the widespread societal issues in the country but instead led to the creation of a black market that would rival the actual economy. A crime-tycoon style game could look at how the mafia exploited the ban while still battling law enforcement, prohibitionists and even the KKK. Think Tropico, but with the mafia instead of dictators. The era was full of conflicting ways of thinking and questionable morals, presenting you with ideas for games that could come from so many different angles.

Family holidays were pretty exceptional affairs for the Polo clan: at just 17 years of age Marco set off with his father and uncle on an adventure that would take them to the depths of Asia and present them with untold danger and riches. Long before Nathan Drake was travelling the world in search of treasure, Marco was risking his life and rubbing shoulders with the biggest figures in the Persian and Mongolian empires. There is no definitive account of the Polo’s trials and tribulations but that doesn’t really matter. He inspired countless other explorers and is still ample inspiration for a cinematic action game like Uncharted – heck, it could even tie into the plot of Uncharted 2.

While you can go to Haiti during one of the assasin’s creed games, we’re thinking of a similar game but just a hundred years later. The Assassin’s Creed series is defined by the struggles of the weak against the powerful and this slave revolt in the Caribbean would make for an ideal addition to the franchise. No cause is more honorable than seeking your own freedom from oppression and any former slave would make for the perfect antagonist to take parkouring around the island. Not only was personal liberty and survival on the line but the rebellion against French colonialists led to the abolishment of slavery in France and wider enlightenment for millions of people.

During the Cold War the Soviet Union and United States were caught up in relentless efforts to out do each other in the quest for space superiority. It was like Civilization’s turn-based strategy in real life as every new advancement forced the other nation to keep pace and come up with more groundbreaking technology. As a player you would not only be responsible for ensuring Yuri Gagarin gets into space or for Neil Armstrong’s trip to the moon but you would also be charged with maintaining the status of whole nations and ideologies.

Social media played a vital role in the organization and facilitation of the revolution that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s tyrannical reign, and this would form the main tenet in our unconventional camera-based FPS. Touching on the themes of the power of citizen journalism, the player would take photos and record key events that would determine how the conflict plays out, and how the international community would respond. Although war still rages in the country, this may be a more respectful way to remember the 13,000 who lost their lives while also creating new gameplay elements that would challenge the wanton destruction of most FPS titles.

Napoleon had few rivals when it came to political and military prowess, using his nous to spread French influence throughout Europe and even as far as Egypt. His navy, however, was one of the weaker points of his armed forces and our MMO naval battle game would give you the opportunity to right where he went wrong. Filled with tactics and ships as diverse as the countries he sought to conquer, you can join thousands of others on the high seas. French defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar confirmed Britain’s naval superiority for the rest of the Napoleonic Wars and if you can reverse the outcome of that fight, Britain might look considerably more Gallic.

We’ve seen plenty of World War 2 games over the years, mostly as first person shooters on the front lines, but very little about the humanitarian cost of the war. In the vein of This War of Mine, Our title would put you in the shoes of a Jewish refugee trying to escape the Holocaust with their family, and as the Nazi regime expands, so to do your choice of safe harbor's diminish. Along the way you’d also be presented with a number of impossible choices that could condemn others to the grave. Sound heavy to comprehend, but given how the refugee crisis is just as relevant today, it’s would show how impactful Video Games can be as a medium.

Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at an honorable mention.

The Russian Revolution (1917)

The fourth murder of a US President was one of the first major world events that became engulfed by wild conjecture or conspiracy theories. These hypotheses would provide the formula for an unheard of Roguelike/Investigation type game investigating the shooting. The game would have you take on the role of a Jesse Ventura type character who hunts down shreds of evidence, they may lead to the involvement of perhaps Fidel Castro? The Mafia? The KGB? or a mysterious malevolent forces maybe? Every play through would have a different result of whom the perpetrator is, resulting in multiple endings based on the different conspiracy theories that came out of this historic killing. Who knows, you may even crack the real case.

Do you agree with our list? Which historical event have you always wanted to be a part of? For more historical top 10s be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.