Ahh the middle ages. Knights in shining armor, swordplay, jousting, intrigue and superstition. What’s not to like? It’s a fan favorite backdrop for many video games. Most of them pepper the boring reality of history with much sought after special ingredients like Orcs and Elves and Magic and Dragons. Thank JRR Tolkien.
But there are also games that do not do that, that rely on the power of historical accuracy alone. Like the upcoming hyper realistic Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a game developed by the Czech designers that also created the Mafia games and the sadly forgotten Vietcong. Kingdom Come will take place in medieval Eastern Europe, and present a medieval world as close to reality as possible.
To honor this intention of authenticity, here is a list of the 10 most best medieval video games you can shake your real piece of the holy cross at.
The Total War series always has been this way. A glorified boardgame on the global strategy level, with real time strategy battles whenever conflict loomed. Medieval 2 makes no exception here. Pick a medieval power to bring through the dark ages victoriously. Special victory conditions apply. Crush your enemies in expansive real time battles, try some diplomacy for good measure, and then try not to piss off the Pope. Yeah that guy was kinda important back then...
Based on the Half-Life 2 Mod Age of Chivalry, this game is essentially a class based shooter with a heavy emphasis on melee weapons instead of gunplay. There are also bows and siege weapons to pick from. It’s not the most authentic thing there is, but it’s devoid of any spellslinging or orcs.
Set in a mythical medieval age, Dark Souls is about as medieavalish brutal as a video game can get. Sure it’s not as authentic as many others, but Lodran is a great medieval game world all right. With the focus on death, rebirth, trial and error, exploration and building of muscle memory, Dark Souls is not for the weak. But you already know that.
While the second Witcher game too does not take place in our world, the medieval fantasy setting it features is so well and intricately realized that it barely matters that there are some dudes with pointy ears running around. It’s a beautifully rendered world. There are monsters and there is magic. But you were not there to see the middle ages, so who’s to say those things did not exist?
It’s still going strong. Three years after release on 11/11/11, the fifth entry into the Elder Scrolls series is as alive as it ever was. Last year saw another huge DLC chunk released, and now the game has been left to the modders, who are hard at work creating more of everything for this behemoth of a game. And yes it’s not necessarly authentic either. Though dragons have been mentioned in a suprising number of medieval texts.
Feel like micro-managing? Yeah then try this one. Build a fortress, defend against enemies, besiege hostile fortresses. Good times. A classic. Almost like an above ground version of Dungeon Keeper.
Another medieval fantasy game. All the Gothic games have been very faithful in their renditions of medieval life, down to the more mundane (boring?) aspects. None of course as in depth as Mount and Blade, but still they are very immersive when it comes to rendering a fully realized medieval style world.
This is the actual fourth Gothic game, since the licensing rights to the franchise remained with publisher JoWood, so when Germany based gaming studio Piranha Bites departed them, they had to leave their game world behind. But that didn’t matter much, they just came up with a new one for their own use, and Risen was born. While Risen 2 delves into early modern style pirate adventures, Risen is still firmly medieval, and quite like Gothic.
The first Assassin’s Creed was an incredibly vivid rendition of the medieval middle east. Granted, with a lot of science fiction-y backstory attached, but still very well realized and a joy to behold. The creators were obviously inspired by Ridley Scott’s last really great movie, Kingdom of Heaven, from which the game took a whole number of visual ideas.
The game based on the war on which George R. R. Martin’s hit novel series and the TV show are based upon! Also a bit like Crusader Kings 2. Not just as good and in-depth but still a grand old strategy title to bring a medieval lineage to full fruition!
Legendary for its depth, Crusader Kings 2 allows the player to run a medieval country and go army to army with other nations. But be careful not to piss off the Pope if you’re interested in staying with the church. Build up your country, dabble in war and politics and manage your lineage carefully so you can become the best and biggest Crusader King. Yeah that’s about it.
Nothing short of a simulation of life in the medieval world, Mount and Blade is maddening in its breadth. Start as a down and out in the kingdom and rise to become the new king? Possible. Hard work, but possible. Be anything you want. A thief, a beggar, a farmer, take part in whatever, strategy, politics or day to day grind? Yeah all doable. M&B is insane in its ambition, and not the easiest game to get into, but once you do, getting away is even harder.
Set during the Dark Ages against a background of famine, disease, and war, a new power of steppe warriors rises in the East that threatens to overrun the fallen kingdoms of the classical world. The warrior king approaches, and he has his sights set on conquering Rome.
This challenging gothic roguelike is a turn-based RPG revolving around the psychological stresses of adventuring. Within the game, players must recruit, train, and lead a team of incredibly human heroes to fight against unimaginable horrors, stress, faming, and disease.
This story-driven role-playing game is set in a fantastic medieval universe in which players take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer and adventurer. The game itself is full of meaningful choices and impactful consequences.
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