Buried in the sea of huge video game announcements in this year's Game Awards ceremony was the debut trailer for DON'T NOD's next game. The studio best known for its work on the Life is Strange series, DON'T NOD's next game is quite the departure, leaving its suburban setting behind for a much bleaker, colder locale. Titled Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, this upcoming adventure game drops players into the North American wilderness in the year 1695, a very unique setting for a video game.
With North America having only been colonized for about 100 years before the events of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, major historical events are a little sparse, which gives DON'T NOD plenty of room to create its own compelling story. That being said, there are still plenty of real-world historical events for DON'T NOD to draw inspiration from, with some of the most important events in 1695 occurring in other parts of the world.
The Most Important Historical Events of 1695
While it began long before 1695, perhaps the most important historical event of the time was the Nine Years' War. Also known as the War of the Grand Alliance, and even referred to as the first world war by some scholars, the Nine Years' War saw France engage in conflict with a coalition of other European forces. While the English, Holy Roman Empire, and Dutch were the main opposition to the French, their coalition stretched across Europe, eventually bringing in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and more. This conflict even stretched to the Americas, India, and Africa.
After emerging victorious during the Franco-Dutch war of 1678, King Louis XIV used his dominant military force to continue to expand his empire, annexing much of Europe. In 1688, King Louis decided to cross the Rhine in an attempt to intimidate the Holy Roman Empire, but Emperor Leopold I refused to bow, and along with his German allies he began a conflict with King Louis and France. England's King William III was soon brought in to assist the Roman forces, and the conflict would continue to last until 1697.
With Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden taking place in 1695, it lands seven years into the conflict. At this time, Spain was still achieving many military victories, though it was losing the political battle at home. North America is a little out of the way for the Nine Years' War, with most of the fighting taking place near France's borders, but it's always possible for protagonists Red and Atlea to encounter some French, English or Dutch soldiers who have slipped away from the combat.
Just a few years before Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden takes place, the Salem Witch Trials occurred. Beginning in February 1692 and ending in May 1693, the Salem Witch Trials saw over 200 people accused of witchcraft in the town of Salem, and the villages that surrounded it. 30 of those 200 accused were found guilty, with 25 of them dying either as a result of hanging, pressing, or horrendous conditions in jail. With Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden revolving around spirits and supernatural abilities, a trip to Salem, or at least a mention of it may be part of the game at some point. The Salem Witch Trials are often used in popular culture to set up an ominous otherworldly threat, and they could play the same role in Banishers, perhaps being a reason why so many spirits have been unleashed in North America by 1695.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden releases in 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.