No piece of media can really translate what it is like to be in a warzone, but art can still explore themes related to the topic. Video games face the challenge of always being seen as pure entertainment instead of art with anything meaningful to discuss. The open-world games below all deal with war either in a modern or historical setting.
They do not only use armed conflict as a backdrop but a few directly tie war into their themes and what it does to people and their identities. Separate from the narrative, they are also great open-world experiences for players to explore and immerse themselves in.
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7 Mount & Blade
Fictional Land Analogous To The Middle Ages - Metacritic Score: 72
All the games on this are open-world titles, but some give players more choices than others. Mount & Blade, for example, does not have a clear set of goals and players are free to join any number of factions at war with each other. Alternatively, they can remain a mercenary, taking various quests simply for monetary gain.
The first game came out in 2008 and received numerous expansions before a sequel finally hit shelves in 2022 that was a huge leap in tech and gameplay mechanics. These games are unique in that there is no true ending, perhaps itself symbolizing the never-ending cycle that war so tragically takes on.
6 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
1403 In The Kingdom Of Bohemia - Metacritic Score: 73
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Released
- February 13, 2018
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
Not only is Kingdom Come: Deliverance one of the more grounded and realistic RPGs, but it also showcases a story of how the protagonist's parents being murdered during a war turns him into a soldier out for vengeance. The game is mostly historically accurate, though the main character Henry is a fictional creation of the studio, and takes place in the Kingdom of Bohemia (Central Europe).
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The game starts with the main character's town being attacked and mostly burned to the ground and throughout the game he takes part in historical battles and lays witness to important historical events during this time of conflict.
5 The Saboteur
French Resistance Fighters In World War 2 - Metacritic Score: 73
A lot of World War 2 games put players in the shoes of soldiers as a part of an army. Rarely does it show civilians taking up arms to resist occupation. The Saboteur is one of the exceptions (along with Medal of Honor: Underground on the original PlayStation).
The game takes place largely in France during World War 2 and players are a part of the French Resistance, though the protagonist himself is Irish. The game switches between black and white and color depending on where one is on the map. Unliberated areas are in bleak black and white while they eventually start seeing color after the Nazi presence has been eliminated.
4 Arma 3
Fictional Near-Future Setting - Metacritic Score: 74
Arma 3
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- September 12, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Bohemia Interactive
- Genre(s)
- FPS , Tactical
The Arma games are hardcore open-ended tactical shooters set in their own fictional universe. The mission in Arma 3 is simple, but it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to however long the players feel like if they want to explore, gather equipment, or simply take out as many enemies as possible.
The game takes place in the near future on an island ravaged by a multi-layered conflict. If a game with one objective sounds too slim on content, players will be happy to hear there are tons of expansions and a community of player-made levels.
3 Ghost Of Tsushima
13th Century Mongolian Invasion Of Japan - Metacritic Score 83
Jin Sakai is a samurai thrust into defending his homeland from a Mongolian invasion. In gameplay this translates to liberating settlements, helping out civilians whose lives are adversely affected by the war, and sneaking around or engaging in sword combat. The story treats this as an exploration of what it means to keep one's honor during war and whether it is necessary to compromise this if it means more successfully protecting one's home.
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It is a difficult balance that is also reflected in the gameplay dynamic between stealth and direct confrontation with the enemy. Though Jin Sakai feels guilty for a perceived abandonment of the Samurai code, it feels justified if he is defending his land. Besides, players are never tasked with killing civilians or doing anything outright reprehensible.
2 Far Cry 2
Civil War In A Fictional African Country - Metacritic Score 85
Though most Far Cry games take place during a war or armed conflict of some sort, Far Cry 2 gets special mention because of its message about how no matter who is right or wrong in a war, the civilians always suffer. Players' initial goal is to kill an arms dealer called the Jackal. However, after a while, they realize that the Jackal is arming both sides of the civil war to keep them fighting each other instead of going after unarmed civilians.
The game has two endings, both of which are pessimistic about the nature of war. Where later Far Cry games are about taking up armed resistance, Far Cry 2 is about how in some conflicts (certainly not all), both sides are morally corrupt and willing to do anything to win, including harming innocent people.
1 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
The Soviet-Afghan War - Metacritic Score: 93
Metal Gear Solid 5 takes place on two open-world maps each dealing with different conflicts. The first was in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war in 1984. Diamond Dogs, Punished Snake's mercenary group, takes no side in the war and they are there strictly to track down Skull Face and stop his plans.
Throughout the game players are treated to audio logs from various characters that expand upon the plot and let Punished Snake know what has happened in the nine years of his coma. They also get to learn many historical facts about the war.
