The video game industry is so vast and varied, and that usually translates to its output as well. There is a wide variety of genres, franchises, gameplay mechanics, and in-game aesthetics, but sometimes there are elements that tend to crop up with remarkable frequency as well. Even though games in the tactical shooter genre can have a lot of innovations and originality, there is an overwhelming amount of titles set during significant conflicts of the twentieth century, particularly World War I and World War II. As culturally important as these events were, especially to the Western world, there are so many other time periods that games could explore instead.
One intriguing feature that has begun to appear with more regularity is games with alternate historical settings. Upcoming titles like the action RPG Steelrising from GreedFall developer Spiders and the spooky Soulslike Lies Of P from Neowiz are pushing the boundaries when it comes to their settings and time periods. It shows how Steelrising's original representation of the French Revolution and Lies Of P's unique spin on a classic tale can be rich sources of creative content, as well as intriguing setups.
A Unique Take On History
Set in a turbulent Paris in 1789, Steelrising explores the violent and transformative French Revolution as the mad King Louis XVI destroys the city and attacks the population with his formidable army of automatons. Players may think they know the story of the Revolution and how it ends, but Steelrising adds a fantastical layer to the historical elements, twisting fact and fiction together as players encounter real-life figures like Marie-Antoinette and Robespierre through the eyes of an elegant mechanical bodyguard named Aegis.
While the Lies Of P isn't based in fact so much, it still follows the familiar story of Pinocchio and Geppetto set in the Belle Epoque​​​​​​​ – a moment in French and European history towards the latter part of the nineteenth century and the start of the twentieth. This period of time is usually characterized by peace, prosperity, and optimism, where cultural and technological innovations abounded and music, art, and literature flourished. In contrast, the Lies Of P paints this time as dark and ominous as Pinocchio explores the dangerous and horror-filled streets of a once beautiful city.
How It Can Help A Game's Setting And Story
Creating an alternate historical setting has several advantages. Firstly, the games can ground themselves to some extent in reality, with familiar elements like real-life faces from history or well-known cities like Steelrising's Paris or the Belle Epoque architectural style in Lies of P incorporated into their settings. These can exist alongside the features that won't be so familiar and could be used to constantly wrong-foot players as they become convinced they know how the story will go before the rug is pulled from underneath them. Gamers may start to second-guess what's coming, which will allow the developers to include twists and turns that will add to the game's intrigue.
Wolfenstein: The New Order released in 2014 and used its alternate historical setting perfectly. Although at first it seemed as if it was an FPS set during World War II, players immediately knew something was amiss when B.J. Blazkowicz is still fighting Nazis in 1946 at the start of the game. Wolfenstein: The New Order can effectively use elements that players will already be familiar with, like the undeniably evil antagonists that don't need any introduction or further setup, but it can still add so many original aspects thanks to its deviation from actual history.
Alternate history settings can have the appeal of their real-world period counterparts, but also don't have to be slaves to historical accuracy. Steelrising has the sumptuous aesthetics and signature design of late 1800s France, but it can add lethal automatons and fantastical technologies on top of these to give players something fresh. More games should definitely follow in Steelrising and Lies Of P's footsteps and explore different time periods with an eye to originality.
