Mythology, ancient lore, and epics – they are an integral part of the human experience. They show how we have attempted to make sense of the world and its mysteries, resulting in some of the most interesting stories out there.
Video games have long drawn inspiration from myths, epic literature, and folklore, but they do so with mixed results. When it works, however, it works. These games dive deep into the nitty-gritty, grasping the meaning of the narrative, yet also delivering satisfying historical accuracy.
The Witcher Series: Slavic Folklore to Modern Epic
For many, Andrzej Sapkowski deserves a statue, or at the very least, a medal. His OG book not only spawned a fantastic series, but it also inspired the video game behemoth franchise.
The series is steeped in mythology, with the creatures Geralt encounters directly pulled from Polish folklore (e.g., the Leshen forest guardian). The Wild Hunt itself derives from a mixture of Slavic and Germanic folklore, with spectral horsemen at its forefront.
The game not only directly uses ancient lore, but it’s entirely inspired by it. Themes of destiny, choice, and prejudice mirror the moral complexity that we see in a range of ancient folk tales, even if the exact stories are not carbon copies of the originals.
Dante’s Inferno: Hellfire and High Concepts
Based on Dante’s Divine Comedy, this hack-and-slash game imagines the circles of Hell, with the player tasked to fight their way through Lust, Greed, and beyond.
The grotesque boss designs and allegorical imagery are both in-your-face and subtle at once, and though the game has been controversial ever since its release, no one can deny its genuine exploration of the original work.
God of War: Greek Mythology and Norse Legends
The God of War series is a brutal saga, following Kratos’ journey across distinct mythological settings. The franchise pulls off an incredible ‘trick’ but successfully pivots from Greek to Norse mythology without skipping a beat, with the story still as convincing as ever.
The 2018 reboot is particularly faithful to Norse mythology, with the creators spending a lot of resources on the source material, ensuring meticulous accuracy in the storytelling. The result is fantastic, the player truly feels they’ve landed right in the middle of a Norse epic.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Interactive Ancient Greece
Assassin’s Creed is the perfect mix of fantasy + real-world archaeological facts. You jump into a game that feels layered, with the immersive narrative based on Greek, Egyptian, and Norse lore.
You meet mythic figures like Medusa and Loki, but also real-life figures like Pericles, Socrates, and Leonidas (of 300 fame!). The game’s massive open world recreates the ancient myths with remarkable accuracy, making it a satisfying experience for history buffs.
BioShock: Deconstructing Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged
Bioshock – it’s not a name of a video game that leads you to expect a deep dive into philosophical literature, but this game dives into the message of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.
It’s immediately obvious, with Andrew Ryan’s name a partial anagram of the author, unashamedly establishing the connection. The game is an underwater shooter set in a failed utopia, but it explores themes like power and objectivism, making the player think.
Raji: An Ancient Epic – Indian Mythology Reborn
This game is a great addition to the mythological playbook, taking players from the usual Norse and Greek settings to worlds based on Hindu and Balinese lore.
The game was released by Nodding Heads Games, an Indian studio that used inspiration from Mahabharata and Ramayana to create a truly spectacular gaming experience. Another major plus is that the protagonist is a girl chosen by the gods to fight demons, a welcome addition in what is often a male-dominated space.
Age of Mythology: Strategy Across Cultures
For 80s and 90s babies, this game will bring a serious bout of nostalgia. And it’s still very playable today, with the game one of the few real-time strategy games that managed to blend multiple traditions into cohesive gameplay.
You command a civilization, whether Greek, Norse, or Egyptian, and your mission is to fight the others in a game of survival. Each culture has its ‘special’ characters, like the Norse Frost Giant or the Egyptian Sphinx.
From Browser to Spins: Mythological Gaming in Modern Spaces
And now for our final round, and it’s not a single but a collection of titles, where we move away from the traditional console setup to games that are starting to carve out a healthy slice in the video game industry.
First, browser-based games that use myths for quick rounds. Designed for short spurts, during commutes or breaks at work, these games effectively use morsels of mythological stories to create a fun gameplay.
The iGaming industry has also drawn from legendary figures and stories, with online casinos such as SkyCity launching titles like the now-classic Gates of Olympus. In this game, Zeus is portrayed as a tough, strong man, and he is the central figure, the one who can lead to deliverance (in the form of bonus rounds!). Design is vibrant and exudes the spirit of a true Greek mythology-inspired adventure.
These games remind us of something: history isn’t boring, myths are layered stories, infused with creativity, the core of human experience, and interesting characters we can both relate to, fear, and admire simultaneously. If you haven’t played these, what are you waiting for?
