Folklorecan be found across all four corners of the globe, spinning impressive and imaginative tales of creatures, princesses, knights, gods, kings and everything else the most creative mind could conjure up. While also inspiring Disney flicks and children’s novels,games also take some inspiration from this ancient talesto bring their games to life.
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With plenty of lore to pick and choose from, developers are spoiled for choice when looking to mythological tales for inspiration, but great tales don’t always make for great games. Though, there are definitely a number of games that delivered a fantastic product, partially in thanks to the mythology that inspired them.
10Assassin’s Creed Origins
Ubisoft’s more recent titles have seen the attention shift from purely historical threads to incorporate some more mythological tales, one such beingAssassin’s Creed Origins.Originstakes place in Ancient Egypt, and comes equipped with all the Egyptian folklore aspects one would expect, such as the great pyramids, the city of Giza, Pharaohs, and even Gods such as Anubis.
The marriage between an Assassin’s Creed title and Egyptian mythology provides a perfect balance of the combat and exploration fans enjoy, as well as moments the beget belief and get the heart racing, though not allAssassin’s Creedfans appreciate this title as much as earlier installments.
9Bramble: The Mountain King
ThoughBramble: The Mountain Kinghas yet to be released, due to be released on Steam on an undetermined date this year, the demo featured many nods to classic Nordic tales and creatures.
Players take on the role of Olle, who is on a quest to save his sister who was kidnapped by trolls. His journey takes him through breathtaking landscapes where he encounters many creatures such as trolls, nacken, gnomes and The Skogsra. The demo is available to download now,providing a taste of the gameplayand the creatures lying in wait.
8Maid Of Sker
Maid of Skeris a stylish horror game set in the Victorian era, blending the real life tale of Elisabeth Williams and Thomas Evans' love story with Welsh folklore. Developed by a genuine Welsh games development studio gives the elements of Welsh folklore a touch of authenticity and the respect due.
With haunting re-imaginings of Welsh hymns such as Calon Lan, Suo-Gan and Ar Hyd Y Nos,Maid of Skerprovides plenty of thrills and scares, though some players found it was lacking in substance,calling it a walking simulatorwith not much other gameplay to offer.
7Unforgiving - A Northern Hymn
Another horror game, and another title borrowing from Nordic and Swedish folklore,Unforgiving - A Northern Hymnis a short but sweet experience with plenty of scares in store for the player. Following the tale of Linn, a woman dealing with addiction, the player finds themselves in a haunting woods, where she encounters creatures such as specters, trolls, nacken, and finds a harp said to belong to the goddess Freyja.
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Little does she know, the nacken has trapped her in a loop, enjoying watching her suffer over and over, the game ending just as it begins. With some varied gameplay, plenty of spooks and well-designed Nordic creatures,Unforgivingis a memorable and exciting experience that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
6Apsulov: End of Gods
Developed by the same studio behindUnforgiving - A Northern Hymn,Apsulov: End of Godsisanother game featuring Nordic folklore, affectionately dubbed “Viking horror” by the developers, though Angry Demon Studio took a leap of faith with this title, trying something completely new.
Apsulov: End of Godsdares to combine Scandinavian mythology with sci-fi to create a completely unique experience. Famed folklore aspects such as Yggdrasil, Loki, Fenrir and more meet a world of steel and futuristic weaponry. Combining the two was a risk, but it certainly paid off for a unique, fun and dark adventure.
5Okami
Okamiis a famedrelic from Nintendo’s pastthat most exists now in the memories of fans, or in game cases gathering dust on shelves. But, it can’t be denied that it was a fantastic adventure game, borrowing plenty of lore from Japan.
Okamisees the player control the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, who was known to take the form of a white wolf like in the game itself. The game’s main antagonist also borrows from Japanese mythology with the inclusion of Orochi, a serpentine demon with eight heads and eight tails.
4Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
A game based in Ancient Greece,Assassin’s Creed Odysseyproved to be a welcome addition to the franchise, bringing in a much-awaited time period.
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Featuring two assassins to choose from for the first time inAssassin’s Creedhistory, players can choose to explore the expansive land of Ancient Greece as either Alexios or Kassandra. Set during the historic battle between Athens and Sparta, incorporating true history alongside some more fantastical elements, such as the fate of Atlantis as explored in the DLC, alongside characters from the Greek pantheon such as Hades, Persephone and Poseidon.
3Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Perhaps the darkest and grittiest entryinto the mythological game genre,Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificefeatures a celtic heroine voyaging into Nordic myth. Set during the Viking era, Senua embarks on a journey into Hel to rescue the soul of her lover.
A simple premise, but the game spirals into a gothic adventure featuring harrowing locations andterrifying enemies despite not being a horror gameitself. With a Bafta award to its name, and lauded by critics and fans alike,Hellbladeproved to be an excellent game, and well worth the journey.
2Hades
Supergiant’s jaunt into Greek mythology proved to be a roaring success, blending together fun gameplay, an excellent score and of course, a sprawling cast of characters from Greek legends, namely the pantheon of Gods.
Hadescenters around Zagreus, the son of Hades and Persephone, and his struggle to escape the Underworld. Along the way, he gains the favor or ire of famed Gods and Goddesses, and tests his mettle against boss fights in the form of the Furies, bone hydra, and even Hades himself. Its rogue-like gameplay proved a challenge to players, but a challenge most enjoyed judging by the praiseHadesearned.
1God Of War
The godfather of mythology games:God of War. The franchise follows the story of Kratos, a man who declared war on the God’s after he was tricked into murdering his own wife and daughter by Ares, the God of War, atitle which he soon took on himself.
Originally exploring the Greek pantheon, the most recentGod of Wartitles bring Nordic mythology into the fold following Kratos attempt to settle down in Norway. The PS4 title was nothing short of a masterpiece with a well-crafted story following Kratos and his son Atreus as they make a journey to scatter the ashes of his mother. On the way they encounter many elements of Greek mythology such as the world serpent, Fenrir and Yggdrasil.
