Best Open-World Games With A Focus On Historical Authenticity, Ranked

The vast majority of video games — whether they be competitive first-person shooters, massive open-world RPGs, or terrifying survival horrors — are all about fun and entertainment. What we don’t normally associate them with, outside the sad attempts many of us experience in the classroom, is education. But some games can teach us a thing or two.

Related

10 Best Action-Adventure Games With Historical Settings, Ranked

These excellent action-adventure video games are primarily set in real-world historical settings, adding a dose of authenticity to their settings.

Some of the best open-world games around are set in the past. Many of them are about as historically accurate as Zack Snyder’s 300 (read: not very), but there are some that were developed with an admirable focus on historical authenticity. The following games have been ranked on their dedication to historical authenticity. To avoid repetition, this list has cut down on multiple entries from within the same franchises (except for Assassin’s Creed) and includes only truly “open-world” entries, ignoring heavily zoned examples or games with world maps like Bannerlord.

9

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Dripping In 80’s Pop Culture References

Released

October 29, 2002

OpenCritic Rating

Weak

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City isn’t all that historically accurate. The game’s setting, Vice City, is an exaggerated, satirical take on ’80s Miami that stars no real historical figures and rarely mentions any real historical events. It is, however, one of the best Grand Theft Auto games and a brilliant homage to 1980s American pop culture.

Related

7 Best Open-World Games About Underdogs Rising To Power

Starting out as an underdog in these open-world games just makes the path to power even more rewarding for a rags-to-riches story.

Barely a second goes by in Vice City without bumping into some sort of pop culture reference. The game’s story and missions draw heavy inspiration from 80s shows like Miami Vice and iconic movies like Scarface. Meanwhile, the city itself perfectly captures the essence of ’80s Miami through its neon-lit cityscape, soundtrack, and fashion. Even the game’s story touches on real historical themes, like the 80’s crack epidemic and the role organized crime played in it. Vice City isn’t particularly accurate, so it gets the bottom ranking, but it’s a heck of a nostalgia trip.

8

The Saboteur

Brings Nazi-Occupied Paries And The Resistance To Life

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Released

December 8, 2009

Developer(s)

Pandemic Studios

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

The Saboteur is more proof that a game doesn’t have to be all that accurate to feel historically authentic. Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War 2, the game follows protagonist Sean Devlin as he helps the resistance kill Nazis and free Paris one district at a time from their fascist clutches. Sean also happens to be a professional racing driver, which might sound far-fetched until one realizes his character was inspired by a real-life figure, William Grover-Williams, an actual Grand Prix racer who worked as a Special Operations Officer during the war.

The Saboetur was one of the most under-rated open-world games on the PS3, and fans are still crying out for a remaster on modern hardware. The game had a unique art style where color is added to the world only as the map is rescued from Nazi control. Most of the characters and events depicted are fictional, but the game beautifully captures the spirit of the French resistance and the game’s portrayal of wartime Paris feels authentic. Not accurate enough to score a higher ranking spot on this list, but The Saboteur is still worth hunting down today.

7

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Victorian Era London Combined With The Usual Franchise Embellishments

Released

October 23, 2015

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has produced more historically authentic games than arguably any other gaming franchise. As such, this list limits the number of AC entries to those particularly relevant. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is one of the more underrated entries in the franchise and is arguably one of the most historically authentic, largely thanks to its brilliant setting. Syndicate is set in 1868 London and features a more humbly sized map than other modern entries.

Related

8 Assassin’s Creed Games Where Your Decisions Matter The Most

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has evolved to give players more choice and control over the story with time, shown through these entries in particular

Rather than taking away from the game, however, it allowed the developers to pack their version of London full of cool little Victorian Easter eggs and details. Syndicate’s London feels authentic and is full of landmarks anyone who has visited the famous city will recognize. The game even stars famous historical figures like Darwin, Karl Marx, and even Queen Victoria itself. The game’s story also highlights and revolves around social issues of the time, like the use of child labor and class division. But its portrayal isn’t perfect. Despite collaborating with historians throughout production, some mistakes did slip through. The game includes the British Railways logo a good 80 years early, for example, and the two protagonists’ wardrobes are all kinds of anachronistic. Despite being a divisive entry, Syndicate is still one of the highest-rated AC games and deserves more love.

6

Ghost Of Tsushima

Inspired By The First Mongol Invasion Of Japan

Systems

Released

July 17, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Ghost of Tsushima is basically a Hollywood-ified take on the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Set around 1274, its developers made great efforts to bring 13th century Japan, its culture, and its landscapes to life but took major liberties when it comes to characters and the narrative. The game’s protagonist, Jin Sakai, is a complete fabrication, and by its end, the game’s narrative diverges fairly significantly from what really happened during the invasion.

But the game still feels authentic. Sucker Punch Productions visited the real Tsushima during production and consulted endless experts and historians, and it shows. The game not only nails the setting, but it also highlights real-life Mongol tactics and their technologically superior weaponry at the time. On top of all this, the game is just a hoot to play. It has some of Sucker Punch’s best combat, which is high praise indeed, and a beautifully realized setting. The liberties the game takes mean it scores a ranking on the lower side, but most gamers aren’t experts in the first Mongol invasion anyway.

5

Mafia: Definitive Edition

Prohibition And The Great Depression Have Never Been So Enjoyable

Released

September 25, 2020

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a bit like Vice City in that it is set in a fictionalized city based on a real one. Whereas Vice City is 80s Miami, Mafia: Definitive Edition is set in Lost Heaven, a fictional city heavily inspired by 1930s Chicago. The game’s setting might be fake, but it is full of little details that bring this important historical era to life. Both Prohibition and the Great Depression aren’t just mentioned; they’re integral to the game’s story and leave their mark on every corner of the city.

The game also accurately portrays the real structure of Mafia organizations of the era as well as their codes of conduct and their control over both law enforcement and politics. The city’s architecture, fashion, and vehicles are also impressively faithful to historical reality, with some minor embellishments. Mafia: The Definitive Edition doesn’t always strive for realism, but it feels historically authentic, something other entries in the franchise have also done to great effect. It also has one of the franchise’s best stories, which is no small feat.

4

Assassin’s Creed Origins

So Authentic It Has Been Used In Schools

Released

October 27, 2017

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Most of the Assassin’s Creed games have gone to great efforts to appear historically authentic. However, they also feature storylines that revolve around a war between two fictional groups and an overarching plot about ancient space aliens/gods (or something). While picking the most historically authentic AC game is difficult, a strong argument can be made for Origins.

Related

15 Best Video Games Set In Egypt

Egypt’s rich history and culture make it a fantastic location for video games. Here are the best titles set in Egypt.

Being set before the founding of the Brotherhood allows Origins to tell a slightly more grounded story. Set in Ptolemaic Egypt, the game accurately recreates the era’s buildings, architecture, clothing, and daily life in brilliant detail. It also stars real-life historical figures like Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, whose portrayals are based on historical accounts. In fact, the game is so accurate that after release, an educational mode was added. This removed combat and story elements and was used in some schools as an educational tool. Not just one of the best Assassin’s Creed games, Origins is easily one of the most historically authentic.

3

L.A. Noire

Team Bondi Has A Great Eye For Detail

Released

May 17, 2011

Developer(s)

Team Bondi

L.A. Noire is commonly mistaken for being a Rockstar game, but in truth the game was only published by Rockstar, and most of the production was done by Team Bondi. Considering the game’s focus on realism and historical authenticity, and the fact there was a fair bit of backseat driving by Rockstar during production, it’s an easy mistake to make. L.A. Noire is obsessed with accurately recreating 1947 Los Angeles.

Team Bondi used period maps, photography, and film footage to rebuild the city’s past layout, architecture, and atmosphere as accurately as they could. The cars people drive, the clothes NPCs wear, the music on the radio, and everything people talk about feels authentic. The game’s main story is clearly a piece of fiction, but much of it is inspired by real world cases of the period. Of course, this being a video game, some liberties were taken, but next to the likes of our top two entries, L.A. Noire is about as authentic as it gets.

2

Red Dead Redemption 2

Released

October 26, 2018

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Countless words have been written about Rockstar’s dedication to both realism and historical accuracy when creating Red Dead Redemption 2. It is a ridiculously detailed game that was roundly praised for its brilliant portrayal of the late 19th-century American West setting. Its story, while fictional, focuses on the decline of the old frontier and the rise of modern civilization and the cultural clashes surrounding it. The game’s writers pulled no punches when it came to depicting the era’s social and political challenges, with ugly themes like racism, the Civil War, and exploitation constantly rearing their heads.

Related

Every Town In Red Dead Redemption 2, Ranked

Red Dead Redemption 2’s open-world features a host of explorable towns. Here’s how every town ranks up and what players will find in them.

The game makes repeated references to real historical events and figures, and its setting — while fictional — is clearly inspired by real towns and cities with period-appropriate clothing, weapons, and architecture. In fact, a common criticism of the game is that it might just be too detailed, with some of the game’s systems sometimes slowing gameplay down to a crawl. But that doesn’t mean Rockstar didn’t let some inaccuracies slip in. Each weapon in the game is a fictional version of a real firearm, but not all of them are 100% period accurate.

1

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Like Playing An Interactive Museum Exhibit

RPG

Action-Adventure

Open-World

Released

February 4, 2025

Developer(s)

Warhorse Studios

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

When the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance was released back in 2018, it didn’t just raise the bar for historical accuracy in video games; it became the new gold standard. Its sequel has done the same again. Warhorse Studies went to insane lengths to make their vision of 15th century Bohemia as accurate as possible. With the help of historians, museums, and even reenactors, they used historical sources like old military maps and archaeological findings to make playing the game feel like stepping into a time machine.

The game’s story might be fictional, but it incorporates real historical events and figures. Most games make some concessions when it comes to gameplay and realism, but Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 rarely does. Combat is designed to be fun but realistic, and success means learning to fight, not just raising Henry’s stats. The sequel offers the player even more freedom than the original, and if the player wishes, they can use it as an authentic “life as a Bohemian serf” simulator. When it comes to historical authenticity, it looks like this one will take some time to surpass.

5:25

More

10 Open-World Games With The Most Meaningful Content

These Open-World games are a great selection of games that ensure their worlds are filled with meaningful content that makes its world feel alive.