The world of gaming is typically seen as a place to escape the real world and the noise of human politics. Yet, video game developers sometimes choose to tackle real-world issues head-on in their plots.
From the French Revolution to Cold War narratives, some games create entire worlds by reimagining politics.
Here are seven titles that turned headlines and history into gameplay:
'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' subseries (2007-2023)
Both the original and rebooted 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare' subseries, comprising six games, took players deep into tales of terrorism, proxy wars, and intelligence operations.
These storylines share many similarities with real-life events—from insurgencies in the Middle East to Russian ultranationalist movements.
Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
Immersing you in the American Revolution, ACIII blends patriotism with Assassin's Creed-esque panache by placing players in the war between Templars and Assassin revolutionaries.
The game not only reframed one of history’s most famous uprisings as a clash of competing ideologies, but also integrated its plot within the central AC storyline.
Battlefield 3 (2011)
Set across Iran, Paris, and New York, 'Battlefield 3' brings in early-2010s anxieties about the impact of terrorism and nuclear threats on the world.
The game’s campaign may have been short, but the developers surely paid attention to the visual realism and military authenticity.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Hideo Kojima’s sprawling Cold War epic delved deep into plots about private military contractors, nuclear deterrence, and the morality of revenge.
Behind the sci-fi tech and surrealism also lies a sharp critique of how nations outsource war, and how ideology shapes the battlefield.
Spec Ops: The Line (2012)
Beginning in medias res with a rescue mission in Dubai, 'Spec Ops: The Line' quickly descends into guilt, propaganda, and psychological collapse.
The game ultimately turns the military shooter into a voice for pacifism, forcing players to confront the brutality they usually celebrate.
Assassin’s Creed Unity (2014)
Set during the French Revolution, AC Unity shows you liberty, equality, and bloodshed using the finest graphics that video games had at the time.
Beyond the grand Parisian vistas and guillotines, this classic from Ubisoft also captured the uncertainty of revolution, and how idealism can turn on itself over time.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (2017)
Set in a fictional replica of Bolivia overrun by a drug cartel, the game plays like an open-world fantasy action thriller about US counter-narcotics operations.
The game was eventually slapped with a lawsuit over its depiction of Bolivia—triggering interesting debates on politics unfolding in front of the controller.