Video game

Mythology- the Life Essence of Video Games – Spiel Times


God of War (2018)

Mythology refers to a collection of tales that aim to give detailed information explaining the origin of values existing within a particular culture, human nature, and nature of the universe. The foundation of mythology is intuition and imagination. People within a specific setting strongly believe that the stories are real even though no evidence is available to support the stories. Some gamers who relate to these mythologies have a perception that playing such games will give them a winning chance. The game industry makes use of a lot of mythologies such as Greek Mythology, Norse Mythology, Celtic Mythology, and Egyptian Mythology. These mythologies have not only been used in video games, but also in casino games. A number of casino games have a mythology theme that several gamers are familiar with. The feeling of being familiar with the theme of the game gives players the confidence to play the game.

The motives for different mythologies have given developers ideas on how they should structure different games. For instance, mythologies have given developers insights on game characters, storylines, and the abilities of different characters. Additionally, mythologies have gained popularity in gaming because they are a source of templates for the creation of characters with their respective features. A good scenario would be a developer who replicates the physical and mental state of a character from mythology into a video game.

When developing storylines for games, some popular games have adopted a hero cycle, which is a common phenomenon in mythologies. Developers have taken the same technique, and it has helped them to come up with high-quality storylines for games. Such storylines have been discovered to arouse emotions such as sympathy and care; this enhances gaming experiences.

Game developers have used various elements and concepts in Greek mythology in producing games. Some of the common features that are found in Greek mythologies include violence, adventure, and fantasy. Games created based on Greek myths have scenes that cover such aspects. Popular games that have been inspired by Greek mythology include:

God of War
Kratos from God of War III. Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

God of War (I – III)

God of War is an action-based adventure video game that is very popular among gamers. Characters in the game are based on Greek mythology; they have been featured as having superpowers. The myth of Hercules inspired the storyline of the game in the scene that The God of War Ares tricked Kratos to kill his wife and child. Elements of Greek mythology, such as violence, are evident through the central theme of vengeance. Kratos gets violent in his quest to seek revenge against the gods for their machinations.

Age of The Gods
Age of The Gods. Courtesy of Free-Spins.

Age of the Gods

Age of Gods involves the transport of players to a time when heroes battle with monsters of legends, and the gods intervened in the affairs of mortals. The characters are perceived to have superpowers just as in most mythology; this is an indication that game developers have borrowed from mythology. This is a casino game that contains a combination of action buttons and some Greek symbols. Besides the mythological symbols, the game comes with a jackpot. Casino players who are familiar with this game can find the game on this page.

Heroes of Hellas 4: Birth of Legend
Heroes of Hellas 4: Birth of Legend. Courtesy of Jaibo Games.

Heroes of Hellas

The puzzle game involves helping the main character Zeus, reclaim his stolen sceptre. Elements of adventure are evident since, along the way, famous heroes offer you assistance to help you solve different levels. The game also involves the collection of treasures such as trophies and wallpaper, where you get to learn about Greek Mythology.

Zeus: Master of Olympus
Zeus: Master of Olympus. Courtesy of Sierra Entertainment.

Zeus: Master of Olympus

This is a city-builder game that involves building vineyards and wineries, theatres and drama schools, colleges, and podiums. You are put to task to develop and allocate land for different uses. Inspiration from the Greek mythology that is evident in the game is the scene where you have to appease the gods for you to bring developments successfully. Heroes, such as Hercules, also feature in the game.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Courtesy of Ubisoft.

Assasin’s Creed Odyssey

The game has borrowed a lot of names of gods and mythological from Greek mythology. For instance, the game features characters such as the Minotaur, the Cyclops, the Sphinx, and Gordon Medusa from Greek Mythology. The quests in the game are based on the understanding that the gods had supernatural abilities, and they did things beyond human explanation. Every mythical creature in the game has its unique quest and backstory that acquaints you with the Assasin’s Creed universe. As the characters venture into different conquests, violence is evident just as in Greek mythology.

Egyptian mythology features stories and characters that were part of the religion of ancient Egypt. The theme of combining animals and humans is common in Egyptian mythology, and this is an element that has been incorporated in games. Games based on Egyptian mythology include:

Strange Brigade
Strange Brigade. Courtesy of Rebellion Developments.

Strange Brigade

Strange Brigade is an action game that borrows from various elements in Egyptian elements. Mummies are featured in the game, and the Strange Brigade is the troop of daring heroes who go up against them. The game is also an adventure where you get to explore ruins just as in Egyptian mythology in search of treasures and in the quest to bring down Seteki the Witch Queen. The storyline is that Seteki, the Witch Queen, has risen from her tomb to bring havoc to the world, and the troop has to stop her.

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy. Courtesy of THQ.

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy

This is an action-adventure game that engages gamers in a quest to track down stolen crowns and engage in combat with a mythical monster. A “Mummy” is brought along to support you in retrieving the stolen magical crowns of Egypt. Featuring a “mummy” and the magical crowns of Egypt are some of the elements that the game developers have borrowed from Egyptian mythology.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider. Courtesy of Square Enix.

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider, also known as Lara Croft, is an action-adventure game series that features Lara searching for the Scion of Atlantis. As Lara embarks on her journey, she encounters Ancient Greek mythos with a smattering of Ancient Egyptian. The myth of the Intifada Stone is created, and Lara finds it alongside other things like the Eye of Isis. Ancient Egypt is the locale of the game, which allows featuring Ancient Egyptian gods of storms, violence, mayhem, and destruction.

The Norse mythology contains elements such as heroic sagas, creation of legends, and description of achievements of human warriors. Some popular games based on Norse mythology include:

The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga. Courtesy of Versus Evil.

The Banner Saga

The Banner Saga is a tactical role-playing video game that takes place in the fictional world that is inspired by Norse mythology. In the game, Hellblade’s approach reflects reality through the use of Norse myth to mimic psychosis and explore mental health issues.

The Norse mythology has helped to move away from the usual fantasy fare and has paved the way to a more believable reality. Norse legends have been used in the game to make it stand out from other games. Human warriors rising against giants is an ideal representation of elements that are used.

Too Human
Too Human artwork. Courtesy of Microsoft Studios.

Too Human

Too Human is a third-person action-adventure game that features several Norse gods such as Thor, Loki, and Mimir. The Norse gods are featured in the game in the form of humans that have been cybernetically enhanced; this led to the name “Too Human.” The entire story is based on the quest for cyborg gods to invade machine presence and mortal men. The gods have to continually improve themselves so that they remain powerful and win over their armies.

Thor: God of Thunder
Thor: God of Thunder. Courtesy of SEGA.

Thor: God of Thunder

Thor is an action-adventure game that features Thor who is a Norsian god, who battles to save his home. Battles occur in mythological realms that are inhabited by classical enemies such as Surtur, Ulik and Ymir. The Norse god is depicted to be very powerful with abilities such as lethal harmer throws and powerful power melee. Just like in the Norse mythology where Thor is associated with thunder, storms and lightning, Thor as a character in the game is depicted with such capabilities. The game shows how game developers can adopt exact features of a character and use them to develop characters in a game.

God of War (2018)
Kratos and Atreus sailing down the river. Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

God of War (2018)

Unlike GoW I; II and III which took place in the Greek mythology, the 2018 offshoot of the game took a step into the Norse realms. The eldered, seemingly settled Kratos goes on a long journey with his son Atreus, after the funeral of his wife. On the way, they face and meet a lot of iconic creatures, characters and gods from the Norse mythology.





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