Beyond Normandy and World War II: The History We Want to Play

World War II and Normandy have starred in more games that we can count. Let's come up with some new shit.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

It’s no surprise why developers have embraced WWII.

It was the most ideologically unambiguous, culturally transformative and all encompassing war the world has ever seen, and plenty of us still have living relatives who fought for their respective countries.

But you can only storm the beaches so many times before it gets old.

As narratives are allowed to mature in the gaming world, the opportunity to recreating history’s epic battles, alongside their complicated themes and story-lines, has never been more ripe. And even though plenty of developers are doing it, there’s an entire world’s worth of skirmishes, both historical and legendary, just waiting to be explored.

Here’s some famous scraps we’d love to see get the classicCall Of Duty treatment.

The Egyptians vs. The Hittites

The Battle of Kadesh-1300 BC

Reputed to be the biggest chariot battle of all time, the Egyptians and the Hittites slayed one another in the thousands.

History has recorded enough to know that tens of thousands of chariots and even more thousands of infantry threw down in a furious fight that had the God-King Ramses on the ropes. Ramses reinforcements finally came around and cleaned house against the Hittite general Muwatallis.

It'd be impossibly cool to control a chariot in an all out bloodbath; the trampling, the arrows, the swords and the spears, and the incredible ambushes and counterattacks that eventually left both sides decimated. Then we could watch in perfect CGI the peace eventually sealed with an arranged marriage.

That's the power of love for you.

China vs. Vietnam

The Battle of Bach Dang River-938

The invading Han-Chinese navy sails into a trap.

A wall of iron tipped spikes hidden in the mouth of the Back Dang river by high tide. The boats are caught when the tide lets out and attacked on all sides by the smaller Vietnamese forces. The Han Dynasty had the coolest, craziest looking sailboats in the history of water, and a game that would let me climb into one of those things-Assassin's Creed IV style-and engage in a sword fight would have a special place in my heart.

France vs. Everybody

The Battle of Leipzig-1642

Napolean's genius is best appreciated from a bird's eye view.

Imagine the biggest battle on European soil before WW1 with over eight countries involved. Over a million Russian, Prussian, German, Swedish, Spanish and Portuguese soldiers take on a lesser, French force. Composed mostly of teenagers, who, under Napolean's expert command, were still able to push back with force.

Any game that took on this project would have their work cut out for them, but the visuals of that many soldiers moving in formation would be nothing short of incredible.

Iraq vs. Iran

The Battle of Dezful-1981

This absolutely brutal tank battle has echoed so loudly throughout history that the world's ears are still ringing.

Lead three Iranian tank regiments into a unfathomable hellscape of mud and metal against Saddam's invading forces. The Iraqis feign retreat and set up a three-sided ambush that plays out into a violent four day pitch. The Iranians operate superior Soviet T-72s, but the Iraqi T-55s and, other Chinese knock-offs, leave 2/3 of Iran's forces abandoned or destroyed.

Even after the Iranian retreat, the Iraqis can't take full advantage thanks to the sea of mud that tries to swallow everything.

Turks vs. Venetians

Morean War: 1684-1699

Another lovely chapter in the history of Islamic/Christian relations, the Christian Venetian forces advance on Turkish held Greece could mean only one thing: an open battle throughout Athens.

This also included a full bombardment of the Acropolis.

Imagine fending off the Venetian artillery while watching the Parthenon, already some 2000 years old, get blown to bits after the Turks use it for an ammunition dump. Destroy a world heritage site before there was such a thing as world heritage sites! Operate cannons, rifles, and warships in a battle of empires that both proved and accomplished absolutely nothing!

Organized Labour vs. The United States Army

The American Railroad Strike-1877

You want morally ambiguous gameplay?

Look no further than one of the most violent strikes in American history. Be a union man battling the Robber Barons and the Federal Government as both prescribe a 'rifle diet' in response to your demands for a living wage.

As Pittsburgh burns, fight off bayonets, the bullets of trigger-happy militiamen, and the legions of strike-busters in a month-long campaign. Then the regular Army with a capital 'A' swoops in and cleans house with your Commie ass.

You'll never get to see this in Railroad Tycoon.

Macedonia vs. Persia

The Siege of Tyre-332 BC

They didn't call Alexander "Great" for nothing.

When you're conquering the known world, it's easy to get bogged down at every little city with a wall, so to discourage "holding out", you want to make an example of how lousy resistance is going to turn out.

Tyre was just such an example.

A walled off island fortress with a population of about 40,000. Imagine you're an engineer tasked with building a causeway from the mainland to the island, attacked constantly by saboteurs and arrows, then imagine operating a catapult on-board a moving, 160 ft siege tower as you finally breach the wall.

We can skip the part where Alex sells the city into slavery.

The Mongols vs. The Egyptian Slave Army

The Battle of Ayn Jalut-1260

"This far, but no further."

Is what Cairo said to the Mongol Hordes, the only army ever happy being referred to as a 'horde'. The Mamluk empire had cut their teeth battling the Crusaders, and when the threat came bashing in from the East, toppling Baghdad and Damascus, they met it with an army of conquered peoples they had trained for battle since birth.

Picture primitive hand cannons, nasty internal politics on both sides, and a bait-and-switch ambush that's still being studied today, all from the comfort of your living room console.

The Ojibway vs. The Iroquois

The Battle Of Skull Mound-1696

In the 1690's, shifting alliances and the pressure of European settlement forced the Iroquois North from New York to invade traditionally Ojibway territory

The Ojibway, who had trade relationships with the French, and because of this, rifles and gunpowder, didn't take too kindly to that at all. Ancient rivalries, battles along the rugged shores of the Canadian Shield, a mix of handmade and gunpowder weapons, and stealth and open combat, where do I sign up?

David vs. Goliath

Isrealites vs. Philistines-Somewhen B.C.

For the best old-world throw-down look no further than the Good Book.

You're a nobody David facing off against a Frank Miller-styled Philistine army that's been running roughshod over the Valley of Elah. Equipped with nothing more intimidating than a slingshot and a loincloth, you spend the day creeping up on scouts and doing serious damage. Until you get called out by Goliath, who you summarily snipe, then behead.

The tide thusly turned, you close the battle, chasing the Philistines back to whatever rock they crawled out from under.

It may not have actually happened, but I'd play the hell out of it.