Opinion: from Assassin's Creed to Civilisation, there are striking historical parallels in the narratives of many video games
By Derek Laffan and Caitríona Ní Cassaithe, DCU
The subject of history is evident in many of the most enjoyed and popular video games of all time. Popular games like Assassin's Creed have skillfully engaged players in some of the most dynamic and exotic historical contexts such as the Holy Land during the time of the Crusades, and at the forefront of battle between Assassins and Templars in the French Revolution.
It can be argued that there are striking parallels between the course of history and the narratives found in popular games. The greatest video games of all time are rampant with mythology, folklore, storytelling, guilds, clans, war, conflict and conflict resolution to name but a few. Should school students be required to continue learning from home (even for some of the week) from September, teaching history will require innovative strategies that are accessible, dynamic and engaging. Popular video games could well fit these criteria, as many video games will not directly address a specific area of history in their plots and narratives
Using video games as historical resources
The impact of Covid-19 has resulted in teachers turning more towards using video games as educational resources. If teachers took a not-so-literal approach with the use of popular video games, this could be effective for pupils to understand historical comparisons and timelines of history. A not-so-literal approach would mean understanding that the best video games do not always address a specific historical context per se, but they can be applied to the relevant historical context of interest. An example of this could be a student playing The Legend of Zelda and comparing how the "ancient" language of Hylian is depicted similarly to that of the ancient Irish language Ogham.
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One legitimate concern of using video games this way is that some of these games do not portray historical events accurately. However, research has shown that game developers do a significant amount of historical research themselves in order to present a realistic and engaging historical experience to game players. The gaming language Hylian is indeed fictitious, but The Legend of Zelda developers based this language on real Japanese Hiragana, Katakana, Rōmaji, and English.
Video games are naturally engaging and interactive virtual environments. Developers of classic strategy genre titles like Age of Empires, Civilization and Command and Conquer have particularly taken advantage of historical contexts to engage players. Strategy based video games are almost entirely based on what strategic moves a player makes that affects how another player plays next by using turns (one player goes first then the other) and real time (play is ongoing and not in turns). This gaming mechanic reflects the real world strategies by the army generals of epic battles and wars of history (eg Stalingrad). Students can use turn playing and real time to emulate the techniques, strategies and dynamics of historical battles using popular strategy video games.
How games promote critical and historical thinking
We would also suggest that video games can sometimes present as a more valid teaching resource compared to other relied upon resources. Online articles, websites, and some school textbooks, have previously provided dangerous and false historical narratives, such as the much debunked Irish slaves myth. Such false assertions have been pushed by white supremacy groups using perceived reliable Internet resources (such as articles and social media) and can find their way into what we consider to be credible secondary sources of information.
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Popular games may deserve more credit as a valid historical resource. After playing a video game with an engaging historical narrative, teachers can contextualise the game content without the worry of historical inaccuracies by using reinforced well utilized teaching methods such as lectures, quizzes and projects.
History-related games like Assassin’s Creed do not solely represent historical scenarios or serve as resources, but can also reinforce historical thinking. Historical thinking refers to the range of critical literacy skills for evaluating and analysing historical sources in order to construct a meaningful account of the past. These thinking skills include a sense of historical empathy, an understanding of time and chronology, the ability to construct and deconstruct historical narratives, and the ability to arrive at historical interpretations based on historical evidence.
Such deconstructions and reconstructions of historical interpretations have been acknowledged as a central component of historical thinking. Historical video games can informally contribute to enhancing such thinking by introducing historical content in an accessible way. They can also promote and cultivate an interest, knowledge and understanding of the nature of history.
Historical events and concepts are at the forefront of gaming narratives and remain important resources in the classroom
Of course, not every teacher will want to use video games for teaching history, and not every student likes playing games. But historical events and concepts are at the forefront of gaming narratives and remain important resources in the classroom. The suggestions outlined here can equally apply to history relevant TV shows such as Peaky Blinders and books and films like The Lord of the Rings
Teachers dismissing popular video games as a teaching resource for history might be dismissing a surprisingly valuable opportunity for student learning of the subject. Especially given the uncertainties that lie ahead for classroom learning in the immediate future.
Derek Laffan is an assistant researcher at the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre at Dublin City University. Dr Caitríona Ní Cassaithe is an Assistant Professor of History Education at the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies at the Institute of Education at Dublin City University.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
