10 Times Gaming Developers Brutally Messed With Historical Events

As human beings, we are obsessed with our own history, determined to know as much as we can about our origins and the important events that shaped who we are today. Why? Because there's so much we don't know, and we absolutely hate not knowing. Also, we just love a good story.

Within the world of entertainment, that obsession becomes a retelling of events that are shaped and adjusted to suit a particular narrative, from making events more action oriented, inserting or modifying well known characters to suit said scene, or attempting to convert history into a hero's story to appeal to the masses.

But movies or TV shows can only go so far compared to the interactive appeal of video games, where even more rules can be bent or entirely broken. Want Leonardo da Vinci to manufacture weapons for Assassins? Sure, why not! How about the Nazis winning World War II? Can do and while you're at it, have them create a zombie army. Anything goes, especially if it makes it more engaging to an audience constantly desperate for something new and enjoyable, or just down right curious as to what might have happened.

Here then are 10 games that subvert our own history to suit weird and not always wonderful storytelling ideas. Just don't bring them up with your history teacher: it might not go down well.

From 1337 to 1453 the Kingdoms of England and France fought for control over the largest regions of Europe. The bloody 100 Years' War which lasted more than one hundred years (but we won't hold that against them) birthed the national identities of France and England and marked the end of chivalry and feudalism as it was known. But it's more likely remembered for the appearance of French heroine, Joan of Arc.

Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War, the 2007 action strategy game developed by Koei, is loosely based on the above if it were an over the top anime complete with good looks and a typical good versus hero story arc.

Various timelines are threaded together and history itself is largely written to suit the developer's vision, and that's no more apparent than the mission that has you rescuing Joan of Arc. History will tell us that Joan was handed over to the English and burnt at the stake, Bladestorm however has you heroically storming a fort and saving her.

Yet that doesn't hold a candle to Bladestorm: Nightmare, a semi-reboot of the original released in 2015 that told an alternate story of Joan leading an army of dragons and goblins in a Game of Thrones style war for the throne.