French natives worldwide commemorate the day turned around the French Revolution, Bastille Day which is celebrated alongside another holiday, Fête de la Fédération, which celebrates the unification of the French people on July 14, 1790. Thousands of people annually honour the day with the largest and oldest parades to the Champs-Élysées as the day is celebrated worldwide including right here in South Africa with the Bastille Festival.
To celebrate Bastille Day, we honour the day with a look at five video games that were set in France.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
Arno Dorian, the main protagonist from Assassin’s Creed Unity. Source: Twitter/@assassinscreed
Having received a 7,8/10 from IGN and 4,2/5 from Microsoft, Assassin’s Creed Unity is one of the lacklustre titles in the stealth franchise. Released in 2014, the games centres around the Brotherhood of Assassins during the French Revolution as Arno Dorian. With ties to Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Arno learns that his birth father was killed by a Templar in AC Rogue as he learns his adoptive family’s ties to the Templar Order. He embarks on a journey of redemption back into the Brotherhood as he climbs through the Brotherhoods’ rankings much like his predecessors Altaïr and Ezio did.
Ubisoft brought its famed third-person open world exploration map as well as revising its combat, stealth and parkour systems, the game also introduced it’s co-operative multiplayer allowing up to four players engage in its narrative-driven missions. While the game was praised for its emotionally-driven narrative, the complexity of its characters and its multiplayer format, the game received criticism for its numerous graphics problems, tricky controls to name a few.
Despite how negative players are toward AC Unity, the game is well received and loved by Assassin’s Creed fans, Unity is proof that the next-gen of Assassin’s Creed titles can be beautiful, thrilling and entertaining.
Battlefield 1
The cover for Battlefield 1. Source: Facebook/@battlefield
One of the new titles featured, EA DICE brought its famed Frostbite engine to the WWI-themed title Battlefield 1.
Through Mud and Blood is set during the Battle of Cambrai as Daniel Edwards, the new driver of the Mark V tank, Black Bess as he navigates the tank and his team through German lines to reach the French town of Cambrai. By capturing strategic points as you eliminate German forces while losing team members along the way the Battle of Cambrai ends a month after 300 more tanks were deployed.
Battlefield 1’s DLC, They Shall Not Pass focuses on the French Army as players get to play four different maps set in the Battle of Verdun and the Second Battle of the Marne.
Well-received by critics for its stunning visuals, sound design, its multiplayer mode and the WWI theme, this game is a massive improvement from Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
An in-game screenshot from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Source: Facebook/@CallofDuty
The third installment in the Modern Warfare franchise, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is easily one of the best CoD titles amongst players and critics as its easy to understand why.
Continuing from events from Modern Warfare 2, the Task Force 141 is assigned to hunt down Vladimir Makarov and all know associates which include a Parisian bombmaker who’s a leader of a terrorist group. With the assistance of multiple agencies across the world, the team loses fellow members and an epic showdown in Paris leads to the collapse of the Eiffel Tower.
The team finally tracks down Makarov in Dubai in the most gruelling fight scene I’ve ever seen, as they finally close yet another chapter thus ending the Modern Warfare arc in the Call of Duty series.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Teamwork equals victory in Rainbow Six Siege. Source: Facebook/@Rainbow6
Attacker of defender, you decide which side you’re on in the tactical shooter, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
Following the deactivation of the Rainbow program, a terrorist group known as theWhitet Masks are responsible for multiple terrorist activities globally. The program gets reactivated to subdue the threat as a new leader is assigned. The new leader, Six, assembles a special task force to combat the White Masks as these recruits go through intense exercise training in hostage rescue and bomb disposal.
A complete turnaround title Rainbow Six Siege revitalises the franchise as developers envisioned authentic siege situations. Powered by AnvilNext, the game’s destructive nature comes from the RealBlast technology which also contributes to game’s destructive environment.
The game’s main focus, its multiplayer mode, allows players to fully understand the many roles within a counter-terrorism team which developers Ubisoft consulted real CTUs to give the game a more refreshed feel.
Praised for its open-ended nature, Rainbow Six Siege is “tense and riveting” as the game allows players to outsmart their opponents which leave the gaming experience fresh.
Medal Of Honor: Frontline
Engage in different objective modes from rescue to recon. Source: Facebook/@medalofhonor
Frontline is based on events portrayed in the 1999 Medal Of Honor release as it recounts the journey of Lt. Jimmy Patterson during his deployment during WWII.
Fight through any levels during WWII, using weapons used during the war and engage in military operations starting at the frontlines. While each mission comes with its own briefing sequence which furthers the game’s narrative thus introducing new characters. Each level comes with a different location, a new gameplay strategy and action levels, as the player is tasked objectives from infiltration, espionage, rescue and recon.
The game received favourable reviews from critics and the game was eventually remastered for the 2010 release, Medal Of Honor for PlayStation 3.
Which other French-themed gaming title have you played? And are any on our list a favourite to play? Let us know in the comments section below or on our social media platforms.
