Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient Past

Front cover of Christian Rollinger’s (ed.) volume, Classical Antiquity in Video Games

Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World

Christian Rollinger (ed.)

Bloomsbury Academic, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-3500-6663-2

Despite almost 60 years of video games set in the ancient or classical (i.e., typically understood as pertaining to Greece and Rome) world, the study of these games is still relatively in its infancy. Recent years have seen an increase in the level of attention they have received under the broad term of archaeogaming, which comes with its own hashtag, twitter account, blogs, and also the pioneering work of Andrew Reinhard and his 2018 book Archaeogaming: An Introduction to Archaeology in and of Video Games. The fourteen chapters within Rollinger’s edited volume, Classical Antiquity in Video Games, contribute to this burgeoning field.

After a prologue that provides an overview of the book’s chapters, its goals, and what the future holds, Rollinger’s chapter introduces the reader not only to notable games set in the ancient world, but also serves as an introduction to video games for those new to them. Even those familiar with ancient history video games will find nuggets of new information here, including a brief discussion of the first such video game, The Sumerian Game from the mid-60s, which has only recently been rediscovered. A final epilogue by Chapman draws together several themes present across multiple chapters, the different routes of investigation, what can be learned from how these games are played, and possibilities for future study. The rest of the book is divided into four main parts: (I) A Brave Old World: Re-Figurations of Ancient Cultures; (II) A World at War: Martial Re-Presentations in the Ancient World; (III) Digital Epics: Role-Playing in the Ancient World; and (IV) Building an Ancient World: Re-Imagining Antiquity. Throughout these chapters, the following games receive particular attention: Age of Empires; Apotheon; Assassin’s Creed; Field of Glory; Nethergate; Rome: Total War; Ryse: Son of Rome; The Secret World; Titan Quest; Total War: Rome II.

The three chapters in part one explore how the ancient world is recreated, as well as how ancient settings are laden with established referential codes, creating a middle ground between the alien and familiar (Serrano Lozano). The question of authenticity and how it is created is prevalent throughout, a point that I will return to below. In contrast to other popular media, e.g., cinema, games generate an ‘experiential immersion into a past which feels real’ (French and Gardner), creating playable pasts, albeit pasts mediated by creators. Immersion within these digital worlds is also affected by gameplay mechanics. As French and Gardner note concerning the Assassin’s Creed franchise, stealth play results in a level of interaction with the architectural environment that in turns leads to increased familiarity with those historical structures. Beaver’s chapter turns to representation of women (the only chapter in the volume to focus on gender) and the negative portrayal of women in Ryse: Son of Rome –a launch game for the Xbox One, including women as damsels in distress, as sexual objects, and in connection with trauma and violence. This chapter makes an important statement, addressing the inherent misogyny in many video games made for a perceived predominantly male audience. Representations of the historical world reflect the receiving society, and a strong argument is made for the need for games to offer ‘representations deemed politically valuable in contemporary society’.

Part two focuses on military aspects, a feature already noted by Serrano Lozano, who highlights how violence often forms a central part of the ludonarrative progression of games set in the ancient world. Machado reminds us that it is not only gameplay itself that creates these ancient worlds, but cutscenes, which often provide historical context. Using Total War: Rome II’s Battle of Teutoburg as a case study, Machado examines the historiography of this battle from ancient authors through to early modern and 20th century Germany, demonstrating how games can fall into dangerous presentations of historical figures (e.g., how the portrayal of the figure of Arminius, a German chief, aligns with its adoption by Hitler and subsequently the alt-right). A different analysis of ancient warfare is presented by McCall, who shows the potential of using strategy games as simulations of ancient battles. In Field of Glory and Rome: Total War II, the player has to make a series of decisions that affect the outcome of the battle, providing opportunities to ‘conceptualize and analyse the dynamics of ancient battles in the past’. Even critiquing flaws in the game allows researchers to address their understanding of ancient warfare.

Plunging into the world of RPGs and MMORPGs, part three shows the range of different approaches that can be applied to ancient history games, from examination of games as a form of epic, looking at games through the lens of post-colonialism, and how antiquity is performed. Travis’ chapter moves away from discussing how the ancient world is depicted to how RPGs can be understood within the framework of the ‘oral formulaic composition’ of Homer, or, RPGs as epic. Focussing on two Bethesda franchises, The Elder Scrolls and Fall Out (games with fantasy and post-apocalyptic settings respectively), Travis argues how they fit with Homeric compositions in terms of exploration, character progress, and community affiliation. Turning to post-colonialism, Clare uses Nethergate and Titan Quest to show different approaches to and presentations of the ‘Other’. Nethergate allows the player to play as either a Roman or a Celt. While the depiction of each group draws on received iconicity from other cultural mediums, the possibility to play as the Celt gives ‘voice to the voiceless’ (our historical sources are written by Romans), participating in the restoration of subaltern speech. In contrast, Titan Quest involves the journey of a westerner as he travels east, and the further east he progresses, the more the game devolves to Orientalising tropes: homogenization of the ‘Other’ and the power to effect change lying only in the hands of the westerner. These cases studies demonstrate how critical play allow users to reflect on colonialism. The MMORPG, The Secret World, touches on multiple periods of history and the player engages with various myths and legends. Nolden uses this game to propose a ‘historical knowledge system’ for analysing the historicity of video games, comprising: (1) objects and material cultures (how the game creates authenticity); (2) narrative networks; (3) macro-historical models (computational models, simulations); (4) micro-historical world designs (concepts of reality, creating atmosphere). In addition to presenting this framework, Nolden also raises the role of the game communities and their contribution to Public History, a point I’ll return to below.

The final section deals with how game design and development can be used to engage with ancient history in different ways. By transforming the model of analogue ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ games to a digital world, Morley highlights the possibilities for this game format in exploring counterfactual and alternative histories, engaging the user in ‘the potential openness of the past’. The example used is a section from Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War (Greek, 5th century BCE), which recounts the conflicts between Athens and Sparta, using dialogue and possibilities within the text, rather than random choices. Also playing with the possibilities provided by software rather than actual games, Holter, Schäfer, and Schwesinger recreate the Athenian assembly virtually using game engines (developed by the games industry, free to use for academic and personal purposes). Such virtual spaces enable researchers to ask questions that are otherwise impossible to address, such as the multisensory experiences of political speeches by onlookers, and the so-far unexplored utility of VR environments for publishing data and engagement on a large scale. The other two authors in this section have worked as consultants on different games, the indie game Apotheon (Paprocki) and Age of Empires Definitive Edition (Flegler). In the case of the former, Paprocki engages with how ancient Greek material was used as a jumping-off point for creating a post-apocalyptic ancient world in which the gods have abandoned humanity. Deicide is a key feature of the game, and Paprocki engages with the issues involved with the topic, from an ancient historian’s perspective – a point that those without an ancient history background may not find so problematic, given the prominence of deicide in the God of War franchise (a game that surprisingly isn’t drawn into the discussion in this chapter). Finally, Flegler discusses various aspects of Age of Empires, including how authenticity is created within game mechanics (the technology tree), how history within and across games in the franchise is to be understood, and how player decisions (between technology and economy on the one hand and military and attack on the other) allow them to actively engage with and participate in aspects of the past.

Overall, many of the themes covered throughout this book can be grouped into two overarching headings: presentation and engagement. Several papers discuss how the ancient world is presented, in terms of markers of authenticity and how particular groups are treated (see Beaver on women and Clare on the ‘Other’). In terms of authenticity, there is a constant tension concerning what this actually entails, but which is not explicitly addressed: whose authentic history are we dealing with and what is the difference between authentic and accurate? Games first and foremost are developed with consumers in mind, and perception of the past – the creation of a familiar world that echoes creations in other media (especially cinema) – is as important to users as the creation of ‘accuracy’ may be to historians. One important aspect of this question that isn’t tackled in these chapters is that ancient history is mainly written and published by white westerners, and academia itself has been hesitant to open the gates to alternative voices and interpretations. Games offer the potential to explore this point. In terms of ‘accuracy, some games do devote considerable attention to this aspect, especially in terms of material culture. The Assassin’s Creed games are of particular note in this respect. The Discovery Tour features of Origins and Odyssey include objects from various museum collections, while the virtual model of Notre Dame in Unity (not ancient history, but a good example of this point) is so accurate that the developers offered their model for use in the rebuilding of the actual cathedral following the 2019 fire. This ability to render architecture accurately echoes the chapter by Holter et al. on the potential uses of virtual spaces.

How the ancient world is presented is a key element in the reception of the ancient world. Games, as with other media, present perceived history and reflect societal ideas of the past, as well as being mirrors of the mores and ethics of contemporary society. Study of the reception of the ancient world in film, literature, and art is a well-developed field, and video games must be treated on the same level as other media, and this volume marks a significant advance in this respect. Aside from the academic response to games, how gaming communities engage with these games is a largely neglected area of study, but one that can contribute significantly to the field of Public History (as touched upon by Holden). While this term has multiple definitions, one part is how people write about and understand their own history. Public forums (whether Reddit, designated game websites, or blogs) provide an insight into how communities respond to various aspects of the storyworlds in which they participate, whether this be historical ‘accuracy’, depictions of people and places, decisions made in-game, or varying timelines in games with non-linear narratives. Many of the games discussed in these chapters show how one can play with history, whether casual users, students, or researchers, to explore the ancient world and alternative histories.

There are many merits to this volume and important new paths of research are highlighted. This is not to say that the book is free from criticism. Primarily, this book is aimed at ancient historians, both those with an interest in or no prior knowledge of video games. A useful glossary at the end of the volume covers gaming terms and several chapters provide additional explanations. However, those interested in the topic without a background in ancient history are not afforded the same aids and may struggle to understand several terms and practices. For example, some Latin terms are not translated, there is no guide to ancient source/text abbreviations, and terms common from related disciplines are not explained (e.g., will all readers understand that ‘peplum’ refers to the ‘sword-and-sandals’ subgenre of films, rather than a clothing term, or something else?). Some minor errors also won’t be picked up by non-specialists, such as the Roman biographer Suetonius being dated to 2 CE rather than the 2nd century CE (p. 95). A second glossary for ancient history specific terms and sources would have improved the accessibility of the volume to a broader audience.

The topics covered by this volume and its contributors also demonstrate the scope for the future, both in exploring certain themes that occur in only one rather than multiple chapters (e.g., gender, orientalism, and colonialism vs ancient war, violence, and authenticity). As a nod towards this future, an edited double volume on women in historical and archaeological video games is currently being prepared by Jane Draycott (Glasgow) and Kate Cook (Durham). New studies will also hopefully expand the geographic scope of games being studied. While games based in Mesopotamia and Egypt are mentioned (The Sumerian Game, Hammurabi, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, The Secret World), the very title of this volume Classical Antiquity in Video Games hamstrings the contents. Granted, the title seems to be a publisher choice, as part of a new series (see also Classical Antiquity in Heavy Metal Music, 2020), and ‘ancient world’ is mainly used throughout its pages, yet the contents do focus primarily on the Greek and Roman worlds.

Since this book was prepared for publication, several games have been published, or have now been around long enough to enable study. French and Gardner mention Assassin’s Creed: Origins, but the game was too new at the time of writing to enable analysis of the educational DLC, the Discovery Tour. The subsequent game in the franchise, Odyssey, presents a vast Mediterranean Greek world that, in addition to the Discovery Tour, has a story creator mode, enabling players to design their own quests. Both tools offer many opportunities to study how the games function as pedagogic and research tools, as well as how players engage with the respective storyworlds. Expanding ‘Classical Antiquity’ to include Norse mythology, God of War (2018) and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (2017) offer different environments and world building techniques to examine, and the forthcoming Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla will soon be available for further exploration of Vikings and Scandinavian history. Playing with the ancient past, Heaven’s Vault (2019) is an archaeological science-fiction game that involves the decipherment of an ancient language through the finding and collecting of inscriptions from sites and objects. Although more on the archaeogaming side of things, Heaven’s Vault raises questions about how we approach history and touches upon many of the themes addressed throughout this volume. Finally, one aspect of gaming not discussed in this book is mobile games. How is the ancient world adapted for smart phones and how does the greater accessibility of these often free (at least for basic play) online games affect perception of and engagement with the ancient world?

Overall, Classical Antiquity in Video Games demonstrates the importance of the study of video games for research into multiple areas of ancient world studies: the presentation and reception of the ancient world, how players engage with these past worlds that they inhabit, the pedagogic use of video games, and the use of virtual worlds as tools. As video games engage users in a different way to other popular media, there is immense scope for study, and these fourteen chapters show how games are not to be dismissed simply as mass-consumed trivialities. More people will discover the ancient world through these games than they will through academic publications, and how these worlds are shaped and subsequently discovered and explored offers exciting opportunities for everybody interested in ancient history.

Jennifer Cromwell