Red Dead Redemption 2, set in the nineteenth century, is a masterpiece that depicts a historically accurate Wild West in vivid detail. Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, and relaxing around the campfire or you prefer showdowns and standoffs, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best game you can play to explore the final years of a dwindling American frontier.

You will take on the role of Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, who are outlaws on the run. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the country hot on their tails, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across America's rugged heartland to survive. As the gang's internal divisions deepen, Arthur must choose between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang that raised him.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling Western tale of loyalty, conviction, and the cost of infamy, chronicling the inevitable collapse of a motley crew of Wild West holdouts fighting against the slow march of civilization and industrialization.

There are so many things to do, so many people to meet, and so many places to explore in Rockstar's most authentic and lived-in open world yet that it's giddyingly overwhelming. Red Dead Redemption 2 isn't just Rockstar's greatest achievement to date; it's a game so devoid of compromise that it's difficult to know where to begin discussing it.

Pros:

• The free open world of Red Dead Redemption 2 allows players to freely explore and interact with this violent cowboy world
• The unique interaction between the player and the in-game world creates a genuine sense of aliveness'
• The plot of the game is extremely linear, with important plot details integrated subtly, carefully, and skillfully into each dialogue
• Each character's psychology undergoes a logical and reasonable transformation
• Visual effects, sound, and graphics are all impressive

Cons:

• The lack of quick travel makes this a very long game
  

Rating on Amazon: 4.7/5

Price on Steam: $59.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/1174180/Red_Dead_Redemption_2/

Official site: rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2/

Ensemble Studios' journey to the Middle Ages has been a universally beloved game for over two decades, a staple of both history games and the RTS genre. While there are newer Age of Empires games on the market (Age of Empires IV was released only a few months ago), you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who is serious about their Age of Empires who would recommend them over the 2019 remaster of the series' second instalment. It is Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

While the original game featured 13 civilizations, the remastered edition has added eight more, bringing the total to 21 - one for each century following the birth of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the most recent expansion was released only a few months ago, implying that the studio in charge of the remastering process, Forgotten Empires, may decide to add even more in the future. Essentially, if you enjoy strategy games, the Middle Ages, and experiences that provide you with more hours than you'll ever be able to give them, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is well worth a shot.

On the game map, nothing compares to infinite power! In this legendary title, you will travel to the Middle Ages and face off against the civilizations of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in a strategic battle for supremacy. In the most addictive strategy game ever, you must manage one of thirty-five civilizations. To outrun your opponents, gather resources, expand your empire, and advance to the next era. Build an unbeatable army and battle your way through a series of exciting campaigns to uncover 1,000 years of human history in one game. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a must-have for any historical game enthusiast!

Pros:

• Play a classic strategy game set in the Middle Ages
• Control the development of one of 35 civilizations
• Collect resources and build your settlement
• Play solo or in multiplayer mode
  

Cons:

• You may need a powerful PC to take full advantage
  

Rating on Tom's guide: 4.5/5

Price on Steam: $19.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/813780/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition/

Official site: ageofempires.com/games/aoeiide/

It's easy to dismiss Valhalla's violence, mythology, and season passes as detriments to its historical accuracy, but Ubisoft's Drengr RPG has a lot of truth to it. If anything, the violence in this game has been tempered for modern audiences, and the game's indulgence in mythology is perfectly appropriate given how intertwined the Vikings' own history was with their spiritual beliefs.

Valhalla, like most other Assassin's Creed games, is painstakingly researched and written with genuine reverence for the material from which its stories are drawn. When combined with the Discovery Tour expansion, which foregoes combat in favor of more scholarly pursuits, this is a history game that will appeal to both Thor experts and those who believe Thor was invented by Stan Lee in 1962. He wasn't, by the way.

If you're looking for some brutal Vikings-style combat, this title will fulfill all of your wishes. Command a Nordic army and travel to 9th-century England to conquer new lands and become the ultimate ruler of the people. Play as Eivor, a Viking hero eager to build a new home for his army. Invade England, build a prosperous settlement, and look after your people's well-being. It will not be easy, as the English will do everything they can to get rid of the intruders.

They will be led by Alfred the Great himself, and the fate of this story will be determined solely by your decisions. In addition to the features of this era, AC fans can enjoy their favorite activities such as sailing, free exploration, and parkour.

Pros:

• Play as a 9th century Viking leader
• Invade England to establish a new home for your people
• Explore new territory and establish a settlement
• Gather resources and fight

Cons:

• The main campaign's beginning isn't well-paced, making the first few hours a little tedious
• The campaign's structure hinders the development of the supporting cast
  

Rating on Exputer: 4.5/5

Price on Steam: $59.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2208920/Assassins_Creed_Valhalla/

Official site: ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/assassins-creed/valhalla/buy

The Call of Duty series is well-known for basing its games on actual wars, the majority of which occurred and some of which may or may not occur depending on the actions of today's space-racing billionaires. Call of Duty: World at War, the fifth entry in the series, is probably the best of the former. The campaign in World at War is divided into two parts: American and Soviet. Sergeant Reznov of the Soviet campaigns has become one of the greats in Call of Duty history, and he plays a huge role in the game's depiction of the Battle for Berlin, which is by extension all but the Battle for Europe itself.

The jungle hides many secrets and dangers. And in Call of Duty: World at War, the Japanese soldiers will be the most dangerous of all. Return to WWII's Eastern Front and witness the horrors of war like never before. Complete a series of campaigns in which you play as an American soldier in Okinawa. Participate in the siege of Berlin and play as the fearless defender of Stalingrad. This is a first-person shooter in which you will experience the brutal atmosphere of World War II while experimenting with new combat methods and an arsenal of weapons. The smallest mistake can cost you your life!

Pros:

• Fight as a soldier in Berlin, Stalingrad, and Okinawa during WWII
• Test out new, more brutal combat methods
• Play either solo or multiplayer
  

Cons:

• Setting that is familiar
• Known game mechanics
• Known weapons

Rating on GamesRadar: 4.5/5
Price on Steam: $19.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/10090/Call_of_Duty_World_at_War/

This is a contentious one because Civilization IV and Civilization V fans are probably giddy at the prospect of going for Civilization VI. The truth is that "Civilization" is an excellent series of strategy games that many people enjoy for a variety of reasons. Civilization is dense and comes with a plethora of expansions for each entry, implying that there's a lot of history to sift through here. Even many years after its release, the latest title in the Civilization series (Civilization VI) is still one of the best historical strategy games of all time.

No list would be complete without mentioning the Civilization series in some capacity, and Civilization VI is the series' best overall representative (though Civilization 5 is just as worth checking out). Civilization is still alive and well because of its rock-solid premise of bringing a culture from the Stone Age to the modern day. Though there are no explicit role-playing systems in the game, the potential for emergent storytelling remains, which only adds to the experience.

Unlike some of the other games on the list, which can become overwhelming and exhausting, Civilization VI maintains a perfect balance in which the systems at play are just complex enough for players to never get tired of optimizing their decisions, while remaining simple enough not to bog them down in analysis paralysis. With the addition of districts, refinement to city happiness, and a redesign of culture and civics, Civilization VI also serves as a watershed moment for the series as a whole (not to mention the greater emphasis on climate and geography in expansions).

Pros:

• All player construction and development actions, including historical celebrities, have a causal effect on one another
  
• The events in Civilization VI are more unpredictable, creating a rich experience with high replay value
• The graphics are not only far superior to previous versions, but the level of detail in the movement of the characters also adds to the game's vivid and appealing experience

Cons:

• If you haven't played previous versions of Civilization or many 4X strategy games, starting with Civilization VI can be overwhelming
  

Rating on BestBuy: 4.4/5
Price on Steam: $59.99
See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/289070/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI/
Official site: civilization.com/

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a game that should not be overlooked by those who enjoy the series of strategy games that combine management and army building. After launching in early access last year, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord quickly established itself as Steam's biggest release of 2020. There is no better game to recommend if you want to play through barbarous continental skirmishes fought during the fall of the Roman Empire (fictitiously referred to as the Calradic Empire here). Players can transform into heroic generals, commanding and accompanying their armies in battle against formidable foes.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord takes place 200 years before Mount&Blade: Warband. The Calradic Empire was in decline at the time, and the countries that appeared in the versions were also gradually formed. Each small kingdom started to form social classes, and towns and villages sprouted up. However, bands of bandits and mercenaries began to appear.

While exploring Imperial Calradia, players can interact with them. In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, players can choose to join one of the newly formed kingdoms, or they can continue to support the Calradic empire by joining this country. In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, the player character can directly participate in battle. Players can position their troops, as well as their generals and characters, in advantageous positions for the battle.

The most noticeable feature of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is the extremely tactical battles. The player has the option to choose how to attack the enemy's stronghold before each battle. In addition to playing the game alone, players can team up with friends to play the game together. In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, co-op mode allows multiple players to join the same battle.

Pros:

• Battle with a large army in fierce battles
• Jovial audio and clever UI
• Excellent sandbox mode

Cons:

• A few shallow auxiliary systems
  

Rating on Instant-Gaming.com: 4.4/5

Price on Steam: $49.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/261550/Mount__Blade_II_Bannerlord/

Official site: taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord

Europa Universalis IV, like Age of Empires II, is set in the Middle Ages, but it goes all the way up to the end of the early modern period at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It is more interested in grand strategy than traditional RTS games, making it similar to Crusader Kings 3 in that diplomacy is far more important than military might.

Still, there are a lot of moving parts to keep track of if you want to be successful in your campaigns, and the historical basis for Europa Universalis IV is dense enough to make it the history game for aspiring historians. It's almost as if global politics is complicated! While Europa Universalis IV was released in 2013, it is still receiving expansions to this day, so getting into it now means you'll likely have even more game to dive into later.

Europa Universalis IV is a historical grand strategy game that ranks among the best of all time. It's another Paradox game, and it also covers an underrepresented period in gaming history, the Early Modern period. The game here is one of centralization, colonization, conquest, and religious strife. The fact that Europa Universalis IV is more focused on outward expansion and conquest adds a strategic dynamism to the game.

The fact that players can choose almost any faction, large or small, and see how far they can go or even simply take the entire world is a compliment in and of itself — there is so much freedom and flexibility. The emphasis on conquest in Europa Universalis IV has the potential to become stale and repetitive, but the sheer volume of content is guaranteed to keep players interested for many gameplay sessions.

Pros:

• A wise balance of depth and accessibility
• Europa IV provides a stress-free multiplayer experience and the visuals look vivid and impressive
• The world map in Europa IV is richly detailed, with changing seasons, animated trade routes, and detailed military unit models

Cons:

• The interface's layers of menus are a design choice that gamers in Europa must get used to, and they can be confusing for newcomers
  
  

Rating on Fanatical: 4.1/5

Price on Steam: $39.99
See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/236850/Europa_Universalis_IV/

Official site: paradoxinteractive.com/games/europa-universalis-iv/about

Unlike Civilization, when it comes to naming the best game in the series, Crusader Kings has a clear winner. Crusader Kings III was released in September 2020 to widespread critical acclaim, eight years after the previous entry in the series, which was released eight years after the first one. Having said that, it's safe to assume that Crusader Kings III will be the de facto CK game until 2028, giving you plenty of time to improve.

In contrast to many other strategy games, Crusader Kings III is more interested in dynasty than dynamite, which means you'll spend more time making secret illegitimate babies with the Prince of France than lining up trebuchets and sacrificing innocent infantry for future gains. If you enjoyed the more dramatic elements of HBO's Game of Thrones, Crusader Kings III is similar, except you're in charge. It's wonderful.

Crusader Kings III takes place nearly a millennium ago, during the medieval period, when the emphasis on economics gives way to the whims of individual characters, rulers, and vassals. Crusader Kings' success demonstrates how important the personal and role-playing connection is to compelling grand strategy gameplay. Strategy isn't just about numbers and logic; it's also about relationships and human emotions. The game has deep character systems, but it's what these mechanics do that sets this grand strategy game apart from the rest.

There's plenty of spreadsheet strategy potential here, but Crusader Kings III's character-centric approach gives the game huge potential for emergent story-telling and, as a result, greater player investment in the overall experience. Though its economic systems are not as complex as those of some of its other Paradox counterparts, Crusader Kings III is still one of the most engaging and story-driven grand strategy games on the market.

Pros:

• Medieval music in the game, with varied melodies composed by talented composers such as Andreas Waldetoft or Philip Wareborn for symphony orchestras of extremely high quality
• The game's visual aspect is carefully considered in moderation, not too heavy and "splendid" with many advanced graphic effects
• The personal element is highlighted when the player can go through the exchange, chat, and even wait to chat

Cons:

• The mechanism of random events can be frustrating for players at times
  

Rating on Screenrant: 4/5

Price on Steam: $49.99

See it on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/1158310/Crusader_Kings_III/

Official site: paradoxinteractive.com/games/crusader-kings-iii/about

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is set in the Sengoku period of Japanese history, and it incorporates a number of fantastical elements into that setting to make it unique. You'll be battering headless apes, taking on 20-foot tall monks, and dueling literal dragons in addition to stunning architectural design and subtle worldbuilding via tasteful tidbits of lore. It's worth noting that Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, like most FromSoftware games, is tough as nails and takes some time to get used to. You'll be grappling your way through its shrines and sanctuaries once you get the hang of it.

Despite its high difficulty, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice could be a good starting point. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's storytelling takes a much more direct approach, with more exposition and a more character-driven narrative. That isn't to say that everything is obvious; this is a From Software game, so there are plenty of secrets to discover. However, the story is arguably more compelling here because you're given just enough to chew on to hook you in from the start. As the titular shinobi, you've vowed to protect Kuro, a young lord descended from a sacred and powerful bloodline.

Pros:

• Ingenious enemy design
• The stealth mechanics complement the combat posture system, making battles more engaging and skill-based
• New traversal options increase variety

Cons:

• The harsh difficulty can be unjust

Rating on GamesRadar: 4/5

Price on Steam: $59.99

See it on Steam:

store.steampowered.com/app/814380/Sekiro_Shadows_Die_Twice__GOTY_Edition/?l=vietnamese

Official site: sekirothegame.com/

Ghost of Tsushima is an unusual title to include on a list of the best history games because many of its historical inclinations are ill-advised or outright incorrect. Despite the fact that neither haiku nor katanas had been invented when the Mongols invaded Tsushima Island, both play significant roles in the game, most likely due to their status as recognizable Japanese iconography today.

Ghost of Tsushima, on the other hand, is a period piece that is clearly interested in its source material, even if it occasionally likes to use its ability for fictionalization a little too liberally. It received rave reviews in Japan, which could never have happened if it was completely devoid of historical significance, and aside from that, it's a gorgeous, fluid, and tactile game brimming with color and style. Tsushima's overcommitment to cinema can be a bit much at times, and some of its insta-fail stealth sections are infuriating, but overall, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best historical games you can play - especially on a snazzy new-gen console.

It's similar to Assassin's Creed but takes place in 13th-century Japan. Ghost of Tsushima is an action game in which players take on the role of a samurai (Jin Sakai) on a vengeance mission against Mongol invaders in 13th century Japan. When a Mongol invasion slaughters your island and its inhabitants, vengeance becomes your sole purpose in life.

Players move through open-world environments, interact with characters, complete quests (for example, assassination), and infiltrate enemy strongholds. Turn into a Ghost, an invisible fighter who kills enemies by surprise. Explore the open world of the island, discover its secrets, and gain experience. In melee combat, players use samurai swords, poisoned darts, and bows to battle enemies. Fight with historically accurate weapons and sneak to your objective. For fans of historical stealth games, Ghost of Tsushima is a priceless treasure.

Pros:

• Explore the island and learn about its history in 13th-century Japan.
• Sneak up on enemies to catch them off guard.
• Fight with powerful weapons and improve your abilities.

Cons:

• Routine open-world quest structures can be tedious
• Cutscenes are devoid of life
• Japanese-language performances do not correspond to character mouth movements, resulting in a disconcerting disconnect
  

Rating on TechRadar: 4/5

Price on PlayStation: $69.99

See it on PlayStation: playstation.com/en-us/games/ghost-of-tsushima/

Official site: suckerpunch.com/category/games/ghostoftsushima/