Summary
There has long been a great fascination withthe Medieval period of history. Thousands of stories, whether historical or fantastical, are set or based during this era. It is an era that has been romanticized and revised, inspired and reviled. During that time came global trading, huge leaps in medical knowledge, astrology and alchemy, and structures which still stand to this day. Clearly, it was a time of great innovation and enlightenment.
However, other much darker aspects of humanity were also furthered, such as warfare, religious persecution, and torture. While some games, likeCivilization, have a focus on the advancement of Medieval humanity, others take great interest in the terrible acts and maltreatment present throughout the Medieval era.
Set either just before or very early in the Medieval era,Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificefollows Senua on a quest for revenge for her murdered lover, whose decapitated head she carries on her belt. That is just the setup for Senua’s story, andit only gets darker from there.Hellbladeboldly depicts a character suffering from severe psychosis and doesn’t flinch away from how such differences have been perceived and punished throughout history.
This perspective allows the narrative to be told through a unique blending of fantasy and the real, where the line defining what is actually occurring and what is projected from Senua’s mind is left, quite purposefully, down to the player to decode and decide for themselves.
Battle Brothersis all about forming a company of mercenaries and leading them to glory and riches. Alternatively, it is a game about hiring any vagabond available to form a barely competent mercenary company and leading it to enough money to afford one sword they can all share before they get massacred.Often, it’s more about the latter scenario than the former.
Battle Brothersis a great game that is endearingly harsh and brutal towards the player. Very much in tune with the Medieval philosophy of the Wheel of Fate, where it can feel that all is finally going well, but a single misstep or a bit of bad luck and suddenly everyone is sick, fleeing, or dead.
Wartalesfocuses, as the name might suggest, on narratives of a smaller scale that occur during and after times of war. Initially starting with a handful of soldiers in their mercenary company, the player can build their numbers into a formidable war party whose decisions will influence the fates of many.
There are no purely “good” choices, however, as the player is made acutely aware that any decision they make that benefits one party will undoubtedly cause suffering upon another.
InDark Souls,almost any piece of lore that happens to have something nice about it will inevitably be followed up by something bad. Almost all the characters either die, go mad, or both (in no particular order, as death is not particularly permanent in Lordran). It would be a marvelous case of self-deception to call any of the possible endings a “good” outcome.
It also masterfully impresses these changes of emotion upon the player, bringing them down to the grimy bleak depths of Blighttown, then up to the angelic heights of Anor Londo.Dark Soulsis simultaneouslyrelentlessly miserable and full of beauty.What could encapsulate the Medieval ages more?
Set in the fictional land of Cvstodia, a world heavily inspired by the religious persecution and inhumanities that took place in Medieval Spain,Blasphemousis all about the dark parts of Medieval history. In fact, due to the so-called living miracle, even the darkness inside the heads and hearts of the characters is made manifest, torturing their bearers and the world around them.
Perhaps more than any other game,Blasphemousmanages to walk the fine line between the beautiful and the outrageously disturbing,perfectly imitating the many pieces of art that inspired it.
Putting the Black Death front and center of its setting should make it clear thatA Plague Tale: Innocenceis not for the faint of heart. Diving deep into a dark time, where it is estimated that a third of Europe’s population suffered and succumbed to the plague, it’s hard to imagine a darker Medieval setting than this. While there is a supernatural spin put on the scenario, it does nothing to lessen the grimness of the world, and in certain ways, it even enhances it.
It is doubtful anyone would argue that rats actually were the cause of plague and, consequently, that eating people alive and cocooning them within anAlien-style grotesque hive would have made the Black Death any less dark. However, these things (and many others) are rampant inA Plague Tale: Innocenceand its sequel, and while the game is primarily focused on the story of its two main characters, these elements follow them everywhere they go.
Fear & Hungeris a game full of intense and extreme content. If there are two undeniable things about this game, it is that it is Medieval set, and by God is it ever dark. Also, to be fair, there is fear, and there is hunger. Such a title would demand nothing less. This is a horror-based dungeon crawler heavy on horror and the crawling, as the player character isabsolutely brutalized throughout their playthrough.
Fear & Hungeris honestly quite unique just for the unrelenting grimness of its setting, and in reflection of this, the list of content warnings forFear & Hungeris about as full-on as they come. This is absolutely not an easy or pleasant game, but for gamers who like that kind of thing, it’s exceptional.
The time period in whichDarkest Dungeontakes place is unclear, purposefully so, as it draws inspiration from the 19th century but also the 3rd century and everything in between. It’s also a game which takes its own title to heart, providing much in the way of darkness and dungeons.
Darkest Dungeonhas the player control a small party of adventurers and guide them through the various deadly dungeons, pitting them against monstrous creatures with fantastically grotesque designs and, hopefully (although rarely), besting them and making it back alive. Loss, however, is just as important as success inDarkest Dungeon. Even if the player is successful in clearing a dungeon without losing a party member, they are sure to come back withsome mental or physical afflictionsthat will require treatments of a more “archaic” variety.
