Forums > Game Talk > Games with Native American-theme?
ZhangJ on 6/29/2011 4:26 AM · Permalink · Report
I think I might have been possessed by the spirits of my ancestors recently, and I've been wracking my brain trying to think of more games with a significant native american presence, and it seems like there's nothing else. And I don't just mean like Tomb Raider with some Aztec artifact or something, things more like Prey that actually get exploratory into myth culture (even if it's shallow and/or exaggerated).
There's that and a few strategy games like later Total War series that have some Americas expansions, Age of Empires 3, and American Conquest.
But what else is there, say, in the last 20 years? Surely this goldmine of lore and aesthetic hasn't gone so overlooked?
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 6/29/2011 6:39 AM · Permalink · Report
Coktel's Inca games?
Rola (8483) on 6/29/2011 12:57 PM · Permalink · Report
There's more, depending on what you're looking for.
From what you've said, I guess not only North America, but all Americas are OK?
Native Americans have to be a playable side/protagonist? Can they be bad guys or just NPCs?
Theocracy, Colorado, Custer's Last Command (not in our database?!)
Get this new game group and I'll add more.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 6/29/2011 4:09 PM · Permalink · Report
Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer
Indian in the Cupboard
Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs ? Ditto for No Man's Land, ditto for AMERICA and of course Sid Meier's Colonization.
Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder seems to have some substantial Native American content, barring the protagonist. Perhaps the other Santa Fe mysteries also?
Nominally Turok is a Native American, though I don't know that his cultural background informs those games at all.
Anasazi Tasholiiwe definitely fits.
Birdy Soft's Joker?
Shadow Hearts: From the New World might include some, unclear, ditto for Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, described in a review as being about collecting Native American artifacts.
Ahh yes, and then there's Whomp 'Em.
There may be some more hiding in the Westerns group -- we discussed this earlier.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 6/29/2011 4:10 PM · Permalink · Report
Oh yes, and any Pocahontas game.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 6/29/2011 5:42 PM · Permalink · Report
And then of course there's the "General Retreat" Custer's Revenge re-skin.
ZhangJ on 6/30/2011 1:04 AM · Permalink · Report
Yeah, I'll definitely post a request to get a group added. But as far as the guidelines go, I don't want to be too specific as to whether they have to be NPCs or not, just that the game pays serious attention to native American culture and/or myth. They can be the antagonists so long as the game actually exposes you to it somehow. And yes, all indigenous peoples of the Americas are considered "Native Americans", including Mayans, Aztecs, Caribbeans, etc.
Thanks for posting some really interesting things I'd never heard of, particularly Anasazi Tasholiiwe, Theocracy and those really weird Inca games. I'd forgotten about those old RD games too. I would want to draw the line at Colonization and its various spinoffs, however. Those games place you solely in the role of a European treasure-seeker who is out to exploit the new world for all it's worth, and the natives likewise are just another resource to be exploited. If it actually gave their perspective somehow I would include it, but just having them there and in your way isn't enough justification.
I knew of course that someone was going to bring up Custer's Revenge in this, which of course fits the bill wonderfully.
Rola (8483) on 6/30/2011 3:35 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start ZhangJ wrote--]I would want to draw the line at Colonization and its various spinoffs[/Q --end ZhangJ wrote--] So no "Seven Cities of Gold" nor "War Along the Mohawk"? In the latter you sometimes control Native American characters, though.
ZhangJ on 7/1/2011 12:39 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Rola wrote--] So no "Seven Cities of Gold" nor "War Along the Mohawk"? In the latter you sometimes control Native American characters, though. [/Q --end Rola wrote--]
Seven Cities of Gold actually predates Colonization by about a decade, but I don't think it would be appropriate include it because natives, as in Colonization, are just dispensaries of food and gold for you to exploit. It's kinda hard to blame the game for that since it was made in 1984 and isn't very nuanced in general, but nonetheless I don't think it quite fits.
War Along the Mohawk is interesting, it looks much more like some kind of Baroque Era X-Com than Colonization. Having a playable native character I think in most cases should guarantee membership.
Starbuck the Third (22606) on 7/1/2011 8:52 PM · Permalink · Report
Considered Prey? It's a little dated now, but it's got a strong Native American theme, a few good idea's and features portal's in a world before Portal.
Rola (8483) on 7/2/2011 2:09 AM · Permalink · Report
The Crystal Skull: A Mythic Aztec Adventure
The Sacred Amulet (I recall reading a review of this Cryo game)
Montezuma's Return
Aztec Wars (they invade Europe? whaaaaa...?)
The Indian in the Cupboard (I kid you not)
And this one is just another indiana-jones-wannabe-thing, but as this is rather unknown title I thought I'll mention it: Le Fetiche Maya
ZhangJ on 7/3/2011 2:34 AM · Permalink · Report
Group request made. Thanks everyone for posting all these games, some pretty interesting things have been made over the years, too bad they mostly seem to be lost. It seems that my fears are confirmed and there really just hasn't been much done with Native American themes. Oh well, maybe that will change.
I really like that Aztec invasion of Europe game, it's such deft political commentary. At least we Americans won't cut your hearts out in the name of the Sun god.
St. Martyne (3648) on 7/2/2011 1:35 PM · Permalink · Report
You play a semi-Indian boy in the original Call Of Juarez.
PolloDiablo (16852) on 7/2/2011 2:20 PM · Permalink · Report
In Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron you play as a horse, but you definitely meet Native Americans along the way.
chirinea (47495) on 7/3/2011 3:46 AM · edited · Permalink · Report
I just finished Indigo Prophecy yesterday and it has Mayan mythology on it (won't explain to avoid spoilers).
Oh, and there's also Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure.
The Fabulous King (1332) on 7/10/2011 4:36 PM · Permalink · Report
I too have long desired for something like Jade Empire but with aztecs or incas. Or at least something non-western european based fantasy. Even eastern european based fantasy would be rather different from the usual taste.
Though the Witcher is eastern european in feel and look, it's themes and subjects are all western, which I guess is fitting since Poland is the catholic slavic country, and thus Witcher is slightly exotic, but pretty much the same.
And come to think of it, purely celtic would also be awesome. And I mean purely celtic and not that romano-british hybrid mythology.
Anyway, I recently discovered Shivers 2. It's a Myst like puzzle game and I pretty much was about to conclude that it was pointless waste of time, until... it has a very unique vibe. Southwestern pueblo horror... something. Being a provincial, my PC senses are not that advanced, but I didn't detect anything offensive, though in basics it's another ancient evil native spirit tale.
In fact this was the first time for me to experience this vibe that I tried to find if there were any movies like this, but couldn't find any, so I guess it's all because of the designer that Sierra hired, who has a professional interest in native mythologies, and now lives near some mayan ruins.
And I thought it was pretty damn cool. The vibe and feel... very unique.
And Aztaka. Indie platformer telling a tale based on aztec mythology. Haven't played it. Thought about it though.
Rola (8483) on 7/10/2011 5:16 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Franklin W. Mason wrote--]Though the Witcher is eastern european in feel and look, it's themes and subjects are all western, which I guess is fitting since Poland is the catholic slavic country, and thus Witcher is slightly exotic, but pretty much the same.[/Q --end Franklin W. Mason wrote--] I find it a bit appalling that Witcher is so "compatible" with Western fantasy. As I envy certain countries which remained pagan "slightly" longer (like certain Baltic country Mr. Franklin W. Mason had probably never heard about...), which better preserved their old myths. I had hoped someone someday would properly borrow the style of pagan-era Slavic myths, with four-faced stone gods (Svetovid), sacred groves guarded by priestesses of nature (yeah, girls au naturel), prancing for the Spring during Kupala Night, ...or grinding your experience points on nasty things such as divozhena, kikimora, vodnik, rusalka... while Witcher is a bit messy style-wise... but on the other hand, would president Barrack Obama play it if it was all Eastern-Euro-fantasy?