Setting stories in the past has worked well for a wide range of styles, from survival to strategy.
The time before people started writing down what they did well and what they did wrong. It’s a mysterious time when all kinds of known and unknown animals walked the Earth. Just think of all the amazing things we could do. You don’t have to think too hard, though.
Games about the past can be as realistic as we know it to be or as silly as a dream world. Dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, changes we can’t even imagine, and even a few plasma rays. Some of them should have stayed in the Stone Age, but there are a lot that stand out and are fun to play.
Primal Rage
Primal Rage takes clear cues from Mortal Kombat in its more realistic graphics, which are made possible by stop-motion, and in its gore, which even includes “finishers” that look like fatalities. It has a small cast of characters for its time, but it’s a lot of fun to push buttons in.
In the game, you can choose from a few different dinosaurs, each with its own unique way of fighting. Even if you know what a great ape or raptor looks like, they might be able to use ice attacks or be a mix of different types of animals. This is because they are “gods” of one thing or another, like hunger or death.
Civilization 2
In the sequel to Civilization, you can take charge of a primitive tribe and help them build a town. You try to get ahead of the other group, which is also being helped by a computer. You could choose to be diplomatic, but what would be the fun in that?
Civilization has always been praised for giving you a lot of ways to build your own society, and Civilization 2 is no exception. It has a lot of ways for you to help your people and society grow.
Bonk’s Adventure
Bonk’s Adventure is one of those games that you played years ago, didn’t really think about for years, and then when you hear about it again, you remember how much fun it was. It’s a good time all around, with its colourful world and funny parts.
Bonk’s is a platformer from the early days of video games. It was first made for the PC in 1989 and later moved to the NES. It’s a bit like Mario in how it’s told, but it’s a bit better in how it’s played. For example, Bonk can directly hit enemies with his forehead, and he can also get help in battles.
Tomba!
Sony went through a few characters when they were looking for a game mascot to compete with Mario or Sonic. Tomba!, a game about a young boy on a quest to get his bracelet back from bad pigs, stood out.
Tomba! is a Metroidvania game with some nice twists, like being able to switch between an isometric view and the centre and background. Even “events,” which are like side tasks, give you over 100 different challenges to finish.
Black & White
Black & White is a game with a cool idea and set-up. You play the role of a god who saves a couple’s child from a terrible fate. After that, you follow them back to their village and learn about the people and the village as you go.
That’s when the real game starts. You choose how you talk to people, and that changes what they do and how much they trust you. You can help them with chores, ignore their pleas, or do a mix of both. They will grow based on what you do or don’t do, and they will reflect your morals.
Dawn Of Man
Dawn of Man combines aspects of building cities and surviving to make a game that almost anyone can enjoy. It’s not as hard as some other survival games, but you’ll still need to make good use of your supplies to stay alive and do well.
You are in charge of a small group of prehistoric people as they learn how to hunt, gather, build, and make things. As you move through the game, reaching goals will give you access to Knowledge. With Knowledge Points, you can trade for tech like better tools or the key to a new building.
E.V.O.: Search for Eden
It wouldn’t be strange if EVOLVE borrowed some ideas from E.V.O.: Search for Eden. You eat prey and other things to grow bit by bit, limb by limb, until you become a mammal or a powerful monster.
In 8 Ball Pool game, you start out as a fish a billion years ago and have to eat your way to legs. You fight monsters that drop meat for you to eat and move through different times in history. Each piece of meat you eat gives you an evolution point. You can use these points to grow in any way you want.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Even the name of the game, “Turok: Dinosaur Hunter,” should make you feel something primal. But then you tell them you’re a time traveller who will use weapons from the past and the future to kill a bunch of dinosaurs? It’s a good way to do things.
The story is good, and the gunplay feels good, too, because it’s quick and sensitive. Even though the main character is Native American and is portrayed in a problematic way, if you can look past that, you’ll find a game that will keep you going back for more.
Far Cry Primal
Ubisoft took what made the Far Cry series so popular and put it into an ancient setting. What happened next led to one of the best prehistoric games ever made, with a huge area to explore and hunting that feels so good.
Even though it doesn’t have as many guns as other Far Cry games, the way you can train animals makes up for it. This lets you make friends with animals that can help you in battle and give you other rewards. Larger animals can be ridden, while smaller ones, like owls, can be used to look ahead.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey
Survival games are getting a lot of attention because they can be used with almost any other type of game. Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is an action-adventure game played from the third-person perspective, with a lot of ways to play.
In Ancestors, everything is important. You have to eat, sleep, and drink, of course. But you must take care of any wounds you get from enemies or from falling a long way. You might go crazy from fear of the enemies in the jungle, but this will pass as you learn more about new tools and skills.
