Every year Remembrance Sunday beckons us to halt the relentless pace of our lives, if only for a moment, to honour and reflect upon the countless soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and peace. These men and women, who faced the horrors of war with unwavering courage, deserve our deepest gratitude and remembrance.
In this digital age, countless games have emerged as poignant avenues for us to pay homage to both soldiers and innocent civilians, capturing the raw brutality of war and offering us the chance to walk in the footsteps of all those affected.
To truly commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought, we present to you a collection of five powerful war games. These offer us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the harrowing realities of the battlefield, and in doing so, connect with the profound and heartfelt stories of our fallen soldiers. In fact, these games are more than ‘entertainment’, and convey a deep sense of appreciation for the sacrifices made in the pursuit of peace.
Torn Away
Torn Away is a gripping adventure game that follows the footsteps of a young girl torn away from her home. Play as Aysa, a 10-year-old trapped in the horrors of World War Two. Whilst Aysa wants to play in the backyard and sail paper ships down the stream, Europe has become engulfed in flames. Millions of Soviet citizens people have been forced out of their homes into labour in Germany. Aysa and her mother are among them.
After Aysa manages to escape the deadly labour camp, she must now make the perilous journey back home. Travel across Germany and Poland to return to your homeland where your family that are waiting for you. What sets Torn Away apart is that the gameplay has been inspired by real events taken from the diaries of Soviet children. All of these shared experiences have been transformed into a game that allows you to live the brutal hardship of war through the perspective of a young girl.
We got our hands on Torn Away and experienced the game’s heartbreak first hand. You can read more about our thoughts on Torn Away in our dedicated review.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GT 430 or AMD Radeon HD 5570 |
| Storage | 5GB available space |
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts: The Great War follows the stories of four crossed destines and a broken love, along with their canine companions as they struggle to survive the war. As you play through the events of the game, each of these characters will be drawn closer together as they struggle to survive the horrors of the trenches.
You’ll be able to experience the lives of every character from the forests of the lush French countryside, dark trenches, to snowy fields. Utilise your trusty canine companion to help the heroes survive against German forces by solving puzzles or even crossing enemy lines if you are brave enough. In addition to this, whilst the story may be fictitious, you’ll be able to journey to iconic locations and battles from World War One, including Reims and the Battle of the Somme.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10-11 | Windows 10-11 |
| Processor | Intel Pentium IV 630 or AMD Athlon 64 3000 | Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800 |
| Memory | 2GB RAM | 2GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT or AMD Radeon HD 29000 XT | NVIDIA GeForce GT 9600 or AMD Radeon HD 3850 |
| DirectX | Version 9 | Version 9 |
| Storage | 2GB available space | 2GB available space |
This War of Mine
This War of Mine is a unique take on the wartime experience of a soldier, transforming the battlefield into a survival game. You play as a group of civilians trapped within a besieged city cut off from everything he needs to stay alive. At every turn, you’ll be struggling to find medicine and food, along with fighting off desperate scavengers or hostile snipers.
At the centre of the gameplay is the dynamic day and night cycle, which will push you to your limits. During the day snipers will be on the lookout, stopping you from leaving the safety of your hideout. Therefore, you’ll have to utilise the night to scavenge for resources in order to stay alive. Be prepared to make life or death decisions, which may have life-altering consequences for those around you. After all, war is about survival.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 7-10 | Windows 7-10 |
| Processor | 2.4GHz Dual Core CPU | 2.5GHz Quad Core CPU |
| Memory | 2GB RAM | 4GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 or AMD Radeon HD 5770 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX or AMD Radeon HD 7950 |
| DirectX | Version 9 | Version 9 |
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a VR adventure game in which you can step into the boots of an agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and venture to warn-torn Europe. In the single-player campaign, you can play through historic events on land, sea, and air as you sabotage German bases, take down enemy planes, and aid the French Resistance.
In addition to the single-player campaign, you’ll also be able to test your skills in challenging combat exercises, test yourself against other soldiers in the expansive multiplayer mode, and even watch documentary shorts and interviews with real-life World War one veterans, whose experiences helped to shape the gameplay.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel i7 9700K or equivalent | Intel i7 9700K or equivalent |
| Memory | 16GB RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 or equivalent |
| Storage | 180GB available space | 180GB available space |
| Additional Notes | Requires a VR Headset | Requires a VR Headset |
Company of Heroes
Company of Heroes transforms real-world battlefields from World War Two into a strategy game, bringing the sacrifice of our heroic soldiers and brutal war-torn environments to life. Throughout the single-player campaign, you can relive the bravery of ordinary soldiers thrust into the brutality of war. The game starts with the D-Day Normandy Invasion, after which players can lead squadrons of Allied soldiers into battle, experiencing some of the most iconic battles from the war.
What’s more, intelligent AI will bring your soldiers to life. In order to survive, your soldiers will need to interact with the changing environment around them, take cover, and successfully execute advanced group tactics to take down enemy lines.
Official PC System Specification
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows XP – Vista | Windows XP – Vista |
| Processor | Intel Pentium IV 2.0GHz or AMD Athlon XP | Intel Pentium IV 3.0GHz or equivalent |
| Memory | 512MB RAM | 1GB RAM |
| Graphics | DirectX Version 9 compatible graphics card | NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Series or equivalent |
| Storage | 1GB available space | 1GB available space |
We Will Remember Them
By commemorating our soldiers through these games, we pay our respects to those who gave their lives. Immersing ourselves in these virtual renderings of the past, allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made in the name of peace. Through these games we can connect with the stories of soldiers and civilians in a unique way, ensuring their legacy lives on.
Want to Play These Memorable War Games?
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*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 7 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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