An upcoming game by developer Vintage Digital Revival promises to include the most historically accurate version of the RMS Titanic. The game,Titanic: Honor and Glory, doesn’t have a huge amount of competition in this respect, though it is certainly not the first time the infamous ship has appeared in video games. However, unlike other representations of the Titanic, this game falls under a growing trend of virtual tourism in games, and historical tours in particular.Like theAssassin’s Creedseries,Titanic: Honor and Gloryis using the medium to transport players into the past in the most accurate way possible.
WhileJames Cameron’s film about the Titanicis probably the most well-known media about the historical disaster, the ship has cropped up in a variety of different video games. These representations range from comedic to more realistic, but withTitanic: Honor and Gloryon the way, it’s worth taking a look back at how games have incorporated the Titanic in both historical and contemporary settings.
RELATED:Titanic Terminator Theory: Is Rose Sarah Connor’s Grandmother?
Search for the Titanic
The very first game concerning the Titanic was a 1989 DOS game that was thenported to Commodore 64.Search for the Titanichas players utilizing various marine equipment and navigating different shipwrecks in the hunt for the Titanic’s wreck. As such an early game, its rudimentary gameplay is hard to compare to other games on this list, but it does emphasize the ongoing public fascination with the disaster and the ways video games can engage with the topic.
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time wasreleased in 1996, just one year before the James Cameron film. Bill Sauder worked as a historical consultant in both the Cameron film andTitanic: Adventure Out of Time.As such, the game has somededication to historical accuracy, though the narrative is somewhat fantastical. In the game, players control Frank Carlson, a former British Secret Service agent, who travels back in time during the London Blitz to the Titanic where he had previously failed a secret mission in disgrace. As Frank, the player will secure important information aboard the Titanic that has huge ramifications for the historical events the game explores.
Duke Nukem: Zero Hour
An entirely different representation of the Titanic is included inDuke Nukem: Zero Hour.This time-traveling adventure seestitular hero Duke Nukemvisit a variety of locations in the past and future, including the Titanic, while fighting aliens trying to destroy the Earth. As a game in theDuke Nukemseries, players should expect more of an outrageous and comedic experience than a historically accurate one. The Titanic level does need to be unlocked in the game, which was released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Probably the most well-known game in this list, the fourth entry into theCall of Duty: Black Opsseries has its first zombie map take place on the Titanic. The map, titledVoyage of Despair,features the many levels of the ship and takes place right as the Titanic hits the iceberg. This representation is mostly for fun and to have an interesting backdrop for aCall of Dutylevel, but again emphasizes the ongoing preoccupation with the ill-fated ship.
The upcomingTitanic: Honor and Gloryis sure to be the most historically accurate version of the Titanic in games thus far, despite facing some problems during development. The game is intended to serve as a memorial to the victims of the disaster,as well as a teaching tool. As such, it further bridges the gap between historical video games and virtual tours to the past with the most up-to-date research.
Titanic: Honor and Gloryis currently in development.
