Summary
The continent of Asia is brimming with countries that have beenwidely represented in video games, and India is one of them. It may not be easy to brainstorm titles that are set there, but they do indeed exist, and in surprisingly large quantities to match as well.
While some games have standalone levels that are set in India, others solely take place here and tap into themes regarding its culture and history. Whether players are exploring the land to loot expensive valuables, assassinate deadly targets, or bring peace in the midst of war, there are indeed so many great titles that take place here.
The second entry in theHitmanseries remains a bestseller to this very day. While it may still be a tad unfair, there’s no denying the level of detail and thought put into this post-millennium stealth-action title. Some ofHitman 2: Silent Assassin’s strongest levels take place in India, whereby 47 must first eliminate a squad of rival contract killers stealthily within the musky streets.
After that, it’s off to an island run by an Indian cult. Its chief propagandist and ringleader must be eliminated in a large hospital filled with Sikh guards and innocent patients. There are plenty of ways to get the hit, and the music by Jesper Kyd that plays during these missions is nothing short of stellar as well.
Hitman: World of Assassinationhas Agent 47 visiting various locations across the globe, including Mumbai, India. It’s one of the biggest maps in the game, featuring a tower-in-construction-turned-movie set and a slum queen’s HQ in an abandoned train yard, to name but a few landmarks. Most of the map is made up of tight, claustrophobic streets filled with shops, vendors, and poverty-stricken homes, offering plenty of potential disguises and places to hide.
With its massive sizes comes a huge variety of ways to execute targets. Sniper points, propane canisters, a barbershop, tea to poison, a giant fan asking to be tampered with - all of this and more within a single level!
Recurring protagonist Nathan Drake took a backseat forUncharted: The Lost Legacy, which seesChloe Frazer exploring Indiato find a valuable artifact called the Tusk of Ganesh (named after the titular four-armed, elephant-headed god of luck and wisdom). The protagonist does show interest in this particular item, not simply for its value but also because of its relation to her culture and background.
With destinations ranging from jungles and temples to more urban environments, there’s a lot to explore here. Compared to the fourth entry, while still linear, the developers at Naughty Dog aimed to widen up the levels to offer more places to explore and get through.
Lara Croft was in her prime in the nineties, traveling to all sorts of locations to plunder priceless artifacts. InTomb Raider 3, she visits India to look for the Infada Stone in nearby temple ruins. Tigers and apes can be found at first, while nasty traps and a mighty six-armed foe guards the Ganesha key in its complex and challenging labyrinth. It all looks even better in the remastered trilogy.
The music deserves a mention, too. With its steady drum beats and glittering sitar, it sounds both mesmerizing and mysterious at the same time, almost as if it’s hinting at danger to come.
Fans of engaging side-scrollers may very well get quite a kick out of theAssassin’s Creed Chroniclesspin-off, and the same goes for its India-based chapter. Set two yearsafter the events of the graphic novelAssassin’s Creed: Brahman, players don the role of Arbaaz Mir in the mid-19th Century, who is after a special diamond in the midst of a war.
There are some eyesore visuals to soak in throughout this shorter adventure. There is a lot to appreciate here, including the environmental puzzles, non-lethal moves for knocking out foes rather than outright killing them, and a mix of stealth and action-centric sequences.
Metascore: 77
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
Two of the most beloved Disney games of all time make their long-awaited return to modern consoles in Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King! This unforgettable package of Disney classics is filled with tons of new features, enhancements, game modes, and display options, plus multiple versions of the games! Join Aladdin and his sidekick, Abu, as they race through the marketplace toward their date with destiny. Relive Aladdin’s classic adventure as you travel through Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders and more to defeat Jafar and rescue Jasmine. Jump, fight, dodge and carpet-ride your way through this adventure, collecting gems along the way. The Lion King brings to life the majesty and mystery of Africa through the tale of Simba, a lion cub faced with the challenging transition to maturity. Now, you too can be part of the adventure! Driven into the wilderness by his evil uncle Scar, Simba finds salvation and Hakuna Matata with Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat. Tackle heinous hyenas in the elephant’s graveyard, avoid the trampling hooves of stampeding wildebeest as you battle through 10 levels to ensure Simba claims his rightful place as The Lion King.
This one is a bit of a cheat, as theAladdinside-scroller video games of the nineties are obviously based on the Disney movie, which is also set in India. Regardless, anyone who enjoys old-school titles of the nineties may very well enjoy a more colorful, vibrant, and cartoon depiction of the setting that is prevalent in the bundle of games on offer here.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion Kingcontains multiple console versions of the Aladdin games, albeit with modern visual tweaks and bug fixes. Otherwise, it offers some entertaining platforming experience for kids and grown-ups who grew up playing these alike. The smooth animations and appealing visuals are sure to please, too.
An unnamed member of royalty must bring peace back to his native land, and to do so, he’ll need the power of an ancient dagger that offers its user the ability to manipulate time. This ability, paired with the game’s tight platforming, solid controls, and engaging combat, has cementedPrince of Persia: The Sands of Timeas a bit of a classic from days gone by.
While its remake remains in limbo, the original game remains on sale. India still looks wonderful in this game, which showcases some stellar graphics and set-pieces for the time. It’s quite an achievementsince it came out all the way back in 2003.
Only the opening parts ofThe Sands of Timetake place in India.
While Kryat is a fictional location, it is indeed located near the Himalayas in-game. With it comes some truly breathtaking sights to enjoy.Far Cry 4may be nearly a decade old by this point, yet it still looks beautiful and is brimming with detail.
Arriving amidst a bloody civil war, players will find themselves clearing out enemy outposts, hunting for items to use for crafting, and shady deeds galore if they choose to do so. There’s always a job to do and bad guys to shoot in this open-world first-person shooter, which haspleased critics and fans alike ever since its release.
