Video Games

Post here about Alexander in film, TV, radio, other websites, YouTube etc.

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yakovzutolmai
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Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 4:35 pm

Video Games

Post by yakovzutolmai »

I have recently posted about Alexander's visit to Siwah Oasis, having encountered information about it, and coincidentally I was aware of the event and location because of a video game.

The Assassin's Creed series is historically messy, but the "Origins" entry takes place in Ptolemaic Egypt. There is a meticulous, if not totally realistic, recreation of Alexandria, Memphis and even Roman Cyrenaica. The scale is quite large, but much much smaller than reality. There is also some artistic license on geography to create a more interesting terrain.

Nevertheless, there were moments in playing it which genuinely brought me into the world of Ptolemaic Egypt as if it were real. For example, the construction of a shiny new temple complex to Serapis built upon the ruins of an older, Egyptian temple. Also, interactions of Greek and Egyptian populations, with Roman interlopers as well.

We do meet Cleopatra (in a vandalization of history, for historical fiction purposes), and experience the famous viewing of Alexander's tomb by Caesar.

If this all sounds unworthy, here at least is a video which only features tours through the virtual world created. Including the Great Library, Pharos and so forth. This is the full 8 hour video of a "museum mode" you can access in the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88xjcvPKLJk

If you have a child with the "Xbox" service, the game (at the moment) is free for download. I think the museum mode alone would be worth a look.
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