Since the release of Saving Private Ryan, the D-Day landings at Normandy have become a focal point of World War II movies, books, and video games. It’s the latter of those that we’re intrigued by, as countless developers have tried their hands at the Allied assault on the German-controlled beaches. June 6, 2021, marks the 77th anniversary of the deadly assault, and to celebrate, we’ll be taking a look at games that have most accurately depicted the Normandy Landings, which occurred on June 6, 1944.
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty was one of the very first cinematic war shooters and a pioneer of the first-person shooter genre as we know it today. Call of Duty 2 was one of the more influential titles of the series, having been a massive improvement over the original. When it was released, Call of Duty 2 thrust players into groundbreaking missions that mimicked many historical events that spotted the World War II timeline. Among them was the unforgettable Normandy Landings, which, to this day, is one of the best depictions. Even though the game’s graphics don’t quite hold up compared to newer games (just compared to Call of Duty: WWII, you’ll see a huge leap in visuals), it’s still an excellent depiction of the event and deserves a playthrough.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Medal of Honor may have recently fallen off the map, only to emerge once again on virtual reality, but the series actually predated Call of Duty. In 2002, Medal of Honor took on the Normandy Landings in Allied Assault and allowed players to experience D-Day first-hand in the game’s third mission. Though the game, unfortunately, doesn’t hold up terribly well nowadays as both the game’s graphics and gameplay are quite aged, the mission does a great job of accurately depicting the event. It’s one of the series shining moments that’s still worth talking about today.
Company of Heroes
If first-person shooters aren’t your cup of tea, then you may want to take a look at Company of Heroes, an excellent real-time strategy game set during World War II. With so many different FPS games retreading the Second World War, Company of Heroes manages to stand out among its competition by choosing an entirely different gameplay type and succeeding greatly in it.
One of the qualities that makes Company of Heroes so good is its close attention to detail, with character models, environments, and animations that still look superb even fifteen years later. The Normandy Landing has typically been portrayed through a single soldier’s perspective, so it’s interesting to see it viewed from a top-down view where players control entire battalions. Not many RTS games are set during World War II, and Company of Heroes is undoubtedly the best one out there.
Call of Duty: WWII
It’s no surprise to see Call of Duty show up more than once on this list, as it’s covered World War II so many times throughout its existence. WWII was the fifth and most recent game in the series to revisit the Second World War, and in this last iteration, players were once again given another chance to experience the Normandy Landings in the game’s opening level. Though WWII is by no means a perfect game, the title does justice to the famous event and feels like one of the best ways for gamers to experience D-Day in a modern title.
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
For big fans of air combat games, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is one of the best choices out there. Serving as both an excellent World War II game and flight simulator, Blazing Angels puts players into the role of an American air pilot who’s a member of the squadron dubbed the Angels of Dunkirk. The Normandy Landing is quite a unique experience in Blazing Angels, as it’s the only one on this list that is experienced in the air as opposed to on ground-level.
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(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)