Renfrewshire’s Provost opens search for local heroes
September 20, 2024
Grant funding for Winter Connections community programme reopens
September 23, 2024
Ever wondered about the Scottish gaming world?
If you’ve looked into the industry, you might have noticed that a few major studios dot Scotland. There’s 4J Studios, which worked alongside Mojang Studios to release Minecraft—the world’s most best-selling video game. Meanwhile, Rockstar North in Edinburgh has contributed to this like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto V.
From a production standpoint, Scotland is home to some of the industry’s most impactful creative teams. But what about in terms of video games that are set in Scotland and cover regional themes? Are those just as easy to pick out?
Though Scotland doesn’t often come up on the radar in terms of video game settings, a handful of titles out there take players from around the world to the land of Bonnie Scotland. Here are some of the best that you can start playing today.
Slots
One of the most surprising places to find Scottish-themed titles is via online casinos. Though casino games like roulette and blackjack are hugely popular, slots offer more Scots-centric themes. From Monster Blox to Robin Sherwood Marauders, dozens of titles touch on the wonders and folktales of Scotland.
Minecraft – Clans & Castles
As mentioned above, Dundee’s 4J Studios contributed to Minecraft—so there should be no surprise that they also released a hugely popular adventure pack. Known as Scotland’s Clans & Castles, this survival challenge takes players straight to the moors of Scotland.
To survive, they need to fight off pillagers that attack the village while also building up their weapons store to lay siege to others. But it’s not just clan members on their side. Players can create teams that include selkies, highland cows, eagles, and even Nessie. You might even recognize a few of the castles you storm along the way.
Tomb Raider III: The Lost Artifact
Before Nathan Drake took on the shroud of an Indian Jones simulation, there was Lara Croft. And both heroes ventured to Scotland. In Tomb Raider III: The Lost Artifact, Croft heads to a grand estate in rural Scotland where she learns about a lost artifact known as the Hand of Rathmore.
The game begins with a Highland Fling challenge that sees Croft start sniffing around for clues on the artifact’s whereabouts. This quickly leads to Willard’s Lair, which is located in a centuries-old stone estate. Though not the most in-depth exploration of Scottish culture, it was one of the first games to include a Scottish setting.
Uncharted 4 (Nathan Drake) also makes a brief stop in Scotland. However, the setting is fairly unclear, and the depictions of Scotland are a bit too snowy to be fully realistic.
Forza Horizon 4
The Forza Horizon series is considered one of the most realistic and playable racing simulations in the world. Releases take players around the world to let them race through the streets of real-life cities—and the fourth makes a pit stop in Edinburgh.
Though the Forza city is condensed compared to the real-life map, residents are likely to know exactly where they are in the city as they zoom down streets. They can point out St. John Church before zooming off to Edinburgh Castle. Additionally, the development team at Forza went above and beyond to capture one of the city’s most recognizable elements: its moody lighting and stone facades.
Street Fighter 4
Not all explorations of Scotland need to be as elaborate as Forza or Minecraft’s. Some gamers are happy to be delighted instead. That’s certainly the case with Street Fighter 4, which includes one stage known as the Historic Distillery. It’s a short trip to Scotland, but it’s sure to generate a few laughs.
