The ancient land of pharaohs and gods has long been used as a setting for video games. But why has it continued to be such a popular game location? We sphinx we know the answer, so read on to find out more.
Mysterious Ancient Egypt Has an Everlasting Appeal
If there is one thing that ancient Egypt has, it is a mystery. Why were the pyramids built to align with the stars of Orion? How were the pyramids built? What happened to the sphinx’s nose? And were there really animal and bird-headed gods roaming around the Saharan desert? So many questions remain about ancient Egypt that it cannot help but attract enthusiasts one generation after another. Mysterious lands are ideal settings for many video game genres, such as RPGs, platform games, and first-person shooters. In fact, some of the best games of all time are set in ancient Egypt, including Call of Duty: Black Ops III, The Sims 3: World Adventures, and Tomb Raider. Do not underestimate just how popular ancient Egypt is in video games. According to Wikipedia, as of 2020, there are a whopping 195 games set in the historical Middle Eastern country.
Ancient Egypt is not only a popular setting for video games. It is also often used as a theme in slot games. From traditional fruit machines to the types of modern web-based slots you can find at Manyspins – Online slots, the sandy land of an ancient kingdom continues to be a dominant theme. The mystery of ancient Egypt creates an alluring appeal that goes hand in hand with casino games like slots. And ancient Egypt is also, of course, associated with gold.
Ancient Egypt’s History in Popular Culture Naturally Led to the Emergence of Video Games in That Setting
Although ancient Egypt has long fascinated the western world, it was only after Jean-François Champollion deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics in the nineteenth century that made ancient Egypt become a staple part of popular culture. And when Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922, the fascination with ancient Egypt increased even more.
The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century also saw the dawn of cinema, and various early films were set in the ancient land of Egypt. 1899’s Cléopâtre by French filmmaker Georges Méliès was the very first. Since then, every decade has seen the release of movies set in ancient Egypt. And with touring exhibitions of Egyptian artifacts and the take-off of tourism in modern Egypt in the latter half of the twentieth century, it is plain to see why ancient Egypt has become a mainstay in popular culture. With the land of the pharaohs having such an impact on modern western pop culture, it makes sense that it became used as the setting for many video games. After all, video games tend to share many crossover themes with movies and other pop culture media.
The Popularity of Mummies in Video Games
One element of ancient Egyptian culture that became widespread in cinema was the mummy. The bandaged, zombie-like mummies of early Hollywood horror films were far from being an accurate representation of ancient Egypt’s mummified royalty. But bandage-clad mummies became a staple part of pop culture in the twentieth century, and they have continued to appeal to this very day. For instance, The Mummy franchise of movies and the recent 2017 reboot have been incredibly popular.
So, it is no wonder that mummies have appeared in a plethora of video games over the years. In addition to video games based on The Mummy films, you will find a number of mummies in various video games, such as Amumu, The Sad Mummy from League of Legends, the powerful Anakaris from Darkstalkers, and the gold-eating Cofagurius from Pokemon.
