Learn about Czech WWII history through a videogame

2. 9. 2021 | Student Life

game developmentThat Czechia is a country rich for its videogame production is no secret. Just remember games like the Mafia Trilogy, Beat Saber, Arma, Machinarium, Euro Truck Simulator and many others. However, except for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, there aren’t really that many games that accurately map Czech history. That’s why you should give special attention to Svoboda 1945: Liberation.

A recently released Svoboda 1945: Liberation was developed by Charles Games which is the company with a similar game in their portfolio we had already written about, Attentat 1942. This time Charles Games explores the same historical period of the Second World War in the Czech Republic but in more personal depth.

You play as an official who is supposed to decide what happens to a local school building in a small Czech village called Svoboda at the German border. What seems like a mundane bureaucratic procedure suddenly changes into a personal affair when the protagonist discovers a photograph of their grandfather who had something to do with the place. And you need to find out what that is.

Game-wise, Svoboda 1945: Liberation is a simple explorative game. The aim of the game isn’t to kill as many enemies as possible or to face the primordial evil. On the contrary, it’s a calm videogame focusing on talking to local people through a series of interactive dialogues to find out more about your grandfather’s involvement with the village.

What’s exceptional about the game is the fact that these dialogues resemble a movie because they’re being performed by real actors you can interact with, asking them more questions and trying to unveil what really happened all those decades ago. You’re also presented with real historical records as well as original animated sequences. The story-telling is thrilling and grabs your attention in no time.

Even though the game itself is quite short, only three hours of gameplay, it gives you enough time to decide what you think is best for your ending. It tries to tell the story without any prejudice, leaving it up to the players to make up their own mind.

You can buy the game on Steam for 13.99€ but it should be also available on Android, iOS and Mac soon. The game is completely dubbed in Czech but you can choose English subtitles, of course. If Czech videogame production inspires you, consider studying game development in Prague!

Game trailer

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