A number of nations around the world have played their part and contributed to the overall landscape of gaming in the modern environment. Gaming companies from different foreign territories have brought us the leading games of today, such as Japan and The Resident Evil series.
Even smaller nations like Ireland are also playing their part, with the Emerald Isle impacting the gaming category of entertainment in numerous ways.
A number of iconic releases have been set in Ireland
Not only are Irish gaming audiences snapping up leading gaming titles, such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on the PS5, and exploring top slots with an Irish theme, such as Big Irish Bucks and Celtic Charm Fire Blaze Quattro, but Ireland’s role in gaming’s global appeal goes far beyond that.
While Ireland has been featured in games far less than other large nations, the country off the coast of England and Wales that is home to the likes of Aidan Turner and Bono has been seen in a selection of great titles. For instance, in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Ireland is heavily featured in the shape of well-known landscapes, such as Giant’s Causeway, plus numerous other images of the picturesque nation when Eivo is ordered to head to the country.
Even diehard console gamers had the opportunity to experience Ireland at speed while driving a supercar in Need for Speed: ProStreet, with a number of iconic high-performance vehicles offering a memorable driving-related escapade as drivers enjoyed some epic race action at Mondello Park in Kildare.
Additionally, even smaller titles like Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars were based in a fictional Irish village called Lochmarne. A well-liked point-and-click title, this charming release didn’t just offer eye-catching visuals, but it also had a strong dose of Irish accents, castles, and other nods to the nation.
Memorable Irish characters in games
Irish characters have also helped contribute to the success of a number of games. From Aiden Pearce in Watch Dogs to Atlas in BioShock, Ireland’s representation in the gaming sphere has been solid overall.
Of course, we’ve seen the odd forgettable attempt, but on the whole, Irish characters have been strong in a number of hit releases. Look at Anna and Nina Williams in Tekken, for example, with the warring sisters playing a prominent role in the games. Even in Overwatch, Moira is a character many admirers of the game would recall, particularly given both her healing powers and her ability to cause serious damage.
Irish game companies are also making waves
Galway company 9th Impact are set to make a global impact with its Big Brother interactive mobile game. Supported by Enterprise Ireland, the game will go live on October 15th following three years of development.
Ireland boasts a strong collection of game companies, too. The likes of 9th Impact have won numerous awards for their mobile games, Boon Studios is a growing name working out of Dublin, while Pewter Games Studios is an independent video game studio with serious potential.
The likes of Bluebear, a company behind leading games for families and kids, plus DoomCube, a Galway-based art company that specialises in 2D video game graphics and animation, also deserve a mention.
