True to its name, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is set during the 1980s. The tension and espionage that transpired during this time is ripe for storytelling regardless of the medium, whether it be movies, books, or video games.
For those looking for more games about the Cold War after wrapping up the short, but fun, campaign from this year’s Call of Duty, the following ten games below should help scratch a similar itch. They do not all take place during the same time period or are in the same genre, but they all deal with the Cold War in some way.
10 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Taking place in 1964, the third numbered entry in the Metal Gear Solid series is about Naked Snake hunting down his old mentor, The Boss, after she defected to the Soviet Union. The story is not so simple, however. A significantly darker story than Black Ops Cold War, the plot dives into themes integral to the Cold War, like the idea of once allied nations becoming enemies due to the changing times, and the personal toll this takes.
9 Wasteland
This RPG takes place many years after the Cold War, but the plot directly deals with the conflict of ideologies between the United States and the Soviet Union. There is a more comedic bent in these games when compared to other titles on the list. Wasteland 3, after all, includes a group of people who worship an giant artificial intelligence who is modeled after Ronald Reagan. Play these games and you will hysterically laugh out loud.
8 No One Lives Forever
This first-person shooter is special because of its rarity. Despite fan demand and the efforts of some studios, a re-release of The Operative: No One Lives Forever is currently held up by rights issues. Until then, finding a way to play this ’60s stealth-action game is difficult, lest one has an older computer or a PlayStation 2. The game takes a cheeky approach to the 1960s and spy games, being a fun world-trotting romp.
7 Command And Conquer
Command And Conquer is one of the earliest examples of a modern RTS, developed by Westwood Studios after their popular Dune 2 game.
The plot takes place in an alternate history where the Soviet Union seizes most of Europe and Asia as Hitler’s early death prevents the Nazis from rising to power. This story is told throughout the Red Alert prequel series. While some modern RTS conventions are absent from these old titles, they remain classics.
6 From Russia With Love
The older James Bond stories are all about the Cold War. The Soviet Union is almost never directly the enemy, but the conflict and relationship between the East and West is always a part of the backdrop. The 2005 adaption of the second Bond movie, From Russia With Love, is not the best of the Bond games, and is not even the best of the PS2 entries, but it deserves attention for adapting a classic and for including the voice talents of Sean Connery.
5 Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters takes place in an alternate history where the Soviet Union drops the first atomic bomb on Berlin instead of the United States being the first to do so. As a result, the Soviet Union launched an invasion of the united States. By the end of the game New York is liberated, but the rest of the country is still under Soviet control. Unfortunately, a sequel never came to fruition, with developer IO Interactive going on the make Kayne and Lynch.
4 Hotline Miami 2
Hotline Miami is an incredibly unique indie game where players are tasked with decimating enemies in a group in order to progress through the levels. The narrative is an enigmatic tale which always leads the characters down an extremely violent path.
Set in an alternate history Miami, a growing tension between the United States and the Soviet Union creates a sense of dread among everyone in the background. Play the game to find out how it comes to a head.
3 Far Cry 5: Hours Of Darkness
While the base game of Far Cry 5 takes place in modern day United States and has you facing off against a religious fanatic controlling a small town community with a mind control drug. One of the DLC campaigns, Hours of Darkness, puts you into the Vietnam War where the main character escapes capture and exfiltrates the jungle. It is relatively brief but a great respite from the Far Cry 5 campaign.
2 Tropico 3
Tropico 3 is about managing a Caribbean island after recently becoming the president of the small nation. Similar to leaders of real nations during the Cold War, you have to manage relations between the Soviet Union and the United States, and depending on the actions you choose one of the super powers will supply aid. In real life such situations were serious as a heart attack, but Tropico 3 has a humorous bent.
1 Call Of Duty: Black Ops
If you still have not played the prior Black Ops games, what are you waiting for? Don’t worry, there are still plenty of surprises in store even for those who have beaten Black Ops Cold War. Some of the cameos will be significantly more effective once you experience the earlier stories. Characters like Alex Mason will also become more relevant, since he is the main protagonist of the first Black Ops.
