Online Games That Come with Added Spanish Flair
Online games these days tend to be set in a finite number of locations, to the point that many of them are now becoming gaming clichés.
After all, how many times must a game be set in the Wild West, or in Chernobyl, or outer space? Sometimes gamers could be forgiven for thinking that developers in the likes of Japan and Silicon Valley don’t get out enough, forgetting to use enticing destinations that exist all around our home planet.
Spain is one of those forgotten places with the beautiful country rarely featuring in the levels and open world maps of the industry’s biggest gaming titles. Here we go in search of the best online games that at least have a Spanish flavor for their players to sample and enjoy.
Spanish gamers would no doubt love to see more of their home country featured when they pick up their controllers and start playing
Classic Online Games Pay Homage to Spain
One genre of game that has not forgotten Spain is that of the classic variety. Perhaps this is because many of their original iterations were first made popular by Spanish cultural icons such as Cervantes, who wrote about the card game Veintiuna long before it became known as Blackjack.
While casino table games like blackjack tend to steer clear of associating themselves with one particular country – wanting to reach as wide an audience as possible – there are other classic online games that do openly use Spanish themes in their gameplay. These casino games tend to come in the form of online slots. Some of the titles which immediately stand out are ones like Fire Bull, which harnesses the spirit of bull fighting, and Flamenco Stacks, which adds flair to the usual spinning reels and bonus rounds found in a slot game.
Racing Games Have No Option but to Feature Spain
One genre of game that cannot ignore Spain, even it wanted to, is that of racing games because all of the world’s biggest racing series have at least one stop in the country.
What’s more, the Spanish are crazy for motor racing, having produced the likes of Fernando Alonso, Marc Márquez, and many other iconic riders and drivers.
This means that many online racing games have plenty of Spanish flavor, such as the official F1 2021 game from EA and MotoGP 20 from the slightly lesser-known Milestone. However, things do not start and end with just the games released as tie-ins to racing organisations because there are also famous gaming series and brands like Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo, and Need for Speed that have all featured Spanish tracks and street courses.
Madrid is full of iconic venues and buildings that could be used to great effect in a video game, but is there a major developer out there with the hunger to undertake such a project?
Open World Games That Briefly Visited Spanish Shores
Of course, some of the biggest gaming titles out there today are the ones that put players in control of an avatar who has the freedom to roam across vast landscapes and cities, as he, she, or it undertake quests and missions.
All of this is usually tied together by an underlying storyline, which the game’s protagonist is duty bound to follow. While most of these games tend to venture towards other European settings for their inspiration there have been some that have dared to enter the Iberian Peninsula.
One of these was the Assassin’s Creed series whose Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery both visited regions such as Navarre and cities like Granada. The Spanish Inquisition is also featured heavily in the plot of Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery.
Homegrown Spanish Games
If players really want to ensure they are experiencing a 100% Spanish game, then the only way to do it is to play those which are developed in the country itself.
Some amazing Spanish-made titles to check out include Moonlighter, Gris, and the excellent Lo que está por llegar.