Fireworks are customary in celebrating the birthday of America, but there’s always room for new traditions — like video games! At this point, video games are just as American as apple pie. Americans are some of the biggest consumers of video games on the planet, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the most ridiculously “American” things in all of entertainment happen in video games. If you want to pay homage to the red, white, and blue before the BBQ, these titles are a great place to start.
Metal Wolf Chaos
In these trying times, it’s uplifting to put our faith in a President who is willing to get their hands dirty to defend our nation from threats both international and domestic. Doubly so, when those threats come from your Vice President and his gang of terrorists. The remaster is coming soon, but if you can find a way to get the never-before-released-in-the-US version of it, you’ll be glad you did.
Far Cry 5
The American Heartland is rotting under the corruption of a cult that heralds the eventual fall into ruin of both the country and our immortal souls. When you show up to deal some good old fashioned Federal justice, they speed up the plan and turn Hope County, Montana into a warzone.
The Crew
The song’s not called “America the Beautiful” for nothing! This country has a geological, environmental, and cultural diversity unlike any other country on the globe. The Crew lets you and a group of other speed addicts the chance to see it all, as you tour the countryside in your an assortment of slick vehicles.
Wolfenstein
Really, any Wolfenstein game will do. They all involve an American doing his damnedest to kill Nazis, either at home or abroad. And there’s very few things that Americans love to talk about more than rebuking the Nazis at every possible moment.
America’s Army
The only video game officially endorsed and developed by the United States Army, America’s Army is a free shooter that values tactical realism over the more arcadey bits that Call of Duty and Battlefield tend to lean on. Shot discipline and map awareness are key to being a keen teammate and a good soldier. There’s also a handy link to the US Army website on almost every screen.
Broforce
If you put together a crew of the most insane and incredible American pop culture figures and tasked them to stop terrorism, you’d get the Broforce. With characters who definitely aren’t multiple movie versions of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, or Wesley Snipes, you roam through the heartlands of the enemy and bring explosive freedom to them, their architecture, and their landscapes.
Grand Theft Auto
This is also a multi-part answer, as every GTA from GTA 3 on have been well-crafted satires of uniquely American cultural periods. Whether its the high-stakes, drug-addled, neon-drenched ’80s Miami from Vice City, or the simmering resentment of Rampart-era LA in San Andreas, GTA celebrates Americana by exposing its ugliest parts.