1UP’s Scott Sharkey conducted a survey of all game releases since 1980, and stumbled upon a interesting fact: over the last 29 years, 183 titles based on WWII have appeared. In comparison, other 20th century American conflicts were represented in a total of 40 games.But what’s the fixation with the Second World War? Sharkey sets out to answer this question, and although he makes some obvious points his argument is illuminating in other parts (WWII was the last American conflict which the U.S. clearly won against an unambiguously evil enemy).(I’d add that WWII being the first conflict to produce so much video footage played a role. For a generation of film-makers, and subsequently game-makers, WWII was the first visual reference point for war.)You can find Sharkey’s full editorial here, and it’s certainly worth a read!

Here are more great articles about World War 2 Games

• Comment on All These World War 2 Games by Gavin Robinson - You need to read this post. And this one.

• The Saboteur: Redefining The WW2 Video Game - Turn Based Strategy World War 2 Games: Games like Squad Leader, still one of my favorites, Allied General and Panzer General, the World War 2 Turn based game was still mainly influenced by the rich locales and technology of World War 2. …

• Wow, There Really ARE A Lot Of WWII Games | Kotaku Australia - World War 2 games are based in a few locations, are based within a gap of a few years and always involve the same countries, and always has the same story and ending, being the allies win. Didn’t see THAT coming! …

In video games, many historical topics are used or centered upon as part of the gameplay and storyline. World War 2 Games are one of the most popularly used world history topics in video games. Below is a list of these games.

First-person and Third-person shooter games

The Call of Duty series

• Call of Duty (2003)
  • Call of Duty: United Offensive (2004) (expansion pack)
• Call of Duty: Finest Hour (2004)
• Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
  • Call of Duty 2: Collector’s Edition (2005)
• Call of Duty 3 (2006)
  • Call of Duty 3: Gold Edition (2007)
• Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (2007)
• Call of Duty: World at War (2008)

The Medal of Honor series

• Medal of Honor (1999)
• Medal of Honor: Underground (2000, 2002)
• Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002)
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead (expansion pack)
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakthrough (expansion pack)
• Medal of Honor: Frontline (2002)
• Medal of Honor: Infiltrator (2003)
• Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (2003)
• Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (2004)
• Medal of Honor: European Assault (2005)
• Medal of Honor: Heroes (2006)
• Medal of Honor: Airborne (2007)
• Medal of Honor: Vanguard (2007)
• Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (2007)

The Battlefield series

• Battlefield 1942 (2002)
  • The Road to Rome (expansion pack)
  • Secret Weapons of World War II (expansion pack)
• Battlefield 1943: Pacific (2009)

The Wolfenstein series

• Wolfenstein 3D (1992)
• Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny (1992)
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)
• Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003)
• Wolfenstein (2009)

The Brothers In Arms series

• Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 (2005)
• Brothers In Arms: Earned in Blood (2005)
• Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway (2008)
• Brothers in Arms: D-Day (2006)
• Brothers in Arms: Double Time (2008)
• Brothers in Arms DS (2007)

The Hidden & Dangerous series

• Hidden & Dangerous (1999)
• Hidden & Dangerous 2 (2003)
• Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron (expansion pack)(2004)

The Day of Defeat series

• Day of Defeat (2003)
• Day of Defeat: Source (2005)

The World War II Combat series

• World War II Combat: Road to Berlin (2006)
• World War II Combat: Iwo Jima (2006)

The Deadly Dozen series

• Deadly Dozen (2001)
• Deadly Dozen: Pacific Theater (2002)

The Battlestrike Series (A.K.A. Mortyr 3+)

• Battlestrike: Force of Resistance
• Battlestrike: Road To Berlin
• Crimes of War(2008)
• Tank Combat(2008)
• Operation Thunderstorm(2008)

The Red Orchestra series

• Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 (2006)
• Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad (TBA)

Other

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)
• Silent Service (1985)
• Silent Service II (1990)
• Mortyr (1999)
• Mortyr 2: ForEver (2004)
• D-Day: Normandy (2002)
• WW2: GI (1998)
• World War II Sniper: Call to Victory (2004)
• Airborne Troops: Countdown to D-Day (2004)
• Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers (2005)
• Sniper Art of Victory (2008)
• Sniper Elite (2005)
• History Channel’s ShootOut! The Game (2006)
• WWII Tank Commander (2006)
• The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (2007)
• Hour of Victory (2007)
• 1944 D-Day: Operation Overlord (TBA)
• Beyond Normandy: Assignment Berlin
• Airborne Hero D-day Frontline 1944

Real-time strategy games

The Close Combat series

• Close Combat (1996)
• Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far (1997)
• Close Combat III: The Russian Front (1998)
• Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge (1999)
• Close Combat V: Invasion Normandy (2000)
• Close Combat VI: Cross Of Iron (2007)
• Close Combat VII: Close Assault(TBA)

The Sudden Strike series

• Sudden Strike (2000)
  • Sudden Strike Forever (2001) (expansion pack)
• Sudden Strike 2 (2002)
  • Sudden Strike: Resource War (2004) (expansion pack)

The Commandos series

• Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)
• Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty (1999) (expansion pack)
• Commandos 2: Men of Courage (2001)
• Commandos 3: Destination Berlin (2003)
• Commandos: Strike Force (2006)

The Blitzkrieg series

• Blitzkrieg (2003)
  • Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon (expansion pack) (2004)
  • Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder (expansion pack) (2004)
• Blitzkrieg 2 (2005)

The Company of Heroes series

• Company of Heroes (2006)
• Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (2007)
• Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (2009)

The Hearts of Iron series

• Hearts of Iron (2002)
• Hearts of Iron II (2005)
  • Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday (expansion pack) (2006)
  • Hearts of Iron II: Armageddon (expansion pack) (2007)
• Hearts of Iron III (2009)

Other

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (High Command) (2009)
• Axis & Allies (2004)
• War Front: Turning Point (2006)
• Stalingrad (2005)
• World War II: Frontline Command (2003)
• Pacific Storm (2006)
• Mockba to Berlin (2006)
• Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps (2004)
• Men of War (2009)

Real-time tactics games

• Codename: Panzers Phase One(2004)
• Codename:Panzers Phase Two(2005)
• Soldiers: Heroes of World War II (2004)
• Faces of War (2006)
• Men of War (2009)
• Theatre Of War (2007)
• Panzer Tactics DS (2007)

The Battlestations series

• Battlestations: Midway (2007)
• Battlestations: Pacific (2009)

Other

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)

Turn-based strategy games

• Allied General (1995)
• Panzer General (1994)
• Operation Europe: Path To Victory (1994)

• Silent Storm (2004)
• World War II - Road to Victory (2008)
• Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord (2001)
• Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (2002)
• Combat Mission Afrika Korps (2004)
• Military History Commander Europe at war (2009)

Flight simulators

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)
• Aces High II (2000)
• 1942 (video game) (1984)
• 1943: The Battle of Midway (1987)
• Hellcats Over the Pacific (1991)
• Aces of the Pacific (1992)
• B-17 Flying Fortress (video game) (1992)
• Aces over Europe (1993)
• 1942:Pacific Air War (1994)
• European Air War (1998)
• Jane’s WWII Fighters (1998)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator : WWII Europe Series (1998)
• Fighter Squadron: Screamin’ Demons Over Europe (1999)
• Iron Aces (2000)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater (2000)
• IL-2 Sturmovik (2001)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (2002)
• Jane’s Attack Squadron (2002)
• Dogfight: Battle for the Pacific by Valusoft (2003)
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991)
• Secret Weapons Over Normandy (2003)
• Pacific Fighters (2004)
• Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory (2005)
• Heroes of the Pacific (2005)
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (2006)
• Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII (2007)
• IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 (2007)
• Talvisota: Icy Hell (2008)
• WWII Aces (2008)
• Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II (2009)
• Heroes over Europe (2009)

Naval simulators

• silent hunter series
• Grandest Fleet (1994)
• Navy Field (2002)

Other World war 2 games

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)

Other

Board games

• Axis & Allies (turn-based strategy) (1998)
  • Axis & Allies: Iron Blitz (1999) (expansion pack)
• Steel Panthers : World at War(2007)
• Memoir ‘44 (2004)

Tank simulators

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)
• Panzer Front (2000)
• Panzer Front Ausf B (2000)
• Panzer Elite Action : Fields of Glory (2006)
• Panzer Elite Acion : Dunes of War(2007)

MMOFPS

• World War II Online (2001)

a.k.a “Battleground Europe”

Third-Person shooter

• The Outfit (2006)

Historic action-adventure

• Saboteur (TBA 2009)
• Another War (2002)

Stealth Based

• Death to Spies (2007)
• Death to Spies: Moment of Truth (2008)
• Velvet Assassin (2008)
• Castle Wolfenstein
• Beyond Castle Wolfenstein