Mythological monsters and creatures fascinate us. While many of us believe that they are just products of human imagination, there are many studies showing us that they somehow represent something that our ancestors have seen before.
They are always going to be a part of our culture, and it is not surprising to find them in books and movies. But what about video games? Well, these giants and other creatures are in the gaming industry, too.
In the gambling industry, the most common creature we see is the dragon, like the one in the Dragonfall slot. A lot of slot machines are based on old mythology from different regions of the world. Today, we will take a look at the top 7 mythological creatures in video games. However, we will not just focus on casino games—we will look at the top ones in all gaming consoles.
#1 Dragons in Skyrim
Skyrim is probably one of the best sequels of the Elder Scrolls franchise. The player takes the role of a Dragonborn—one who can understand and speak to dragons. There are many mythological creatures in this game like giants and huge monsters, but the most prominent is the dragon called Alduin.
Alduin is the leader of all dragons who was prophesied to rise to power. Your duty as a player is to vanquish this dragon and bring peace to the world. Alduin, in the story, is also an old god worshipped by a group of Nordic cultists. Alduin was a god-king who has lieutenants and captains—all dragons serving under his might.
#2 Cronos from God of War
In the God of War, you take the role of Kratos. Kratos is a Spartan warrior who lost his family because of Ares. Kratos accidentally killed his family and is looking for revenge. There are many mythical creatures in this franchise, which is leaning towards Greek Mythology on its first run. On its reboot in 2018, the game takes players to Norse mythology.
Cronos is one of the big bosses in the first game. With Kratos being a half-god and son of Zeus, he killed Cronos in the game. Although Cronos is his grandfather, Kratos had to kill him because Cronos was waging war against his children and his descendants knowing that they would kill him.
#3 Wendigo of Until Dawn
The Wendigo is an evil spirit that comes from stories on the eastern coast of Canada. Folklore has it that the wendigo appears as a human being with frightening characteristics.
According to old stories, the Wendigo is:
- An evil spirit that possesses humans;
- A monster that invokes murder, greed, and even cannibalism.
In the game Until Dawn, the Wendigo looks like a cross between rotting human corpses and zombie. It looks like Gollum of Lord of the Rings, to some degree.
#4 War Horseman in Darksiders
The Book of Revelations in the Bible tells us of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In the game Darksiders, the War Horseman is one of the leading characters—a protagonist who is also the youngest of the four horsemen.
In the story, he was framed by Abaddon for causing the Apocalypse too early. He was then imprisoned wrongly. He had stayed in jail for one hundred years before finally was released. In the game, War is looking for revenge and justice. No one knows where War or his brothers came from, but he is feared by both demons and angels.
#5 Yokai in Nioh
Yokai is a Japanese mythological creature. A yokai is a monster that has the ability to shapeshift. Here are some characteristics of the Yokai:
- Can look like an apparition or ghost;
- They are the mischievous devil;
- Some of them are good, and they bring good fortune.
In the game called Nioh, the Yokai is a bad entity. It is a major enemy in the game that appears in different forms. The most common form is the Yoki, a human that was transformed by the demon Amrita. The Yoki is an aggressive human whose body is about 30% bigger than the average human.
#6 Hela of Hellblade
In Norse mythology, Hela is the Goddess of Hell, such as what we have seen in the third instalment of the Marvel movie Thor. In the game called Hellblade, she is one of the evil bosses that you have to battle. She is the goddess who rules over a particular realm called Helheim. She is a powerful goddess, and she can resurrect the dead.
In the game, you have to cross the bridge to get to a place where she abodes, and your job is to convince her to give you back the soul of your friend, Dillion.
#7 Orochi of Okami
Orochi is a Japanese creature. It is a demonic serpent that has eight heads. At the base of each snakehead is a pedestal. This pedestal is a shrine that has shields and golden armour plates.
In the game Okami, the Orochi is a boss: a major demon that lives in the Moon Cave. Your duty once you face this monster is to defeat it. At the start of the fight, this monster seems impervious to your attacks. To defeat it, you have to use a strategy. You need to attack it once, so you can get your 8 Purification Sake. What you need to do is to force this sake into the mouth of the monster to make it fall asleep. If you are successful, you can climb on its neck, remove the plate armour, and kill it.
Summary
Mythological creatures have an aura of mystery. Sometimes they are benevolent; sometimes they are destructive. All too common, they are the big bosses in video game fights. With our advanced technology, we are getting a better photographic illustration of these mythological monsters.
It is great that technology allows creatures to render such majestic creatures in video games, which pretty much tells us how our ancestors perceived them in the past.
