This is a new series of articles we are launching on our blog, based on selections of the best games set in specific countries. Here is the first one. While France seems to be shining at the 2025 Game Awards with no fewer than 12 nominations for Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it has also been a prime location for video games for many years. Indeed, there are a whole host of games inspired by its landscapes and architecture to create an experience that is both authentic and original. Let’s take a look at the best productions set in France.
As mentioned above, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an excellent production set in a dark but fantastical France during the Belle Époque. You’ll recognize iconic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, as well as many other lesser-known ones scattered throughout the adventure. Numerous songs in French can also be heard throughout the game. Interestingly, the names of some of the characters were not chosen at random. Gustave shares the same first name as the French engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower, and Renoir is the name of a famous French painter, whose profession is central to the game’s plot.
Let’s continue our selection with the A Plague Tale franchise, whose two installments, Innocence and Requiem, take place in a medieval reconstruction of the Kingdom of France, ravaged by the plague. The development studio drew inspiration from medieval villages in the southwestern part of the country. There are no specific historical monuments, but there is a strong inspiration and cultural references. Similarly, Lies Of P, an excellent souls-like game, does not aim to reproduce the capital and its monuments, but is set in a city clearly inspired by French aesthetics: architecture, opera, galleries, and hotels.
Assassin’s Creed Unity is one of the games in the series that contains the most real and faithfully reconstructed French monuments, as it takes place in Paris during the French Revolution (1789). To avoid an overly long list, here are the main ones that can be seen: Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Palace, and the Bastille fortress. Another very interesting feature is that you can also encounter iconic figures from French and European history, such as Napoleon I. The game Steelrising is set in the same period in an alternate history version of Paris, and also features many of these monuments.
Let’s now move on to lighter titles, focusing primarily on the beauty of the landscapes rather than important historical elements. Pokémon Legends Z-A takes place in a fictional city, largely inspired by Paris. There are numerous references to the capital, including its rooftops, which can be climbed, adding a certain verticality to the map. Syberia sets its plot in the heart of the French Alps, before moving on to other regions. Finally, Dordogne is a charming production set in the countryside of southwestern France. A poetic adventure awaits you in a remarkable pencil-drawn style.
Of course, France has been involved in plenty of wars throughout its history. Many games have chosen to revisit this historical fact, such as The Saboteur and even Sniper Elite Resistance. The latter offers the chance to infiltrate the resistance troops in its single-player campaign, as well as an online multiplayer mode. Amnesia the Bunker is a horror title set in the trenches of World War I.
