In a new series for History Hit, presenters Louee Dessent and Luke Tomes use footage from video games to recreate some of the best known battles in history. For their first video, they recreated the Battle of Hastings using the strategy game A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia.
Timed just right for the 955th anniversary of the battle, Louee and Luke explore the strategy and tactics of the two generals on the day, Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, recently crowned king of Anglo-Saxon England.
In the video they go through the background to the battle, the composition of the armies and the key moments that decided the day. “This battle completely transformed English society,” says Louee, “it paved the way for the Norman conquest, swept away centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule and, of course, it’s the reason everyone remembers the year 1066.”
Referencing the Bayeux Tapestry and primary sources like William of Poitiers, the first episode of Battlefield Replays highlights aspects of medieval warfare as well as the mystery of Harold Godwinson’s alleged arrow in the eye. The new series also marks the relaunch of the History Hit YouTube channel.
In its interpretation of early medieval Britain, A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia incorporates Gaelic clans, early English kingdoms and Viking settlers in a vast, turn-based campaign punctuated by exciting real-time battles. The depth of detail and the scale of the battles in Total War make it a perfect candidate for the Battlefield Replays series.
Though the series uses the Total War games, it is not endorsed by SEGA or the Creative Assembly in any way. The Battlefield Replays series has been in the works in the background for a little while now, and it’s excellent to see it fully realized. If you haven’t already, you should head over and subscribe to the channel.
A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
Image Credit: SEGA
