Video Game Publisher Ubisoft has released two new experiences that are fantastically fun ways to explore ancient Egypt and ancient Greece, for free!
From now until May 20th, Ubisoft Discovery Tours can be downloaded completely for free and are yours to keep forever. These tours drop you in the middle of the ancient world and let you take fully narrated virtual tours on subjects like the Great Pyramids of Giza, everyday life, Roman forts and equipment, and more.
There are hours and hours of tours split into smaller chunks that can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes and each one is filled to the brim with historically accurate scenery and information. If you have the aptitude for it, you can also explore the world completely at your leisure. Sail a boat down the River Nile surrounded by hippopotamus, crocodiles, and countless other fauna, ride a horse through the streets of Alexandria passing peasants going about their day, and even climb the to the very top of places like the Pyramid of Khufu. For a history buff, seeing the towering Lighthouse of Alexandria as it might have stood in the 4th century is breathtaking.
These two experiences can be fantastic teaching tools allowing kids to use their video game skills to make learning history as interesting as it might get. There are no weapons, fighting, or violence of any kind in these experiences so you don't have to worry about parental controls either. As for people who might not play video games but are history buffs, the controls are relatively simple but it might be worth having a more experienced player with you to help you through it. Better yet, this could be a really cool nightly ritual for parents and kids to explore together!
The two experiences will require a decent enough computer to run so a work laptop might not cut it. However, there is a second option if you have a young person at home who plays video games. These tours are extensions of existing games called Assassin's Creed: Origins (Egypt) and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (Greece) so ask them if they already own them. You can check out these experiences through those game's main menu and is available on PS4 and Xbox consoles as well.
With kids needing all the at-home education they can get, this is a fantastic way to encourage learning in a fun, interactive, and unique way.
Featured image courtesy of Assassin's Creed Wiki via assassinscreed.fandom.com