Video gamesoften serve as escapism for people looking to be entertainment or those simply wanting to forget about the realities and responsibilities of life, if only for a moment. Archaeology isn’t typically an occupation that’s associated with gaming, but there are quite a few iconic video game archaeologists toward whom players have gravitated over the years.
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This includes characters who originated in video games like Lara Croft fromTomb Raideras well as those from major live-action properties likeIndiana Joneswho simply featured as the main characters in licensed games over the decades. Regardless of where they originated, they’re widely considered to be some of the best archeologists in gaming and typically offer up a surefire ticket to adventure.
7Sylens
A core part of what makes the world ofHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westso interesting is that the audience is learning alongside the characters in the game. The story itself is full of twists and turns, with many characters imposing their will on the world around them. One such person who seems harmless at first but evolves into a major threat is named Sylens.
The character is wonderfully performed by the talented Lance Riddick and is a man who has a strong interest in history and technology. These two things are intertwined when looking at what happens to the Old Ones, a driving force that plunges a divide between him and those who oppose him. Out of every video game archaeologist, he’s easily the most chaotic and untrustworthy.
6Guy & Ana Spelunky
Spelunkyis an indie gamethat may not carry the same cache as some of gaming’s larger series, but it’s hard to find many other archaeologists in video games more iconic than this father/daughter pair. Guy Spelunky is the main character of the original platforming roguelike, and players are tasked with surviving room after room of dangers and peril in order to come away with the ultimate reward: a giant golden head.
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His daughter, Ana Spelunky, is revealed to take over in her father’s absence as an adventurous archaeologist, though she takes her talents off-world. The addictive and mysterious games were designed by Derek Yu and his video game development company Mossmouth. The first entry was released on PC in 2013 before later being ported to consoles, with the second hitting the scene in 2020.
5Liara T’Soni
Mass Effectserves as one of the most prominent andpopular science fiction video game seriesof all time. It’s known for its stellar role-playing game elements and a cast of characters that draw the player into a true sense of immersion. Among the many alien races and characters that players come across is a studious and diligent archaeologist belonging to the female-only race of aliens known as the Asari.
Liara T’Soni is the character in question, and though she’s first introduced in the originalMass Effectat a research site, players can carry her through all three games as they developed a strong romantic or platonic relationship with the brilliant mind.
4Professor Layton
It may come as a surprise to those who have only heard about theProfessor Laytonseries, but the titular character is indeed an archaeologist. Professor Hershel Layton is the main character of the beloved puzzle adventure games and is actually recognized as a professor of archaeology.
The creator of the game and character Akihiro Hino stated thatSherlock HolmesandIndiana Jonesserved as core inspirations for Professor Layton, which is evident in both his physical appearance and personality. As a series, there are plenty of games to dive into for anyone looking to scratch that archaeology itch in a puzzle-solving setting.
3Lara Croft
Considered by many to be the original video game archaeologist, Lara Croft has withstood the test of time as an iconic video game character.She’s managed to enter the world of movies, but nothing quite matches her ancient and historic adventures over the course of theTomb Raiderseries. Her life is much more violent and paranormally manipulated than the average archaeologist, but she understands what her actions set forth.
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Another thing that sets her apart is her high-level athleticism, which allows her to scale and maneuver around tombs that would have an average person quitting and going home at the glance of what lies in front of them. It’s unclear what the future holds for Lara Croft andTomb Raider,but it’s a safe bet that archaeology will play a role.
2Nathan Drake
In the traditional sense, it’s hard to label Nathan Drake as an archaeologist as he functions much more as an explorer and treasure hunter. As one of the PlayStation platform’s most identifiable characters though, it would be hard to deny just how iconic Nathan Drake is and the massive impact that he and his games have had on the video game industry.
ThoughtheUnchartedseriesand Drake’s character took a lot of inspiration from both Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, at this point, both the intrepid explorer and theUnchartedcollection of games have been able to carve out their own identities. At his core, Nathan Drake wants to function like an archaeologist, butcircumstance and personality have never let that happenin any meaningful way.
1Indiana Jones
When it comes to the best video game archaeologists, they don’t come much bigger than Indiana Jones. He’s arguably the most iconic fictional archaeologist of all time regardless of the medium and has inspired countless other characters since making his silver screen debut back in 1981.
The adventurer has appeared in his fair share of video games since then, but none are quite as exciting as the upcoming licensed game fromWolfensteinreboot developers MachineGames. Fans are eagerly awaiting the reveal ofthe studio’s UntitledIndiana Jonesgame, which was originally revealed in January of 2021.
