Guides
Top 10 Best Video Games Set In The Middle East
Discover the top 10 best video games set in the Middle East, from epic tales of heroism to gripping explorations of war and politics.
The Middle East is a region steeped in history, culture, and vibrant landscapes that have inspired countless works of art and entertainment, with video games being no exception. From epic tales of heroism to gripping explorations of war and politics, the best video games set in the Middle East give players the opportunity to explore and experience this unique part of the world from the comfort of their own homes.
Our list of the top best video games set in the Middle East features 10 critically acclaimed titles ranked by their Metacritic scores.
#1- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
🏆 Metascore (Xbox One): 95/100
🎮 Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
🌎 Location: Afghanistan and the Angola–Zaire border region
📝 Genre: Open-world action-adventure stealth video game
Few games can match the sheer depth and complexity of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Everything in this game is designed to keep players on the edge of their seats and provide them with around 50 hours of core gameplay. The game’s lead designer, Hideo Kojima, turned the Afghani countryside, villages, and mountains into a huge playground where players can explore, experiment, and engage with the game’s systems in a variety of often surprising and funny ways.
#2- Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time (2003)
🏆 Metascore (PlayStation 2): 92/100
🎮 Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox
🌎 Location: Ancient Persia (now modern-day Iran)
📝 Genre: Action-adventure video game
Despite not claiming the top spot, we believe that the 2003 reboot of the Prince of Persia franchise represents the enchanting qualities of the Middle Eastern region better than any other game. Unlike the original Prince of Persia from 1989, The Sands of Time immerses with its (at the time) beautiful 3D graphics, atmospheric soundtrack, and dynamic combat. The game is set in ancient Persia, where the Prince and his army attack a Maharaja’s palace, inadvertently releasing the Sands of Time, transforming most people into savage monsters under the control of the Sultan of Azad.
Note: A remake of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is currently in development.
#3- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (2011)
🏆 Metascore (PlayStation 3): 92/100
🎮 Platforms: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4
🌎 Location: Multiple locations across the Middle East
📝 Genre: Action-adventure video game
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception takes players on an unforgettable journey across multiple locations in the Middle East, including a bustling market in Yemen, a hidden city in Syria, and a desert oasis in the Rub’ al Khali. The game’s stunning visuals, motion capture animations, and immersive storytelling make players feel like they are part of a thrilling Hollywood blockbuster. If you love games that blend action with exploration and light puzzle-solving, then this one will put a big smile on your face.
#4- Journey (2012)
🏆 Metascore (PlayStation 3): 92/100
🎮 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, iOS, and Microsoft Windows
🌎 Location: Unknown desert in the Middle East
📝 Genre: Indie adventure game
Journey is an indie adventure game with simple yet often breathtaking graphics. The game has you exploring an unknown desert in the Middle East, where you can encounter mysterious creatures, stumble upon ancient ruins, and even meet other players. With no dialogue or explicit narrative, it’s up to players find out what’s going on and make sense of the memorable experience that has been praised by a myriad of video game critics.
#5- Assassin’s Creed I (2007)
🏆 Metascore (Xbox 360): 81/100
🎮 Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows
🌎 Location: The cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus
📝 Genre: Open-world action-adventure video game
In the original Assassin’s Creed action-adventure video game, you step into the shoes of the elusive and deadly assassin, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, as you go on a series of stealthy (and sometimes not-so-stealthy) missions set in the bustling cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. When released in 2007, the game dazzled players with its detailed open-world design, allowing them to freely explore and interact with the game’s beautifully realized cities. Many other Assassin’s Creed games have been released since then, giving us one of the most beloved and successful franchises in gaming history.
Also Read: DDoS Attacks Are A Growing Threat In Gaming
#6- 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016)
🏆 Metascore (PC): 80/100
🎮 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Microsoft Windows, and macOS
🌎 Location: Iran
📝 Genre: Narrative-driven adventure drama
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a masterful narrative-driven adventure drama set during the Iranian Revolution. The game places players in the role of a photojournalist who is caught up in the events of the revolution as tensions mount between protestors and the oppressive regime. Following a familiar narrative-driven formula popularized by Telltale Games, the game presents players with often difficult choices intended to challenge their morality and values.
#7- Spec Ops: The Line (2012)
🏆 Metascore (PlayStation 3): 77/100
🎮 Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Linux, Xbox 360, and macOS
🌎 Location: Fictional version of Dubai
📝 Genre: Third-person shooter video game
This third-party shooter video game isn’t just one of the best video games set in the Middle East (a fictional version of Dubai, to be more specific); it’s also an underrated hidden gem that forces players to confront the brutal realities of war. While it may not have received the highest Metascore, Spec Ops: The Line is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who plays it, and you can buy the game for next to nothing during major seasonal sales on Steam, Microsoft Store, and PlayStation Store.
#8- Pharaoh: A New Era (2023)
🏆 Metascore (PC): 79/100
🎮 Platforms: Microsoft Windows
🌎 Location: Egypt
📝 Genre: City-building video game
While Pharaoh: A New Era has only recently been released, it’s already making waves in the city-building genre because it’s a remake of the original Pharaoh (1999), a brilliant city builder that garnered mainly positive reviews. The remake brings to the table beautiful graphics, a carefully crafted soundtrack, and many quality-of-life features that make it far more accessible than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the game is still quite buggy, but the developers are actively working on addressing these issues. In a few months, it could be a must-buy for all players who love games that are set in the Middle East.
#9- Serious Sam 3: BFE (2011)
🏆 Metascore (PC): 72/100
🎮 Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch
🌎 Location: Egypt
📝 Genre: First-person shooter video game
Serious Sam 3: BFE is a bombastic and over-the-top first-person shooter that delivers an intense and satisfying experience. As Sam “Serious” Stone, you battle waves of enemies as you progress through 10 chapters set in Egypt. What’s great and unique about this shooter is that you can experience it together with up to 4 friends locally on one screen or with up to 16 friends online. Once you get tired of Serious Sam 3: BFE, you can check out Serious Sam 4 and its standalone expansion Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, which are set in France, Italy, and Russia.
#10- Disney’s Aladdin (1994)
🏆 Metascore (PC): Not Rated
🎮 Platforms: originally released for DOS and later remastered for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows
🌎 Location: the fictional city of Agrabah, which is located somewhere in the Middle East
📝 Genre: Side-scrolling platform game
Disney’s Aladdin is a charming side-scrolling platform game that follows the plot of the beloved animated film of the same name. The game was first released in 1994, and you can still play the original DOS version on basically any major platform using DOSBox, a free and open-source DOS emulator. If that sounds like too much hassle to you, then the remastered version of Aladdin included in the Disney Classic Games Collection is just what you need to embark on an adventure to rescue Princess Jasmine from the clutches of the evil sorcerer Jafar.
Guides
Getting Started With Google Gemini: A Beginner’s Guide
Learn how to use Google’s powerful AI chatbot, Gemini. Explore its unique features, get tips for effective prompts, and see how it compares to ChatGPT.
Google Gemini, a large language model (LLM) that outperforms OpenAI’s GPT-4 in many benchmarks, has been available in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region since February 2024. This guide is aimed at those who have yet to try it as well as those who are currently wondering whether they should cancel their ChatGPT subscription in its favor. We provide a comprehensive overview of its capabilities and a brief comparison with its biggest rival.
What Is Google Gemini?
Born from the evolution of Google’s AI initiatives, Gemini, formerly known as Bard, is a state-of-the-art chatbot developed by Google. This LLM initiative was Google’s answer to the fast-rising popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Gemini brings to the table a suite of capabilities we’ve come to expect from large language models:
- Multi-Modal Understanding: Gemini is natively multi-modal, meaning it can understand, operate across, and combine different types of information including text, code, audio, image, and video.
- Sophisticated Reasoning: Gemini’s reasoning capabilities enable it to think more carefully before answering difficult questions, leading to significant improvements over just using its first impression. This is particularly useful in fields requiring complex problem-solving abilities.
- Advanced Coding: Gemini can understand, explain, and generate high-quality code in over 20 programming languages. It excels in coding benchmarks, making it a powerful tool for developers.
- Multi-Language Support: Gemini’s translation abilities and its support for numerous languages help break down communication barriers. This is especially valuable in a globalized world, making both work and personal interactions potentially smoother.
- State-Of-The-Art Performance: Gemini Ultra (used in Gemini Advanced) has outperformed human experts on the MMLU benchmark, a massive multitask language understanding test, scoring 90.0%. It exceeds current state-of-the-art results on 30 of the 32 widely-used academic benchmarks.
While Gemini was introduced with the ability to generate images through Google Brain’s Imagen 2 text-to-image model, these image generation capabilities are currently disabled because the feature created a controversy after flooding the internet with historically inaccurate, racially-biased images.
Google Gemini Availability
Currently, Gemini supports more than 40 languages, including Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish, among others, and extends its reach to over 230 countries and territories, with Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Tunisia all being on the list.
Besides the standard version of Gemini, which uses Google’s Pro 1.0 model, there’s also Gemini Advanced, which is based on the Ultra 1.0 model. This more sophisticated version of the LLM is available in more than 150 countries and territories in English. Again, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Tunisia are all supported. Unfortunately, Gemini Advanced is optimized only for English, so its responses in other languages can be a hit or miss.
How To Use Google Gemini?
Getting started with Google Gemini, whether on desktop or mobile, is a straightforward process:
On Desktop:
1- Visit The Gemini Website: You can find it at gemini.google.com.
2- Sign In: Click on the Sign in If you have an existing Google account and are older than 18 years, then you can simply use it to sign in. If you don’t have one already, this is the time to create it.
3- Accept The Terms Of Service: Read and accept Google Gemini’s Terms of Service by clicking more, followed by I agree on the subsequent page.
4- Start Using Gemini: After clicking Continue, you will be directed to the Gemini page.
5- Message Gemini: Type your question or search term into the search box and press enter. Await Gemini’s response, which will be generated based on the input provided.
On Mobile:
- Android: As an Android user, you can download the Google Gemini app from the Play Store, or you can use the mobile version of the gemini.google.com website.
- iOS: Unfortunately, there’s currently no dedicated Google Gemini app for iOS, but there’s a Gemini tab will appear at the top of the Google app.
Top Tips For Google Gemini Beginners
One of the biggest advantages of conversational AI systems like Gemini is their intuitiveness. You can literally just start asking questions and issuing commands, and Gemini will do its best to understand and respond appropriately. However, to truly harness the power of Google Gemini, especially if you’re just starting out, it’s important to keep a few key tips in mind:
- Double-Check Information: Click the Google icon below any response from Gemini. This feature allows you to quickly verify the accuracy of the information provided using Google Search.
- Provide Feedback: Use the thumbs up or down icons to give feedback on Gemini’s responses. This simple action helps Gemini learn from your preferences, continually improving the accuracy and relevance of its future replies.
- Listen To Responses: For those who prefer auditory learning or simply wish to hear the information, click the speaker icon at the top of a response. This feature converts text to speech, allowing you to listen to Gemini’s replies.
- Leverage Multi-Modality: If you’re stuck explaining something in words, try supplementing your query with an image or reference a piece of code. Gemini’s understanding of different input types can lead to more nuanced assistance.
- Break Down Complex Tasks If you have a complicated problem, try breaking it into smaller, sequential steps. Gemini can assist with each stage, making the whole process more manageable.
- Experiment With Prompts: Don’t be afraid to rephrase questions or provide additional context to guide Gemini in different directions. You may be surprised by the insights you uncover through a slight change in wording.
ChatGPT vs Google Gemini: Which Is Better For MENA Users?
With both Google Gemini and ChatGPT being available in the MENA region, users have unprecedented access to some of the most advanced AI chatbot technologies. Deciding which platform best suits your needs depends on various factors, including pricing, features, and how well each integrates into your daily digital routine. Here’s a breakdown to help you make an informed decision:
| Service: | Model: | Pricing: | Features: |
| Gemini Free | Gemini Pro 1.0 | Free | Access to Gemini Pro within supported countries with a Google account. |
| Gemini Advanced | Gemini Ultra 1.0 | $19.99/Month | Access to Ultra 1.0 LLM and all Google One subscription benefits, including 2 TB of cloud storage. |
| ChatGPT Free | GPT-3.5 | Free | Access to GPT-3.5 with basic OpenAI account registration. |
| ChatGPT Plus | GPT-4 | $20/Month | GPT-4 access with browsing and analysis features, and DALL-E capabilities for image generation. |
Gemini presents a compelling option for users deeply embedded in Google’s ecosystem or those looking for a value-packed subscription. With the Google One AI Premium plan, you can enjoy access to Gemini Advanced and 2 TB of cloud storage space for use across Google’s suite of products, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, and more. Best of all, you can currently get two months of the Google One AI Premium plan for free, so there’s no reason to not give it a try.
On the other hand, ChatGPT shines with its extensive feature set, especially with DALL-E for image generation and the ability to create and train custom GPTs. Despite what artificial LLM performance benchmarks say, ChatGPT’s answers are typically more accurate and relevant than Gemini’s, but they do take longer to generate, and there’s a fairly strict usage limit (40 messages every 3 hours). Unfortunately, OpenAI doesn’t offer a free trial version of its ChatGPT Plus plan, but you can play with the free version of ChatGPT without any limitations.
Conclusion
Google Gemini is a fascinating addition to the world of conversational AI, and it’s already available to users across the MENA region. With its advanced capabilities — from multi-modal understanding to sophisticated reasoning and multi-language support — it presents a good alternative to ChatGPT for those in the Google ecosystem as well as those who have a need for another AI companion in their.
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