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Jul 19
A look at just some of the incredible games from Canadian developers
Happy Canada Day everyone, what a great way to start the month!
While many Canadians will be gathering with friends and family for a meal, or maybe enjoying a big firework display, some non-Canadian followers might be confused as to what the event stands for. Canada Day, previously known as Dominion Day, is a national holiday celebrated every year on July 1st to commemorate the anniversary of the Constitution Act, 1867 - which saw the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united under the British Empire.
Believe it or not, Canada is a big player when it comes to the game industry, and you might not realise just how many incredible games and franchises have been created there.
To celebrate Canada Day, we take a look at just some of the top Steam titles from the country famous for hockey, maple syrup and harsh winters!
BioShock
Developer: Digital Extremes
Located in Ontario, Digital Extremes was one of the teams with provided additional support to 2K Marin and 2K Australia on the first two games in the BioShock franchise. The dev team helped pull together the PlayStation 3 version of BioShock, as well as working on the PC version of BioShock 2.
The first two games in the action FPS series are set in the city of Rapture, an underwater metropolis.
Assassin's Creed
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
One of the leading action-adventure and RPG series in modern gaming, Assassin's Creed's legacy started with Ubisoft Montreal and the main series has stayed with for over 12 years.
The franchise has followed a number of protagonists who join the Assassin's Brotherhood in their fight against the Templars throughout history. The most recent entry was Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which took players back to Ancient Greece as siblings Alexios or Kassandra, who wield the spear once carried into battle by their grandfather, King Leonidas.
Ubisoft Montreal have also worked on major AAA franchises such as Far Cry, Watch_Dogs, Child of Light, Rainbow Six and For Honor.
Baldur's Gate
Developer: BioWare Montreal
BioWare took inspiration from the Dungeons & Dragons universe and brought fantasy and strategy together in one critically-acclaimed series with Baldur's Gate. Players must take on dangerous quests and recruit party members to aid them in battle in this top-down isometric series, with both editions re-released in enhanced form.
BioWare Montreal, which was merged with EA Motive back in 2017, has also worked on big franchises including Mass Effect (DLC for Mass Effect: Andromeda) and Star Wars Battlefront II.
Batman: Arkham Origins
Developer: WB Games Montreal
Four Batman: Arkham games have graced us with their presence, but only one from the series was developed by a Canadian team. Batman: Arkham Origins was the only game in the franchise to also feature a competitive online multiplayer mode, as well as opting for different leading voice actors - with Roger Craig Smith taking on the role of Batman, and Troy Baker as the Joker.
The action-adventure focuses on a pivotal tale set on Christmas Eve where Batman is hunted by eight of the deadliest assassins from the DC Comics Universe.
Cuphead
Developer: StudioMDHR
Oakville-based developer StudioMDHR was the creative team that brought us the 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Steam rated Cuphead, the run & gun co-op that tests your patience and skill. The designers used traditional hand-drawn cel animation and watercolor backgrounds, coupled with a hot jazz soundtrack, to bring players an original gaming experience.
Deus Ex
Developer: Eidos Montreal
The most recent editions of the Deus Ex franchise were created by Eidos Montreal, bringing the cyberpunk stealth action games to a new generation of gamers. One of recent additions to the franchise was Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which follows the story of Adam Jensen - an agent who possesses an arsenal of state-of-the-art weapons and augmentations to help fight underground terrorist organizations.
