It would be easy to get confused and think that this article is going to be about the current controversy concerning loot boxes in video games, but that is a discussion for another day. There will be no talk about online sweeps cash casino games or anything else that compares game mechanics to gambling here.
This is purely about the best games out there that offer gambling either as a theme or as part of the actual gameplay. Here are the best video games that feature gambling.
Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption has been one of the biggest video games series in the world over the last decade. It was a sequel to the enjoyable but not quite as well received Red Dead Revolver, and it then went on to be one of the biggest hits ever when it was released, as well as being the most expensive video game ever made at the time of its release. The gambling featured in Red Dead Redemption mainly takes place in the saloons of the Wild West. Widely regarded as being the precursors to modern casinos, here players can take part in both poker and some dice games. The gambling might not be the most important aspect of the game, but it is still an enjoyable experience. What really hits the right notes about the gambling is that it was one of many small details added into the game that all came together to make Red Dead so special.
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a strange title. It falls outside one of the main numbered Fallout games, and was developed by Obsidian Entertainment rather than Bethesda’s own team. However, it is probably the only one of the new generation of Fallout games that manages to reproduce the essence of the original series. New Vegas really gave players that fun but tense feeling that they got when playing the first two Fallout games. In regard to the gambling aspects, it would be wrong to think that it is faithful to modern gambling, mainly because it is set more than 200 years in the future. However, it does allow players to search around the wreckage of Las Vegas and take part in the many games of chance that are available. As it is an RPG game, players can increase their luck statistic. This will make the chances of winning on the games more likely, but it is important to remember that there are no gambling regulators in the apocalypse, so you might not get the fair chance that you would in real life.
Final Fantasy
It is hard to pick a single game out here, because there have been so many gambling mini games in Final Fantasy games over the years. One of the most iconic video game series in the history of gaming, Final Fantasy is something that even modern players appreciate, even though a lot will have been too young to see the game at its peak. Number eight probably had the best gambling mini game included, with a card game that was very similar to higher or lower. Whichever game in the series you choose to try out, there is a good chance that it will be a fantastic experience for you.
Watch Dogs
Watch Dogs is one of the newer games on the list, but this does not mean that we are going to be covering loot crates. Watch Dogs has a fantastic poker mini game included in it that gives players an enjoyable break from the main action. The game itself is highly enjoyable and takes players on a journey to an alternative world where hackers are spying on the whole planet, though that does not sound too far-fetched in relation to the real world. It is a highly enjoyable game with some great features and has an excellent gambling-related game placed inside it.
Suikoden
Suikoden is something of a forgotten classic in the world of gaming. It was released around the same time as Final Fantasy VII, and as such, it was knocked into the background a little bit. This is massively unfair on a game that is arguably the superior title. It might not have had the graphical qualities that Final Fantasy VII had, but the gameplay was superior and the story was a lot more layered. There was also a really fun gambling mini game included where players could wager a portion of their money in a cup and ball game. The more you wagered, the faster the cups moved. On the whole, it was way ahead of its time and should certainly be held in higher esteem than it is.
