Faux Europe

Overview

Faux Europe is the concept of a setting that is a heavily fictionalized version of the continent, its people, and cultures.  Though a game's setting may not be named Europe or be set in an actual European nation of the past or present, a proper faux European setting contains recognizable elements of the culture and architecture of European origin.  This may be reflected in the way that characters dress, the presence of common government structures such as monarchies, and the manner of weapons, armor, and tactics employed by military forces.  Such depictions may also be augmented by the presence of fantastic elements such as magic or steampunk technology.
 

Examples of Games with Faux European Settings

Valkyria Chronicles

One very notable example of a faux European setting is Valkyria Chronicles.  Focused primarily on characters from the fictional nation of Gallia, the story is set around the events of a war in which elements of the plot are loosely inspired by the history of the European front of World War II.  For example, within the game world, there exist an ethnic group known as Darcsen that face strict persecution, though the depiction of their persecution within the game is never as severe or extreme as that which the Jewish faced in Nazi Germany.  Additionally, Gallia shares the name that the Romans used for a region of Europe that is now modern-day France.  The nation also features a number of aesthetic elements that resemble Holland, such as the presence of windmills.
 

Professor Layton Series

In the Professor Layton series, Layton and Luke reside in a vision of Europe that meshes nineteenth and early twentieth century elements of aesthetics with more modern concepts and items.