With the recent announcement that Activision is choosing to stick with futuristic shooters in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the reaction by most players has been largely negative.
With a genre filled almost entirely by FPS games set in the not so distant future, largely by Activision themselves, gamers have become tired of the same of shtick being force fed to them year after year. This in large part is why customers have been asking game companies, such as Activision and EA, to visit other historical war periods to liven up the market. It appears, however, that only one of them is choosing to listen to the fans' requests.
Battlefield 1, an upcoming shooter created by DICE and published by Electronic Arts, is set to take place in World War I and explore the landscape which once dominated the shooter genre before Call of Duty redefined it. Considering the massive backlash towards Infinite Warfare, while Battlefield 1 is seeing major support from followers, it's entirely possible that Call of Duty's sales will fall to the likes of its biggest competitor. So, if said instance were to happen, it's likely Activision will follow in EA's footsteps and return to World War shooters as well. To help give Activision some new ideas to spice things up a bit, let's throw out some real life battles that could help redefine Call of Duty once more in the near future.
5. Battle of Somme
Era: World War I
The Battle of Somme was an offensive campaign lead by the British and French forces against the German Empire. While this resulted in the British and French's victory, it came at a hefty price. The Battle of Somme lasted over four months, with well over a million soldiers wounded or killed in the process on both sides.
Why Include It?
The Battle of Somme was the first instance of a tank being used in warfare combat. What more of a reason do you need to include this fight in the next Call of Duty? Granted, this battle could very well be in Battlefield 1 as there are similar tanks included in the trailer, but there's always more than one way to take a perspective on one of the bloodiest battles in World War I.
4. Battle of Hue
Era: Vietnam War
The series may have briefly visited the Vietnam war front in Black Ops, but there's still plenty of ground left to cover in this largely unrecognized era. The Battle of Hue is considered one of the bloodiest and most drawn out campaigns of the entire Vietnam War. The battle ended up being a showcase of the U.S' lack of preparation for the Tet Offensive, as the city of Hue was quickly overrun by Viet Cong forces before slowly being driven out one by one.
Why Include It?
It was the battle that helped sway American opinion against the entire war. With heavy loses from both the Viet Cong and the American troops, public opinion became heavily affected as citizens began to question if this was a war really worth fighting. What's worse is that while it was declared a victory by U.S. forces, the city of Hue was almost virtually destroyed from the fighting, with an estimated 5,000 civilians killed in the process. While serious in tone, a game focused entirely on the travesties of this battle would be a breath of fresh air in a series with no stakes in the narrative.
3. Hundred Days Offensive
Era: World War I
While not specifically one battle, the Hundred Days Offensive was perhaps the most vital series of combat campaigns that ensured the collapse of the German empire. The Allied forces launched a series of offensive battles that would eventually result in depleted German morale, and the high commanders of the empire realizing they could no longer keep fighting an unwinnable war.
Why Include It?
The Hundred Days Offensive would not only serve as a plentiful backdrop for a narrative to explore, but what better way to win a game about war than actually winning the war? Being there on the front lines of seeing the Germans finally surrender, there would be no better feeling for a player to experience than actually being a part of the final battles.
2. Siege of Leningrad
Era: World War II
Wars are won by soldiers. Sometimes on the front, sometimes from behind enemy lines, but how many stories have you heard where soldiers had to fight to reclaim what was once there's? Leningrad fell under Nazi control for a grand total of 872 days, with Soviet forces spending that entire rime trying to reclaim their city once more.
Why Include This?
The locale could serve as a great backdrop for a story of rebellion against the occupied Nazi forces. Additionally, the conditions within Leningrad during the siege could serve as a grave reminder of what an unsympathetic force is capable of. It was reported that some of those who weren't forced out of Leningrad by the incoming Nazis were forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive, and not just the consumption of human bodies so much as murdering others for your own survival.
1. Concentration camp liberations
Era: World War II
Speaking of the dark side of humanity, let's talk about the Holocaust. As you may already know, the Holocaust was a massive "final solution" campaign issued by the Nazi party in order to eradicate the "undesirables" from the German Empire. Jews, homosexuals, Poles, gypsies, nobody was safe if you were deemed unfit for society. You would be shipped off to a concentration camp, where some of history's darkest acts would occur in the span of only a few years.
Why Include This?
The holocaust is rarely, if ever, addressed in war video games. Don't get me wrong, I understand the dark nature of the Holocaust and why it'll probably never be explored by Activision, but if popular shows such as The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones prove anything, it's that we love to revel in humanity's darkest hours. Even fellow games like The Last of Us took some of humanity's greatest evils (turning against your neighbor, killing for survival, etc.) and made something magnificent out of it. I would love to see the Holocaust be explored more in the market sometime in the near future, and the concentration camp liberations would be a great place to start.
Did we miss any battles you would love to see Call of Duty or Battlefield explore in the future? Be sure to comment below and let us know if you agree with these battle decisions, or have some suggestions of your own!
Published: May 13, 2016 09:33 pm