Blackthorn
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- Joined
- Jan 11, 2008
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Realism is a term thrown around a lot in gaming these days, with each new FPS touting how much it nears itself to this goal. Call of Duty 4 has received many accolades for a realistic depiction of warfare, but as much I enjoyed the game, I'm a bit sceptical of whether it should really be held as a standard for immersive combat situations, and how much realism is ever gonna be viable in gaming. I don't mean of course total realism, as dying the moment you stepped into a battlefield would be no fun at all, but what I'm questioning is the effectiveness of the environments in delivering the real horrors of a battlefield.
The main way I feel this could be achieved is with civilian death, something I feel was a missed opportunity through much of CoD4. There was that gripping spectacle near the beginning, where you see through the eyes of the Arab nation's president as he bears witness to his country being overrun and his countrymen slain, but after this there's not a civilian in sight (except one old man and the faceless drivers of the vehicles in the last level). If a game truly wants to shake up the player, it should have them engage in combat in areas amongst civilian life, where it's hard to differentiate friend from foe. This is the way modern war has become, and the direction I wish CoD4 had gone in, at least in one level.
Recently MGS4, though in an even more fictional conflict than CoD4, impressed me with an intense and nerve-testing tour through a Middle-Eastern warzone in the first act. You may be somewhat of a supersoldier, and of course there's not a civilian in sight, but the constant intensity surpassed CoD4 for me, with bullets zipping overhead and explosions filling the streets, and the camera lens, with grit. Kojima said he was inspired by Infinity Ward's project, and it shows. But as thrilling as that act was, it wasn't the harrowing experience I'm waiting for.
I find that sections of Half-Life 2, though in far more far-fetched circumstances than either of the above, offered a far more convincing feel of urban combat environments. Valve has excellent use of familiar sights and shapes that remind us of various acts of oppression throughout history. There's techniques in use that I don't even notice, or couldn't probably understand. There isn't the constant, ear-drum shattering noise of CoD4, or the astounding visuals of MGS4, but whenever I play through City 17 I regularly get shivers down my spine.
Now I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this matter. Can the realism I'm imagining be achieved in games? What other games have come close? And will any developer ever be brave enough to do it?
The main way I feel this could be achieved is with civilian death, something I feel was a missed opportunity through much of CoD4. There was that gripping spectacle near the beginning, where you see through the eyes of the Arab nation's president as he bears witness to his country being overrun and his countrymen slain, but after this there's not a civilian in sight (except one old man and the faceless drivers of the vehicles in the last level). If a game truly wants to shake up the player, it should have them engage in combat in areas amongst civilian life, where it's hard to differentiate friend from foe. This is the way modern war has become, and the direction I wish CoD4 had gone in, at least in one level.
Recently MGS4, though in an even more fictional conflict than CoD4, impressed me with an intense and nerve-testing tour through a Middle-Eastern warzone in the first act. You may be somewhat of a supersoldier, and of course there's not a civilian in sight, but the constant intensity surpassed CoD4 for me, with bullets zipping overhead and explosions filling the streets, and the camera lens, with grit. Kojima said he was inspired by Infinity Ward's project, and it shows. But as thrilling as that act was, it wasn't the harrowing experience I'm waiting for.
I find that sections of Half-Life 2, though in far more far-fetched circumstances than either of the above, offered a far more convincing feel of urban combat environments. Valve has excellent use of familiar sights and shapes that remind us of various acts of oppression throughout history. There's techniques in use that I don't even notice, or couldn't probably understand. There isn't the constant, ear-drum shattering noise of CoD4, or the astounding visuals of MGS4, but whenever I play through City 17 I regularly get shivers down my spine.
Now I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this matter. Can the realism I'm imagining be achieved in games? What other games have come close? And will any developer ever be brave enough to do it?
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