I’m a bit confused by this article’s focus on the original Modern Warfare, honestly. Now, this is coming from someone who has played literally zeroCall of Duty games, but it was my understanding, from multiple reviewers, that that game, specifically, was intended as a deconstruction of modern Western military politics and tactics - that all the examples the author cites are meant to be taken in a critical light. It was only after that game, I was led to understand, that the CoD series degenerated into unironic support of these politics.
I played the games as a teenager because it’s what all the super cool American kids did.
There are definitely threads of that in the game, but it for sure glorifies American/British military action in West Asia and let’s face it, a massive amount of CoD players are either literal teenagers or young adults that have very limited world experience and knowledge of geopolitics.
I’ve never heard this take before but it sounds like cope tbh.
Admittedly it’s been years since I played the game but I played enough when I was still in my Western Chauvinist phase that I can basically flawlessly remember every detail of the campaign and from what I can remember none of it felt like criticism at all. If that really was the intention then I think it was a poor attempt, especially given the message appears to have been lost on just about everyone.
Yeah, it sounds like, if the game was actually intended as satire, it wasn’t executed well.
I’d be curious to know your thoughts on Spec Ops: The Line. It’s the only “modern war” shooter I’ve ever played, and I thought it did an amazing (if occasionally painful) job satirising the exact sort of western chauvinism you’re describing. Then again, that’s the angle I came into it expecting to see, so I might have been biased.
I’m a bit confused by this article’s focus on the original Modern Warfare, honestly. Now, this is coming from someone who has played literally zero Call of Duty games, but it was my understanding, from multiple reviewers, that that game, specifically, was intended as a deconstruction of modern Western military politics and tactics - that all the examples the author cites are meant to be taken in a critical light. It was only after that game, I was led to understand, that the CoD series degenerated into unironic support of these politics.
I played the games as a teenager because it’s what all the super cool American kids did.
There are definitely threads of that in the game, but it for sure glorifies American/British military action in West Asia and let’s face it, a massive amount of CoD players are either literal teenagers or young adults that have very limited world experience and knowledge of geopolitics.
Fair. Satire is only as clever as its audience, I suppose.
I’ve never heard this take before but it sounds like cope tbh.
Admittedly it’s been years since I played the game but I played enough when I was still in my Western Chauvinist phase that I can basically flawlessly remember every detail of the campaign and from what I can remember none of it felt like criticism at all. If that really was the intention then I think it was a poor attempt, especially given the message appears to have been lost on just about everyone.
Yeah, it sounds like, if the game was actually intended as satire, it wasn’t executed well.
I’d be curious to know your thoughts on Spec Ops: The Line. It’s the only “modern war” shooter I’ve ever played, and I thought it did an amazing (if occasionally painful) job satirising the exact sort of western chauvinism you’re describing. Then again, that’s the angle I came into it expecting to see, so I might have been biased.
Haven’t tried it, unfortunately. I’ll get around to it one day.
If you’re interested, the review that most likely popularized this interpretation was the original Zero Punctuation review.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Deconstruction aka a tepid “war is bad”. Riveting, never done before. So daring.
I mean, I was told it was a more specific criticism of western policy.
Sorry I was just ranting.