[SS] Forums - View Single Post - How to make your World War 2 game not suck

DatGuy · 09-23-2009

Make the main character a German soldier:

Now, this is a bold move and one I wouldn't actually expect any developer to ever have the balls to do, but if one were to successfully make a game where the player takes on the role of a German soldier as opposed to the typical American, gum-chewing hero, then I feel there would be potential for an amazingly impressive World War II videogame. It's just so incredibly easy to make a game where the Germans are the baddies and the Americans are the saintly heroes, and I'd love to see a studio actually be creative enough to make a compelling Nazi campaign in anything that isn't a disconnected and impersonal RTS.

Obviously you don't have to be playing as a laughing SS officer who performs execution attacks on Jews and guns down gypsies. Perhaps a naive young German soldier who starts the game as an avid believer in the Hitler myth and slowly grows to learn how monstrous the regime is. The game could explore the "banality of evil" theory and the moral obligation of those soldiers who served Germany during the war. The wealth of themes that could be examined through such a game is staggering.

Sadly of course, this is one thing that will probably never happen. It's not realistic to assume that any publisher would risk the controversy and backlash from a general public that often has severe difficulty issues when it comes to understand a different artistic approach. Most people seem ill-equipped to grasp the concept of unique and adult themes in videogames without jumping to conclusions. It's really very sad, and while I am idealistic enough to believe a Nazi-focused videogame would work, I'm too realistic to believe that anybody would ever dare attempt it properly.

I guess unless that ever changes, it's your typical, America-centric, beach-storming FPS affair for World War II games.

09-23-2009	#2
DatGuy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 6,546	Make the main character a German soldier: Now, this is a bold move and one I wouldn't actually expect any developer to ever have the balls to do, but if one were to successfully make a game where the player takes on the role of a German soldier as opposed to the typical American, gum-chewing hero, then I feel there would be potential for an amazingly impressive World War II videogame. It's just so incredibly easy to make a game where the Germans are the baddies and the Americans are the saintly heroes, and I'd love to see a studio actually be creative enough to make a compelling Nazi campaign in anything that isn't a disconnected and impersonal RTS. Obviously you don't have to be playing as a laughing SS officer who performs execution attacks on Jews and guns down gypsies. Perhaps a naive young German soldier who starts the game as an avid believer in the Hitler myth and slowly grows to learn how monstrous the regime is. The game could explore the "banality of evil" theory and the moral obligation of those soldiers who served Germany during the war. The wealth of themes that could be examined through such a game is staggering. Sadly of course, this is one thing that will probably never happen. It's not realistic to assume that any publisher would risk the controversy and backlash from a general public that often has severe difficulty issues when it comes to understand a different artistic approach. Most people seem ill-equipped to grasp the concept of unique and adult themes in videogames without jumping to conclusions. It's really very sad, and while I am idealistic enough to believe a Nazi-focused videogame would work, I'm too realistic to believe that anybody would ever dare attempt it properly. I guess unless that ever changes, it's your typical, America-centric, beach-storming FPS affair for World War II games. DatGuy "doubts my connections".